Instructions on how to apply gel polish without a sticky layer

Types of topcoats

Gel polish tops vary in consistency, texture, decorative qualities and other properties. Popular categories of finishing coatings are:

1. Glossy or classic - such fixatives provide the coating with a shining effect and protect the applied color from fading in the sun.
2. Reflective finishes - they contain small silver particles that reflect light rays, giving the nails a shine and shimmering effect.
3. Matte tops, including corduroy, velvet, suede and sand, give the manicure a matte effect, emphasizing the naturalness of the color and the beauty of the design. Thanks to their soft, plush texture, these finishes provide an incredible tactile sensation. It’s so nice to run your fingertips across their surface!
4. Satin or cream tops are also matte finishes. In terms of tactile sensations, they are inferior to the previous group of coatings. But satin compositions are not so porous, less prone to contamination and are suitable even for light shades of varnish.
5. Rubber - these finishes make the coating more elastic, resistant to fading, peeling, cracking and chipping. They are easy to apply, spread well over the surface and mask minor flaws in the nail plate. In addition, rubber fixatives hold rhinestones, voluminous designs and metal decor well.
6. Finishes for fixing designs - thanks to their special formula, they perfectly fix rub-ins, rhinestones, elements using the casting technique, slider designs and other decor. In addition, such fixatives are elastic and contribute to long-lasting manicure without peeling or chipping.
7. Fragrant and decorative tops are exclusive products with unique properties. This category includes topcoats with a rub-in effect, shimmer, sparkles, flakes, micro-glitter, holographic effect and other interesting additions.
8. Shimmer tops contain sparkles of different sizes and shades. Thanks to them, the monochromatic coating takes on a more elegant and interesting look. In addition, glitter finishes perfectly mask unevenness and other defects of the nail plates.

Which top is better: with or without a sticky layer?

A sticky or dispersive layer appears as residual stickiness of the coating after drying. It is typical for all bases and most gel polishes. Finishes can be either with or without variance.

Compositions without a sticky layer are easier to use because... do not need to remove residual stickiness with lint-free wipes. They are great for applying rubs, attaching inlays and other types of decor. But such fixatives are not elastic and are only suitable for strong nails. If they are applied to a plastic base or bendable nails, cracks will appear on the coating.

Top coats with a dispersion layer are intended for application on soft nails. They improve the connection of layers of artificial turf and give it elasticity. Besides flexible nails, the sticky finish is great for applying designs like foil stamping.

Which consistency is best?

Finish coatings for gel polish come in different thicknesses - from liquid, like water, to stretchy, like chewing gum. Both extremes are undesirable, because a liquid finish flows behind the cuticle, and a very thick finish thickens the plate too much and complicates the creation of an elegant manicure.

Therefore, the best top coat for gel polish is not too liquid and slightly viscous, creating a thin and durable coating without spreading over the plate. The consistency of the fixative can be determined visually - by how quickly it flows from the brush into the bottle.

How can you replace nail topcoat?

When performing manicures with gel polish, masters do not recommend replacing the top coat with some other product. Since this can affect the durability of the coating and its quality.

For example, if you cover gel polish with a base instead of a top coat, then when you remove the sticky layer, the surface may become cloudy and your manicure will be ruined. In addition, the base is not intended to protect the manicure from damage or fading in the sun. Therefore, the duration of wear can be significantly reduced.

There is also an option to replace the topcoat with a topcoat that is used to fix regular nail polish. This option is possible. Please note that you do not need to dry this top in a lamp; it is simply air dried. But, you must understand that the durability of such a coating will not be long.

But replacing the top coat for regular polish with a top coat for gel polish is definitely not worth it. Since this top coat will remove regular polish and your manicure will be ruined.

Of course, these options can be used in emergency situations. For example, when the top is unexpectedly lost, dried out or runs out. But, it is better to use a gel polish top coat as a finishing coat, or in order not to bother with different jars, you can simply purchase a single-phase system.

