Unlisted Brand • American Classics - Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat • Top/Base Coats

*TOP REVIEWER* Sambalina82 on 5/6/2013 3:14:00 PM more reviews by Sambalina82

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I originally bought this product as a topcoat for hungry glitters. While it is good for that, I've had the most success with this as a base coat for my weak, peely nails. Dries fast when I use for this purpose, not so much as a topcoat. Will buy again.

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beachesatnormandy on 3/7/2013 6:29:00 PM more reviews by beachesatnormandy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I use this product because I have very brittle nails. I got a rec from the lovely ladies on here and have never looked back. My nails don't peel with this as a base coat and it keeps them strong. I've tried other base coats and my nails are shot to hell after one mani. This is my hg base.

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LadyPunk on 3/7/2013 6:20:00 PM more reviews by LadyPunk

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this to use as a top coat over glitter polish. I don't use this as a base coat at all for good reason. As a top coat it's wonderful. I like to layer it on, let it dry for awhile, then apply Seche Vite. The Seche slaps it in the face and tells it to dry already ;)

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Princessjebbie on 3/2/2013 4:34:00 PM more reviews by Princessjebbie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I always use this nail polish. I use it mainly as a base coat, and find that when combined with seche vite it is nearly unstoppable. When my nails are in good condition it helps keep them strong, and the nail polish last until I take it off... When my nails are in a worse state, it helps but I find the results less impressive.

I used this on all my clients, and they too love this product.

I also use gelous with another thick topcoat over glitter to help make them smooth.

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*TOP REVIEWER* laureg on 1/30/2013 7:03:00 PM more reviews by laureg

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is one of my HG products, and I don't think I could get along without it if they discontinued it. My current routine (thanks to the nail board gals) is as follows: a coat of base/treatment, a coat of gelous, two/three coats color, another coat gelous, then fast-dry topcoat. My manicures wear like iron, with no chipping and only minor tip wear (I change my polish about every 5 days or so). The gelous makes my nails super hard, and I've noticed that I can grow them out longer than I used to without them looking wonky and lopsided. My nails tend to flatten and widen at the tips the longer they get, and the gelous has helped them to maintain a nice, round C curve. I've gone through a few bottles now, and will continue to repurchase.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ShopaholicsAnonymous on 12/24/2012 4:50:00 PM more reviews by ShopaholicsAnonymous

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I don't use this product as a base coat, I use it as a no-chip top coat. It works wonders for extending my manicures. I use it in between two coats of Seche Vite because the dry time is long, but SV dries it fast and Gelous extends the wear so my manis last 4-5 days without chipping (a lot for me because I work retail and my nails get dinged on hangers.) I can't speak for it as a base coat because I've never used it for that (I use Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder and CND Stickey) but as a long wear top coat Gelous is my HG.

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kloops on 12/20/2012 5:00:00 PM more reviews by kloops

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Doesn't work as a base coat. My polish chips within a day or two whenever I use this. Not only that, but if I'm not careful, the polish will come off my entire nail in a big chunk! Not good. I've switched to another base coat now, and no chipping after like 4 days, only some tip wear, which is much better than when using Gelous.

The name Gelous does make me giggle though.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hooplehead on 10/28/2012 12:22:00 PM more reviews by hooplehead

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I am a big fan of Gelous as a base coat. It strengthens my nails and seems top be preventing breakage. I have not noticed the same problems as other reviewers have had with dry time. But the reviewers who have that issue seem to be using Gelous as a TC. I have noticed the nail peeling issue that other reviewers mentioned, but only when I peel off my polish instead of using remover (I know, bad habit.) Overall I have been quite pleased with Gelous and would definitely repurchase.

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MariLi65 on 9/2/2012 9:39:00 PM more reviews by MariLi65

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Love this! I don't use this as my base coat. (No directions say that it has to be used as a base coat.) I too have natural nails and I have a nail polish routine so, I use Growth Spurt first, Orly Bonder, my nail polish, THEN Gelous and I finish with In A Hurry Air Dry Top Coat. As for the complaint that "it takes a forever to dry," if you use a top coat that dries your polish really fast, there's no problem with Gelous taking forever to dry. After using In A Hurry top coat, my nails are dry within three minutes. My nails are strong. Maybe because of the combination of Growth Spurt and the Gelous. My polish stays on and does not chip. Possibly because of the combination of Bonder, Gelous and In A Hurry. So in conclusion, this product makes my nails strong and the polish looks great! I would recommend this, but with a quick drying top coat.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* pinknika on 7/25/2012 10:53:00 PM more reviews by pinknika

