The Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat has been my Holy Grail of nail varnish top coats for the past 3 years. In fact, it was because of the Seche Vite that I started to enjoy painting my fingernails. Before that I only did my toes. All the top coats I tried before the Seche Vite didn’t dry fast enough and chipped easy.
The problem I have with the Seche Vite is how quickly it thickens in the bottle. With frequent exposure to air, the formula coagulates and soon, I’ll be lifting a brush of very gluggy gel. It started to look and feel like glue out of a bottle. Instead of a thin layer of top coat, it often goes on thicker than my 2-layered nail polish. Something that I enjoyed using started to be a real pain in the bum.
You can buy a bottle of the Seche Vite thinner (can’t use any ol’ cheapie thinner or nail polish remover) to thin the formula out and restore its original texture. I didn’t have one and was too lazy to buy one. 😛 LeGeeque kindly restored my Seche Vite top coat with her SV thinner but soon after, it was back to its gluggy self.
It was during that time of frustrating fight with the “glue” that I saw Yishan‘s tweet on how good Sally Hansen’s Diamond Flash Top Coat is. I didn’t get one to try because I didn’t think anything could beat the Seche Vite, no matter how fussy it can be to use. It was during that time that I was given a bottle of Diamond Flash top coat in a goodie bag. Well, good time as any to try it out, right?
I love it. LOVE it. Oops, did I spill the beans too soon? 😛 Can’t help it, I really do. It dries almost as quickly as the Seche Vite and while it doesn’t “fix” tiny chips (the Seche Vite one does. I don’t know how it does it, but it actually fixes tiny chips!), it prevents chipping almost as well as the Seche Vite. What I love most about it is how thin the formula is. It’s so easy to glide the top coat over my nail polish. No more thick top coats for me!
Thanks to the Diamond Flash, I haven’t used the Seche Vite top coat in over 6 months. I’m very happy with it; happy that it’s so easily available to me (you can only get Seche Vite at specialty stores or salons in Australia. If not, you’ll have to get them online), happy that it’s so easy to use, and happy that dries so quickly and prevents my nail polish from chipping.
If you’re looking to try out the Seche Vite but am having a hard time purchasing it, might I suggest the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Top Coat instead. I cannot deny that the Seche Vite top coat is a fantastic top coat and it still beats Sally Hansen in how it maintains chip-free nails. However, the Diamond Flash Top Coat comes very close and for that, other top coats will find it hard to beat. Also, the Seche Vite top coat is not 3-free (free of formaldehyde, DBP, and toluene) whereas the Sally Hansen one is (safer to use).
I took the bottle of top coat with me to Malaysia. My mum tried it, loved it and nicked it from me. 😛 When I was back in Melbourne, I dashed to my local Chemist Warehouse and replenished my supply. Crisis averted! 😀
Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength Diamond Flash Top Coat retails at $13.95 for 13.3ml and is available at leading pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide.
What I like about it: 3-free, works almost as well as the Seche Vite top coat, not gluggy, easy to apply, dries very quickly, leaves a beautiful shine on the nails, maintains chip-free nails
What I do not like about it: Nothing
Note: This product was provided in a goodie bag. Loved it so much, bought another bottle after giving it away to Mum.
I don’t think I’ve come across a Sally Hansen product that I haven’t like, especially recently. I haven’t tried this one though, next time I need to restock my top coat I will have to give it a go!
Zoe xx
Zoe recently posted..Bobby Pins: Friend or Foe?
Me neither. It’s interesting how Sally Hansen has evolved from a boring brand to such a modern one now. Back in the day, my mum would use Sally Hansen but the colours were so bland and the formula just so so. Now you have the Complete Salon Manicure, which is just fab. And this one, I was very impressed!
I must try this! I hope I can find it here.
gio recently posted..Product Review: Kiko Volume Attraction Mascara
If you can get Sally Hansen, I’m sure you’ll be able to find this too 🙂
Thanks for the tip – and will keep the Sally Hansen top coat in mind next time I’m buying.
No worries, hope you like this one 🙂
Ha before i even opened this post i was screaming “oh sacrilege” but you make some pretty valid points my love. Yes SV is a pain in the bum when you get 1/2 way & it “dies” but the super fast setting/curing/drying time kills it over anything I’ve ever used and it has a finish that looks just like glass. I’m going to take up your challenge (purely made my own here) & try it out.
