I have always had a massive love for nail polishes but my love for nail polish has increased even more thanks to Pinterest, as there are so many stunning nail art designs which made me feel so rubbish about my nails especially as a reader once left me a comment telling me how ugly my nails were so I stopped featuring nail polish swatches on my blog which is really sad. I decided the other week that I wanted to get back to doing nail polish swatch and review posts here on my blog, and I decided to purchase the Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat and Stuck on Blu Base Coat as I’ve heard such incredible things about them both and I really wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
Glisten and Glow is an American nail brand, but we can purchase their products in the UK thanks to the Rainbow Connection website, which I found thanks to Pinterest and my order arrived very quickly, and was very well packaged and I’d definitely recommend them as they stock so many amazing products. My current favourite topcoat is the Seche Vite Fast Drying Topcoat and I do really love it, but I hate how it begins to get gloopy once you’re half way through the bottle so I’ve been on the hunt for an alternative.
I did purchase the Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish duo, but I was left very disappointed by them as they were just awful so I decided to purchase the Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat as it’s raved about by so many and I decided to purchase the Stuck on Blu Base Coat too as I don’t have a base coat which I love so I was intrigued by their base coat too.
The Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat is £6.85 from Rainbow Connection, and is described as being a super shiny, fast drying topcoat with ten reasons why it’s so well loved;
• intense shine – crystal clear formula that applies smoothly, leaving a glass like appearance
• fast drying – approx 1-2 minutes often less and your nails will be dry, as time passes it will dry more within 5 minutes or so it’s rock hard!
• durable, long lasting nature – customers boast that manicures last 5-7 days with little to no tip wear or chips.
• holographic polishes love it! – holos will not dull, in fact they are even intensified
• smoothes and seals glitter polishes – 1-2 coats and glitters are tamed/smooth and without jagged edges sticking up.
• adds extra shine to all nail lacquers – it can make a matte polish or a textured polish shiny. cremes, jellies, crellies, shimmers, metallics etc are all left with that glossy glass like shine
• no shrinkage! – g & g hk girl top coat doesn’t cause any shrinkage
• can be used with nail lacquers that is tacky or dry
• even consistency throughout the whole bottle – no extra thickness or gloppyness
• nail art/nail stamping friendly – once nail art/stamping is nearly dry it won’t smear or smudge
The Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat has a very thin brush which at first I wasn’t a fan of, but it’s actually a great brush which spreads a nice and thin coat over my polish without causing any streak marks, even when applied over tacky polish whereas the Seche Vite Topcoat can leave behind streaks if it’s not completely dry.
I included the nail wheel swatches above to show a nail polish with and without the topcoat, and I think the difference is remarkable, as the HK Girl Topcoat removed all streak marks, and plumped the polish for a gel-like finish with incredible shine. It really does a great job at leveling out your polish if you have any streaks and it dries within a minute – and not just touch dry, I mean fully dry – could change your bedding dry. I thought Seche Vite was super quick, but it’s like a tortoise in comparison to the speed of the HK Girl Topcoat.
Not only is the Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat a super speedy drying topcoat, it’s the most longlasting topcoat I’ve ever tried. I’ve used it on two manicures so far, and the first lasted eight day – EIGHT and I’m still wearing the second and we’re on say seven which is just amazing.
I don’t have any chips or tip wear, and the polish looks as vibrant as it did the day I applied it. I am so happy I finally took the plunge and bought this topcoat as it’s the best by far that I’ve ever tried, and it beats the Seche Vite Topcoat, ORLY Glosser Topcoat, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Topcoat, Essie Gel Setter Topcoat and any other topcoat I’ve ever, ever tried.
The Glisten and Glow Stuck on Blu Base Coat is also £6.85 and is described as a long lasting, stain preventing and sticky basecoat. The brush is also thin, but it does a good job at spreading the base coat over the nail. I didn’t expect the base coat to dry quickly as I didn’t see any claims, but it dries within a minute which is crazy and it leaves my nails looking very shiny and smooth which is a perfect base for my polish.
Now I’ve used this base coat, I don’t know how I ever coped without it as it makes nail polish application so much easier, and I find that it makes my polish a lot less streaky and if there are any streaks or brush marks, the Topcoat helps to level them out.
I am so impressed with my Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat and Stuck on Blu Base Coat purchases, and I’m dying to try more of the Glisten and Glow products as this duo is so good. The only thing I need now is a product which will help improve the strength/growth of my nails, as they’re so weak but I need something which will work with the Stick On Blu Base Coat as I can’t be without it now – they have both become my holy grail nail duo.
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