Butter London • Hardwear PD Quick Topcoat • Top/Base Coats

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haight on 4/22/2013 9:07:00 PM more reviews by haight

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This is a very expensive quick dry top coat. Now, if it did wonders for me, I would give it a high rating, but as it is, it isn't worth the expense - you can find quick dry top coats at a drugstore that are as good if not better than this one, for far less money. I used this topcoat exclusively for a couple of months to give it a real test drive. The butter london variety has a thin, watery consistency, rather than being more gel-like. I am pretty hard on my nails - I type a lot and also refile books, microfilm, etc., so I am always using them and get tipwear within two days no matter what. This topcoat didn't perform any better than what I had been using before, which was Revlon's quick dry top coat; in fact I got tipwear a little faster with the butter london than with Revlon or Seche Vite. It did dry quickly but not any quicker than Revlon. I got a decent amount of shine from it. Nothing out of the ordinary, though, on any count. Given how expensive it is, it is not worth the price to me. Buy one of butter london's nail polishes instead if you must, and leave the top coats to Seche Vite, Poshe, essie, Revlon, Sally Hansen, or virtually any other company.

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ninnu on 4/19/2013 2:59:00 PM more reviews by ninnu

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

This is pretty standard topcoat. It adds some shine, but doesn't really prevent chips or make manicure last longer. I won't be buying this again, as there are better alternatives. I gave this one extra lippie, because it's non-toxic.

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micropipette on 3/4/2013 12:06:00 PM more reviews by micropipette

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

I absolutely love this topcoat and will continue to purchase it despite the steep price. Normally, I would have been deterred by the price but, when I was stuck at the airport for 8 hours with no topcoat, I purchased it at a store that carried BL nail polish. Although I wish I could have those 8 hours of my life back, I'm still glad I found this top coat.

I've been looking for my HG topcoat for some time now, but nothing fit the bill. Poshe did try smooth or shiny enough, SV gave me shrinkage and I hated using all those chemicals. For awhile I used NailTek Moisture Balancing Top Coat, which gave me the smoothness and shine I like, but would start bubbling once I got to about half the bottle.

The BL has everything though - it's super shiny, very smooth, not super chemically and doesn't bubble as it starts to thicken. Which brings me to its only, albeit inevitable, downside...it does thicken over time, but nothing that a little thinner won't cure.

I should note that I can't really comment on chipping because I tend to change my polish every couple of days.

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kirbipittman on 2/10/2013 3:10:00 PM more reviews by kirbipittman

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

WHY on earth are people complaining about this?! I adore it! My nails last for days and days when I use this topcoat! Not to mention the amazing SHINE it gives my nails! Definitely my new HG top coat!

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lmkeane on 2/6/2013 7:27:00 PM more reviews by lmkeane

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Y'all. BUY THIS. I was a Seche Vite girl for YEARS but the shrinkage and tipwear drove me crazy and now I'll never look back. I love doing my nails, but on MY terms...not because "I don't have time but going to work with chipped/worn polish the next day will stress me out." This stuff makes manis last almost a full week with the tiniest bit of tipwear and ZERO chips (and I'm constantly typing)! The consistency is definitely a little thin, so you have to work kind of fast to avoid drips and it probably wouldn't be good over glitter, etc. It also doesn't dry as fast as Seche, but it's clack-your-nails-together dry within about 30 minutes, which is good enough for me. I've tried it with BL Nail Foundation (came in the set) and with Nail Envy as a base with no discernable difference. Love it!!

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Jennbabbles on 12/24/2012 1:58:00 AM more reviews by Jennbabbles

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Black    

i should have listened to the previous reviews. i thought since the top coat was so expensive that it had to be good right??.... wrong. using butter london polishes and the topcoat my nails still chipped within 2 days. id rather use a drugstore top coat instead. waste of money.

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hansa4 on 11/7/2012 9:18:00 PM more reviews by hansa4

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased this because my Butter London polishes were chipping like crazy and I had read that they would last longer with the BL base and top coat. I do think that is true, but this top coat does not work well for my other polishes at all. My nails look dull and in no way does it provide the ultra glossy finish the bottle touts.

It does seem to dry and set my nail polish pretty well, which is quite nice.

Overall, I'm going to keep searching.

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subtleclues on 10/26/2012 3:45:00 AM more reviews by subtleclues

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this product in the Tops and Tails collection that came with the Nail Foundation. I followed other reviewers' advice and did two coats of the nail foundation and finished with the top coat. It would chip in two hours, no joke. When I use the base and top coat with other polishes my manicure would last about three days. I don't see anything special about this product. It is expensive and I wouldn't buy it again.

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AndryaAndroid on 10/1/2012 6:40:00 PM more reviews by AndryaAndroid

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Butter London makes some great nail polish colors, but please don't waste your money on their top coat.
It dries polish to the *touch* decently, but the polish is still dent-able ages later.
The consistency is SO thin. This makes application a breeze, which is nice, but once it's dried, it basically looks like you don't have top coat on at all. Even with creme finish polishes, you can see brush stroke marks and it just doesn't leave your nails looking glossy whatsoever.
My polish also chips rather quickly when I use this top coat.

The bottle is chic looking, and like I said, I'm a big fan of some of their polish colors, but the topcoat is absolutely less than mediocre. It's just bad. And as it's on the expensive side, that's just unacceptable in my opinion.

I'll stick to either Poshe, Seche Vite, or Nubar Diamont (my HG).

