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4 genius hacks to make your nail polish dry much faster

Nailed it!

By Helen Wallace

03/05/19

At-home manis are a great way to save money and explore your creativity. The downside is that while gel manicures are hardened under a light so that they are dry when you leave the salon, regular nail polish – especially if you have applied more than one coat – has a tendency to smudge, unless you sit still and avoid doing anything for a few hours! Fortunately there are ways to dry your mani faster. Here are four of them:

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1. Blow out

Rather than tiring yourself out by blowing on your nails until they seem dry, get out your hairdryer and put it on the cool setting. Blast your nails under the cold air for about a minute and then gently tap your nails to see if they are still tacky. If they are, keep blasting until they have hardened.

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2. Water works

While it might initially seem like a bad idea, dipping your fingertips into cold water can help to speed up the drying process. Leaving them dunked for about two minutes should dry them enough for you to carry on as usual. Just make sure you wait a few minutes before you head for the H2O so that your varnish can set slightly first.

3. Kitchen confidential

Some beauty products are found in unexpected places, like your kitchen cupboard! If you don’t have a quick-drying nail spray on hand and need to speed up your drying time, nonstick cooking spray can also do a decent job. You might just need to (carefully) wipe the greasy residue off afterwards.

4. Product picks

If you always find yourself in a rush and inadvertently smudging your manicure, it might be time to switch over to nail polishes with a quick-drying formula. They are made using special resins that can cut the drying significantly so that your DIY job looks like you just came from your nail technician.

Photo: iStock/Emilija Randjelovic