Assume The Wet Nail Position

 I am a huge fan of the pedicure. Nothing is more pleasing than pretty, well polished hands that are just painted...and dry. Is there nothing worse than waiting for your wet nails to dry? The 15-20 minutes in between wet and dry nails is complete hell for me. Having just got back from a successful trip to the nail shop, I wondered if I was the only one who feels this way?

 Sure enough, the Internet was full of ladies claiming the same "20 minute wait from hell" that I was. These are the things we can all agree on:

• The second your nails are complete, as in freshly painted, undoubtedly you will have to go to the bathroom. The realization that you will not be able to complete this necessary and mundane task until at least 30 minutes after your nails are dry...MAKES YOU HAVE TO GO EVEN MORE!
• Your just quiet cell phone suddenly blows up with texts and calls from your friends and loved ones. You sit there completely paralyzed with helplessness-lest you ruin that $18.00 service you just paid for. In that case, the extreme is in order..IT CAN WAIT!
• After what seems is a reasonable amount of time, you give yourself the "tap test". This is lightly tapping one nail on top of the other. If it's sticky, you are not done. If it's not sticky, you are generally good to go. Armed with a new found confidence that your nails are dry, you reach into your bag for that all important cell phone or car key only to smudge your nails...NEVER TRUST THE TAP TEST!
• If you have successfully retrieved your cell phone so that you can Instagram or Facebook a picture of your freshly painted, gorgeous manicure to share with friends, holding your cell phone for the nail selfie will undoubtedly cause a nick or smudge...NO NAIL SELFIES FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER.
• "Fast Dry Nail Coats" and "Fast Dry Sprays" will work only slightly....DON'T FALL FOR IT.

There are so many methods out there to speed up the process, but do they really work? It would seem that while you are speeding up the nail dry process, you are indeed waiting...amiright?

These look like a genius little tool:

Nail Polish Protectors?

They are supposed to protect those freshly painted nails so that you can get out and into your car, put on your coat or talk on the phone while protecting your new manicure. Not sure if they work or how I feel about them, but it's nice to know they are out there. 

Bottom line: there is no fool proof way to secure a "quick dry"  manicure. Aside from the Gel manicure, that cures on your nails after exposure to UV light, which takes a lot more time and is a lot more $$, there is no magic, quick dry cure. Plan for the time to complete the task. Relax and enjoy the break form your crazy life. Plain and simple. After all, aren't most manicures a "spa" service? 

I say enjoy the spa time.