Lippmann Addicted to Speed was one of two top coats that spurrred me on to have this top coat test. I had purchased one bottle several months ago, but due to the price, I could never seem to find an occassion that warranted its use. Polish fiends RAVE about this top coat – as if there were liquid gold in the bottle (and quite honestly, for the price there should be). But I wondered if the raving was in part because of the cost. Were people brainwashing themselves into thinking this was a superior product because of the superior price?

Addicted to Speed (AtS) is hands down the most expensive top coat that was tested. At $15 a bottle, I cringed when I sprung for a 2nd bottle to decant to 8 testers. The cashier had to arm wrestle that $15 out of my reluctant little fingers. So how did it fair? Good, but not as good as you’d think liquid gold would be.

Unlike Rock, whose scores were very consistant, AtS was all over the place. Some of the category scores fell below 3, none of the categories scored first or second place and there were no testers that ranked this as their first or second favorite (should make them happy as none of them will be shelling out $15 per bottle). But perhaps this was because the “WOW!” factor existed for some of the testers. Read the comments and you’ll see them.

Can you believe I still haven’t tried AtS?

Here are the results: (if you’re just joining us, rating chart explanation is here)

Comments: Tester 1
Applied nicely, dried quick. Scent wasn’t too bad, and had a very glossy finish. This lasted pretty well… I had some chipping on day 2 but it wasn’t major.

Comments: Tester 2
Test 1: Polish is Illamasqua Phallic. Test 2: Polish is RBL Orbis Non Sufficit. Applied top coat immediately after last coat of color. Top coat was thick and not as maneuverable as I prefer, but not difficult to apply by any means. There was some very slight tip-pulling, but the polish/top coat melted back onto the nail quite well. Smelled like Nubar Diamont. Shine after application is glass-like.After 10 minutes the top coat is surface-dry but dentable. After 20 minutes the polish feels stable enough to use my hands; I can still dent it though. My guess is that this is Diamont, can’t wait to see if I’m right. After 30 minutes the dents I made at the 10 and 20 minute marks are GONE. I pushed a dent into the polish surface, and it started to even out/disappear immediately. By the time I finished typing the sentence before this one, the dent I just made is almost gone. Four hours later there are no signs at all of the dents I made!!! So I made another one and we’ll see if that one goes away by morning.

Day 1 after mani: no chips, no tipwear, still a glass-like shine. The dent I made last night is not visible. Wow! Day 2 after mani: no chips, no tipwear, still a glass-like shine. Day 3 after mani: no chips, no tipwear, the shine is not as glass-like as before but still very shiny. Day 4 after mani: no chips, very slight tipwear, the shine is not as glass-like as before but still very shiny.

Comments: Tester 3
Polish is OPI Black Magic Mountain. Holy bubbles batman!!! I noticed some bubbling when I applied this late last night but tried to get some out with more brushstrokes. Also the topcoat was mixing with the polish, making the polish glob out. Dried pretty quickly, not mega fast but not slowly either. Smell was fine. The first 2 manis chipped and peeled the next day but once thinned was OK. Minor tipwear, China Glaze Custom Kicks lasted 3 days with virtually no chips.

Comments: Tester 4
Smooth application, thick, but leveled easily. Very quick drying, very shiny when dry. Smell was very strong, faded a little when dry. Significant chips and tip wear on Day 2. Mani 2 – super fast drying to a hard finish, mirror shine. Hmm, I’m beginning to think base coat is a big contributor to staying power; my 2nd mani wore FABULOUSLY with no chips and barely noticeable tipwear.

Comments: Tester 5
Very thick with a heavy metallic scent (stunk and smell lasted after it dried), slightly cloudy when applying but dried clear. Was dry to touch within 3 -4 minutes but still very dentable 15 minutes later. Next day not shiny at all, very dull, had tipwear by 2nd day and chips on 4th.

Comments: Tester 6
Not bad. No shrinkage at all over an old formula polish. A couple of bubbles but nothing I can’t handle. Very nice one stroke application as the consistency is good, if on the thick side. Shine is disappointing. More bubbles with second test. Still no shrinkage which makes me think it just needs thinning. Shine on a shimmer wasn’t too bad.

