Nail SuperStore Artisan GelEfex Top Coat
Artistic Nail Design Correction Gel Soak Off Nail Strengthener
Artistic Nail Design Glossing Gel Soak-Off Top Coat
CND Shellac Power Polish Base Coat
Christrio Velvet Matte Soak-Off Gel Top Coat
www.christrio.com
Color Club Foundation + Primer Base
Color Club Seal + Shine Top Coat
Entity Color Couture Soak-Off Base Coat
Entity Color Couture Soak-Off Top Coat
Essie Gel Base Coat
Essie Gel Top Coat
EzFlow No-Cleanse Top Coat
EzFlow Optimize It! Brightening Base Coat
China Glaze Geláze Gel Top Coat
Gelish Foundation Soak-Off Base Gel
Gelish Top It Off Soak-Off Sealer Gel
IBD Just Gel Polish Base Coat
IBD Just Gel Polish Top Coat
Jessica GELeration Finish Sealer
Jessica GELeration Prep Primer
Jessica GELeration Start Base
Kiara Sky Colorbase Base Coat
Kiara Sky Colorbase Matte Top Coat
LeChat Perfect Match Ultra-Thin Varnish Base Gel
LeChat Perfect Match High Gloss Top Gel Sealer
Light Elegance Lexy Line Base Gel
Mia Secret Luxury UV Base & Top Gel
NCLA Gelous Top Of The Game Top Coat
NCLA Touch Base Soak-Off Base Coat
Mia Secret Ultra Shine UV Finish Gel
OPI ProHealth Base Coat
OPI ProHealth Top Coat
Orly GelFX Easy-Off Base Coat
Orly GelFX Top Coat
Young Nails Conversion Base Coat
Young Nails Conversion Top Coat
SuperNail ProGel Base Coat
SuperNail ProGel Top Coat
Seche Ultra-V Top Coat
Nail SuperStore Artisan GelEfex Top Coat
Artistic Nail Design Correction Gel Soak Off Nail Strengthener
Artistic Nail Design Glossing Gel Soak-Off Top Coat
CND Shellac Power Polish Base Coat
Christrio Velvet Matte Soak-Off Gel Top Coat
www.christrio.com
Color Club Foundation + Primer Base
Color Club Seal + Shine Top Coat
Entity Color Couture Soak-Off Base Coat
Entity Color Couture Soak-Off Top Coat
Essie Gel Base Coat
Essie Gel Top Coat
EzFlow No-Cleanse Top Coat
EzFlow Optimize It! Brightening Base Coat
China Glaze Geláze Gel Top Coat
Gelish Foundation Soak-Off Base Gel
Gelish Top It Off Soak-Off Sealer Gel
IBD Just Gel Polish Base Coat
IBD Just Gel Polish Top Coat
Jessica GELeration Finish Sealer
Jessica GELeration Prep Primer
Jessica GELeration Start Base
Kiara Sky Colorbase Base Coat
Kiara Sky Colorbase Matte Top Coat
LeChat Perfect Match Ultra-Thin Varnish Base Gel
LeChat Perfect Match High Gloss Top Gel Sealer
Light Elegance Lexy Line Base Gel
Mia Secret Luxury UV Base & Top Gel
NCLA Gelous Top Of The Game Top Coat
NCLA Touch Base Soak-Off Base Coat
Mia Secret Ultra Shine UV Finish Gel
OPI ProHealth Base Coat
OPI ProHealth Top Coat
Orly GelFX Easy-Off Base Coat
Orly GelFX Top Coat
Young Nails Conversion Base Coat
Young Nails Conversion Top Coat
SuperNail ProGel Base Coat
SuperNail ProGel Top Coat
Seche Ultra-V Top Coat
Top Coats and Base Coats: How Are They Different?
A manicure without a base or top coat lacks strength and resistance to wear. Although they aren’t necessarily visible, both base coats and top coats are essential to any quality manicure. Despite misconceptions that the two are similar, Light Elegance president Jim McConnell explains that they actually have very different properties: A base coat is typically a thin building gel with a high strength and toughness to allow for polish or a gel system to perform better on the fingernail, while top coats are usually formulated for scratch-resistance and gloss.
“The two products don’t have very much overlap in the resins and other chemicals, and they have different raw materials in the formulations for their specific functions,” McConnell says. “If the base coat is not tough, it will crack and the enhancement system will fail. Top coats must be able to withstand chores like cooking and cleaning, which are damaging to the fingernails.”
McConnel suggests testing out both top coats and base coats before buying in bulk, especially for two-in-one types of products: “It is very possible that a great all-in-one product will be found on the market,” he says, “but always test it thoroughly and make certain you are pleased with its performance.”
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