Last updated on August 2nd, 2023 at 08:30 am

Press-On Nails: The perfect solution to a quick and beautiful manicure.

Does this sound familiar to you? You’ve been planning this event for weeks. You’ve got the dress, the accessories and everything else lined up. You just had your nails done and they look amazing. And then it happens. You somehow hit something just right….and there goes your perfect manicure. Now what do you do?

Enter press-on nails. We’ve both been talking about trying press on nails for quite some time, but just hadn’t done it. So we thought it would be perfect for our next “Beauty At Any Age” and just in time for Jen’s trip to Nashville for her sister’s bachelorette party.

We’re both sharing our tips for using press-on nails, why we like them and how to find the ones that work best for you.

**Please Note: This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our links. However, we only recommend products that we truly love. Amazon prices are as of 7/31/23.

Jen’s Experience with Press-On Nails

Before I had Oliver, painting my nails was one of the highlights of my week. I loved cleaning up my cuticles, taking my time between each coat and cleaning up the edges with a brush until they looked professional. But now I don’t have the time, and it’s been a bit of a bummer. 

In the last year-ish, Olive & June came out with their press-on nail collection. I’m die-hard for their nail polish system, but press-ons made me hesitate a little bit. 

Press-ons made me think of the late 90’s, and applying them with the sticky strips. And then coming off soon after. I was a pre-teen, so it’s not like I had anywhere to wear them anyway. 

With my sister’s bachelorette party coming up, I knew I wanted to have my nails done, but I still didn’t have the time to do them, or go out and get them done! 

I figured this would be a great time to try out and test some press-ons. No kids for a couple days, and putting them through the ultimate wear test. 

I definitely didn’t go easy on my nails during the bachelorette party and after getting home.

I wore my nails for 11 days before deciding it was time to take them off. I used the Olive & June Press-On Nail Polish Remover Kit, that’s available in the Press-on System, or solo from Target.

Using this method, the nails aren’t reusable. However, if you choose to soak them off with warm soapy water, they can be used again.

Removing the nails was similar to taking off gel polish. Soak the sponge with acetone, put the sponge and your finger into the cap, and wait. After 15-20 minutes, use the cuticle pusher and sponge to remove the nail. If it hasn’t come off, put the sponge back on, and put the cap back on.

The process was similar to taking off gel polish, so this whole kit will come in handy again someday if I get gel. It’s much easier than cutting up cotton balls and tinfoil!

Taking off the nails took a little while (I used a lot of glue), but there’s no damage to my nails!

The Prep and Process for Press-Ons

1. Find the nails that fit all of your nail beds best
   
2. Clean up your cuticles – you want the nails to fit flush against where you just cleaned up
   
3. Buff each of your nails to create a surface to hold the glue and nail better
   
4. Use nail polish remover to get rid of any left over dirt and oils before applying
   
5. For long-lasting nails, paint both your nail and the press-on with glue
   1. For shorter-term nails, put 2-3 dots of glue on each nail
      
6. Press and hold the nail in place for 20-30 seconds

Dianne’s Experience with Press-On Nails

I’ve been doing my nails for as long as I can remember. Like Jen, I’ve always enjoyed it and find it fun and relaxing. But prior to the pandemic, I started getting gel manicures at a salon on a regular basis and I liked having them done without any “down time” of waiting for them to dry.

I started having them done again after the pandemic, but realized not that long ago that I missed doing them myself, which I had gone back to during Covid. I also noticed that my nails were not as healthy as they had been when I took a break from the gel system for a couple of years. So I decided to go back to doing them myself.

That said, there are times when I miss having a professional manicure. That was part of the reason for wanting to try the press-ons. It looked like a quick and easy way to have stylish, professional looking nails and I was right!

I also used the Olive & June system and was pleased with how it all worked. What is nice about the O & J system is just that – it’s a system and you get everything you need included the file/buff, nail polish remover pad and cuticle stick in addition to the nails. And all for $10!

I followed the exact same process as above and It took me roughly 30 minutes from start to finish. But I was done – no waiting around for the polish to dry. The glue dries very quickly, especially after pressing down for 20-30 seconds. In fact, I wanted to adjust one of my nails a bit, and well, it was too late after pressing down. I’ve had them on for about a week and they are still going strong.

Would I Try Press-On Nails Again?

The short answer is yes I would. Here is what I like about them:

• They are a “sure thing”. You don’t have to worry about breaking a nail and ruining your manicure. Can the press-on nails pop off? I am sure they can (hasn’t happened to me) but it’s a quick fix with a little bit of glue.
  
  
• They give me a chance to try trendy nail shapes that I don’t have to commit to. I am loving wearing these on-trend pointy nails and can wear them for just a day or longer if I want! The instructions will tell you how much glue to use if you only want to wear them for a day or two.
  
  
• They hide nail imperfections, especially for important events. I do have some ridges on my nails and I have one nail that has an line going down the center from getting my nail bent back a long time ago. These nails look smooth and perfect. I think they look very real and I am comfortable wearing them.

More Press-Ons To Try

While we both only tried the Olive & June system, we did research other brands that were highly rated. You may want to check these out as well. And while you can get them all in solid shades, why not try something a little different?

If you’re going to give them a try but not sure what shade, then you should definitely check out our blog post, ” How to Match Your Nail Polish to Your Skin Tone”.

Want to see more “Beauty At Any Age”? We have an entire “Beauty At Any Age” section on our website dedicated to just that!