Gloss finishes for polymer clay

I realized that I have accumulated quite a lot of finishes over the years and recently I bought some Triple Thick to try since my Sculpey Glaze keeps drying out on me, so I decided to compile a mini review of sorts. ^^ I am not an expert but this is what I've tried and perhaps it will be of some use to those out there who are beginners to polymer clay (Sculpey/Fimo/Premo, etc..)

Of course, there is nothing wrong with polymer clay without a finish. But if your piece is painted, it helps to prevent paint from chipping off and also protects against dirt and general wear. This post is mainly about gloss finishes because I prefer gloss (I like things shiny). And, because I have yet to know of a good product that gives a completely matte, non-tacky finish...


From left to right:

ModPodge - The reason I have this was because the very first time I went to buy supplies for charm-making, I couldn't find any glaze and didn't know what to look for so I asked the sales girl at Michael's...and she gave me this. I do NOT recommend ModPodge for use as a gloss. It's pretty much a watered down glue and gets quite sticky when dried

Liquitex Gloss Varnish - I use this for faceups. I don't recommend this for clay use. The consistency is like water and it looks quite shiny as you use it. But as it dries, it loses that brilliant shine and dries to a sort of semi-gloss, almost satin finish. It is also somewhat tacky when dried.

Delta Ceramcoat Gloss Interior Varnish - This is quite old and I haven't actually used this on clay, but I got this because I bought the Delta Ceramcoat Sealer for wood. The varnish is very watery and is pretty much... useless. lol

TripleThick - I found out about this at FanExpo last year from a girl who was selling these charms in the Artist Alley that had this brilliant shine on them--they almost looked like fired ceramic, it was that shiny and looked so durable! The consistency is very thick (comparable to month old Sculpey Glaze) and milky but dries clear. It dries to a smooth, non-tacky finish. So far I like it, however the drying time is a lot longer than Sculpey Glaze (below) and the humidity levels also influences the drying time. What I like about it is that it comes in a big container and hopefully it'll last me quite some time.

Sculpey Glaze (Old and New) - I have been using this Glaze for years up until recently, and I guess I like that it dries super shiny and is also non-tacky. However, what I find annoying is that it is quite pricey for the amount and it tends to dry out rather quickly. You can dilute it with water, and that's what I've been doing. But as you dilute it more and more, it loses some of the shininess and I had the problem of the glaze actually peeling off rather easily from the clay--as in, it was just like a glue that didn't seem to adhere properly to the clay surface! x_x I've heard that they changed their formula, too. With the new packaging, you get about 3mL less than the old one. The price is still the same. I've always been tempted to try the "Satin" finish of Sculpey Glaze, but now I don't think it's worth it!

What I've heard a lot of polymer clay artists use is Varathane. I've seen it at the hardware store and to be honest what put me off was that it seems more toxic than the finishes I've used thus far. However, if TripleThick is having problems for me...then I might very well be trying this next.

These are just my personal opinions and experiences with these products that I wanted to share. There are a lot more resources about this topic found through Google! Thanks for reading! :)