Comments: Tester 7
Single coat used over 2 coats of Sally Hansen Wined Up, worn for 2 full days. Oh top coat C how I HATE you!! You SUCK! On opening the bottle my first impression was “it’s a little thicker than normal”, but I work with the thicker Seche Vite all the time so I didn’t see it as a problem. Wrong! This top coat reminded me of working with gelatin or melted chocolate – the second it hits your work surface it starts to set. So too this topcoat. My general method is stroke down center, one each side and then 2 more side sweeps each side of the very center… with maybe a sweep or 2 extra for good measure if there is any sign of unevenness or missed bits. This polish does not approve of my method lol. Center sweep, fine. Left side sweep, ok. Right side sweep, HUH? The polish in the center was already drying and buckled where the first and third sweeps overlapped. EEK! I ended up with a big lump of topcoat on the lower half of my left pinky finger (one I painted first) because this stuff buckled, dragged and lumped up on itself!

Things improved a bit when I started going a little faster. Added a good half dropper of Seche Restore thinner before starting my second hand. HHmmm, a little better but this top coat really doesn’t like going over itself at all! I’m used to Seche Vite doing a perfect job of self-leveling… this top coat doesn’t seem to do that at all – I’d have to say application-wise it is very unforgiving.

Upon waking up day one: The polish on my left hand is a bubbly mess, and the lump of topcoat on the end of my pinky has flattened somewhat but is still clearly a fat bump. YUCK! Also there are a mass of bubbles through this lump – as in way too many to count. The other fingers are also bubbly but they are not as obvious as the free edge lump on my pinky finger. The right hand is a little less bubbly, but there are still an unacceptable number of bubbles. When looking at the completed mani with this topcoat, the phrase “bubble bubble toil and trouble” keeps running through my head (yes I know the correct line is double double lol).

After a few hours: 2 cups of tea brewed and sipped + one slice of toast cooked and eaten + one newspaper read + one shower (with hair wash) + morning beauty ritual completed = 8 small chips and 3 nails with noticeable tip wear. WHAT?!?!?!?! You have got to be kidding me lol! The hand with the thick polish is doing fine (still ugly though), the right hand with the thinner polish has lots of small chips and the pointer, middle and pinky finger are all showing tip wear. Colour me every shade of unimpressed!

Day 2: The left hand with the thicker polish is starting to chip now too, and the tip wear on the right hand is getting harder and harder to live with. I’m pulling the plug after 48 hours wear – manicures are NOT supposed to look like an aero bar! Side note, same polish combo used on my toes around the same time turned out perfect – only difference was I used my own Seche Vite topcoat instead of mystery topcoat C – so humidity etc are not to blame.

Further observations/comments from subsequent applications: Using skittle manis with 1 or 2 fingers on both hands this top coat was also tested over: Orly Cupcake; Nails Inc Victoria; L.A. Girls Rockstar Groupie; China Glaze Midnight Ride; Mavala Marine Blue. Shiny but some bubbles and early tip wear over Orly Cupcake. Worst smelling, but fastest drying of top coats C, E, H, I, and L; is also the second shiniest of this group (L was shiniest). Bit of tip wear and a number of tiny chips after a couple of days over Marine Blue.

This one is much improved when it is thinned right down!! Application becomes much easier, and the polish lasts much better when only a thin coat is applied to the nail. It does seem to want to be thick though, as I found myself needing to thin it every 2nd – 3rd mani. Ho hum. I doubt this top coat and I will ever be friends.

Comments: Tester 8
Worn 3 full days. Single coat applied. Worn over a single coat of Nails Inc Kensington Court. Inoffensive scent, but needed to add thinner as was very thick. The shine on this lasted extremely well, but the polish chipped where I have an issue with peelies. The other fingers were still looking most acceptable, particularly as I have been doing some heavy gardening that I would have expected to take the shine off and cause tip wear.