Madam M recently posted..SEPHORA – EYE MAKEUP REMOVING PADS
Haha I know! If I saw this on another blog post without even trying the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash, I’d be like, “what the fart are you talking about?!” 😛 Truly, I’m impressed with this one. It doesn’t dry as quickly as the Seche Vite but it definitely dries quicker than all of the other top coats I know (OPI, Orly, etc). All I need is a thin layer of top coat to seal everything in whereas the Seche Vite is so gloopy and thick.
WHAT! A top coat better than the famous Seche Vite Top Coat?! I’ll have to run off to my local drugstore to find this.
Angela @ The Unprofessional Beauty Blog recently posted..Level Naturals Shower Bomb｜Spa Aromatherapy Right In My Bathtub
Hahahah well, I won’t say it’s better than the Seche Vite in terms of quick-drying but it works almost as well. If the Sally Hansen one dries as quickly as the Seche Vite, then yes, hand on heart, I think it’s better. Sacrilege, right? 😛 *hide away from rotten tomatoes*
Right now I have a bottle of Seche Restore sitting beside my Seche Vite, so I guess I’m okay so far…but I’ll be keeping an eye out for this at the local Watsons! 😀
beetrice recently posted..Happy Chinese New Year!
Even after using LeGeeque’s Seche Restore, I still find it too thick. I thought it was normal since I’ve been using it for so long. But after using this, what a difference it made. It’s not as good as the Seche Vite, I have to admit, but it’s very close. Plus it’s safer to use, so I’m happy with this one 🙂
After reading your review I said to myself “I NEED THIS ” I will try to find it and give it a try I haven’t found a perfect top coat for my nails I guess this will be the one
Hee hee, my enabling job is DONE. 😉
I’ve always LOVED Sally Hansen’s nail products….and I think I love the fact that they are inexpensive more! I’ve got their double duty top and base coat and it works WONDERS! Might give this one a try!
Norlin recently posted..Shoein – Save or Splurge on Shoes?
I’m glad that Sally Hansen’s come up with a lot of goodies. Back in the day, it’s such an “auntie” brand. I have their 4-in-1 treatment-base-top coat and it’s fab!
Tine, what about the brush? Is it the new brush?
Hi Daphne, I don’t know if there was a different brush prior to this top coat but the brush is a good one. It’s round, not flat, and it applies very well (no bits of hair sticking out).
your gloopy n thick Seche Vite reminds me of my brand new Illamasqua Speckle nail polish, horrible max! can imagine your frustration!
lucky you have another replacement though! Not sure if our local Sally Hansen carries this, might have seen it before… but I never bother with any SH because the ones I want are never available here in Malaysia! 🙁
plue recently posted..Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!
Aww that sucks. What ranges from Sally Hansen do you get in Malaysia? At least the Salon Manicure nail polishes? Those are good stuff!
PS: The Illamasqua Speckle nail polish is no good? Drats. Looks good in pictures though.
I remember we have the Insta dry and erm… extra strength series, and some basic top coat, base coat, that’s pretty much about it? I cannot be sure because I never really look at them, after knowing a huge bulk of what I want from SH is not available here.
the Speckle colour I have has horrible formula, but my other 2 bottles of Scarce and Mottle is alright, and in fact very pretty. I brought up this QC/ inconsistent formula issue to Illamasqua, but it took them almost 2 months to actually reply me, and that was after numerous emails, FB and tweets! And don’t get me started on them not informing customers about international delivery issues with Royal Mail upon placing order! I am quite disappointed with the way they handle their online customers, not sure if their physical stores is any better, since I’ve never been to one.
plue recently posted..Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!
That’s awful, sorry you had to experience that. I’ve only ever purchased Illamasqua in store and while they don’t have the best customer service, it’s not bad. Yeah, I think your Speckle could be a lemon because I’ve read good reviews about it so far.
yeah, well I guess I can add in a few drops of Seche Restore and see how it goes, if it fails, into the bin it goes. I don’t think I’ll purchase from Illamasqua’s website at the moment since I still feel very disappointed over the whole thing, better off saving my moolah for some other brands that offer better customer services.
plue recently posted..Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!
I was using the diamond flash top coat before I switched to seche vitre. I find that the former doesn’t work quite as well. My nail polish actually chipped faster with the Sally Hansen’s as opposed to the Seche V. I have away my Sally Hanesen’s after I switched to Seche V.
