Impressed by Press-Ons
Gone are the days of dropping $50 (plus a tip) on a set of acrylics at your local nail salon.
We get it — maybe we’ve all looked down on press-ons at some point in our lives. Available at every convenience store in a range of colors in shapes, they almost seem too good to be true. But we’re here to tell you they’re entirely worth it.
For a fifth of nail salon prices, you can customize your own natural and professional nail look that won’t put a dent in your wallet with just a quick trip to Target, CVS or a scroll through online store options.
If you’re someone who craves a color or pattern change-up more often than every two to three weeks, press-on nails allow all the color and pattern mix-and-matching you could want. Plus, if a nail falls off, that doesn’t mean it’s the end altogether, like it would be with your salon nails. You can reuse press-ons over and over by simply gluing them back on.
You do have to have some patience though. Be prepared to spend 20 to 30 minutes trimming, filing and shaping the press-ons because they’re certainly not one-size-fits-all until you work at it.
Some nails in the packs are tiny, and others are so big they don’t even look like fingernails. But for us, this time commitment is a small price to pay for the overall money you’ll be saving in the long run.
Brands to try:
Olive and June: The Instant Mani – 10.99 at Target for 42 nails
Pros:
Strong nail glue included — lasted for five days before a single one fell off.
Lots of unique color options that look just like real polish.
Sold in three different lengths and four shapes: almond, round, oval and squoval.
Cons: Took around 20 minutes of shaping and filing to get them looking natural.
PaintLab: At-Home Mani in Minutes — ranges $9.97-$14.99
Pros:
Currently offering special-edition Halloween nail packs.
15 percent off your first order.
Comes in seven different shapes.
Glamnetic: ranges $14.99-$21.99
Pros:
Comes in four shapes and four lengths.
Frequently has a 60-percent-off sale.
Offers brush-on glue, sticky nail tabs and press-on nail removal oil.
We’ve made the jump onto the press-on nails train, and so should you! Tag us @theedgemag if you try out any of these brands — or discover an even better one.