Essence Gel-Look Topcoat Review - Dupe for Seche Vite??

Hi there! Today's post will be about a new nail polish topcoat that I recently came across from the super affordable European brand, Essence. Sold for $2.49 +tax at Shoppers Drug Mart, and promises to be a "topcoat that adds glossy shine and leaves a gel-like finish on nails", it was just too hard for a nail product junkie like myself to pass up; I simply had to try it out. The first thing that came to mind when I got home was "will this topcoat be a comparable dupe for my absolute favorite topcoat of all time, Seche Vite?"

So did I find a dupe??

Sadly....not quite.

The Essence gel-look topcoat, despite not be being an exact dupe for Seche Vite, is still a great topcoat that would not break the bank. It actually was able to deliver exactly as it claimed: a gel-like finish and glossy-ness for your finished manicure.

The biggest issue I had with it was DRYING TIME. The Essence polish simply took way too long to dry down before it can come into contact with anything, otherwise it would smudge or dent and ruin your manicure. One of the biggest winning points for Seche Vite is not only the finish it gives your nail polish, but also the amazingly short time that it requires to dry and therefore, it takes a lot less time to finish a manicure session. Sometimes I even put seche vite on top of my nail colour when I know it hasn't dried completely because I know that Seche Vite will actually help the polish dry faster.

For those of you who have a taste for nail art would probably be aware that Seche Vite may very well be the most reliable topcoat you can have for after you've done your nail art, because it doesn't create any smudges. Unfortunately, the essence gel-look topcoat caused a bit of smudging on my nail art and konad stamped designs when applied to it after it has become dry to the touch.

Overall, I would suggest giving the Essence new topcoat a shot if you either 1) have a lot of free time to sit around without moving your hands (with something to keep you from being bored) after your manicure, or 2) have a drying lamp/fan that you use regularly after painting your nails. Otherwise, the dry time maybe too overbearing for most of us who wanted to get moving quickly after doing our nails. A viable alternative to this and Seche Vite maybe the Sally Hanson MegaShine Topcoat. It gives a great shiny finish, lacks the "gel-like" finish, but much faster than Essence Gel-Look Topcoat.

Have a happy manicure!
Joanne

(Products shown and discussed are all purchased with personal funds)