Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Color

This line is such a keeper, and I'm not even picky when it comes to nail polishes. I usually buy whatever is on sale for under $3 and cannot fathom expending more than $5. Coming in at $4.95, this nail polish was almost a no-buy for me but I went for it because I had a coupon, and I'm very glad I did.

As promised, this really did dry within 1 minute and didn't even need a 2nd coat. A few minutes after drying, I though I had a potential smudge on my hands while opening a drawer, but it never happened. The best part is the brush, which I detested when I first opened the bottle, but it is actually a major improvement on nail polish brushes - no goops or blobs slowly trickling down the length of the brush, bristles, and then onto your nail to be spread out evenly. This brush allows for just 1 or two broad, even strokes (perfect for my freakishly broad nails). I didn't even bother with the usual top coat. I originally got this in Lively Lilac (the perfect light purple/lavender for darker skin if you can't pull off the pastel versions) and then purchased Quick Sand (shimmery beige), Mauve It (silvery, baby pink), Petal Pusher (blush pink), and Clearly Quick (clear) after the great results I had with it.

I get manicures/pedicures twice a year at the most - the rest of the time, it's just me pampering and grooming myself, so drying time matters. In addition to the formula, Sally Hansen has also done a great job with the color selection - they range from basics, to trendy blackened shades for fall and neons for summer. I plan to purchase a few more (a red and another mauve - one can never have too many pinks, after all) to round out my collection and actually use them all year-round. All I ask for is more shades (perhaps a gray that won't look like mud against my tan skin)! Worth a try, and worth the money. $4.95 @ drugstores