Tried: L’Oreal Pro Manicure Nail Polish topcoat

Lasting power: I use this for DIY pedicures, and my polish has never chipped since. EVER. A coat of this leaves my nails shiny and sturdy, absolutely chip-free!

Properties: This goes on easily, and is much like water – if you slip up, you can easily wipe off the excess with your fingers. It doesn’t smell that bad, which is a plus for me, lol! Also, I put a layer of this on after polishing, or alone, to leave my (toe)nails shiny and wet-looking. It maintains the sturdiness, as stated earlier, but the wet look fades after a few days (due to surface abrasion, probably). I just put on another layer – it takes about two minutes, literally! – once or twice a week.

Packaging: Surprisingly sturdy, and definitely pretty. It’s thick glass, and I’ve dropped it on hard floors many a time without anything bad happening. It’s got a great look and feel; very sleek and clean.

Price: Very inexpensive, as I used a BOGOfree coupon. The other was this polish in red, not a topcoat, and it was great as well. The colour was a little too fire-engine red for my tastes, as I prefer burgundies, but nevertheless, it was also easy to put on, and the colour was very bold.

The bottom line: A great buy! I haven’t run out of this yet, and have been using it since June, but I will definitely purchase this again!