5 Best Gel Base & Top Coats For Any Brand of Gel Polish

Best Gel Base & Top Coats For Any Brand of Gel Polish

Using a base coat and a top coat is essential when working with gel polishes. They allow you to have amazing gel manicures that are durable and long-lasting. Citation.

So in this article, I am gonna share with you 5 of the most effective base and top coat combos available.

The Best Gel Base Coat and Top Coat are:

Gelish Base & Top Coat (Works effectively with most brands of gel polish)
DND (A budget-friendly Gel Base and Top Coat)
Aimeili Base and Top Coat (Very popular & comes with a great no wipe top coat)
GA & EN Combo Set (Includes a base coat, normal top coat & a matte top coat)
PrettyDiva Gel Base and Top Coat

Table Of Content show

1. Gelish Base and Top Coat

Gelish’s has one of the highest quality Base and Top Coat on the market, that would work effectively with almost any brand of gel polish.

They are the main brand that I recommend and use most of the time when applying soak-off gel polish.

Gelish is a premium high-end brand that has been around since 2009. And their products are very popular with nail salons and nail technicians.

Fun fact: Did you know that Gelish helped to pioneer and develop the usage of gel polishes?. They were the first brand to package gel polishes in nail polish bottles with a nail polish brush. Citation.

Pros of Gelish Base Coat & Top Coat

1- Works Effectively With Any Brand Of Gel Polish

The main reason why I recommend Gelish’s Base and Top Coat is that they consistently blend and work amazingly well with various brands of gel polishes. I have used them for the past 5 years with different brands of gel polishes and they have never disappointed me.

Now you see most nail techs would recommend that when working with gel polishes that you stick with one brand for every layer. Meaning if you use CND Shellac gel polishes you should use CND Gel Base and Top Coat

This is because most companies would use a similar formula for all their products allowing them to blend well.

And they would also vigorously test their colored gel polishes to ensure that they work with their own gel base and top coat. You can click here to learn more about why its best to stick within one brand for a gel manicure.

Now if you don’t have that luxury to stick with one brand maybe you own a mixture of brands like me, then Gelish’s is your best bet for a Base and Top Coat that works with any other brand of colored gel polish.

2- Makes Your Manicures More Durable & Last Longer

For long-lasting and durable gel polishes it’s absolutely essential that you use a good gel base and top coat.

If you use both Gelish Base and Top Coat your gel manicure should last you for around 3 weeks. Whilst from my experience with other brands usually just gives you a lifespan of around 2 weeks.

Gelish Foundation Base Coat

A gel base coat’s main function is to make the gel polish adhere better to your nail plates which prevents your polish from easily peeling and chipping.

And Gelish’s Base Coat, from my experience, is one the best at making your gel polish adhere to your nail plates. This is because it contains ingredients such as Methacrylate.

You see Methacrylate is a strong chemical that is used mostly in nail primers to make your polish or acrylics bond firmly onto your nails.

So Gelish Base Coat is a combination of a nail primer and base coat which is what makes it very effective at bonding your gel polish to your nail plates.

And also what gives it the ability to work with any brand of gel polish.

Gelish Top Coat

A Top coat helps to extend the lifespan of your gel manicure by creating a protective and hard layer over your colored gel polish

Gelish’s Top Coat creates a very hard, long-lasting, and durable seal over your gel polish.

This hard layer seals and protects your polish from being easily torn, damaged, getting exposed to water, and other chemicals that can over time wear away or dissolve the gel polish.

3- Makes Your Gel Manicures Look More Appealing

Gelish Foundation Base Coat will help to make your manicure look more even and smooth.

This is because Gelish’s Base Coat will work to fill any ridges or cracks on your nail plate allowing your colored gel polish to be applied smoothly over your nails.

Gelish Top Coat will add a very glossy sheen over your nails giving your manicure that smooth glass-like effect that you would get from a salon-quality manicure.

4- Easy to Use & Cures Fast

Gelish’s Base & Top Coats are very easy to apply, I recommend using mostly thin coats.

First prep your nails like you would usually do.
Then apply a thin layer of Gelish Base Coat and let it cure.
Next, apply your gel polish and let that cure.
Finally, apply a thin coat of Gelish Top Coat and then let it cure.

How Long Gelish Base and Top Coat Takes to Cure

The amount of time needed for curing will vary based on the type and wattage of your lamp.

For Gelish Base Coat using an 18g LED lamp it should take 5 seconds and with a UV lamp would take 1 minute

Now with Gelish Top Coat, it takes 30 seconds in an 18G LED Light or 2 minutes with the UV lamp. Citation.

5- Reliable

Gelish is a premium brand that has over the years consistently up kept the high quality that they are well known for.

This is why I and other nail techs usually trust them to invest and buy large bulk quantities of their products. I have found that the formula and overall quality for cheaper brands tend to change.

6- Great Formula

Gelish Base and Top Coat’s formula has a really nice balanced formula meaning that it’s not too thick or thin. This well-balanced consistency allows for easy application.

You see their base coats and top coats are not too thin to be runny and messy or too thick and clumpy which would make it a pain to apply.

Added to that Gelish formula’s consistency allows it to be self-leveling so you won’t need to work hard to apply.

7- Very Popular

Both Gelish Base and Top Coats are super popular and are some of the most widely used gel base and top coats on the market.

They are especially popular with nail salons and nail techs.

