It’s official: press-on nails have officially replaced my trips to the nail salon. Scrolling on Pinterest for inspiration and picking out colors was fun, but mastering the art of applying press-ons has been even better. If you’re sick of how time-consuming and expensive the nail salon is, here’s why you should make the switch.
bad times at the nail salon
Calling my local salon to make my appointment was exciting until I would get there and still be waiting 30+ minutes to begin. The time spent was never worth the outcome for me. Seeing those little mistakes when examining my nails afterwards would drive me crazy knowing how much money I spent. I went from acrylics to gel to dip powder, and I was just never fully satisfied, considering the hit my bank account was taking with each trip.
my new holy grail: press-ons!
I used to have a bad opinion on press-ons, thinking they were for children/teens and would come off after a day or two. Once I got fed up with the nail salon, I decided to research and truly give them a shot. I’m so happy I did because I’ve been consistently using and loving them! They are SO much cheaper and you get that perfect look for every single nail. No more nit-picking the thickness of my French tips. They come in every shape, size, color and design you can imagine. You can buy them at pretty much any grocery chain, or places like Sally Beauty and Amazon.com.
The essentials for long-lasting press-ons
After I got into press-on nails, I tried different nail glues and methods to make them last the longest. I can finally say that I’ve found the perfect one and it’s called Beauty Secrets Drip-Proof and Clog-Proof Nail Glue. It blew up on TikTok a while ago and after trying it, I can really see why! With proper care and prep, using this glue makes my nails last upwards of two weeks. As for nail-prep, I begin with clean hands and push back my cuticles. Then, I make sure I trim my nails to be short enough so they don’t show through the press-on. I lightly file my nail bed to give the glue a better hold. Make sure not to file too hard though (something painful I constantly experienced at the salon). Lastly, I put rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and rub on just one nail before applying the glue and the actual nail. I find that going one-by-one keeps the nails super clean and makes the process easier. This method has yet to fail me and I love it!
“Me-Time” and feeling put together
Doing my own nails is something I look forward to, especially with all my busy days as a college student. I love to make time at night for myself to just put on my favorite show or some music and do my press-ons. It nice to care for myself in that way and to feel put together. I highly recommend trying out press-ons and using a good preparation method to ensure they last. There’s so many to choose from and you can definitely find ones you love!