Have you noticed how life runs so much faster these days? There seems less time for doing things we want to do, instead of stuff that has to be done – appointments, work, kids and more. How is that fair? Did anyone tell us adulting took this much time?
But we still want to look great and obviously that includes having awesome nails, so how do we cram manicures – either at the salon or DIY, into busy schedules? By learning some useful little hacks, that’s how!
A nail drying, or curing, lamp is always going to be the quickest way to dry your nails. Available in both UV and LED, they can dry shellac, gel or acrylic polishes in under a minute in some cases. If you are a professional nail tech, a good drying lamp is a must, and even for the DIYer, they make the time consuming, and quite frankly annoying, wait while your polish dries much more bearable.
Another handy hack is to get yourself a bottle of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.
This cult polish is absolutely awesome, drying in next to no time. Just apply it as any other polish, and the formula causes it to penetrate through the layers, forming a strongly bonded surface, whilst drying the polish as it goes. It gives a gorgeously glossy shine, and leaves your nails looking great for up to three weeks. I must admit, I wouldn’t be without it in my mani kit, and have used it many, many times.
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat, Clear - .125 oz. oz
There are also a couple of handy home remedies for rapid polish drying if you’re really stuck:
- Apply the polish in thin layers which dry faster, rather than one or two thicker coats that take forever to become smudge-proof.
- Use your hairdryer on the coolest setting to blow cold air across your nails. This may take a few minutes to dry them completely. If you have one, you could also hold your nails in front of an air conditioning unit.
- Have a bowl of water with ice cubes in it, and once your nails are at the tacky stage, dip them in the water for 2-3 minutes. This works well, but boy, does it make your hands cold!
- If you have one of those canisters of compressed air that are used for dusting or cleaning a keyboard, once your nails are tacky, spray them, holding the can about a foot away. Like the other hacks, it’s the cold that dries the polish.
- Do you have any non-stick oil cooking spray? Yes, you did read that correctly! The oils in the spray help the polish to dry quickly – however, avoid any butter sprays, unless you’re cooking mushrooms, of course! A couple of minutes after finishing your top coat, give each nail a light spritz with the cooking spray. This method also works well with baby oil.
So, there you go, a couple of tricks of the trade to hopefully help your life run smoother! If you want extra nail polish lifehacks, check out these tips and tricks.
