Ever since I have discovered Seche Vite I cannot go back to regular nail polish application. You know, the kind where you apply polish and become immobilized for hours while waiting for it to dry and then avoid doing dishes and cleaning because you want to preserve your mani for more than 2 days. It revolutionized my nail routine and I simply can't do without it. Well I found out that Sally Hansen has their version too, saw it on sale at Pharmaprix and grabbed it. I love Seche Vite but it can be hard to get and the Sally Hansen is cheaper especially if you can find it on sale. Another issue I have with Seche Vite is that it seches vite... in the bottle. I currently have 4 half full bottles with gooped up top coat and I need to figure out how to get some my hands on a thinner.
Ok, back to Insta-Dri. First bonus: it's cheaper than Seche, especially if you can get it on a sale. Second: it's available in most drugstores. No need to run around from salon to salon. The consistency is much thinner and it doesn't go on glossy. It is easier to apply but it doesn't have that rich gel like look that Seche Vite has. It does set the nail polish faster than if you were to let it dry on it's own but it doesn't dry it enough that I'm able to apply and go. 15 minutes after I still need to be careful as you can still get marks and scratches on the nails. I guess it's better than regular polish drying time but far from Seche Vite where you apply and within 15 minutes your nails are set. Sadly it didn't improve lasting power either. I got the same wear as a regular polish when I applied this on top, with chips and tip-wear in about 3-4 days, depending on the polish I have used.
Here's an example. I used it on top of Pacific Blue by SH, let it dry for about half an hour and went to bed. You can see tiny scratches and marks on the nails, which was quite disappointing.
Top Coat: SH Insta-Dri
Top coat: Seche Vite
Overall I am not completely happy with Insta-Dri. I blame Seche Vite for that, as it set the bar really high. I don't get the same performance, the same shine and lasting power. It's better than nail polish alone but it can't replace Seche Vite for me, and as I mentioned above, I refuse to live without it.
Labels: insta-dri, nails, review, sally hansen, seche vite, top coat
