The Top 10 Quick-Dry Nail Polishes for At-Home Manis

essie expressie ($10)

A 2020 NewBeauty Award Winner, this polish is 100-percent vegan, 8-free (no formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, triphenyl phosphate) and dries in 60 seconds. It also comes in 48 shades, which is the biggest shade range I’ve seen in this category. This creamy, bright lilac is called “SK8 With Destiny.”

Olive & June Quick Dry Polish ($7.50)

Available in 19 shades plus a high-shine topcoat—my favorite is a creamy light pink called Pointe—this vegan, 15-free polish dried in about a minute and lasted almost five days for me, and I wash my hands a lot. According to the brand, it’s the longest-lasting quick-dry polish on the market and stays on nails 45-percent longer than similar products.

This is one of those products that should be in everyone’s cabinet for those times when you need to look put together for a Zoom meeting, a selfie, or whatever else!

Manicurist Green Natural Nail Colour ($14)

For those looking for a more eco-friendly option, this nail polish is vegan, cruelty-free, nontoxic, and made in France with up to 84-percent bio-sourced ingredients such as potato, corn, yuca and cotton. However, that doesn’t mean it compromises on quality. You still get gorgeous color and shine, and it dries super fast. This bright orangey-red shade is called Coral Reef, but there are more than 75 others to choose from (I love Blossom too).

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri ($5.50)

This best-selling quick-dry polish—it dries in 60 seconds—has a built-in base coat and topcoat and comes in 69 shades. Pictured here left to right are Sugar Poppy, Beet-ing Heart, ASAP Apple, Zip Wine and Cinna-snap. The collection also contains glitter-infused shades, like Shooting Star (gold with white sparkles, which is a great holiday hue) and Confetti Pop (pink with rainbow sparkles).

Nails.INC 45-Second Speedy Gloss ($9)

Our 2021 NewBeauty Award Winner for “Best Quick-Dry Nail Polish,” Speedy Gloss dries in just 45 seconds and comes in several on-trend pinkish-white shades that flatter all skin tones. This hot-pink “No Bad Days In Nottinghill” shade pictured is a best-seller.

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer ($22)

People are going bananas for Dazzle Dry right now. So much so, that the brand continuously sells out of its best-selling shades, including this light powdery-blue one called Lotion, Please! It’s one of my favorites, especially on toes in the summer. However, keep in mind that for seriously quick-drying results and long-lasting wear, you have to use the brand’s four-step system: Nail Prep, Base Coat, Lacquer and Top Coat.

Revlon Ultra HD Snap Nail Polish ($8.50)

Revlon says you only need one coat of this quick-dry polish, and I couldn’t agree more—it’s that creamy and pigmented. Available in 24 shades, from fiery orange to military green (one of my personal favorites for fall/winter), it’s vegan, 20-free, made with 78-percent naturally derived ingredients and botanicals (including spinach, avocado and green tea!), and dries in seconds flat. The red shade pictured here is called Cherry On Top.

Wet n Wild Fast AF Nail Color ($12)

With a dry-time clocking in just 30 seconds, this is the fastest-drying of the bunch I’ve tested, and claims to last for up to five days (I get about three). It also features a built-in base coat and topcoat and super high-shine, making it a no-brainer for on-the-go and no-frill at-home manis. My favorite shade of the 18 is Ballerina Dropout (pictured), which is classic and universal.

Static Nails Liquid Glass Lacquer ($16)

Beloved for its Reusable Pop-On Manicure, Static Nails also has nearly 100 shades of Liquid Glass Lacquer, a quick-dry polish made with nontoxic ingredients including apricot, jojoba and vitamin E. Pictured here is the soft-neon, mid-tone pink shade called Martini Goggles, which perfectly embodies the Barbiecore trend happening this summer. In testing, the polish lasted 10-plus dats without chipping when worn with the brand’s Liquid Glass Primer and Top Coat.

Sinful Colors Quick Bliss Nail Polish ($8)

For those who like a little shimmer, this Quick Bliss polish from Sinful Colors dries in a minute and is infused with cherry oil to protect nails from breakage. It currently only comes in six shades—pictured here is Black Cherry—but we’re hoping the brand adds more, because the formula is super glossy and lasts (after two coats). Plus, no base coat or topcoat needed.