| Express
Nails
When you are in a rush,
decisions have to be made. Prioritize. Do you shape or polish?
Do you quick-dry or go the long, slow route? New formulas
allow for snap decisions:
Speed-dry enamels are worthy of
their name (you can open mail, search for keys, or put on your
tightest long-sleeved shirt within seconds), but there's a
downside: "As fast as they dry, that's as fast they
chip," insists manicurist Elisa Ferri, so save them for
emergencies. Eke a few extra days out of a fast-dry manicure
by doing a daily touch-up with a quick-drying coat.
In the other corner, there are
strong, chip-resistant formulas - the torttoise of the polish
race. To pick up the pace of these tougher enamels, like
L'Oreal Shock Proof, carefully submerge freshly painted nails
in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds to harden still-groopy
polish.
Light or sheer shades are best
for hasty manicures, Ferri says. "You can even get away
with just a wide stripe down the center" rather than
painstakingly painting the entire nail.
If a manicure is beyond the
repair of a topcoat or two, face facts and call in the
remover. You can keep single-use packets of nail polish
remover (Cutex and Get Fresh make them) on hand so you can
strip away color on the run.
When there is no time for
polish, just clean underneath the nails, rub on a buffing
cream, and shine them with a chamois buffer.
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