Shucks, but good to know that the Seche Vite worked better for you. When I first started using the Seche Vite, it was like the nail polish heavens have opened up for me. It was, and still is, the best top coat I’ve ever used. I just don’t like it when it thickens so much that it becomes difficult to use (unless you have the Seche Restore in hand). The Sally Hansen Diamond Flash top coat comes a close second. It will never be as effective as the Seche Vite but I’d say it’s a very good top coat nevertheless. 🙂
I happen to have both but have not paid a lot of attention to how they are different so thanks for the review. My Seche Vite top coat is still in good condition so I haven’t reached that “gluggy” stage yet. I find that it works pretty well but have not tried using it to repair chips – I will try that soon though. The Sally Hansen Diamond Flash has a very thin texture that is a dream to put on. Both are good in my books. Sally Hansen top coats are generally excellent from my experience. The next one I wanna try is Revlon’s Color Stay Top Coat which is apparently made of steel haha… manicures last forever it seems…
Beauty Box recently posted..Is Candy Doll Liquid Foundation A Match For Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua?
I’ve actually seen it with my own eyes how the Seche Vite repairs chips. My friend treated me to an OPI manicure at David Jones with her for my birthday and she brought along her Seche Vite for the manicurist to use. About a half hour after our manicure, she accidentally chipped the nail polish on one of her fingers. I was like, aww wasted! All she did was use her finger and actually pushed the nail polish around to sort of “cover” the tiny hole. 30 mins later, I could barely see the chip anymore. How awesome is that?!
The only thing I don’t like about the Seche Vite is that it’s not safe to use on pregnant women (ps: stop using it now! :P). My SV comes in an old bottle but the new ones now come with a health warning on possible birth defects. Yikes!
Oooh top coat made of steel? I’M ON IT!
Sorry for the super late response but thanks for the heads up on Seche Vite being unsafe for preggo women. I have since stopped using it. 🙂
Beauty Box recently posted..Look Instantly Fresher With These Makeup Tips
seche vite is not harmful if you wear a mask. Nail Technicians that marinate around these chemicals all day have a chance of birth defects or harmful to their health in many ways and the warning label is more so for them. Exposure to the chemical in SV is minimal UNLESS you are seriously inhaling and huffing away or little to no ventilation. Painting nails 1-2x’s a week will not cause harm. The reason why this warning is on there is because it is the law in CA that any ingredients similar to SV are stated on each product. I wouldn’t worry too much about the nails as long as you are wearing the mask, it will not absorb into the skin and cannot get to your baby.
(4th pregnancy)
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve wanted to try SV but because its not easily available never did. I am more open to a good alternative… and here it is! 🙂
Kaye recently posted..Free Bloglovin’ Illustrated & Animated Icons
Haha no worries! Just remember that it’s not AS GOOD as the Seche Vite but it comes very close 🙂
Oh this sounds like one to try. I’ve tried Seche Vite and I’m not a fan either! My favourite top coat at the moment is OPI’s RapiDry!
Kimberley recently posted..Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lipstick in Calypso
I’ve not tried the RapiDry from OPI, just the regular top coat. ‘Twas just so so. I’ll go check out the RapiDry when I can. Have fun with this Sally Hansen one. I love it!
Am so glad I saw your review….. quite opportune as Priceline are having 40% off!
Haha best time to try it out! 😀
Will have to give the SH Diamond Flash a try. Since starting to mess about with nail art I’ve been using SH Insta-dri, which pretty much does what it says on the tin. Noxious smell, but it drys super fast and like a rock.
I ordered some new polishes from the US, including SV quick dry, a few weeks ago and have to say it didn’t live up to the hype – took ages to dry and it smudged 2 hours later. 🙁
The Diamond Flash dries to a beautifully glossy finish and I like that it dries very quickly. It’s a pity the SV didn’t work for you because I do find that it dries quicker than the Diamond Flash. It’s strong stuff though so do be careful with it.
I’m so happy I have come across this!
I have been through two bottles of O.P.I RapiDry and I’m finding it gets thick half way through making it difficult to use and created air bubbles (even the smallest ones annoy me, I’m a perfectionist haha). So unfortunately I’m done with O.P.I RapiDry of course I still love O.P.I regular coloured polishes.
SH Diamond Flash, I’m quite excited to use this.
Thank you for the post!
My pleasure, Chanelle! So glad it helped. I haven’t used the Seche Vite in AGES because of this 🙂
Hi, I’m was just wondering where you can get the seche vite in Australia? Thanks 🙂
Hi Dana,
You can get Seche Vite from a few nail salons or specialty stores but it’s difficult to find if you’re don’t even know where to start. I find the easiest way to get the Seche Vite is online from Crush Cosmetics: http://www.crushcosmetics.com.au/nails/top-coats/seche-vite-dry-fast-top-coat