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Monday, March 28, 2016

Glue on Nails -Pros, Cons, and Tips for Press On Nails

I've been using different brands of artificial nails that are glued on to my fingers since September 2015.  
I'm very happy with how they look, the low cost and the speed with how long it takes me do a full manicure.  I get lots of compliments on my cheap-o nails and several readers have asked for tips so I am happy to share.  

There are several brands of glue on nails. 

Dollar Tree has sets of 12 nails for $1.  The 12 nails are in 6 sizes.  This works great for me because the smallest 5 fit my fingers perfectly.  But everyone's hands are different and they aren't going to fit everyone the same.  
Dollar Tree nails are the lowest cost of any artificial nails that I know of.  Dollar Tree nail products are called Sassy Chic brand.  
At my Dollar Tree, these nails are popular and don't stay stocked very long so I always check for them and if I see some I like, I buy them right then.  
I try to buy 2 or more sets when I like the design so I have some spares for repairs too.  
Dollar Tree nails have to be attached with glue - my thought about glue will be below 

French Style nails with Dollar Tree nails.  



Impress nails are my other favorite.  They can be bought at Walmart, CVS, Amazon - they are a national brand and sell for $5.97-$8 a set.  
Impress have 24 to 30 nails in each set so it takes a little longer to select the right sizes for each finger.
The bigger sets allow some spares for repairs too.  
Impress nails have an adhesive attached to the back.  There is a sticker back so you just pull off the backing to reveal the adhesive and attach it to your nail.  

I have also tried Kiss brand nails and I mostly like them the same as Impress. 

I tried a brand that I don't remember which brand, that had a seperate double sided adhesive pad that went on the fingernail and then the nail was attached to that.  It may of worked great but it was too many steps for me so I just attached those nails with glue.  


Glues

there are several to choose from.  

Super Glue is the first adhesive I tried.  Super Glue does hold the nail on very securely.  To remove them was the hard part.  I had to soak my finger tips is Acetone nail polish remover until the artifical nail softened enough to scrape off. This took me at least 15 minutes of soaking.  I don't want to use so many chemicals so I don't do Super Glue and I don't recommend it (but other people do. )

Dollar Tree sells Sassy Chic nail glue, also $1.   It holds just fine but when the nail is removed, the glue turns to a thick goo on my nails that also requires Acetone soaking so I don't use it anymore either.  

Kiss, Nailene and 5 Second brands of glue are all brands I like and recommended.  They come in brush on and with a squeeze drop applicator.  Both are fine, I just prefer the brush on applicator.  
These brands are in the $5 a bottle range and can be purchased at drugstores, beauty stores, Amazon.  


Applying nails
The first few times I used glue on nails, it took at least 30 minutes because I wasn't sure how to match them, etc.  
Now, I can do a full manicure in less than 5.  In fact yesterday, I put on a new set in the car while my husband drove us to church. 

First, remove any polish on your nails and clip the nails short.  
Then file the ends.  Some nail users say to also lightly file your nail surface to rough them up a bit to give the glue something to hold on to.  My natural nails are so thin,  I don't dare file my surface.
Take care of your cuticles however you like. 
Then clean your nails with alcohol or remover or the moistened pad that comes with some nail sets.  
Natural nails need to clean and oil free for the adhesive to hold. 
Now, look at the nails you purchased and match up the artificial nail to each finger.  I lay them all out on the table top, in the order of my fingers.  
Then adhere them, either with the peel off back or with whatever glue you choose.
Once you put on a nail, hold it in place with your other hand with gentle firm pressure for at least 5 - 10 seconds.  Then move on to the next one.  I start with my pinkies and do both thumbs last.

A manicure usually lasts me 5-7 days.  Some bloggers say theirs last 2-3 weeks.
The biggest enemy of a glue on manicure are water and not letting the manicure set for at least an hour.  This is especially true for the nails like Impress with the adhesive sticker back.
When I do a manicure, I prefer to do it at the end of the day, AFTER  I'm through  cleaning and after a shower and hair washing.  Once the nails are on, I sit and do nothing to put any stress on the nails and I also give them all more squeezes and then I usually go to bed.  
I do take showers and wash my hair again but not right after putting on a fresh nail set.  
I still do a lot of housework but if I am doing something messy, I usually wear gloves.  

Repairs
Sometimes a nail pops off for no reason.  I usually know when it happens and I can just brush on some glue and reattach it.  It the nail is lost or damaged,  I just glue on a spare one from the same set.  
Sometimes a nail breaks.  If possible, I go ahead and remove the broken nail.  But sometimes, I just glue an identical nail right on top of it.  I did this last week when I ended up with a notch missing from one nail.  That repair lasted until I did a new manicure.
To make repairs convenient, I keep the spare nails from my current set and a bottle of brush on glue in a sandwich bag in my purse.  I also keep a spare bottle of nail glue in the kitchen.  

