Seche Vite tutorial: how to keep it in perfect shape, avoid shrinkage and how to apply

This is how I keep my favorite top coat Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat happy, subsequently also myself, avoid shrinkage and I apply it....
I have used Seche Vite (often referred to as SV) almost 3 years now, and almost nothing really compares. HK Girl is a close rival, but I experienced smudging of nail art with it, and that's a no go for me.

OK, back to my beloved Seche Vite!

Part one: How to keep Seche Vite thinned and ready to go...

I always buy the "Professional Kit": one normal sized bottle of Seche Vite 14ml/0.5 fl oz and one large bottle 118ml/4 fl oz - and I always buy the large bottle of Seche Restore 59ml/2 fl oz that comes with a dropper, but you can choose to buy a smaller bottle with a built in dropper in the lid.

When I have used about this much (red arrow) - I add 7-10 drops of the Seche Restore thinner and gently roll it.

Sometimes I use my Seche Vite a few times more before I fill it up with fresh Seche Vite from the large bottle, in that case I often add a few further drops of Seche Restore before filling it up. I just carefully pour it right from the large into the small.
It's not an exact science, you soon will get into a routine - because this is all about experience...

Part two: How to avoid shrinkage...

If I get lazy and do not thin my Seche Vite until I'm this far (red arrow) down the bottle and my Seche Vite is getting a bit goopy, I do experience shrinkage like on the photo below - and more (maybe 15 or so) drops of Seche Restore are needed before filling the bottle up with fresh Seche Vite from the big bottle.

The shrinking normally isn't this bad until the day after when everything has completely dried, also remember how much the nail is enlarged in this photo, so the shrinkage naturally isn't this obvious in person.

Thoughts on shrinkage in general:
Personally I never experienced tip shrinkage that I have heard mentioned by others. But here are my thoughts on that and other shrinkage problems:
01. Did you remember to apply both polish and Seche Vite to the free edge of the nail tip?
02. Maybe you apply Seche Vite when your polish still is wet (too wet) - I always wait until my polish is a few minutes dry.
Have you by the way noticed that your second coat (not to mention third coat) of polish actually also shows shrinkage if you apply it too soon after the first (that even might have been applied to a not too dry base coat) - not at once, but as soon as all the layers dries completely after several hours/the next day?
So I'm thinking that if you add Seche Vite or another top coat on the several and still fairly wet coats, shrinkage is bound to happen with any top coat, and yes I tested it.
03. Did you use a thick enough coat? See more in Part three below!
04. I never apply thin coats of nail polish, so maybe that's why Zoya unfortunately dries extremely slowly on me. Even if I wait 10 -15 minutes or so - I still get shrinkage - it brings me back to 02.
05. Finally the unknown factor called body chemistry probably plays a role and makes polishes and top coats react differently from person to person.

Part three: How to apply and use Seche Vite...

The main thing is to use enough - add a rich and generous coat, that's important!! 

This is how I use my Seche Vite, If the bottle is full/almost full, I wipe one side of the brush lightly on the inside of the bottle neck, leaving a good drop like on the photo below:

I place my drop of Seche Vite in the area of the red circle - again not an exact science, it all comes with experience....

- make sure NOT to press the Seche Vite thin, the coat should be rich, loosen your wrist!!
Use a light movement to spread it over the nail (remember the free edge) and take advantage of the amazing self-leveling ability. If you have long nails you probably need to wipe less of the brush and/or dip twice.
If you normally apply thin coats of nail polish you need to rethink that when you apply Seche Vite!
Remember a generous coat!!

If you follow the simple steps above you hopefully will love Seche Vite as much as I do - I couldn't imagine a life without it - at least not a polished life without it!!

Find more tutorials (also how the make your mani last) in the DIY + tips and tricks tab in the menu at the top of my blog - or click HERE!

