• Sleek bottle of essie nail care 'Gel Setter' topcoat against a clean white background.
Average rating includes incentivized reviews TOPCOAT

Gel Setter Top Coat

A high-gloss top coat that adds an instant plump, gel-like look and long-lasting protection to any manicure.

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Gel Setter Top Coat Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. essie Gel Setter is a traditional air-dry topcoat that delivers the plump, high-gloss look of a gel manicure without requiring a UV or LED lamp. It dries quickly on its own and removes easily with standard nail polish remover.

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74 reviews with 5 stars.
10 reviews with 4 stars.
5 reviews with 3 stars.
3 reviews with 2 stars.
15 reviews with 1 star.

overall rating

4.2

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  • Bottle with Box
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1 to 8 of 107 reviews .
1 – 8 of 107 reviews

Soooo good

11 months ago
It’s the best top coat ever. I live and breathe by this stuff. Use it weekly. My only complaint it is hard to find in my area
type of nail polish usernail art lover

yes, I recommend this product.

helpful?

The absolute BEST top coat on the market!

a year ago
I am an indie nail art lover, but also someone who works in surgery, so I am not allowed to wear gel polish or acrylic nails. Prior to finding this bottle, I used Mooncat’s Speed Demon topcoat, which I absolutely loved, but hated how it would get thick, stringy and virtually unusable after just two or three uses. I consulted people in the nail polish community and Essie Gel Setter Top Coat was the name that kept coming up. I bought a bunch of different brands to trial, from Sally Hansen to KB Shimmer and everything in between. Essie was a clear winner and now I understand why. If you like that crystal clear, glossy, plump, hard like glass finish then you won’t be disappointed with this one! It also dries pretty fast considering, and won’t shrink or crack the polish underneath.
Q: goes great with this shade
A: Essie glitters or any polish
favorite essie color family?purples
type of nail polish usernail art lover
great to wear foreveryday

yes, I recommend this product.

  • Bottle with Box
helpful?

Survives a nurse’s week with no problem.

a year ago
I am a nurse and do not get gel nails for a few different reasons relating to my job, but I still want a manicure that looks good and stays looking good. I wash my hands or use hand sanitizer more times in a day than I can count, and after 3 days in a row, prior manicures were removed after the second day because of how bad they looked. This top coat, when all layers are given a chance to dry, helps my nails survive not only a 3-in-a-row, but my days off as well. Sure, a little chipping happens, but when you use and wash your hands constantly, it’s a small price to pay. 100% recommend this top coat to anyone who doesn’t want to pay salon prices (or doesn’t have the time) and wants a gel finish manicure that lasts.
type of nail polish userregular/average

yes, I recommend this product.

helpful?

Great product!

a year ago
I’ve used Essie gel setter and it works great! My polish has lasted 2 weeks. The other users may have used old polish from their pics. I’ve done that too.
type of nail polish userspecial occasions only
helpful?

Great Choice!

a year ago
Glad I grabbed this. Had to go out for birthday with wrecked nails. Used today, I agree this gel setter changed my entire tude about doing my nails.
type of nail polish usernovice/new user
helpful?

Game changer

a year ago
This top coat is a game changer for me! Regular mani with the gel look- it stays chip free for a whole week, and it also is easy to remove unlike actual gel. I talk this up to all my friends, completely worth the impulse buy!
Q: goes great with this shade
A: I’m a minimalist girl!
favorite essie color family?pinks
type of nail polish userregular/average
great to wear forwork

yes, I recommend this product.

helpful?

Never fully dries...

2 years ago
I really want to love this because it really does give your nails the gel manicure look.... But my gosh, it's like it NEVER completely dries! Maybe it's just me, I don't know. It also creates a lot of air bubbles when you put it over a sheer/jelly formula.
type of nail polish userregular/average
helpful?
response from essie:
2 years ago
Consumer Care Center
Hello Sxp89. Thank you for sharing your experience with the gel-setter. Something doesn't sound right with the bottle you have, and we want to understand what happened just as much as you do. If you would like to speak to us directly about your recent purchase, give us a call @ 866-313-7845 M-F 9 am-5:30 pm ET

Great top coat!

2 years ago
I just wanted to take a moment to give credit where credit is due. I bought this gel-setter topcoat by at the drugstore. I applied two coats over my three coats of regular crème polish. I used it on my vacation nails and my manicure lasted 11 days with minimal chipping. To me, this is outstanding because during my vacation I was in the ocean and the hot tub. I built Sandcastles. I did anything and everything I wanted to do, so I feel that they held up fairly well. So kudos to you Essie!
type of nail polish usernail art lover
great to wear foreveryday

yes, I recommend this product.

helpful?
1 – 8 of 107 reviews