Sally Hansen Insta-Dry

I've been an avid nail polish collector for as long as I can remember.

At one point, my dad literally built me a salon-style nail polish shelf for my bedroom because I had run out of places to put it all. We used to joke that if I ever got sued, the lawyers would leave with nothing but 10,000 bottles of nail polish.

Don't blame me. Blame my grandmother. She always encouraged my girlie side. When I was little, she'd take me to the beauty school to get our nails done together. Looking back, I'm pretty sure those little trips had something to do with why I eventually became a licensed cosmetologist.

Over the years, I've tried just about everything. OPI. Essie. Salon brands. Drugstore brands. And somehow, I always end up back at Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. I don't think this polish gets nearly enough credit.

The formula is thinner than most, so it goes on smooth instead of thick and gloopy. The colors absolutely pop, which is exactly what I want. If I'm taking the time to paint my nails, I want to notice them every time I reach for a toddler hand or start typing.

The quick-dry formula is what really seals the deal for me. I don't have the patience to sit around for forty-five minutes waiting for nail polish to dry.

Now Sis loves having her nails painted too. Lately, picking her nail color has become one of her favorite ways to express herself. Sometimes she wants to match me. Sometimes she wants something completely different.

So I make sure I keep mine interesting. Sometimes I do little patterns. Sometimes every nail is a different color just because it makes us smile. Sometimes they are all one color.

I want her to know there isn't a right way to do your nails. There are options. The only problem is... she's four. By the time I'm halfway through painting her second hand, she's already asking what we're doing next.

Thankfully, Insta-Dri dries fast enough that we can admire our nails for a minute and then get right back to being kids.