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Eh. I thought this product was going to provide the strength and the long lasting quality I've been looking for. Unfortunatley it doesn't and whats weird is that it kinda lifts and peels off my nail. I use this as both a base coat and a top coat. The only thing I think its helped is the strength of my nails, although I started taking vitamins again, so maybe thats why. It takes FOREVER to dry, so much so that I wake up with sheet marks sooo annoying! And I usually wait a good hour before going to bed. I wonder if Perfect Formula gel coat is better, that stuff is $30...but if it works really great than hey. I also want to try the witchcraft nail hardener but I can't find them online, I think its a canadian product.

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sunnygirl10 on 7/3/2012 9:21:00 PM more reviews by sunnygirl10

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly   Eyes: Brown    

I have natural nails that are about a 1/2 inch long and I'm always on the lookout for a good "base base coat". What I mean is that I like using a moisturizing base coat, a "base base coat" for strength and protection, 2 coats of color and 1 coat of a top coat and my manicures usually lasts 7 - 9 days with this routine.


I bought Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat at Sally's and I thought it was reasonably priced. The smell is quite strong and the product is quite thick (hopefully it doesn't turn stringy in a few months).


Lastly I found even a thin coat took a while to dry. However using Seche Vita's Fast Dry Top Coat took care of that problem. My nails were dry to the touch in 5 minutes!


This is a keeper for me!

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foofyfoof on 5/29/2012 4:45:00 AM more reviews by foofyfoof

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

I bought this at a Sally store next to my house. This is a great base coat that is thick and dries at around 4-5 minutes for me. I also use it as a top coat as well since it gives my nail polish a little kick of brightness. The only thing to watch out for is the nail polish that you want to use over this as a top coat and how quick that one actually dries. If the color you are using takes a while to dry then you're going to wait awhile. So far its smooth and I don't have any bubbles.
Definitely a great buy.

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RaeynnBeau on 2/22/2012 12:31:00 PM more reviews by RaeynnBeau

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I was looking around online to find a new base coat - my go-to, (Jessica Bend Don't Break) was running out, and it's a little expensive, so I wanted to see if I could find an alternative. I ran into a lot of reviews for this product, mostly good, a couple bad, and my birthday is coming up - so my mother, as an early birthday present of sorts, went to Sally's and bought me a bottle of this.

I just did a new manicure this morning before work with this as a base coat - and true to form, as a lot of other reviews have stated, it takes about 10 minutes to fully dry on my natural nail - but that's fine. I budgeted that time to wait for it. Did my penguin french for fun, and decided to see how it worked as a top coat - I've seen a few reviews sprinkled here and there that say this works as a good thick top coat as well, and can be applied once daily in a thin coat over nail polish to help keep it from chipping, if you have problems with it like that.

I waited an entire 45 minutes for my manicure to dry before I put a top coat on - I did my nails while drinking my coffee, carefully got ready for work (which is something I'm pretty good at by now) and just before leaving, after I put my jacket on, I put this on as a top coat.

First of all, it STILL somehow smudged my nail polish - there was feathering all along every color boundary on my nails that I spent an extra 10 minutes trying to adjust with the brush so that it didn't look so bad. Ok; fine - the nail polish didn't dry as fast as expected, and this is specifically recommended as a base coat. I can live with that.

So I drive to work, and start my day - that was at 7:30 this morning. At nearly 10:30, three hours later, I itched my temple, just above my hairline - brought my hand back and there were lines on the nail I itched with from the texture of my (curly) hair. HOURS later.

Ok; so maybe this is just not working out for me - but I do see that there are several reviews that say people just use this on their natural nails and then use a top coat over top of that, and it's fine. Luckily I had some Seche Vite in my purse, so I carefully dig it out and paint it over my sad nails, which now will most likely need a new manicure tonight when I get home.

It is 12:15 now, and I just looked at my nails; not only is my nail polish now bubbling, mostly in the white nail polish, but also a little in the black and orange, but it's STILL not completely dry. Even after Seche Vite, which dries in no time flat normally, if I touch the polish, I leave indications of fingerprints.

