Battle of the Top Coats: Seche Vite vs Nails Inc Caviar

I've been a self-confessed Seche Vite addict for almost two years now, applying a thick glossy layer of the stuff over every DIY manicure I've had (and there have been many). I've never deviated from the brand as I believed I wouldn't be able to find anything better. It ticks all of the boxes: fast-drying, long-lasting and delivering that highly coveted super-shiny wet look that I previously thought could only be achieved in salons.


That was all well and good until earlier this week Nails Inc's Kensington Caviar top coat found me (through the medium of Glossybox, which I'll be doing a post on soon). The miniature 4ml bottle I received looked so cute when I opened the box that I had to try it straight away. It has a rose tint to it in the bottle, unlike Seche Vite which is completely transparent. I was worried that the pinky appearance would make it unsuitable on top of some non-pink based polishes, but fortunately I found that it applies perfectly clear.


When I did apply the Nails Inc Caviar top coat for the first time on top of Chanel Paradoxal (a sort of grey-plum colour and one of my favourites for Autumn), I was blown away by the results. Firstly it's not as thick as Seche Vite, so it just glides over each nail with ease. I used to love the gloopiness of Seche Vite, but I find that with each use it dries up more and more, until it's unusable way before it's actually ran out, which is annoying.


Secondly the drying time is unbelievably fast. My left hand was pretty much dry to the touch by the time I'd moved on to my right hand. The packaging states that the drying time is 45 seconds, but I think it may be even quicker than that. Seche Vite has an impressive drying time too, but it loses in a race against Nails Inc's Caviar (yes, I applied them both to see which was faster and the winner was clear). This is a massive bonus for impatient, clumsy me; the amount of times I've had to start nails from scratch due to accidentally  smudging them before they're properly dry is ridiculous.


Both top coats deliver when it comes to protecting against chips and prolonging a manicure's life. However, they're both prone to peeling off after a few days wear (as in all the polish on a nail will just peel off at once, leaving you bare). I've come to accept this as the price you pay for fabulous super glossy nails, and as it doesn't usually happen until around the third or fourth day it's not a huge problem (I'm usually itching to put another polish on by then anyway).


Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat retails at £10.95, slightly less than Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat which costs £12. But seeing as it's almost impossible to use an entire bottle Seche Vite before you have to replace it due to it drying up, I think that the Caviar Top Coat offers better value for money, a faster drying time, easier application, and let's not forget prettier packaging. I've been converted.


Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat available from ASOS
Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Manicure available from nailsinc.com