As a young girl, I fondly remember my mom taking me to Walgreens from time to time and letting me get some press on nails. Nobody could tell me that I wasn’t stunting on the girls. As I got a little older (and started doing pageants), I graduated to acrylics and left press on’s alone for the most part. Fast forward to the end of my studies in college, studying in the Microbiology lab…my acrylics nails would break through my gloves from time to time which was a problem (I always had to stop what I was doing, and go change them). I decided that while I liked having my nails done, they just weren’t functional in a lab setting (for those of you who don’t know, my goal is to work in a lab now that I’ve graduated) so I needed to find another solution.
Back to press on’s it was, but I was running into a couple of problems:
1) A lot of the sets I was coming across seemed really basic. I wanted different shapes, nice designs, swarvoski crystals, ALL DAT.
2) The cute sets that I could find in the store, didn’t seem to fit my nail beds (apparently mine are larger than average? Idk sis, I just know a lot of the nails in the kits in the store were too small on me)
3) While I could attempt to do them myself (with the plain nail kits from the store), it was too time-consuming.
After doing some digging, I found a few places to get press on nails that matched my criteria: fly, fierce, fabulous. I also learned some shopping tips along the way that I will share with you guys, I went through all the trial and error so that you don’t have to.
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Real quick, I’d like to do a FAQ featuring questions I get a lot about my press on’s:
Do They Last?
I find that most of the sets that I have purchased last for a decent amount of time, as long as I take care of them. I’ve never had a nail break on me, and the designs usually hold up well. Definitely look at the quality of the nails before you purchase, and read reviews if possible.
How Long Do They Stay On?
When I use a good glue, my nails usually stay on for about a week. One may pop off here and there, but again with the right glue I don’t really have too many issues. I have tried the glue tabs before, but I didn’t even make it through the night with those. The best glues that I have tried have been from Salon Perfect (sold in kits at Walmart), and Tres She Talons (comes in the kit with their nails). I’ve found that the Kiss glue doesn’t last that long.
How Do They Fit?
All press on’s are not created equal. I found out early on that I have larger nail beds, so when I place an order I look at the sizing options and usually wind up ordering a large set. A lot of sellers on etsy have sizing guides that tell you what size each nail is, and allow you to pick what size you want for each nail. To measure your nail bed, you can place a piece of tape horizontally across your nail, mark where your nail bed ends on the tape, and then measure the tape.
I also discovered that stiletto shaped press on’s don’t really cover my whole nail, so I tend to stick to the coffin shape (preferably long).
Where Do I Find Really Nice Press Ons?
I tend to shop for all of my press on’s online. Some places make sets that are ready to ship, and some are custom so it can take a few days to a couple of weeks to receive your nails. Kiss is a popular drugstore brand that you can find in places like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. and their premium nail sets are really nice, but harder to find in my area.
Etsy is my favorite place to order press on’s. There are a lot of different sellers on there, tons of design options, and I’ve always had a good experience when purchasing through here. This is also probably the best place to find detailed sets, that are affordable.
One of my favorite sellers on there is from the UK, and her shop is called NailedItByChelsey. She has a lot of sets with nice artwork, some of which feature popular content creators hand painted on the nails. I had ordered a nice nude set from her last year, along with two accent nails (covered in crystals) and it was super affordable (less than $20 total).
Tip: I have noticed that a lot of the sellers in the UK have really nice and detailed designs, that are more affordable than a lot of other shops. It just takes a little longer to get them (as I live in the US).
Another seller that I recently placed an order with was Lee Lee’s Created, and when I posted my nails on Instagram I got a lot of dm’s asking about them. I ordered this set, in the long coffin shape for $18.50.
The Nailest on Etsy also makes beautiful designs, and I’ve ordered from here as well (however, the sets tend to be more expensive).
I also ordered a set from Tres She Talons, and they are easily the best quality press on nails that I’ve gotten my hands on. Or gotten on my nails. You know what I mean. They also graciously gifted me their boudoir collection* as well, which I featured in an IG tutorial. I love the lunar dust set, and always get tons of compliments when I wear them. They also fit really well, and last for a long time (I’m talking months if you don’t wear them every single day and take care of them).
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The Tres She Talons kits come with 24 nails, a file, glue tabs, nail glue (which I didn’t realize when I made my tutorial), and an alcohol wipe.
So there you have it guys, my guide to finding the hottest press on nails and how to get the most out of them.
Have you ever tried press on’s? If so, what’s your favorite brand? Holla at me in the comments.
*This post is not sponsored. While I was gifted the boudoir collection from Tres She Talons to check out, I am only sharing it because I genuinely enjoy their products and have also purchased them on my own accord.
Stylishly Yours,
Theresa Seyi
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