Hoe do you stop your manicure smudging?

[MultiBird]

I've recently discovered the power of a manicure, but whether I do it myself, or have it done in a salon, I always end up with some damage/smudging in that period between touch dry and properly dry/hard.

I can't sit motionless for an hour plus, so what's the answer?

Gel polish! I started gels originally as my nail varnish would always peel off after a few days. Think I spent about £60 originally on the lamp, few polishes, tools etc. but it’s paid for itself over and over despite me being unable to stop buying new colours. Honestly, I could never go back to regular polish now.

If that’s not viable then I think the answer is just sit still! 😉

No7 clear top coat, 2 coats of varnish and top coat ,don't let it dry in between and it will be rock hard in seconds. Fantastic stuff.

Another vote for gel polish I started off with a Sensationail kit but would also recommend Mylee

I knew someone would say gel. The woman next to me last time was having hers removed and both she and the woman doing the manicure were taking about how much damage gel had done to their nails... and it seemed to be agony. She was in pain!

If she was in pain, I don't know what on earth the manicurist was doing!!!! There is nothing painful about it! I have gel every 2 weeks and my nails are fine.

It sounded like the pain was because the nails weren't healthy as a result of repeated gel?

I CBA with the removal of gels so I use fast drying topcoat (Sally Hansen in the red bottle) just before bedtime. Basecoat, two colour coats, topcoat, no pauses between layers so the whole thing only takes 10 mins or so, read in bed for another 10 mins before lights out, wake up with perfect nails.

Gel polish or dip powder manicures. Instantly dry, The powder ones hold up for 2-3 weeks and I ride horses, so they are like iron. The gel is less robust.

Neither of them should hurt! I did the powder ones consistently for three and a half years before covid shut the salons, my nails were fine. If they're being applied wrong, or you get a manicurist that uses an electric file badly, that might be a problem. But they shouldn't hurt and they shouldn't damage your nails at all.

If you’re doing them yourself, allow much more time between coats than you think you need.

I find it’s much better to do one coat, leave it five minutes and do some other stuff and then come back to it hours later and wait another five once it’s done.

If you do two coats in fairly quick succession then they won’t dry properly for hours.

At a salon, get keys and wallet sprees so you don’t mess them up instantly, but apart from that they should be ok. If not then they’re aren’t doing it properly.

*get wallet and keys SORTED

Another vote for fast drying top coat. Then sit quietly (read Mumsnet or something) for ten minutes. But try to do any fiddly nail-related stuff first - so tying up shoes, doing up jeans, having keys and travel pass etc to hand so you don't need to do much with yours hands in the immediate aftermath. I always do my own nails. Never have a problem.

I'm with @SheWoreYellow don't layer wet polish on wet polish. Wait for each coat to dry before you do the next and you don't end up with a pile of polish that all needs to dry at once.

Except if you use magic top coat which miraculously just dries it all.

Seche vite top coat dries properly hard- enough that you can press on it- within about ten minutes. Makes a huge difference to how neat a job you can do.

Gel

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri (red bottle as mentioned above) or Seche-Vite, both are excellent.

Seche Vite is the absolute best - dry to touch within 10 mins then as hard as nails after an hour. Means my manis last for a week, too.

I do like gels for holidays/events but try not to get them done too often as I don't think they're good for my nails, mine need a break every so often.

I do one hand at a time so I have the other hand free to use.

I'm really lazy so just Rimmel 60 seconds, lasts a week and looks good. Last weeks on toes. One coat and really does take 60 seconds to dry.

I only use insta Dri now, it's the best I've used. Nails dry is just a few seconds.

How have I never thought of this?! You are a genius @BendingSpoons