dazzle dry · nails ·Jan 12, 2024

Dazzle Dry Nail Review

For the last two years, I've been making trips to a local nail salon every 2-3 weeks to have my nails "dipped." While I have loved the results (and the 2-3 weeks I'm able to wear these nail colors without chipping), I haven't loved my dependence on the salon or the need to return in order to remove them.

So I've been looking for a more natural nail color option that I can do from home that lasts. I'm not interested in re-painting my nails every 2-3 days or wearing chipped polish.

I asked my Instagram community for recommendations, and here were the top 3:

I tried all three. Here are my results!

Let's start with the two that I didn't end up loving.

Bubble Pop Club

So many women wrote to me to let me know how much they love nail stickers, and I can see why!

Pros:

There's no dry time (a big plus for busy moms!)
The original nail wraps last for 7-10 days and require no heat.
The gel nail wraps require no top coat and last up to 3 weeks.

Cons:

At least for me, I don't love the look of nail stickers. They still look like... stickers. And when I tried the regular stickers that didn't require a UV lamp, they began peeling up at the edges in a few days.
The gel nail stickers require the use of a UV lamp, which I was hoping to avoid.

Olive & June

Olive & June has mastered their branding. Their mani kits are adorable, user-friendly, and include lots of helpful tools (including video tutorials) to get salon-style manicures from home.

Pros:

Their color choices can't be beat! There are so many I love.
Their customer experience is unmatched. I love their branding, their manicure tips and tools, and the education they give.

Cons:

For me, these polishes just seem like normal nail polishes. The long-lasting polish lasted about three days before chipping, even after I followed all of the instructions meticulously. And even the quick-dry polishes are not actually fully set (i.e. you can still smudge them) for over an hour.

Enter Dazzle Dry.

I was a bit skeptical of the claims that this polish can last 7-14 days without chipping and the polish is fully hardened and dry in 5 minutes.

But what I found? It's true.

Pros:

Lasts 7+ days without chipping
Is completely dry in 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I can be washing my hands, making dinner, digging in my purse. This amazes me, and is my favorite part about it!
Lots of great color choices available
Easy to remove with regular nail polish remover.
My nails feel healthier than ever. There's no damage or staining whatsoever.
Has more natural ingredients than other polishes.

Cons:

Requires you to use the whole system in order for it to work
Is an upfront investment

Dazzle Dry is the unicorn I've been looking for! It is non-toxic, looks like I just walked out of a salon, lasts 7+ days (I've worn mine up to 10 days without chipping, then took it off because I wanted to change colors), and dries so quickly. I even used it on my 9-year-old daughter's nails, and hers lasted six days without any chips, which is a miracle!

If you're interested in the system, here are the steps that need to be taken to give yourself a Dazzle Dry manicure:

Step 1: Prep the nail by using this to thoroughly clean/scrub each nail bed. I use small pieces of gauze, using a new piece for each nail in order to not spread any oils or dirt from nail to nail. This part is really important for it the manicure to last!

Step 2: Apply a coat of basecoat. The basecoat may need to be soaked in hot water if it looks thick and milky... it will thin out quickly and be perfectly usable. Then, once you've applied one coat and it dries to matte, apply another coat. Usually, my first nail is already dry by the time I've polished my tenth nail.

Step 3: Apply two coats of lacquer (nail color), and wait until each is matte dry before applying the second coat. Again, this happens very quickly and you'll be able to tell when you're ready for a second coat.

Step 4: Apply a generous layer of topcoat and let dry for 5 minutes. You're done!

Optional step: You can also apply Transform Ridge Filler. I do prefer using it because it gives a bit more thickness to your nail, making it look more like gel or dip. You can find a mini size to try it, or purchase the full size.

If you do use Transform, you need to wait an extra 5 minutes after applying it. The steps would look like this (it sounds like a lot, but because they dry so quickly, it's not bad!):

Prep nails.
Apply 2 coats of basecoat, wait until matte.
Apply 1 coat of Transform and wait 5 minutes before the next step.
Apply 1 coat of basecoat, wait until matte.
Apply 2 coats of lacquer (color), wait until matte.
Apply 1 coat of topcoat, wait 5 minutes and you're done!

How easy is it to remove? So easy! This was what sold me on it. There's no soaking, no scraping, no damage to your nail bed whatsoever. I've been using the Olive & June remover and dipping my nail in and out of the nail sponge a couple times, and it's gone.

Do you need to use the full system? Yes. But you can definitely purchase a mini kit to try it first before committing to the entire thing.

Favorite colors?

Touch of Love - probably my favorite color - a semi-sheer pale chalky pink
Breathe Free - a sheer, milky soft marshmallow nude (I had to apply 3 coats of this for it to show up more)
Northern Lights - a full coverage, grey-toned turquoise
Wanderer - a neutral gray with green undertones
Rapid Red - a bright, classic red
Starstruck - (for my daughter) a full coverage rose gold metallic

Final thoughts: Dazzle Dry has met every one of my expectations and has eliminated my need for expensive, time-consuming trips to the salon. I love that it's a nontoxic option that I can use for my daughter, too, and that it dries so quickly that I can move on with my day. I hope you'll try it!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and I'll receive a small commission if you purchase through them, with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the work of Brighter Day Press!