seche vite

Waiting for wet nails to dry is about as fun as watching paint dry. (Oh wait, same thing.) Anyway, that's why fast-drying nail polishes and top coats are such a beauty blessing. Recently, reader Nicole815 reviewed Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($10), calling it the best top coat anywhere. Here's why:

Seche Vite is the ultimate in top coats. You can apply it over any brand of polish and it does the trick. It glides on nicely and sets quickly. What I like most about the product is that it really does a great job of keeping nicks and chips away. [It's] better than any other product that I have tried, and I am a nail product junkie!

I'm also a fan — check my review here. If you like reviewing products, go to our Product Reviews website and review away. Added bonus? If you write about three products in a week, and if your review meets the criteria, you could win a $500 gift certificate from Benefit Cosmetics! The contest ends on March 23, so get your keyboard ready for some serious reviewing.

Frustrated by my inability to achieve a long-lasting finish to my manicures and pedicures at home, I asked three salons in my town what they used as a topcoat for manicures and pedicures. All three told me the exact same thing: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. So I caved and plunked down the $10 for a bottle. Not an outrageous price, but enough that I wanted to be sure I was getting the best.

Seche Vite is meant to be applied thickly, and it leaves nails incredibly glossy and chip proof for way longer than anything else I've tried. The weird thing about the product is that unlike other top coats, you are supposed to apply it over wet polish. Applying it this way allows the formula to actually penetrate the polish, solidifying it into a shield-like protector for your nails. This is tricky to do at first while avoiding streaking, but once you get the hang of it, it's smooth sailing.

In 2006 InStyle magazine picked up on it, too, and named Seche Vite one of its Best Beauty Buys of the year. You can find this little gem at almost any nail salon, or online. And let me know what you think — I always like hearing if you agree or disagree.