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*TOP REVIEWER* nola80 on 9/11/2012 12:08:00 AM more reviews by nola80

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

so frustrated with this product!!! I change nail polish about every 3 days (obsessed I know!) and I've been using this topcoat for about a month since my sister stole my seche vite!! I figured for $18 this has to be a superior product.....massive...FAIL. the consistency is thin and dries my polish fast but bubbles like crazy!! I thought maybe it's because I was using cheaper nail polish at first but used with OPI and Zoya and it was just as bad. It doesn't chip but you can see all the indentations on my nail after about a day and the bubbling gets worst. Can't make this work for me at all, so disappointing for the price, what a rip off!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Andee on 8/5/2012 8:01:00 AM more reviews by Andee

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Amazing wear power. I have natural nails. No manicure has ever lasted for me a week without major chipping until I started using this topcoat. I always thought a quick dry formula would not last as long. This stuff is HG for me. It does a great job of preventing yellowing as well. I find it works better and my nail polish feels harder if I do not reapply it during the week.

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titapuente on 4/24/2012 10:52:00 AM more reviews by titapuente

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

In my opinion DON’T WASTE UR HARD EARNED MONEY ON THIS.. There is nothing special about this Top Coat and for 18 dollars I expected better results. I will say I have not tried this Top Coat with Butter NP. If ur going to spend 18 dollars for a Top Coat You would think it would work for any NP. On the positive side I have polished this over an existing manicure and it dries fast and very thin. So its perfect for reapplying shine if u need in the middle of the week because it wont thicken ur manicure. But that’s the only use I have for it. Not a fan of this Top Coat. But I do love their NP colors

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cmyklamb on 3/28/2012 5:40:00 PM more reviews by cmyklamb

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Yes! My new favorite topcoat! I've used Seche Vite for years, and always hated how it gets thick and goopy SO fast. It also made my nail polish peel off like crazy. I'm so glad I discovered this, the entire Butter London line is just outstanding. Love how you get more than the standard 0.5 oz. Will definitely repurchase when I run out

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*TOP REVIEWER* Julia941 on 3/11/2012 6:37:00 PM more reviews by Julia941

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This is a great top coat. It dries quickly to a beautiful shine and when combined with ButterLondon's fabulous base coat my manicures last for days. I usually remove after a week or so, but that's because I'm bored - my nails still look great. It doesn't have any of the shrinkage I've experienced with Seche Vite and doesn't pull back from the tips. In fact, I haven't experienced any tip wear when wearing it and I have short nails that I'm not particularly careful with. I dig in my purse, make up beds, fold towels, do all manner of things that could cause tip wear but I haven't had any. It works with ButterLondon polishes and also with other brands. It is pricey but is available in a set with the basecoat which gives a little price break. Also look for sales and coupons at Ulta. Very highly recommended.

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lbcarlotti on 3/7/2012 8:19:00 PM more reviews by lbcarlotti

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This has become my HG top coat. I'm hooked! I've always been a loyal Seche Vite Top Coat user but I hated how thick it was and how it bubbled up occasionally. This BL top coat is everything I could ask for, I'd pay double for it. I have the kind of nails that chip a mani after two days no matter what precautions I take. Using this gives me 5-6 days totally chip free and even reduces nail wear at the tips. Unlike the BL Nail Foundation Base Coat, it works with any nail polish, which is great since most of the polishes I own are Essie and OPI.

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moosue on 1/26/2012 3:14:00 PM more reviews by moosue

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I wanted to replace my Seche Vite because it was damaging my nails and always peeled so badly.
This is a very good replacement. It dries very quickly (which was what I liked best about Seche Vite) and provides a nice shiny finish. It doesn't peel badly. I don't find that it necessarily makes my manicures last any longer than if I hadn't used a top coat at all though...when I'm doing desk work during the week my manicure lasts no more than 2-3 days. When I go to my retail job, it's destroyed in a day with this top coat or without it.
The packaging is very nice, and for the price you get quite a large bottle, much larger than the usual Butter London polish bottle.
Overall, I'd recommend it but don't expect it to make your mani last any longer than it normally would.

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duncansmum on 1/11/2012 5:30:00 PM more reviews by duncansmum

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I love this topcoat. It dries quickly and well. Colour is not 'smudged' by its application. Gives a good gloss finish.
I do however wish it had a slightly thicker brush, but the thin brush is no hinderance at all. Definitely will purchase again. Well worth it.

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MaddieEvans on 12/8/2011 11:48:00 AM more reviews by MaddieEvans

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

This is a great top coat. Normally my nail polish barely lasts a day without flaking off (and I have short nails!) but with this topcoat I can go almost a week with no chips. I bought mine in a set with the basecoat ($29 from ebeauty.ca) and combined they both help my polish look great for days and days. And super shiny too!

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lpogirl on 12/4/2011 6:48:00 PM more reviews by lpogirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Love this top coat. It goes on great, dries very quickly and leaves a wonderful shine. I've had bad experiences with Top Coats (and nail polishes in general) smelling terrible, However this polish does not smell. I am incredibly pleased, and this will definitely now be my new favourite top coat. Yes, the price is expensive, but it is worth it as you don't have to paint your nails every second day due to chipping (as you would with other leading brands).

CORRECTION on this review:

Like some of the other reviews, the top coat does chip easily if you don't have a base coat with it. So, if you want a quick coat of clear, know that it will chip. My coat chipped literally in a couple of hours.

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good_night on 11/15/2011 9:48:00 PM more reviews by good_night

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

Easily the best top coat I've ever used. Don't wear this alone, however; it peels a bit if used as a clear polish with no base. It makes neons shine and glitters smooth, and its my go-to product for almost every single polish I own.

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