7 Quick-Dry Nail Polishes That Are Good-to-Go In Under a Minute
Sally Hansen, NAILS, INC., Essie
Finding the best beauty products has never been easier thanks to Pia's Picks, our weekly curated list. As the senior beauty editor at HelloGiggles, I test and examine the latest skincare, makeup, hair, and nail products so I can confidently recommend the best ones to you.
Whether you're a mani newbie just learning how to paint your nails or a seasoned connoisseur, I think you can agree that waiting around for nail polish to dry is the worst. Many formulas take up to 15 minutes to dry, and that time can seem eternal when you have to use your hands for anything else. Therefore, quick-dry nail polish is the only kind we truly stay loyal to.
Sure, there are things you can do to dry nails fast (like spritzing them with cooking spray—yes, really), but having a quick-dry formula is so much easier than figuring out a hack. That's why we've rounded up seven of our favorite nail polishes that will have your tips looking looking fine in no time.
Best quick-dry nail polish: Essie
hellogiggles - $9 Available at Ulta
This nail polish color lasts over a week and dries in under one minute—it's why we gave it a Beauty Crush Award. We love that it uses a vegan formula, offers an array of 40 unconventional and classic shades, and has an angled brush that helps create mess-free manis with your non-dominant hand.
Best runner-up quick-dry nail polish: Sally Hansen
hellogiggles - $5.59 Available at Ulta
Apart from the fact that it's available in 69 shades, we love that this 3-in-1 formula is made to be a base coat, nail polish, and topcoat—minimalism at its best! It dries in 60 seconds, is highly pigmented, and will give you long-lasting and chip-free shine.
Best quick-dry topcoat: Sêche Vite
hellogiggles - $9.95 Available at Ulta
This cult-classic topcoat has been around for years and will continue to reign supreme for many to come. Apply it over your favorite nail polish and compare how quickly it dries in comparison to your regular topcoat. Trust us, you'll be out the door as fast as you can say one, two, three!
Best runner-up quick-dry topcoat: Deborah Lippmann
hellogiggles Available at Amazon
Give your mani a quick topcoat and a brightening boost with this Sephora-loved product. Reviewers rave about how shiny their nails look with this, almost like a gel manicure. For best results, apply just a thin topcoat.
Best quick-dry clean nail polish: Smith & Cult
hellogiggles Available at Amazon
If you're a clean beauty fanatic and are looking for high-end results, look no further than Smith & Cult. The brand has an array of super-shiny nail polishes that come in classic solids to fun metallics, like this one here. This formula is very long-wear, lasting up to two weeks completely chip-free, so while it's a little pricier than some other nail polishes on the market, this one will save you precious time by outliving all of them.
Best quick-dry nail polish + treatment: ORLY
hellogiggles - $9.99 Available at Ulta
Give your nails some TLC with this treatment-color hybrid. It's formulated with moisturizing Argan oil and vitamins C and B3, which help nails become stronger and healthier. It's available in 19 colors and uses a special oxygen technology that helps it dry quickly and last long.
Best quick-dry vegan nail polish: NAILS, INC.
hellogiggles - $8.99 Available at Sally Beauty
If you tend to find yourself in massive rushes, like need-to-get-out-before-my-next-breath rushes, your nail BFF will be this NAILS, INC. formula. One coat dries in less than 45 seconds (!!), and since the color pay-off is so intense, you really only need one layer. Pick from one of seven lucky colors.
