What is the difference between Top Plus and Top Coat?

Viscosity. Top Coat has a juicy, self-leveling viscosity for thin, even coverage on standard color services. Top Plus is thicker for controlled placement over texture, encapsulations, and dimensional nail art. Top Plus stays where you place it without flooding into the details underneath. Top Plus is also more forgiving during application for techs who want more control. Same chemistry. Different application behavior.

When do I use Top Plus over Top Coat?

Use Top Plus when standard top coat would flood into texture or detail work. Encapsulated designs, dimensional nail art, raised elements, and services where the color layer has surface inconsistencies that need correcting in the final coat. Top Plus levels and hides texture in one coat without flooding. Use Top Coat for standard gel polish color services where self-leveling juicy viscosity gives a clean finish without needing placement control.

Can I use Top Plus for everyday color services?

Yes. Top Plus works on any service. The thicker viscosity adds more control during application. Some techs prefer it for every service because the product does not move as fast on the nail. For standard color services where self-leveling is preferred and flooding is not an issue, Top Coat gives a thinner, lighter finish.

What does "float the coat" mean?

Apply the product with minimal brush pressure. Let the product sit on the surface and level on its own. Pressing the brush into the nail pushes product into sidewalls and cuticle areas and disrupts the apex. The thicker viscosity of Top Plus does the leveling. The brush places the product. Gravity and viscosity do the rest.

Can Top Plus hide bumps and texture from the layers underneath?

Yes. The thicker viscosity fills minor surface inconsistencies in one coat. Bumps, uneven color layers, and texture from nail art can be leveled by the top coat without requiring correction before application. For significant surface issues, correct the underlying layers first. Top Plus smooths minor inconsistencies, not structural problems.

Can I use Top Plus for encapsulations?

Yes. Top Plus seals raised elements, dimensional nail art, and complex designs under a uniform surface. Apply over the design, float with minimal brush pressure, allow the product to settle over the dimensional elements, and cure. The thick viscosity covers the design without flooding into the details.

Can I use Top Plus for chrome?

Top Plus is not formulated for chrome powder application. Chrome particles block UV light from reaching the gel below. Use Top Chrome before applying chrome powder. Top Chrome creates the properly cured surface chrome powder needs to adhere. After chrome application, seal with Top Plus or Top Coat.

How do I restore shine on Top Plus between appointments?

Wipe the surface with acetone. This removes accumulated buildup from cleaning products, hand sanitizer, and daily contact. The original finish returns without reapplying color or top coat.

Why does my top coat flood into my nail art?

Standard viscosity top coat self-levels fast and runs into dimensional details, sidewalls, and cuticle areas before you can cure. Top Plus was formulated to solve this. The thicker viscosity holds position during application and levels evenly without flooding into the work underneath.

Is Top Plus good for beginners?

Yes. The thicker viscosity moves more slowly on the nail and is more predictable during application. Techs who find standard top coat moves too fast or floods into areas they did not intend will have more control with Top Plus. The product is forgiving. It levels and smooths inconsistencies that thinner top coats would show through.

Does Top Plus yellow?

No. Top Plus does not yellow over white or pale colors.

Is Top Plus HEMA free?

Yes. Top Plus is HEMA-free and TPO-free. Removing HEMA is not a safety guarantee. Allergic sensitization can happen with any methacrylate when uncured product touches skin or when the product is not properly cured. We label HEMA-free as a fact, not a safety claim.

Do I need a special lamp for Top Plus?

Top Plus is formulated and tested for proper cure under the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp. We cannot confirm proper cure with other lamps because we have not tested against them. Proper cure depends on the lamp's diode count, diode quality, and actual output, not the wattage printed on the box. Wattage is an electrical input number, not a measure of what reaches the nail. The Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp runs 53 diodes at 30W. Using a different lamp means unknown cure conditions, and undercured product causes lifting, dullness, and skin sensitivity.

How do I store Top Plus?

Room temperature, out of direct sunlight. UV exposure breaks down photoinitiators in the bottle and shortens shelf life.

What is the shelf life of Top Plus?

Sealed bottle shelf life is 24 months from manufacture date when stored at room temperature out of UV exposure. Once opened, expect 12 to 18 months of working life with proper storage.

Is Top Plus vegan and cruelty-free?

Yes. The Top Plus formula contains no animal-derived ingredients, and the product is not tested on animals at any stage. Animal-derived ingredients are rarely used in nail products. Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned across the EU since 2004 and across 42 countries globally. We list these as facts, not differentiators, because they are the legal baseline.

Where is Top Plus made?

Top Plus sources raw materials from specialized chemistry suppliers. Photoinitiators come from Germany. Monomers, oligomers, and polymers come from Japan. Cosmetic-grade pigments from established global manufacturers. Manufacturing meets GMPC certification (Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics). Every Arch Rival product is registered with the CCNB (Canadian Cosmetic Notification Board) for the Canadian market.

Is Top Plus certified or registered with regulatory bodies?

Manufacturing meets GMPC certification (Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics). All Arch Rival products are registered with the CCNB (Canadian Cosmetic Notification Board) for sale in Canada. The formula is HEMA-free, TPO-free, vegan, and not tested on animals.

Is Top Plus 7-free or 10-free?

The X-free arms race (3-free, 7-free, 10-free, 21-free) is fear-based marketing. Most ingredients on those lists were either removed years ago for regulatory reasons or were never present in the concentrations implied. We list what the formula IS (HEMA-free, TPO-free, GMPC certified, CCNB registered) instead of inflating an X-free count.

Is Top Plus hypoallergenic?

No. We do not make that claim. Hypoallergenic means below average allergy potential, not no allergy potential. A 2017 study published in JAMA Dermatology (Xu et al., Northwestern University) found that 83 percent of products marketed as hypoallergenic contained at least one known allergen. The term has no regulated definition. All gel products, including ours, are methacrylate chemistry. Sensitization can happen with any methacrylate when uncured product touches skin or when the product is not properly cured.

HEMA Free | TPO Free | 15ml

Top Plus forgives what the service did not.

One coat levels texture, hides bumps, and smooths uneven color layers without flooding into the work underneath. The thicker viscosity stays where you place it. Float the product on with minimal brush pressure and the surface levels on its own. Encapsulations, dimensional nail art, raised elements. Top Plus covers them under a clean, uniform surface. Does not yellow. HEMA-free. TPO-free. 60-second cure under the Pro Arch Rival Nail Lamp.

The ten minutes of correction work before top coat went back into your schedule the day you switched to Top Plus.

Arch Rival Top Plus

US$16.95

Quantity

Use within our matched and tested system

Top Plus forgives what the service did not.

Arch Rival Top Plus

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