Seche Vite Gripe

I'm starting to have a love/hate relationship with Seche Vite, leaning more towards the hate side.  I love the glossiness and the flash-dry capability, but I HATE this shrinkage.  I didn't have any shrinkage through the first half of my bottle, but it seems that once I got to the half-way mark, this thing decided to pull an attitude and decided to say, "Eh, I'm not going to work so great for you anymore."  So I decided to buy a bottle of Seche Restore, which honestly hasn't restored anything.  I'm about to throw this bottle out.  Is it too much to ask for a quick-drying top coat that leaves a glossy finish, but doesn't cause shrinkage and ruin a beautiful mani?? (rhetorical question...well somewhat).  Ladies help me here please.  Am I missing some important step, trick, to be able to have a good working relationship with this stupid bottle of Seche?  Or is there a good alternative?  My Super Shiney + Quick-drying drops combo is not cutting it for me.  Super Shiney is neither "super" nor "shiney", and the quick-drying drops aren't really quick (if 5-7 mins is "quick") nor fully drying. *Ugh* Any help/tips/suggestions are much appreciated. :)

My first Epic FAIL

Ulta was having a buy 3 get 1 free deal, so I decided to purchase most of the polishes from Orly's 2010 Sweet Collection.  I decided against getting Cotton Candy and opted for getting Velvet Rope instead.  Purple plus glitter??!! No brainer.  Two weeks ago, I finally decided to wear it, and low and behold, I now have buyer's remorse.   Take a look:

Granted this photo was taken without a top coat, but not even a coat of Seche Vite could save this one in my opinion.  While I LOVE the color, the glitter KILLS it.  There's no sparkle, just chunks.  The polish isn't jelly so instead of the glitter coming through, the more the polish is layered, the glitter ends up getting covered.  It's like the glitter was thrown in as an afterthought, when it would have been better just to leave it out all together.  I love Orly, and this is my first real disappointment.  Ugh :(

deborah lippmann's Across the Universe

I know every other blogger has posted this, or it's "so last year's news", but I LOVE IT! So :-p  LOL j/k.  As previously mentioned, I purchased Across The Universe along with Bad Romance as part of my retail therapy.  I'm so glad I bought it because it is GORGEOUS! Check it!

Indoor Shot

Direct Sunlight

I applied 3 coats, plus base/top coat.  Like Bad Romance, the hex glitter made it a bit difficult to wrap the tips (which explains the huge dry patch on my index finger; not a chip but a piece of glitter that fell off).  This polish reminds me of the DVD/Soundtrack cover of Julie Taymor's film Across the Universe with Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess.  If you're a Beatles fan, then I think you'll enjoy the movie.  I leave you with my fave lyric from the song Across the Universe:

Limitless undying love

which shines around me like a million suns

It calls me on and on across the universe