Below I’ll tell you about the 7 best top coats for nails. And in this video you can see which budget top to choose for a beginner for manicure with gel polish.

Strength and wear test

A clear indicator of the quality of the finishing coat is its durability and behavior on the nails. If the applied top remains confidently for 2-3 weeks - without the appearance of cracks, chips, peeling and other defects - it deserves to be included in the rating of the best gel polish finishes. Gradual loss of shine is allowed because... The coating is exposed to external influences every day. But the best topcoats confidently withstand all tests and retain their gloss longer.

Of course, you can judge the quality of a top by its durability and behavior on nails only if the materials used are fully compatible and the gel manicure technology is strictly followed. For example, cracks and chips can appear due to an incorrect combination of base and finish. Remember that an elastic sealer can be used with a rigid base, but a rigid finish must not be applied to an elastic base!

For short nails

Manicure for short nails is done in delicate, feminine shades - nude, pastel, pink and milky. But this is just a trend - if you want a bright manicure, there are no prohibitions in this regard.

Manicure on short nails: fashionable shades, ideas, trends

Manufacturers rating

Many brands offer high-quality top coats for gel polish, both foreign and domestic. The best of the best are considered to be finishes from well-known brands from Europe and the USA: Kodi Professional, CND, Grattol, Gelish Harmony, ONIQ, Patrisa Nail. The products ]UNO Lux[/anchor] (an American brand with factories in China), Haruyama (Japan), E.Co Nails, Bluesky, Born Pretty (China) are practically not inferior to them.

Of the Russian brands, Irisk Professional, RuNail, AdriCoco, TNL Professional, Masura, BeautyFree, Pashe, Lianail, POLE cosmetics Russia, Boheme, “Option” and other brands received recognition from professionals and amateurs of the nail industry. They offer products of decent quality at an excellent price, so finishes from Russian brands often become bestsellers.

Leaders among glossy tops

Gelish Harmony Top It Off/Sealer Gel

This tacky finish has many benefits:

• easy-to-apply texture - medium viscosity, non-spreading and well-leveled;
• narrow brush;
• economical consumption;
• fast polymerization;
• compatibility with gel polishes of other brands;
• glass gloss that does not fade for 3 weeks;
• 100% transparency that does not change the shade of the gel polish;
• effective protection against mechanical damage, chips, coating peeling and color fading;
• resistance to water, household chemicals and temperature changes;
• simple and gentle removal - using Gelish Harmony Mini Artificial Nail Remover.

The Top It Off finish from Gelish Harmony is quickly and evenly applied to the nails and forms a thin layer that does not thicken the plate at all. This fixative is great even for damaged and brittle nails!

No Wipe Top Gel from Grattol Professional

This finish has a formula without a sticky layer, a hypoallergenic composition and an easy-to-apply texture - medium thickness, economical and well distributed over the surface. Among its additional advantages:

• comfortable drying in a lamp;
• due to the lack of stickiness - saving time and consumables when creating nail images;
• enhancing the gloss of the gel coating;
• preservation of its color;
• giving the design high strength and durability while maintaining the original elasticity and flexibility;
• excellent fixation of decor;
• reliable protection from mechanical damage and other influences for up to 3–4 weeks;
• resistance to clouding, desquamation and flaking;
• compatible with nails of all types, including sensitive and prone to allergic reactions.

High Gloss top coat from UNO Lux

This fixative has a non-sticky formula and a high content of UV filters. It provides the coating with a high degree of gloss, effective protection against yellowing and fading, integrity and durability for up to 4 weeks.

To apply this finish, use an elastic brush that thinly and evenly distributes the material over the surface. Polymerization of the coating in a UV lamp occurs in 2 minutes, and in an LED lamp – in 30 seconds. Ease of use and excellent characteristics have made this top a sure hit of sales!

Elite Carbon Top from Irisk Professional

Our rating continues with a heavy-duty top coat without a dispersion layer. Nail professionals value it for its comfortable consistency, long-lasting gloss, durability and excellent protective characteristics. This finish polymerizes in a UV lamp in 2 minutes, and in an LED device in 0.5–1 minute.

