NYC Extra Shiny Top Coat: Everything's Shiny, Cap'n!

Author: Pinky McLadybits

I love buying nail polish. I love wearing nail polish. I hate removing nail polish and I hate when I chip my polish. So what generally happens is I chip a nail or two but I'm too lazy to remove the polish. Not a good look. For anyone.

So, while in Target shopping for fake eyelashes and a birthday gift, I decided to buy some nail top coat. NYC was the cheapest by far and if you know me at all you know that price sealed the deal. I think I used a green shade of NYC's polish line in my Poison Ivy costume last year, but I can't recall. Maybe it was another inexpensive brand? Hmm, oh! Ahem. Onward!

While watching Drag Me To Hell with my Rifftrax commentary, I set to work removing the cracked and chipped polish I applied just a couple of days earlier. Without a top coat. For my new manicure I decided to apply two coats of polish in Avon's Warm Black (which they of course no longer sell), followed by one coat of Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in Fractured Foil. I thought this would be both Halloween-y and sparkly, which are two things I enjoy immensely.

Is it just me, or does everyone hold their hands daintily after painting their nails? After painting one set of nails and switching to Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, I grabbed my bottle of NYC Extra Shiny Top Coat. I shook it because I always shake polish, but it wasn't needed. Unlike some polishes (coughFractured Foilcough), the cap unscrewed easily. The top coat is thick, which is good because the last thing I need after applying three coats of color is a thin top coat that will drip all over the place. I hate that.

The top coat goes on smoothly and evenly, with little mess or fuss. I generally give my nails more time than they actually need to dry, but the top coat dried quickly and was smooth in minutes. It really does give your nails an extra shiny sheen. It highlights the sparkles in the Fractured Foil coat and keeps it smooth where the crackle is usually rough and textured to the touch. As for the protection from chipping and peeling, I did the following things after the polish was dry:

1. put on socks
2. opened a can of Coca-Cola Cherry Zero
3. flat-ironed my hair
4. opened mail
5. drooled over the cover of Entertainment Weekly
6. typed four reviews plus Facebookery

No chips or peeling. So I rubbed my nails back and forth across the textured surface of my laptop and still no problems. Washing hands didn't affect it either. The next morning, I had one tiny chip on my pinky nail, but I had to really look to find it. After going through a corn maze and shopping, my middle finger on the left hand is completely chipped off. I didn't do anything odd with my nail either. So as a chip protector, this is the wrong top coat. It is, however, cheap and makes your nails shiny. If that's all you need, the shine factor, then go for it. If you need real protection for your manicure then don't bother.

Rating: 2/8 tentacles