Removing nails
After about 5-7 days, the nail glue starts to dry or get brittle or something, anyway it just starts to turn loose.  When I can tell the nails are getting loose, I use the end of an orange stick to GENTLY go under an edge that is loose.  The artifical nail will usually pop off easily.  Don't force a removal,  I never have but I'm sure if it was forced, you could pull off your natural nail with the artificial nail.  
If they don't come off easily,  I soak my tips in remover.  It usually just takes a minute or two for the glue to loosen enough to release the nail.  
When all the artifical nails are removed,  occasionally  I need to use some polish remover to finish removing the glue but usually I can just lightly buff with a nail buffer to finish cleaning my nail.  



I had solar artifical nails put on at a salon for over a year. They were very strong and looked pretty but they were expensive,  $40-$50 every 2-3 weeks as I live in an expensive college town.  I was also concerned about the lamp used to set the polish.  Several times I had a mild sunburn after salon manicures.  
Time wise- it took at least an hour, maybe longer. 
And the worst was all the drama at the salon -

I am very happy with glue on artifical nails.  They are cute, easily fit in our budget, don't require a big time investment and use a minimal amount of chemicals.  
Glue on nails do require more tending to than salon nails but I'm OK with that.  

  
What my nails look like right now - Impress nails from CVS
I really enjoy having fun nails from time to time.  


If you are interested in press on nails, I hope I answered any questions.  

These are just my opinions and thoughts- I have not been paid or sponsored by any nail company.


18 comments:

  1. This was so informative...thing is I didn't even think about press on nails until you showed us yours! They are so pretty. It's so amazing that they don't look like press on nails.
    I think the gardening season is upon us soon so I'll wait till next Fall to give it a try. I will be trying it.
    Have a great day

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    1. I hope your having a great day too😊

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  2. What a great post! Your nails look great! I am such a klutz that there is no way I could do this.

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  3. That was a lot of good information. I've never worn press-on nails before, or had them done a a salon.With all of my children, and the housework, I've never wanted to put out the money, just to ruin them quickly. I am very interested in trying this. I wouldn't mind ruining $1's worth of nails! I'm going to see if my dollar store has any that aren't too flashy (I think my family would drop in shock if I was too sparkly for the first time:) )

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  4. Thanks for the info! Your nails look so pretty! I have never done press on nails before, actually I never paint my nails either, but I do like your french manicure. I'm with Becky, I think my family would be shocked if I went sparkly. :D

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing all this information, Rhonda! I was one of the curious ones and am so happy you shared. I used to get my nails done too, and stopped for every reason you stated, especially the cost! I look forward to cute nails again!

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  6. Thanks for your tutorial! I kept the too-long nails on until Friday last week, then had to get them off. I couldn't do much of anything with them on, but they sure looked pretty! Silas looked at nails with me at the store, and he's wanting me to go glittery, but I think I'll wait until the Holidays for that fancy. LOL. Anyway, I like doing these diy nails because they don't damage my natural nail like the acrylic salon ones do.

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  7. Your nails look wonderfully gorgeous! Never having done press ons before...I think I might give it a try for fun. Wish me luck on this adventure.
    d

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  8. I may have to try these after gardening season also. I was wondering about how long they would last since I spend a lot of time in our hot tub.

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  9. I prefer the press on nails over salon nails as well. I can't do anything when wearing the thick salon nails, even just slight bumps to the nail hurt. So when I have a special occasion to go to I grab a set of press ons. Have even been known to do them in the car on the way. They are quick and easy, the double sided tape holds for a few days, I usually take them off before they fall off.

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  10. Rhonda, have you tried Jamberry? They are nail wraps that adhere to your nail using heat and they last forever and come in a ton of colors and patterns. My friend started selling it so I attended her online Facebook party and won a free sample. I tried it and really like it!! I don't do my fingernails because I bite my nails, but my pedicures last 5+ WEEKS! I believe the manis are supposed to last 3-4 weeks. A package in the pattern of your choice is $15 but you can get about 4-5 applications from it. You cut the wrap to fit your nail and then use heat to apply (they sell a mini heater but I just use my hair dryer).

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  12. Very informative. I am rediscovering press on nails . Thanks for sharing. Your nails look cute!

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  13. Thank you so much for this post! I have been searching through Pinterest and your post was the absolute best one. Your tips and reviews have helped me more than the others.

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  14. Thanks for sharing this! It's so informative! I want to ask, what about adhesive tabs? How long so those lasts? I scared of using nail glue cuz i dont want to damage my natural nails.

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    1. Hello, I mostly wear the Impress stick on nails naw. They have a sticker backing attached to the plastic nail and when you pull off it’s cover, it attaches to your nail. I do not believe th3 sticker nails or the nail glue have ever damaged my nails.
      I do NOT recommend using super glue for nails and I’m not o fan of salon nails as they use so many chemicals and heat lamps.
      Hope you find a method that works for you.

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  15. Girl this is an excellent article. I plan to include it in my Weekend Reading post this weekend.
    Let me know if you'd rather I didn't.
    Blessings to you!
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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    1. Thank you Laura and link anything here you want.
      I’m still wearing press on nails and thankful for them

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