It reliably holds nail decor and keeps the manicure looking flawless for a long time, without yellowing or loss of shine. Thanks to the content of UV filters, this product guarantees color fastness and protection from fading. It also firmly protects the finished image from damage, peeling, edge rubbing and other integrity violations.

No Scratch Top Coat No Sticky by E.Co Nails

Another popular top coat without a dispersion layer, an excellent choice for thin and long nails. Its main advantages:

• manufacturing from premium quality raw materials, like products of the Emi and Luxio brands;
• great price;
• medium consistency, causing no problems during application;
• good volume retention - can be used for final straightening of springboard-shaped, arched or deformed nails;
• bright and durable gloss;
• plastic;
• excellent resistance to scratches, mechanical damage and other impacts;
• reliable protection of the design from clouding, cracking, chipping and peeling;
• There are different options for removal - either by cutting or soaking.

Polymerization of this coating in a UV lamp occurs in 2 minutes, and in an LED lamp - twice as fast.

Top Coat Black Flakes from RuNail

This glossy top coat without a sticky layer differs from its analogues in its unusual texture with black flakes. They provide any color coating with an ultra-fashionable “quail egg” design. This finish looks amazing on pastel-colored gel polishes. It also looks interesting in a matte finish. To achieve this effect, simply treat the Black Flakes coating with a buffer and apply a matte or velvet finish on top.

Iron Top from TNL Professional

Another fixer without a sticky layer, reliable and easy to use. The list of its advantages:

• harmless composition;
• optimal density;
• flexible brush for uniform and economical application of the product;
• excellent gloss that lasts up to 2 weeks;
• preserving the color of gel polish and enhancing its depth;
• comfortable polymerization;
• excellent fixation of decor;
• the most durable protection;
• durability up to 2–3 weeks without chipping, peeling, fading, scratches or other defects;
• superpower - recovery from damage in a minute!

For long nails

Pink manicure with glitter as an accent.

Glitter is being used more and more often as an accent rather than as a main coating. There is only one reason - fashion trends that insist on naturalness and naturalness, where shine is appropriate only for emphasizing details.

French with a small amount of large sparkles - only those with long plates can afford this.

Add to the section “For short nails” https://nails-mag.ru/manikur/s-blestkami/#For-short-nails also to the beginning before the existing ideas.

An example of how to make a delicate, fashionable manicure, but at the same time add sophistication and brightness to it - just make a longitudinal line with gel polish with dense glitter. If this is not the case, then first draw a thin line with a top coat without a sticky layer, and then sprinkle with dry glitter. After drying, remove excess.

Delicate pink and blue manicure is feminine, gentle and very modern.

The classic design of nails with glitter is to densely fill one finger for an accent. Usually the ring finger is chosen, but, as you can see, the little finger can also be highlighted.

Conservative manicure for girls who don’t like experiments - a classic monochromatic coating with small sparkles covering the entire plate.

The same simple manicure with glitter, but with rainbow stripes - when you got tired of the calmness and wanted bright colors.

Glitter is used for accent or fragment design of nails or is scattered chaotically over one or several nails. Shiny particles go well with all colors, but red or black manicures are especially good.

Orange manicure ideas

Neon manicure ideas

Leaders among matte topcoats

Top Gel Polish Velvet by ADRICOCO

This matte sealer applies without forming a dispersion layer and provides a soft corduroy effect. It radically transforms the appearance of the colored coating, making it softer and more mysterious. Combines amazingly with a glossy finish, creating an interesting play of contrasts. It is easy to work with, even for beginners. The protective characteristics of this finish are not inferior to its aesthetic qualities and ensure its confident inclusion in our rating.

