How To Dry Nail Polish Fast

How long does nail polish take to dry?

Believe it or not, some nail polishes can take up to a few hours to completely dry. That explains why rooting around in your bag for your purse straight after your manicure can cause your nail polish to smudge. But if your nail polish seems to be taking a seriously long time to dry, here are the reasons why:

You’ve skipped the base coat: A base coat helps polish adhere to the nail. If you skip it, there’s more chance of your polish smudging.

You’ve applied thick layers of polish: want to dry nail polish fast? Apply thin coats for faster drying. Thick coats will feel tacky for longer.

The best products to help your nails dry faster

A quick drying top coat

A good top coat makes your nails shine, protects your manicure from chipping, and helps your polish dry faster. By sealing your nail polish, there’s less chances of chips and smudges. We love MoYou Smudge Resistant Premium Top Coat.

A quick dry spray

Spritz a quicky dry spray over your nails and cuticles to nourish and dry nail polish fast. We love CND Solar Speed Spray - Quick Dry Spray for dry nail polish in minutes.

Extra tips for faster drying polish

Want some hacks for a manicure that dries faster? Here are our tips.

Master polish application

Apply a few coats of thin polish to each nail. Application may take longer, but drying time will be faster overall. Remove excess polish from your brush in between painting each nail. Leave a few minutes for each coat to dry.

Opt for lighter shades of nail polish

Did you know that darker shades of polish contain pigments that make your nails take longer to dry. When you smudge darker colours it’s far more noticeable too, so opt for lighter shades if you want nails that dry fast.

Dig out the hair tools

Nail polish dries faster in cooler air, so give your nails a quick blast with the cool setting on your hair dryer. A spritz of hairspray can also be really effective. Once you’re happy you’re nail polish is dry, dip your fingers in cold water to get rid of any residue.

There you have it, the hacks and products you should dry if you want to dry nail polish fast.

For more interesting articles on nail care and the products you need to elevate your mani, check out the rest of our blog.