So you can rest assured that they have been tried and tested by thousands of women.

Drawbacks of Gelish Base and Top Coat

1- Expensive

The main issue that most people have with Gelish products is that they are generally more expensive than other budget-friendly alternatives.

Gelish Base and Top Coats are usually twice the price of budget-friendly gel top and base coats.

But in my opinion, Gelish works out more economically, this is because:

You only need to use a small amount of base and top coat for them to be effective, usually, I apply them in thin coats which allows your bottles to last for a longer time.
Gelish’s top and base coats allow your gel polishes to last for 3 weeks whilst cheaper alternatives usually give you 2 weeks which saves you money.
They come in large 15 ml bottles, which allows them to do more manicure. This cuts your shipping cost which can add up when you have to constantly repurchase them.

2- Uses Stronger Chemicals

Another issue with Gelish Base and Top Coats is that they use stronger chemicals which can potentially lead to an allergic reaction.

These stronger chemicals like Methacrylate is what makes them so effective.

You dont need to worry all Gelish Products like all nail products need to be safe to use before they are sold to the public. Citation.

Added to that Gelish’s Base and Top Coats have been used by thousands of women for years now.

Now if you do have any rash or any kind of reaction I would advise you to stop using it.

3- Not a No Wipe Top Coat

Gelish’s top coat is not a No-Wipe Top Coat. This means that when it cures it would leave a sticky layer that needs to be wiped away.

For me this is not much of a big deal but having a no wipe top coat makes your work easier since you won’t have to clean off the sticky top layer.

Now when your top coat cures all you need to do is use a cotton pad soaked with some rubbing alcohol and wipe the stickiness away.

Where to Get Gelish Base and Top Coat

Now even though Gelish Products are usually more pricey, I have found that you can get their gel Base and Top Coat at a fair price in a nice combo set on Amazon, you can click her e to see the current price there.

Or you can get them at Walmart, you can click here to see the price there.

2. DND Gel Base & Top Coat

DND which stands for Daisy Nail Designs has a great Gel base and top coat combo that is much more affordable than Gelish.

The best thing about DND is that their top coat will give you an amazing long-lasting glossy effect.

The drawback with DND from my experience is that they won’t give you such long-lasting wear and durability like Gelish. This is because their base coat isn’t as good as Gelish’s base coat.

If you use DND’s base and top coat your gel polish should last you for around 2 weeks.

Pros of DND:

Very Affordable
Reputable Brand: DND is a well-known brand and has been around for several years now
Will Create an Amazing Glossy Effect: DND’s top coat is much better than Gelish and most other brands when it comes to adding that sheen effect to your gel polish.

Cons of DND:

Not as Durable and Long Lasting: DND’s biggest drawback is that its base coat is low quality, and because of this it won’t give you that durability and long-lasting wear in comparison to Gelish.

Where to Get DND Gel Base and Top Coat

You can get an affordable combo set which includes a DND base and top coat on Amazon, you can click here to see the current price.

3. Aimeili Gel Base & Top Coat

Aimeili is one of the most popular brands of gel base and top coats.

They have a great combo set that comes with a top coat that is a great no wipe top coat, which cures completely and saves you the hassle of having to wipe away that sticky top layer.

Aimeili is an up and coming brand that specializes in budget-friendly and niche nail polish products such as color-changing gel polishes.

Pros of Aimeili

Very affordable:
Comes with a Great No Wipe Top Coat

Cons Of Aimeili

Not Very Durable: Their base and top coat won’t give last as long as Gelish.
Comes in Small Bottles: Their base and top coat come in small 10ml bottles.

Where to Get Aimeili Gel Top & Base Coat

You can get a combo set of Aimeili Gel Top and Base Coat on Amazon, you can click here to see the current price there.

4. GA & EN Gel Base & Top Coat

GA & EN has a high-quality Base and Top Coat combo set that includes a really good matte no wipe top coat.

A Matte Top Coat won’t make your polish have that glossy shiny effect instead it would have a sombre look.

Matte Polishes are usually needed for certain nail art, to go with certain outfits and specific occasions like formal and professional settings.

GA and EN Base and Top Coats come in small 10 ml bottles and are usually very affordable. You can click here to see the current price on Amazon for a combo set.

5. Pretty Diva Gel Base & Top Coat

Pretty Diva has a great gel base and top coat combo set. Now what I like about them is that they try to use safer, more natural, and healthy ingredients.

The main drawback with them is that they aren’t the most durable and effective base and top coat but they should give you 2 weeks of wear.

Pretty Diva’s Base and Top Coat come in small 10ml bottles and are also a bit more pricey than Aimeili or GA and EN. Now I suspect this is because they use more natural ingredients which tends to be more costly.

You can click here to see the current price for a Pretty Diva combo set on Amazon.

Other Recommended Gel Nail Polish Articles

Best professional brands of really durable gel nail polishes.

You can click here to learn how to correctly remove the sticky layer on top of your gel polish.

Best Rubber Base Gel to Prevent Lifting

Best UV Shield Manicure Gloves to Protect Your Hands

How to Remove Gel Polish at Home Without Acetone

Best Gel Base and Top Coat

Why You Need to Use a Base & Top Coat For Gel Nails

Can You Use a UV or LED Lamp to Dry Regular Nail Polish

Why Gel Polish Peels Off & Tips How You Can Fix it

References and Citation