Now, usually I like to use the Zoya Anchor and Armor with my Zoya color, followed by the Hurry Up (or Fast Dry Drops as they are called now). However, I for some unknown reason have at least three top coats opened, and more than four base coats opened. I don't know how this came to be. I think as some of them got thick I decided to keep them for swatching purposes and opened a new thin one for actual polishing.
I have yet to master the art of successfully thinning polish. I know it sounds simple. Add 2-3 drops and mix well. Sometimes it seems as though that it isn't enough to make a difference so I add more than that. Here's what happens when you over thin: The polish seems to take longer to dry or feels tacky. (When touching nail to nail). Or, when you've really overshot it: It dries dull. I suppose if I wanted to go for the Plastic finish that was popular for 5 seconds last year, this would be a cheap way to go. lol
Subsequently, I need to throw out my old thick topcoats, or just mark them with an X.
I tried a new combo two nights ago. American Classics Gelous base coat, Zoya color, and Orly Sealon top coat. WTDW. (Well, that didn't work). Did I just make a new acronym?
Yesterday I noticed hairline tip wear. By the evening I had peeling on my middle finger and pinky. I must note that I have used the Gelous base under Zoya color and Armor with great success.
I'm guessing it's the Sealon, but I'm going to try it again. This time with Anchor base, and Zoya color of course.
The Sealon did dry very shiny, but with barely-noticeable brush lines. You wouldn't see them unless you had your nails right up to your face examining the nail for any imperfection.
For curiosity sake, here are the ingredients of the base and top I used:
Gelous base:
Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Camphor, Etocrylene, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Calcium Pantothenate.
Orly Sealon topcoat:
Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Tosylamide/Epoxy Resin, Triphenyl Phosphate, Propyl Acetate, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, N-Butyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Trimethylpentanediyl Dibenzoate, Benzophenone-1, Polyvinyl Butyral, Mica, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate
And there you have it! :,)
FWIW, after seeing high praise for Gelous for ages, I finally tried it several times recently and I never get anything but peeling, gummy polish, often within a couple of hours. I've tried it both as a base coat and as a middle/top coat over rough glitters.
ReplyDeleteMy go-to wears-like-iron combo is Zoya Get Even ridge-filling base coat and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri anti-chip top coat in the red bottle (though I use Zoya Armor too), no matter the brand of color I'm wearing (but like you, I'm a huge Zoya fan). Insta-Dri smooths glitters like nobody's business and lives up to its name. It's faster than Seche Vite and doesn't smell or shrink as bad. Like SV it does thicken over time; unlike SV, it doesn't like being thinned. It gets cloudy if I try, so I usually only get about 1/2 a bottle's use out of it before I get a new one.