Would I recommend this to anyone? Not a chance. Most reviews say that it's better to use a base before you use this base coat. That seems a little redundant to me; if I wanted to use a different base coat, I would just use a different base coat. If you want a good base coat that will strengthen your natural nails, just use Bend Don't Break by Jessica; it's more expensive, (about $10-12/bottle), but it works MUCH better than this hot mess.

The ONLY thing this MIGHT work for is a clear nail polish if you're going natural with a base coat under it and a top coat over it, but even then - it bubbled for me, which was really frustrating, since this is a new bottle. And even if you only have clear nail polish on, you can still see bubbles - I wouldn't trust it not to look like a glass of milk after a two year old with a straw got to it.

I don't have a UV Light because I have natural nails that are pretty strong/long, and I take good care of them, so I don't need gel nails or anything like that - but nowhere does it say that you NEED a UV light; this product should work as intended without one.

Worst birthday present ever; I'm hoping my mom still has the receipt, and maybe I can get rid of it.

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jeezlouise86 on 2/4/2012 11:24:00 AM more reviews by jeezlouise86

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

My HG of base coats. I've tried others (CND, OPI, Duri) but nothing can surpass the amazing result of this gel coat. I can wear it alone if I want to give my nails a break. It offers protection from chipping and it gives your nails a smooth shiny finish.

the only thing that irks me that it takes time to dry. approximately 8 minutes to air dry. So if you're in a hurry, be careful or else you'll end up with uneven dents.

All in all, I'm glad that the NB recommended me this product. Always keep an extra ;)

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

uponbluemoon on 1/20/2012 2:06:00 PM more reviews by uponbluemoon

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Pretty decent base coat. I use it over Essie Protein base before applying color. So far, formulation is still smooth after 9 months.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

amb7 on 1/2/2012 9:27:00 PM more reviews by amb7

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This product chipped within a couple days. The scary part is that as the product chipped off, so did the top layer of my nails. After I took the Gelous off, the top layer of my nails had started to peel away at the tip. Be very careful if you use this stuff. I have to cut my nails back to the nail beds now.

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erin09 on 1/1/2012 10:20:00 AM more reviews by erin09

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I am on my 4th or 5th bottle of this stuff and I have to say, I love it! Not only does it extend the wear of my nail polish, it also makes a perfectly smooth surface for application of nail polish, masking ridges and other uneven areas. It also works great sealing in glitter that has a tendency to "bleed."
It does tend to get a bit thick once you've gotten about halfway through the bottle, which can cause bubbling. If you notice bubbling, a few drops of nail polish thinner solves the problem.
I can't even imagine using a different base coat.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

francie197 on 10/13/2011 7:17:00 PM more reviews by francie197

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This product is the best. It is to nail polish what Urban Decay Primer Potion is to eyeshadow! It's a great base coat that seriously extends the life of my nail polish. I can go 4-5 days with minimum tip wear, no matter what type of polish I am wearing. It's also great layered on top of glitters or shatters, making my nails smooth. I've been wearing nail polish for over 30 years, and I have been looking for a product like this all my life. Thank you, MUA, for turning me onto another great product. This is serious HG status for me.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

tastest on 10/7/2011 2:26:00 PM more reviews by tastest

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

Ok so I had read good things about Gelous as a base coat( shiny, holds polish well, builds nail).I wondered to myself,Hmm... if I mix Gelous with my favourite Rimmel polish, will that help it hold colour even more. Would it make it a " Gel" type polish that needs no UV lamp??

So I tried it out and it works really well- Rimmel Hot Cocoa mixed with equal parts Gelous( I used an old contact lense container to mix and hold it.) I am defintely going to keep using different combos with Gelous. I have a winner.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nycgirl191 on 9/27/2011 5:37:00 PM more reviews by nycgirl191

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

My favorite base coat. Far surpasses OPI or Seche Vite bases. I experience much less chipping, and color goes on easily. The product is sufficiently ridge-filling (I think).

A good base is important to me because I use only Chanel and Deborah Lippmann polish, and I hate bases that waste polish! I will probably always use this base coat, and for top I use Seche Vite.

The only negative is the odor-- it does kind of sting my eyes when I'm doing my nails. But it's not so bad b/c the base coat is over with pretty quickly.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No