Seche vite top coat - worth the hype?

I'm just pondering whether I should get some or not. I'm currently using Butter London's top coat, and I'm happy enough with it, but wondered if anyone could compare both and tell me if it's worth getting the Seche Vite? I've heard stuff about shrinkage with the SV? And I wonder if the shine is that much better than the Butter London?

I don't really have any other brands to compare with. All I know is the BL was a godsend for me - dries relatively quickly (touch dry in 10 mins, pretty rock solid by 30), gives a nice gloss and for the first time ever I don't have to worry about the bed linen being imprinted on my nails when I wake up.

I've never used Butter London but SV is definitely my top coat of choice. I do believe polishes work differently for different people, but for me SV dries uber-uber-fast, is a lovely consistency, gives great gloss and seems to have minimal smudge risk with stamping! I can get a bit of shrinkage (on my thumbs for some reason), I'm just careful to go right to the bottom of my nails.

I love SV. I've never had any shrinkage, but I do get hacked off when it goes gloopy half way through. I have a belting great bottle of Restore but I can never seem to get it back to the original consistency no matter how much I thin it.

I had trouble with it at first but love it now. worth the hype imo.

Thanks ladies, think I might just try a bottle.

Though the whole going gloopy halfway is a bit offputting, and the thinner doesn't even work? That's useful! LOL.

I use sally hansen insta-dri (proper top coat - not the drops) - it's supposed to be just as good as SV but much cheaper. Never tried SV though so can't really back that up

I love SV, I get the massive "salon size" bottles of it to decant into a little bottle. I haven't personally found gloopiness to be an issue!

I've not had gloopy problems, do occasionally ahve shrinkage - particularly if I end up with multiple coats after adding something day 2 or 3!
I have the Sally Hansen instadry and just didn't get on with that at all.

mmmmchocolate wrote:I use sally hansen insta-dri (proper top coat - not the drops) - it's supposed to be just as good as SV but much cheaper. Never tried SV though so can't really back that up

I've tried both and they're pretty similar. I have a slight preference for the Sally Hansen one and it's cheaper so it's a no brainer for me. I usually stock up when they're on offer at Boots or Superdrug.

Touch dry in 10 mins is far too long for me, I'm not patient enough. Sally Hansen and SV are touch dry within a couple of mins.

starrystarry wrote:

mmmmchocolate wrote:I use sally hansen insta-dri (proper top coat - not the drops) - it's supposed to be just as good as SV but much cheaper. Never tried SV though so can't really back that up

I've tried both and they're pretty similar.  I have a slight preference for the Sally Hansen one and it's cheaper so it's a no brainer for me.  I usually stock up when they're on offer at Boots or Superdrug.  

Touch dry in 10 mins is far too long for me, I'm not patient enough.  Sally Hansen and SV are touch dry within a couple of mins.

It's possibly 5 mins, I haven't really timed it was just giving an approx. Compared to the last time I used top coat (years and years ago, 10+) it feels like a minor miracle.

It's encouraging that not everyone gets the gloopiness! I'll give a bottle of it a whirl anyway and will eventually try the SH too.

Thanks again everyone, they're all invaluable opinions as I know nobody else who uses top coats!

Another vote for Seche Vite!

I've never had any shrinkage, it does get gloopy about halfway down the bottle however. But I found the restore fine. Now though I just top it up from the salon size bottle when it gets to this point and that thins it back down.

Those who ahve the salon size bottle - do you just pour from one to the other or do you need a funnel of some sort? Also does that eventually get gloopy?

I prefer Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, I get much less tip wear than with SV. And it doesn't go gloopy!

I've been using it but I'm also a lover of OPI Rapid Dry.My Seche has gone gloopy two thirds down but then the OPI does that too  I think I'm going to jiggle between the two of them for now

My big bottle is showing no signs of gloopiness thus far (although despite having refilled from it four or five times I've barely made a dent!). I guess because it isn't being opened all the time, the chemicals don't have the opportunity to evaporate?

HanSpan wrote:Those who ahve the salon size bottle - do you just pour from one to the other or do you need a funnel of some sort?  Also does that eventually get gloopy?

You get a little funnel with it but I just pour, if you pour it too close to the bottle you get it everywhere but if you bring the bottle up higher it trickles out and runs into the little bottle nicely

I didn't get a funnel....lol, it's easy enough to pour though

I use Seche all the time, same bonuses as others have mentioned. Dries quickly, lovely glossy finish and doesn't smudge my stamping. I find it does go a bit gloopy halfway down though.

I've got one of those professional bottles, it comes with a spout you screw on and fill the bottle using that.

thanks all. Now need to find cheapest place to buy a mega bottle!

I bought a small bottle to try off ebay. If I like it I'll get a big one at some point.

Seche Vite.... MEH. Its gloopy, it shrinks. I have seche restore and I swear half the bottle went into restoring 2 bottles of seche vite. Now Sally Hansen Insta Dri is marvellous. Hell of a lot cheaper and no gloop.

Well me being the impatient sort, I got a bottle of the SH in superdrug today as well. Just used it, seems nice.

I love SV - I never have any problems with shrinkage and it always dries fast and super-shiny for me

I have the big bottle, I keep my working bottle topped up regularly and add a bit of the Restore thinner at every top up (I have a big bottle of that too). Also, I apply it thick - I think dragging a thin coat over your nail might be what causes shrinkage in some cases.

I used the Seche Vite for the first time last night. I was sooooo impressed with it, and then shrinkage happened along the top edge of the nail.

On the upside, I did like the Sally Hansen. Might just stick with that, it seems like the less problematic of the two!

i have had the same problem with shrinkage at the top of the nail its very frustrating but i love the drying time with seche!!!