After one too many smudged nail "artworks", over which I'd pored way too much time to admit, I realised I needed a TRUE Smudge-Resistant Top Coat. So, when this popped up (as a till suggestion) in one of MoYou-London's (several) sales, I felt I had to try it.🤷♀️
Now, I'm a Seche Vite (SV) addict, to the point of now buying it in professional-sized bottles!🤦♀️ FYI, I *always* use dedicated base coat & top coat products to prevent early chipping. But I must admit, while SV dries my nails VERY quickly--eventually rock hard & smooth, AND making my manicures last way past my being bored of them, i.e. week+--SV smudges.😞 As a true top coat, it works by penetrating the under-layers, re-wetting them, often causing the polish to flood any design "boundaries" before setting. Even with the most generous careful thick "float", SV would drag through my finely stamped designs.😭
So, I tried this *MoYou-London* Smudge-Resistant Top Coat--don't know if it's the same formula as that from "Nails MoYou" (different company🤨)--& EUREKA❗❗😂 Although MoYou's SR Top Coat brushes on too thin to "float"--fresh bottle--as promised, the fine lines I'd carefully stamped from my new MoYou-London Africa 12 plate were preserved! Hallelujah!🙏
Now, the surface did remain slightly tacky for longer than SV, but that was to be expected. But it dried quickly enough that, next morning, after my late-night nails session, there were no frustrating woven bedding imprints or dents!⭐😊👍
So, why 1 star removed? Well, later that morning, I did notice a little shrinkage at the cuticles & tip edges. Also, the thinness of the formula meant the finished nail surfaces weren't as smooth (or shiny) as I'm used to--I could feel the stamped images. Although it does imply a little MoYou goes a long way!💰👍 So, I simply applied another coat of my trusty SV--others "tacos" are available😉--& prayed. It worked; best of both!🙏 Every fine line remained in place--e.g., thin straight lines stayed straight--combined with my usual full glossy smoothness & sealed edges! Phew!😌
👉So, my personal recipe will be SV over the base colour layers, before stamping, & optionally as a final (next day) coat. But, use MoYou-London's *SPECIALITY* SMUDGE-RESISTANT TOP COAT💅--after the stamps have dried--to lock in those carefully stamped fine lines... & other nail design details, like sealing decals & appliqués, without resorting to gels & UV lamps!😊👍