There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: KISS imPRESS Press-On Manicure
The Tester: Jennifer Hussein, beauty editor and avid nail-biter
The Brief: Pretty, perfectly polished nails have become a namesake accessory to every stylish girl on Instagram and the streets of NYC over the past few years. While I'm usually very quick to jump on each and every trend that floods the beauty-verse, there's one reason why I just couldn't get on the nails trend: I'm an avid, ravenous nail-biter. I nibble on my nails just as fast as I can grow them (which is actually quite fast), and not even my cuticles are safe from the constant nitpicking. For years I've tried to quit, but to no avail. I always fall back into my old habits, which made me ditch fancy (and expensive) manicures altogether.
But, once I was about to give up on my hopes and dreams of having Insta-worthy nails, I noticed a lot of buzz going around about an old-school product making a major comeback: press-on nails. Particularly, the KISS imPRESS Press-On Manicure was really hyped-up by online reviews and fellow beauty editors alike, so I decided to give them a try — and it's safe to say, these faux nails are my newest addiction.
At first, I was pretty reluctant — aren't press-ons so 2004? Well, you can forget about yesteryear's bulky French Manicure press-ons, because this brand is switching things up with countless nail colors, designs, and lengths to choose from. I wore Bells and Whistles, which is unfortunately discontinued, but Rush Hour is another great pastel blue shade. Each set comes with 30 nails, so finding the right size — and replacing a nail if it pops off, which we'll get more into in a bit — is pretty easy.
For application, the set comes with an alcohol pad to clean off your nails, a manicure stick to push down cuticles and clean out any gunk under your natural nail, and a file to shape your new claws anyway you'd like. Rather than using your average nail glue, these press-ons use an adhesive backing to stick to your nail.
I put these nails to the test for 2 days. Putting on the nails was a total breeze! Just stick them on and press down firmly for the adhesive to stick, and you're all set. But one thing that did bother me was the fit of the accent nail, which was very bulky and couldn't be fixed with filing. Other than that, the rest of the set surprisingly looked pretty natural. The usual problems I’ve encountered with other types of fake nails (I'm talking about you, acrylics) were not here: no debilitating length, unnatural thickness, or gross texture on my nail beds.
But one letdown I couldn't get over was the adhesive. Although it lasted way longer than I thought it would during an especially hectic work day, one essential part of my night really wore down the nail adhesive: my skincare routine. I'm not sure exactly what ingredient it was (I'm assuming the oils in my skincare), but the minute I applied my first of many nighttime serums, each nail began to slowly slide off of my fingers, one by one falling to my bedroom floor.
I wasn't ready to give up, though, and I knew my precious press-on nails needed some reinforcement. So, as an added step, I decided to secure my nails with the KISS Pink Gel Nail Glue, et voilà! I cracked the code to making my nails stick in place without any budge, plus the nail glue made the press-ons adhere to the shape of my natural nails better and fixed the bulkiness of my accent nails.
The results: a more natural-looking finish, a better hold that lasts for 2-3 days, and an impressive amount of compliments from friends and strangers.
Closing Argument: Oh yeah, the KISS imPRESS Press-On Manicure is totally worth it, but I would definitely reinforce them with nail glue. These press-on nails are a great option for anyone who’s trying to quit biting their nails, looking to skip the expensive weekly manicure, or just trying to change up their look.
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Jennifer is the former beauty editor for BestProducts.com, where she’s testing out everything from the latest lip gloss to the craziest skincare trend sweeping the online beauty-verse. Her work has been featured in Allure, Byrdie, HelloGiggles, and more. When she’s not swatching eyeshadow all over her arms, you can find the NYC-based editor scouring for hours on end for vintage finds, eating pad thai, and hanging out with her cat, Chunks.
