best top coat? Help me get my Julep to last

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I am about to give up on my julep. Last night I painted all my nails with a Julep polish. I used seche vite base coat and top coat. I did two coats of Julep. Today I bump my index finger and the entire nail of polish just fell off! Not chipped! it all flaked off in one swoop. The thumb has a chip in it that is good size and the other index finger tip is all the way chipped. It hasn't even been 12 hours. Can someone give me some tips on what they use to get this stuff to stay on? I love how it goes on and I love the consistency and colors but I can't get it to last more than one day. I just got the suede finishes too. With those it was recommended no base coat. So I did that and used the special matte top coat. It too was chipped by the end of the day.

 
I don't find that my Julep polishes adhere and stay long, even with base/top coat. Possibly chemistry, possibly that Julep is not that great. For matte coats, someone recommended doing a sandwich of polish, regular top coat, then matte coat.

 
Try this. Get a four-way buffer from a supply house like Sally's. I like six-way buffers but those are harder to find now. Buff your nails using the blue and pink side you can use the white side but do NOT use the gray since that will buff your nail to a polish which will not allow the polish to adhere to your nail. After you buffer it apply a base coat, because the nail is not perfectly smooth the base coat will adhere to your nail better which in turn allows the polish to adhere to the base coat better. Also before you buff your nails swipe each nail with 75% or 99% IPA (rubbing alcohol) to remove any oil residue then buff then another swipe with IPA then apply the base coat then the polish and finally your top coat.

 
I've also learned that some base/topcoats don't play nice with all polishes. I don't use the Seche basecoat - I use Butter's, which is sort of dull looking once applied, but I'll flip between Butter's topcoat and Seche's topcoat, but if I'm going to be using one of my Illamasqua polishes, the only base/topcoat that works with those is the Illamasqua. I have better luck pairing Julep polishes with Butter's topcoat, and then oddly enough pairing Butter polishes with Seche topcoat. Sometimes I'll also swap out and use my Nails Inc topcoat, but I prefer Butter/Seche overall. The Seche is my goto topcoat for my Zoya polishes, so go figure. YMMV on all of this, this is just my personal experience.

I almost wonder if it has something to do with the variants of ingredients in the #-free polishes on the market, that there's something in the ingredients that doesn't play nice with the Seche topcoat, or vice versa. This might be true with the Julep. One thing I've noticed about the Seche topcoat is it smells like some of my craft model paint, which I don't get off of Julep's polishes at all.

As for the mattes/suedes, they don't last as long as normal polish. Definitely try the sandwich method for the topcoats and see if that helps. Someone also mentioned that using the matte topcoat as a basecoat will help it last longer. I want to say that the matte polish has a harder time adhering to a glossy surface, hence the shorter wear time, but I need to play around with that to see if that's really the case .
 

 
I have used the Essie "good to go" fast dry topcoat with my Julep polishes, or the Julep fast dry top coat and for the most part they last really long. I honestly thing it depends on the particular Julep polish though. Some of them (the mushroom gray Trina Turk color, for example) last a ridiculously long time without chipping. Other colors chip much faster. This is the case even when I use the exact same base and top coat, so it leaves me to think that each individual color form Julep may differ.

I haven't got the suedes yet in the mail. I'm kind of regretting buying them - I KNOW I will LOVE them, but I also KNOW how mad I'm going to be when they start chipping right away like crazy. 
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Originally Posted by zadidoll /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Try this. Get a four-way buffer from a supply house like Sally's. I like six-way buffers but those are harder to find now. Buff your nails using the blue and pink side you can use the white side but do NOT use the gray since that will buff your nail to a polish which will not allow the polish to adhere to your nail. After you buffer it apply a base coat, because the nail is not perfectly smooth the base coat will adhere to your nail better which in turn allows the polish to adhere to the base coat better. Also before you buff your nails swipe each nail with 75% or 99% IPA (rubbing alcohol) to remove any oil residue then buff then another swipe with IPA then apply the base coat then the polish and finally your top coat.

I do buff my nails with just a 2 way buffer, so perhaps that's why I'm not having the chipping problems others are talking about.  I got the buffer when I was trying to get the Layla holographic polishes to adhere, which was a losing battle. 

 
Does using the Julep basecoat and topcoat help? I gave up last night and just painted with my OPI. Guess what? So far no chips! I want to love Julep. Again I love how it goes on so smooth. Its just getting it to stay on. I will try buffing my nails next time.

 
Seche Vite Top Coat works great with Julep nail polish! No chipping or flaking for at least a week and a half.

 
I tried the file trick with my last manicure and it lasted for several days.  i didn't use the exact same polish but it was a julep one.  Thanks for the tips!
 

 
FYI you need to put the Seche Vite topcoat on while the final coat of regular polish is still not dry. I don't know the "official" reasons why this works but it does. So base coat, 2/3 regular polish coats and about 3 minutes after you finish your final color coat, add the Seche Vite. It really does make a difference. Putting Seche Vite on completely dry nails makes them chip and peel.

Zadi's comments about buffing and wiping with alcohol are good ones, especially if you have oily or combo skin.

 
I put Seche Vite on immediately after I paint the last polish coat and my manicures last about a week with no chipping. I also use Seche base first.

 
I need to try the Seche Vite top coat! Maybe base coat as well? I'm going to try all your tips as well!

 
Originally Posted by dixiegirl /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I am having the same problems as you are.  I have a ton of Julep nail polish and don't use it because of all of the chipping/flaking that happens!  I am so frustrated that I just go with my standard OPI normally.

Julep really chips that bad??
maybe I'll just do the 1c offer to check it out.

For a topcoat I use Mavala Colorfix and it leaves a very slick wet look shine. My nailpolish lasts a week usually without chipping.
I've had people ask me if it is Gel polish as the finish is quite glossy.

The downside is it costs $13 for the 10ml bottle.

For a 6way buffer Tweezerman has a very nice one,but it is $12.
 
I guess I'm lucky, Julep lasts a long time for me, way longer than most other brands. I use Sephora by OPI brightener base coat and OPI top coat. 

 
I'm having that problem, too. I even used Essie's No Chips Ahead, and Minka chipped within hours. I've also had problems with the Seche. It causes my polish to peel off in chunks. :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I love julep polishes... & I'm usually chip free for around 6 days. Before painting- I use a nail brush with soap to remove any oils that may be on my nails. Then 2 coats of julep & seche top coat & no problems for me. I did have a julep polish, one of my first ones that I swear e formula was bad- kept chipping constantly. Don't give up on julep, I think they really make a quality product.

 
Originally Posted by emilyd /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm having that problem, too. I even used Essie's No Chips Ahead, and Minka chipped within hours. I've also had problems with the Seche. It causes my polish to peel off in chunks. :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
I think someone already mentioned this but you have to put on Seche Vite while the polish is still a little wet. If you put it on when the polish is dry, then as you noticed, the polish comes off in chunks. I learned the hard way!

 
Originally Posted by wishinstar777 /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I think someone already mentioned this but you have to put on Seche Vite while the polish is still a little wet. If you put it on when the polish is dry, then as you noticed, the polish comes off in chunks. I learned the hard way!
You know, I always put the Seche on while my polish is wet. That's why I can't figure out why people were raving about it. Maybe I had a bad bottle.

 
Really Julep chips that quick??

I was going to do their 1 cent trial just to see....

Originally Posted by MissLindaJean /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I don't find that my Julep polishes adhere and stay long, even with base/top coat. Possibly chemistry, possibly that Julep is not that great. For matte coats, someone recommended doing a sandwich of polish, regular top coat, then matte coat.
 

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