Salutations readers, welcome to my blog and my first post. I have been wanting to do some posts lately comparing products and giving detailed reasons on why I love them and comparing them. I will be doing two separate categories of top coats one being glossy and the other being matte top coats.
In search I have found any gel glossy top coats that say “glass” could be similar, I just haven’t been able to test and compare those yet. When uncured, VTT is a lighter viscosity and doesn’t usually need much product to cover the nail, but like with any topcoat it is important to make sure the brush is saturated enough. One thing that sold me on this top coat was the fact that it does NOT scratch or chip unless my drill hits my own nails while I am working on a client, it lasts for well over the recommended 4 weeks for clients.
For my second glossy top coat I'd like to bring up Kupa’s glossy top coat. Now I know in the recent past that this company released a faulty and goopy batch of this top coat in bottles and refills, but this seems to be a problem they fixed quickly. I haven't had any issues with this top coat since this happened. That being said this top coat is a great option for anyone that wants a thicker viscosity of top coat. Being a thicker consistency can make this top coat ideal for encapsulating charms, gems, nail art, stickers etc. I have used this top coat pretty long term, and while it isn't my favorite, I think it's smart to have it on hand.
Moving onto Matte topcoats, I’ll start with Venalisa’s matte top coat. This top coat is one of my favorites because of the viscosity. It's again thinner, which can be better in some cases. Something to note about this matte top coat is that it is not stain resistant, when i've used it on myself and on clients who are either hair stylists or have colored hair, this top coat will hold onto the color and stain the nails some. I haven't ever tried or seen a matte top that does not stain but ill be on the hunt for one. I'd also like to find a ‘satin’ top coat that's maybe in between a glossy and matte.
My second matte top coat has to be the one I end up using the most, and that's the Kupa mate top coat. I enjoy using this matte top coat when I'm doing isolated chrome art, I always have to wipe the nails with alcohol to remove any inhibition layer that could be there and cause chrome to stick where it shouldn't. The viscosity of this matte top coat and Venalisa’s is similar but Kupa is slightly thicker. As for stain resistance this top coat does better than Venalisa but not fool proof when it comes to staining.
I'll be adding a diagram below with comparisons for each top coat I talked about in this post, and I’d love any feedback since this is new for me. And that’s where I’ll leave you, like a mermaid slipping back into the water. If you’re craving more, the podcast and our Reddit are where the deep-sea chatter lives. Ready to get pampered? Booking’s open, and the shop is full of treasures to take home.
