I Thought Press-On Nails Were Tacky, But These $20 Ones Changed My Mind Forever (2024)

Welcome toDeep Reviews—your one-stop destinationto discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.

The majority of ourDeep Reviewswill feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes onentireproduct categories or multiple productsfrom a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format calledHonestly, I Love It.As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors can't shut up about. This time, I'm highlighting Glamnetic's Press-On Nails ($20).

When it comes to beauty, it's all in the details. Having beautifully manicured nails just makes me feel like I have my life together. To be honest, though, I'm not willing to shell out $100 every few weeks at the nail salon, and I don't have the discipline and patience to do my nails at home. Press-on nails seemed like the perfect solution, but I wasn't all that impressed by most of the brands out there. They looked too fake and didn't fit my petite fingers. Then I came across the press-ons from Glamnetic.

"I saw a gap in the market for trendy and high-quality, salon-like press-on nails," says Glamnetic founder and CEO Ann McFerran. "Initially, what was on the market were outdated designs on a flimsy nail mold that bent easily. I wanted to bring the Instagram nail inspo you saw online right to your fingertips, literally."

That's exactly what she did. "The finishes and the designs we have would typically take hours and $100+ to accomplish at a nail salon," McFerran explains. The quality and strength are even on par with salon nails. "We custom-mold our press-on nails, so they emulate the shape and thickness of a salon acrylic nail," she says. This explains why, literally every time I wear these, people don't believe that they're press-ons. They're so good they just might make you cancel your nail appointment.

What's Included in Each Set: 30 nails in 15 sizes, nail glue, nail file, cuticle stick, and alcohol pad. You can also get nail tabs and brush-on glue separately.

Price: $15 to $22

How Long They Last: At least two weeks, up to four weeks.

Designs: Tons of colors and finishes—from basic nudes and bright pinks to glossy and matte finishes. The brand also releases trendy new designs every month.

Shapes and Lengths: They come in almond, coffin, and oval shapes and in short, medium, and long lengths.

Time: About 15 to 20 minutes total. For me, the longest part is just sizing the nails, but actually applying them takes about five minutes.

Why You'll Love Them: There are inclusive sizes for every nail, application is easy and quick, and they're just so cute. They're even reusable too.

McFerran told me that proper prep is *key* to ensuring the longest-lasting mani. Here's the gist of the application process:

1. Remove any nail polish and clean your nails with the alcohol pad.

2. Size the nails by placing the press-on nail onto yournatural nail and selecting the best size to fit it.

3. Buff the top of your nails and the inside of the press-ons. This helps them stick better.

4. Apply a sticker to your nail first if desired (see expert tip below), or just apply glue on your nail and the inside of the press-ons and let it get tacky for about 30 seconds.

5. Press the nail onto your real nail. Then do some ASMR tapping on a hard surface to make sure they're set, and you're done.

Tip: I'm genuinely so impressed with the staying power of these nails, but because life happens, it's inevitable that one or two may fall off over the course of a week or so. My tip is to keep some nail glue in your purse so you can fix it on the go.

It's obvious that press-ons are quicker and more affordable than a salon mani, but are they less damaging than acrylics and gel? To get the real deal, I went to Dana Stern, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, the founder of Dr. Dana, and an expert in all things healthy nails.

She told me that acrylics and gel have a harsh removal process that involves acetone, which can lead to dry, brittle nails and cuticles. What's more, she told me there's risk of keratin granulation (superficial white patches on the nail) and onycholysis (separation of the nail plate from the nail bed), two nail woes you definitely want to avoid. She praised press-ons as a less damaging alternative, especially if you opt for a sticker. "When press-ons are made with an acrylate-based adhesive that is on the underside of the sticker, additional glue is not needed, so the acrylate is only coming into contact with the nail and not the surrounding skin," she tells me.

She also gave me one underrated tip that could make or break your press-on mani: cuticlecare. "The cuticle is the key to healthy nails," she says. "There is nothing less chic than a dry, ragged cuticle. If you are flaunting a fabulous press-on manicure, don't skimp on a healthy, hydrated cuticle." Noted.

TL;DR: Press-on nails combined with cuticlecare are a more affordable alternative to salon nails. Say less.

Shop More Press-Ons and Nailcare Products