How to keep you polishes in perfect condition - longevity with a perfect formula

A polish dried out and is thrown away...
But here you have a few simple tips, that can help your polishes to stay alive for many, many years.

Storage: Polishes prefer to be stored standing upright in a cool and dark place without too much variation in temperature throughout the day.
I keep my polishes in these drawers, the sunlight cannot reach the drawers making them extra hot part of the day.
I know a woman with 25+ years old polishes (with a perfect formula) stored in her refrigerator.
I think the main thing is to avoid direct sunlight (and light in general) and to try to keep a fairly even temperature if at all possible.
If you want to enjoy your polishes on racks and walls, it would be perfect it the room can be fairly dark, unless you are in there to use and admire your beauties. But you do risk that some of the polishes change their color over time...
Do not store - your polishes in your bathroom, the temperature is fairly warm, and it is ever changing...

Check your polishes if you have a problem with their longevity.
And definitely if you buy or receive old polishes from others.
Let me show you a precious vintage Chanel I recently bought, only about half full - and not in a good condition.
My first step is to restore it with a nail polish thinner to make the formula perfect again. I use Seche Restore and this bottle needed 10-12 drops, but there are many other good brands of thinners on the market.
My advice is to stay away from nail polish removers and acetone as thinners, they WILL change your polish one way or another. In my youth many, many years ago I tried this - only to find the polish useless and dried out the next time I wanted to use them.
If you want to learn more about the subject, Michelle from Labmuffin has an excellent post on the subject - click HERE!

A certain evaporation will take place over the years, especially when the bottle is frequently used and gets emptier - but you can minimize it.
In the below case the reason is however obvious:

- the lid cannot be screwed on 100% tightly because the thread on the bottleneck is filled with dried out polish, and the solvent evaporates. This polish will dry out eventually, if it doesn't get help...

- but it should be the RIGHT help!
As you can see someone tried to clean this bottleneck with cotton wool or cotton pads - the lint stuck to the dried out polish, that weren't even removed in the process, and there is a risk that the lint eventually end up in the polish...

All you need is a nail polish remover and LINT FREE pads or fabric in cotton, torn into small pieces, that works just as well. But you can get lint free pads at ridiculous low prices on Ebay.

If the case is hard core you might also have to clean the lid inside with a flat brush dipped in polish remover, the same kind of brush you use for cleaning mishaps after polishing. But usually the thread on the bottleneck is the worst.
The thin end of a dotter can be useful as a scraping tool on the thread of the bottleneck to speed up the process between two soaked pads - see below.

So my next step is: Remove the lid from the bottle, wipe the bottle brush against the inside of the bottle neck to remove the drop of polish on it, and place it in a paper towel.
Soak a piece of lint free material in polish remover and place it on the bottle top.
Use a latex glove, if you want to protect the polish on your nails ;)

- with a firm grip twist the soaked pad around the bottle neck, back and forth.
It might be necessary to repeat this step with several pieces of lint free material, if it is a "bad case", so keep them within reach - as it is best to work quickly to prevent the brush to dry out!

This is what your bottle necks should look like - just like a brand new and never used bottle of polish!

This neck has some hard to reach corners, so here the tiny end of a dotting tool comes in handy as a scraper, or even used inside the soaked pad, to get into that corner.

After a few days: Open the polish again. Some dried polish from the lid might have stuck to the thread, so it might be necessary to repeat the process. And do it again after some days - and in any case make sure the lid still is screwed on tightly!

Your new and old polishes will love you if you make a habit of keeping their necks clean - and you will love them even more because they will remain a pleasure to work with!!

Other tips:
Go over you lids once a while to secure that they are screwed on tightly - chances in temperature can make them gradually open more or less - and give them a good shake at the same time.
Do not use tools to open a bottle of nail polish, if it cannot be opened normally. Place it under the running warm tap a few seconds - try again, and if it still not opens, hold it under the running water a little longer to heat it up and make the dried out polish a little elastic.