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Sitting around waiting for your nails to dry is no girl’s idea of a good time. If you love saving money on manicures by giving your nails a little DIY love, but immediately regret the decision when you realize you don’t have a salon quality nail dryer, your best solution is to seek out a nail polish that dries in a jiffy. But does this kind of magical unicorn actually exist?
It may seem like dark colors–the bright reds, wines, and moody blues of the polish spectrum–take twice as long to dry, but that’s only because the slightest mishap (even contact with a renegade eyelash) can be spotted from a mile away. In reality, what matters when it comes to drying your nails as fast as possible is the rate that solvents can escape, explains Holly L. Schippers at FingerNailFixer. “Blowing on your nails can make them dull and does not speed up the dry time,” Schippers says. “For normal nail polish, the color does not affect the dry time.”
All polishes may claim that they are fast-drying, but two stand out amongst beauty mavens as the brands you want to have on hand (literally) when patience is not your best virtue. Rimmel 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish is an affordable drugstore brand that reviewers say fits both their busy lifestyles and wallets–considering how it comes in 50 shades, we can add that it probably suits every article of clothing you own. If a luxury beauty item is your preference, you’ll find yourself in great company with the rest of the beauty-loving planet when you can’t stop raving about Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer. Not only did MJ create shades so surprisingly gorgeous you’ll want to own them all, but fans say it dries fast and lasts for weeks without a chip. Seriously, weeks.
No matter which nail polish brand you choose, a few tricks of the trade will come in handy if fast-drying nails are your goal. Always wait a few minutes after applying your first coat of polish to follow up with a second. In general, matte formulas seem to fair better than glossy formulas if time is of the essence, and glitter comes out on top as the speediest dryer of them all. Last, but not least, a quality top coat like Seche Vite (the rave reviews for this product are off the charts) will make you happy you didn’t splurge on a professional nail dryer.
Fore more beauty tips, check out are gel manicures really that bad for your nails? and the one thing you should never do when painting your nails.
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[Photo: inthefrow.com]
