💅🏻Genuinely quick-drying nails needed. NOT GEL!

[LilOldMe]

I recently quit biting my nails after 40 years. All good (still getting used to them, tbh) except I can't leave them bare or I'll chew them all off again.

I started off having gel nails, but found it very expensive for just 2 weeks' wear. (Then you get that weird gap.) So I'm doing normal polish at home. But I hate losing an entire evening to the drying time.

I'm using Seche Vite as a topcoat, but it still takes 2-3 hours before they're completely smudge-proof.

Any suggestions?

I use Essie Good to Go. Are you using very thick layers of polish? I wouldn't dig the garden after half an hour, but I would be happy to do most things.

I use the Orly rubber base coat, three thin coats of polish (often Essie, otherwise Leighton Denny or Chanel), then the top coat. I usually set aside an episode of Coronation Street at 7.30 to paint, then am completely "good to go" by the end of the second one!

Thanks! I might be slopping it on a bit thick, but I recently tried thinner layers and it still pushed/smudged after 3 hours when I was getting ready for bed.

Does the age of the polish make a difference? None of mine can be younger than 5 years!

I just ordered Dior Nail Glow (after hearing about it on here just now) so that might help, as it's only one product to apply?

Rimmel 60 sec

Thanks, @lentilsforlunch I do actually have a bottle of that. But it's old probably, realistically, over 5 years old. Will that slow the drying time?

If you're willing to go to a salon, SNS (powder dip) nails are fabulous. Last 4-6 weeks (they really do) and will protect your nails underneath. In the southeast about £30-35 a pop.

The new Essie Expressie polish is good and dries in about a minute. Nails Inc also have a new quick dry range but I haven’t tried it. I also use China Glaze Freeze with my normal polishes and it works great.

Ooooh @Cavagirl -- I've never heard of those! Great. What about the gap, though, as your nails grow? That's why I was having gels redome after 2 weeks; I hated that 1-2mm gap around the cuticle where the nail's grown. Does your 4-6 weeks include having them "filled"?

Thanks so much, @RudeAF (love your name). I think I'll have to ditch my old polishes and try the new ones. Things look like they've moved on since I last bought Ye Newe Polish For Thou Fingery Nails.

@LilOldMe yes you get the gap I'm afraid!! That's when you need them redone.
If you get that already after 1-2 weeks your nails are obviously speedy (or maybe mine are just slow!!)
SNS is apparently a lot kinder to your nails than gel. It's also quite magical that it's powder, I'd pay to watch them do it lol (to be fair I could probably do that on YouTube!) Maybe worth a go to see what you think.

I think older polishes tend to go gloopy, so maybe have a go with newer ones? Essie were 3/2 in Boots the other week.

Older gloopy polishes you can sort out by putting a few drops of remover in them... no clue whether the quality is still the same though.

The Expressie ones have angled brushes too that are useful if like me you are clumsyAF

@Judystilldreamsofhorses -- 3 for 2 here I come...! Thank you.

@Cavagirl - I've tried that remover-tip with some of the polishes, but I'm honestly feeling this is all A Sign that I need to go on a bit of a shopping spree. My nails do grow quickly, I'm wondering if that's because I take a shit-tonne of vitamins every day (Viviscal) for hair growth, and it boosted my nails too? I'll watch a video of th nail-dip. Thanks!

@RudeAF I am indeed clumsyAF so I'll check those out - thanks!