Our Best Tips For Drying Nail Polish In A Pinch, As You've Got Places To Go

There are so many amazing nail polish looks to try, but who has the time to hang around for the drying process? It's no quick thing. Celebrity manicurist Mimi D told Martha Stewart that drying time depends on how many coats were applied and how thick the coats are, and can take between five minutes and one hour. And it has to be done! We all know the annoyance of carefully painting our nails only to bump them on something and ruin a perfect finish.

There are a few things we can do during the process of applying polish to make sure that the drying process happens a little faster. Mimi D suggested leaving a two-minute break between each coat to dry as we go. Thinner coats are better too. While these are great tricks during the process of applying nail polish, there are other strategies after the process is done to make sure that the drying time happens as quickly as possible and leaves us with perfect nails.

The best part of these quick-drying nail tips is that many of them are feasible with things around the house. Blow dryers are our best friend when it comes to a quick dry. Use the cool feature on your blow dryer and let it accelerate the process. Liang and Rachel Apfel Glass, New York City-based manicurists, told InStyle that the blow dryer is their favorite at-home trick. "It's probably the most effective way to dry nails fast," Liang said.

The other at-home idea is as simple as water. It's literally water. Let nail polish dry for a minute or two and then dip nails into a bowl of very cold water. Keep them immersed for a few minutes. But there's one word of caution with the cold-water dunk: L'Oréal Paris, the OG of nail polish, warned against using towels to dry our hands after, in case the towel rubs the polish. Just shake hands dry. However, you have to be careful during this process. Mimi D isn't a fan of the water trick. "I don't recommend running underwater because then you have to move and you run the risk of dinging or smudging your polish," she told Martha Stewart. There are mixed reviews about this one, so give it a try and see if it works for you. On top of these easy home tricks, there are a few things worth purchasing for the home too, for all of us devotees of the at-home manicure and pedicure. 

There are a few things worth buying if you want to stock your home with everything needed for the perfect manicure or pedicure. Try Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Clearly Quick Topcoat, which works really well as a quick topper over thin coats of polish. On top of that, quick-drying topcoats add a layer of shine to the manicure too. For thicker polish, use quick-dry drops on nails. Press out one or two drops of quick-dry on each nail and give it around 90 seconds.

There's also nail polish drying spray, like DeMert Nail Enamel Dryer, that's hugely beneficial because of its alcohol, butane, and propane content, which interacts with the solvents in wet polish and makes them evaporate quickly. The spray also has mink oil, silicone, and other moisturizers to create a protective cover.

Oils also work fabulously for a quick dry. Even a simple cooking spray from the kitchen works nicely, and when the oil starts to bead, then it's safe to wipe off. Baby oil or cocoa butter also work, when applied gently. Give them a few minutes on the drying nails and then gently wipe the oil off. Plus, you're left with some supple, moisturized cuticles.