Why does my nail polish come off when I apply top coat?

Your nail polish comes off when you apply top coat for several common reasons related to technique and timing. Most common reason is you apply top coat before color polish is dry enough, so brush drags and pulls wet color off, you should wait 2 to 5 minutes after color coat until it is dry to touch but not fully hard. Another reason is you apply too much pressure with brush, pressing hard and wiping back and forth, which lifts color, you should use light strokes with plenty of top coat on brush, floating over surface without pressing. Using too thick coats of color that are still wet underneath also causes smearing when top coat applied. Old or thick top coat that is goopy can drag color. Not capping free edge and using too few strokes can cause peeling. Also incompatible formulas, such as gel top coat over regular polish without proper base, can cause lifting. To prevent, let each color coat dry 2 minutes, apply thin color coats, use fresh thin top coat, load brush with enough product, use light floating strokes from base to tip in 3 strokes, cap free edge, and avoid going over same area repeatedly. Also ensure nails are clean and oil free before polish.