In a woman’s dream world, our nail polish would dry and set within two seconds flat. We could quickly sweep the paint on and then we could do whatever we liked with our hands without the fear of smudging and smearing the nail polish we ever so painstakingly applied to our fingers.
Forget waiting minutes if not even hours for your nail polish to set. It’s important to invest in a good quality quick dry nail polish, especially in your favorite colors and shade, so that you can quickly apply two coats of nail polish and head out on your way. But not all quick dry nail polish is created the same. So which are worth your time?
Sally Hansen “Insta-Dri” Fast Nail Color
Sally Hansen is a brand that is world renowned and that rarely receives any sort of negative critique. Not only is this brand affordable, but they offer trendy, stylish colors and continually innovate new formulations for their nail colors. Not all of them are great, but the “Insta-Dri” Fast Nail Color is definitely something that is worth checking out. You will almost undoubtedly be able to find shades that you love with the “Insta-Dri” formulation, and guess what – the nail polish really does dry fast! Grade: A
In a New York Minute N.Y.C. Quick Dry Nail Polish
Not only are these nail polishes very affordable (you can often find them for under $1 if you are a real bargain hunter) but you can also choose a lot of different shades. This brand offers a shorter, thicker brush which speeds up the application process, but you will not have as much flexibility when it comes to the painting it on. This nail polish isn’t “streaky”, though it is more liquid-like in consistency, meaning that you will need to wear at least three coats of the nail polish. Because of this, even with a quick dry nail polish formula, you will need to wait a bit longer for your nails to dry than if you were to choose a thicker formula nail polish. Grade: B-
Rimmel Quick Dry Nail Polish
Rimmel is not nearly as inexpensive as the N.Y.C. nail polish above, but it is just as effective. Rimmel has a bit of a thicker consistency and does go on easily. This brand offers a wide range of colors in their quick dry nail polish line, making it easy for you to find a color that you will really like. Though the nail polish does promise to dry in 60 seconds, many women find this to be true only for the first coat. If you need to apply another coat or two, add at least another 2-5 minutes for each coat to ensure that they are fully dry. Grade: B
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on quick dry nail polish brands, such as Lancôme and MAC; there are a lot of different brands out there that will suit any budget and color choice. Get out there and discover your own favorite quick dry nail polish brands and colors!