Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Topcoat Review and Comparison

I decided to compare this topcoat to the current top coat I've been using for years, Seche Vite.

Seche Vite contains .5 fl oz (14mL) for $9.95 and Revlon Gel Envy contains .4 fl oz (11.7mL) for $7.99. *Some places sell Seche Vite for around $5. I like to buy the professional kit, which costs around $17 for 4 fl oz (118mL) + a .5 fl oz bottle, which is essentially nine bottles of Seche Vite for about $17

Gel Envy is a decent top coat, but it just doesn't top Seche Vite (hehe get it?). 

Let me break down this review into several categories (dry time, shine, wear, nail art capability, and aging)

Seche Vite dries faster (within 2 minutes, it's dry to the touch, however, in 2 minutes, a fingerprint was left behind for Gel Envy).

For this test, I was wearing Revlon's Casino Lights. 

Before I started writing this post, I applied both top coats to compare and photograph. While I was typing and editing, Revlon Gel Envy Top Coat and smudged a bit at the tip, but Seche Vite Top Coat was unaffected. Later on, about an hour and a half later since application, I put on a necklace with a lobster clasp and it created a dent within the nail that had the Revlon Gel Envy Top Coat on it. Eight hours later, I decided to test both top coats by pressing the tip of my fingernail on both of them. Revlon Gel Envy Top Coat left pretty noticeable dents, while Seche Vite Top Coat showed minor ones that were only noticeable if you looked up close. The Revlon Gel Envy Topcoat obviously does not compare to a diamond (aka the hardest rock on Earth) since a fingernail can easily dent it. (if we're getting all science-y on this post, on Moh's hardness scale, a fingernail can scratch Talc, which is actually the lowest on the scale)

I performed the same dent and drag test on another person, who was wearing Essie's Mademoiselle. Test result ended with no tugging for both Seche and Revlon. Mademoiselle is a sheer polish, so due to it's nature, dries faster. 

 I also did the drag test on OPI Alpine Snow (with only Revlon), and there were dents in the end.

 So, in conclusion, the polish underneath does affect dry time, but that still shows that Revlon is the slower one. 

In terms of shine factor, Revlon and Seche Vite are both very shiny. I would say Seche Vite has a tiny bit more shine, but by an infinitesimal amount. If you just happen to glance at my fingers, you honestly couldn't tell a difference. The shine seems to last for both brands throughout the wear. 

In terms of wear, I noticed minor tip wear with both top coats within one day. Mind you, I play the violin and cook a lot. Both faded almost equally. Both finger nails had minor tip wear within the second day. Both thumbs chipped at the tip on the third day, however, the nail with the Revlon Top coat chipped a tad bit more.


I also tested this nail polish on two other people (however, I could only get pictures of only one of my clients) 

For both clients, Revlon was the first to show miner chippage. Client 1 (she was wearing Full House) showed only one chip on the first day, while client 2 (she was wearing Casino Lights) showed one chip on the second day of wear. 

  (1.75 weeks) 
  
  (1 week)

I decided to test the topcoats on a third party brand. I gave this client a french manicure, using no base coat, Essie mademoiselle as a sheer pink-y beige, and OPI Alpine snow as the white tip. She did not experience chipping for three days for both top coats. 


I did notice bubbling with the Revlon Top coat. Bubbling is a result of applying your top coat while the nail polish is still wet. Now, the bubbling is my fault. I am very impatient when it comes to doing my nails and I don't wait for the polish to completely dry before applying top coat. I applied Seche and Revlon at the almost same time, but I didn't notice bubbling with Seche. 

Oh, I also do want to add - the Revlon Topcoat has a funky smell (just like previous Gel Smooth basecoat did too ) when it dries. It's not the generic nail polish chemical-y smell (which Seche Vite is kinda notorious for, but I've gotten used to it). I don't really know how to describe the scent of it. It kinda smells like your fingers have been rummaging in something dirty. My sister said it smelled like the "down there region." Whenever I put my hands near my face, I smell the Revlon Topcoat. It's weird. Again, it's not a chemical-y scent, it's more of a gross scent, like wtf is this, did I wash my hands kinda smell. As mentioned before, Seche Vite does have a strong chemical scent when you apply it, but it doesn't linger.

Overall thoughts: It's a decent top coat. It doesn't dry as fast as Seche Vite, but in terms of wear, they're pretty compatible. Gel Envy is also Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP, unlike Seche Vite.

I know a lot of people are scared to use Seche Vite since it has the birth defect warning on the label, but hell, pretty much everything has some risk. Talc (a common ingredient found in eyeshadows or any powder textured makeup) has been said to have a link to tumors in the ovaries and lungs. Parabens are used in many cosmetic items to prevent bacterial growth, but also have been said to be linked to breast cancer. So why does it seem like people are less scared of or completely oblivious to these things than they are of Seche Vite? Well because the company doesn't fucking put "Warning: (insert ingredient) has been know to cause (insert scary thing)" on it's label! 

UPDATE: After almost a year of this topcoat (which I honestly haven't used much since the original date of this review), the topcoat has thickened significantly to the point of almost impossible use.