You may have read somewhere once (not here, definitely not here) that if you need to get out the door but NEED to have pretty nails, that one thick coat of polish slapped onto your talons will do the trick.
Fruits, I am here to say that this is an utter falsity, because how can putting a thick, glob of something that already takes time to dry, even when spread thin, be a clever idea?
It can't be.
It's silly and we must all do our best to stop these dreadful lies once and for all.
What should be done, is two very speedy thin layers.
Give each layer 60 seconds to dry and you'll be a lot happier when just fifteen minutes later you need to dig into your handbag for your keys and your polish comes out sans indents. And if you REALLY can't even spare that much time? One opaque polish; one thin coat. This is NOT THE TIME FOR SHEER POLISH.
I used L'Oreal's new version of jet-set quick dry lacquer (it's in a skinny thin bottle) in a blood red the other day in just this situation, and yes, it chipped the next day, but that one thin coat was a nail-saver at the time. Plus, I found the brush to be excellent: Even someone on amphetamines, three red bulls and a triple espresso could've walked away with pretty nails using this brush.
Other clever things you can do to make it look good and dry faster:
Use a fast-drying shiny top coat.
Use a quick-dry drip over the top, ensuring you leave 60 seconds between top coat and doing this.
Do your nails at your desk the day before, and let them dry as you type personal emails and pretend to work.