So, I gave myself a home pedicure yesterday, which went well, but then I tried to paint my fingernails, and totally failed! I painted them okay, but then after I thought they were dry, I was pulling up my pants, and I totally rubbed off half a nail's worth of polish on my jeans! Do any of you ladies have advice on how to make sure my nail polish is dry, so I don't have this happen again? I am using a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat.

Thanks!

soak your hands in ice water for a few minutes I always do this to mine and my daughters and its works great

If you are doing a lot of coats and it is at all humid, they will take for ever to dry. They are ussually dry to the touch in about 10 minutes but don't try and do to much with them for a while after that because, they really arn't totaly try for several hours. There is no real way to get them to try completly faster so try and do things like go to the bathroom, tie your shoes, get out your keys, before you get started so you can use them minimally for a little while.
I was on a long car ride yesterday and painted mine and then my sister who was dribing wanted me to paint hers while she was driving. that wasn't easy. but luckily, the paint we were using only needed one coat and a top coat later at home.
that reminds me, I have to do my toes today so they can match.

I use a spray from Sally's called "Last Blast" I believe it is. For multiple coats, I wait a couple of minutes after applying a coat, then spray. Then wait a couple more minutes, then gently wipe the excess oil from the spray off. Then do the next coat in the same manner. Course, just to be on the safe side, I always put the pants on first. LOL

Since I am a Middle Eastern dancer, I have to do my toes quite often.
Before my current profession, I was actually a stylist in a salon. What I have found from my experience, is that many layers of base coat, polish, and top coat just don't work for me, unless I am in a salon where they have one of those special lights you hold your nails under to fully dry them HARD in just about 20 minutes time.
My recommendations:

~for dark or bright polish, try to use either nail polish that covers in one coat, or regular polish (that you have to use 2 coats of) that has a built in topcoat, so that you are down to 3 layers instead of four. This should save you some drying time.

~If you are using a bright or dark color, then always use a base coat, but if you are doing a sheer shade like light pink, beige, nude, sheer sparkley, etc. then you can actually skip the base coat, and not worry about staining your nails.

~Wear lighter colored polish. It has less pigment, and dries in shorter time.

Thanks for all the advice! You ladies are awesome.