Matte Top Gel from Grattol Professional

This velor finish with a sticky layer is flawless in all respects:

• creates a charming satin effect;
• has optimal density;
• thinly and evenly applied to nails;
• does not flow onto the cuticle;
• Suitable for full nail coverage and for creating accents;
• securely fixes volumetric decor;
• suitable for working with flakes, pigments, rubs and other types of dry decor;
• polymerizes quickly in a lamp;
• increases the strength and durability of gel coatings;
• protects them from damage;
• maintains lightness, elasticity and flexibility of manicure;
• can be removed without any problems.

Top Gel Polish Velvet from TNL Professional

This finish creates a long-lasting velvet coating that protects the design from damage and stays firmly on the nails for up to 4 weeks. It is applied without a sticky layer, easily and economically. A dense and flexible brush allows you to evenly distribute the material over the surface, and a fairly thick consistency makes it possible to smooth out the unevenness of previous layers.

Once applied, Velvet topcoat creates a beautiful effect and visually softens the design. Its protective properties are also impeccable, and removal does not require lengthy filing. The harmless composition allows you to apply such products even to sensitive and weak nails.

In addition to matte tops with a corduroy effect, other TNL Professional finishes are also popular, including the Smuzi series fixers. They contain glitter of different sizes and colors, allowing you to create interesting designs.

Matte Top Patrisa Nail

The matte top coat for Patrisa Nail gel polish has an optimal consistency and a flawlessly working formula without a sticky layer. This finish is applied thinly and evenly over the color coating, creating a transparent matte protection with a refined satin effect. The finishing layer it creates not only looks luxurious, but also confidently protects the manicure from any damage. In addition to gel polishes, it can be applied to gels and bio-gels.

Velvet Top Coat by UNO Lux

Another wonderful finish with a velvet effect. It does not have a sticky layer, is applied thinly and uniformly to the surface, giving the design an exquisite matte and pleasant silkiness. Its protective characteristics are also excellent: the manicure retains its integrity, color saturation and pristine beauty for up to 4 weeks!

What is a gel polish topcoat?

All types of nail toppers are divided into two large groups: tops for regular polish, and tops for gel polish. Since, as a finishing coat, for the durability of the manicure after extensions or strengthening of nails, it is customary to use a top coat for gel polish. But, in this case, you need to choose the right type of top. And there are some nuances here, which I will talk about a little later. Now let's talk about what place gel polish occupies in a manicure.

"TOP COAT" or "TOP GEL" is translated from English as "top layer" or "top gel". And this is no coincidence. Since, a top is a fixing top coating that is applied to the nails at the end of the manicure. That is, this is the same “top layer”. But this layer is only available in two gel polish application systems - two-phase and three-phase. In a single-phase system, the top is combined with a base and gel polish (that is, 3 in 1).

In general, the classic gel polish application system consists of three layers - the first layer is the base layer, the second is the gel polish itself, and the third is the top coat. This system is called three-phase.

The two-phase system consists of two layers - the first layer is gel polish combined with the base (that is, 2 in 1), and the second layer is the top coat.

Single-phase and two-phase systems were developed specifically to facilitate and speed up the manicure procedure. But the most DURABLE manicure is considered to be one performed using a three-phase system. For example, a manicure performed using a single-phase or two-phase system lasts about 1-2 weeks, and a three-phase one lasts 3-4 weeks.

Its four main functions

Now let's find out what a nail top is for and what functions it performs.

• Protection of gel polish from damage: chips, scratches, cracks, hard water, household chemicals. In addition, if the top contains a UV filter, it additionally protects the gel polish from fading in the sun.
• Adding super shine to your manicure. Without using a top coat, this is impossible.
• Reliable fixation of design elements - rhinestones, sliders, bouillons, drawings.
• It can be an additional decorative element - it will add a matte finish to the manicure, add a cat-eye or ombre effect.

When dry, the varnish coating loses its gloss and becomes dull. If you cover it with topcoat, this will not happen. With just one bottle, you can turn an ordinary coating into a glossy and attractive one.

So, the top ensures durability and protection of the manicure from various damages. If you want your manicure to be shiny and last a long time, you must use a top coat.