For the last few years, I’ve been doing my own gel nails with my own UV gel lamp. Initially, I was overjoyed with how much money I’d been saving just by doing so. However, eventually, the polish kept peeling within a week’s of application. This made me look for an alternative option that was also affordable. Enter Static Press-on Nails, the nails that you can just glue on and go.

I’ve been wearing my first set of press-on nails for just over two weeks and the verdict is in. For someone who has been religiously going to the salon for her shellac manicures for years, this has been a real game-changer. Here’s my honest review of press-on nails for those who are curious of how they stack up against a real manicure.

Trying on Static Press-on Nails

I bought two sets of Static Press-on Nails to test out. They were affordably priced from $14-16 USD for each set plus another $14 for shipping. Altogether, it equaled to the price of one salon visit so I figured why not take the plunge. The nails I ordered from Static Nails arrived quickly and beautifully packaged with my two selected colours in toll.

From the vast selection of colours on their website, I purchased the Peach Fizz and the Lavender Honey sets. Both in coffin nail style also known as ballerina nails because of their tapered square tip. Of the two sets, I decided to try out the peach one first. It had a beautiful chrome effect to it and I was feeling something bold yet feminine for spring.

How to Apply Them

Each press-on nail kit from Static Nails comes with everything you need including one nail file and a tube of nail glue. There were some nails I needed to reshape in order to fit my small nail beds. However, for the most part, there was a perfect-sized nail for most of my nail beds without any reshaping. After figuring out which size went with each finger, I was ready to glue these babies on.

To prep the nails, it’s best to buff them with a nail file to create a rougher surface. This helps the nail to be cemented onto your natural nails for a longer period of time. The nail glue included is almost like a super glue, with the smell almost identical but just a tad less strong. Knowing exactly how much of the glue to apply was probably the trickiest part. Good thing there are instructions on Static’s website with the suggested amount depending on your desired duration of wear. You can apply more for longer wear and alternatively, less if you prefer shorter.

I aimed to have my press-on nails last for about 2-3 weeks so I applied a pea-sized amount of glue in the middle of each nail as suggested. Be mindful of over application as you’ll want to avoid getting glue residue stuck onto your skin. It can be tricky to wash off afterwards so best to be careful from the beginning.

I generally found the application process to be fairly quick and easy. Out of the ten nails, I only struggled with applying one of them. When all of them were successfully glued on though, I was completely in love. The press-ons looked just as good as real nails and after having left my nails completely bare for a month, I finally felt like me again.

Related: Holiday Nails That Sparkle

The Pros and Cons

One thing I especially loved about Static Press-on Nails was that each kit came with two sets of nails. Granted, you’ll have to match some from each set to the shape of your nail, as some only came with one particular size. However, the extras came in handy for whenever you may lose some. Unfortunately for myself, I ended up losing four of my press-on nails in the span of two weeks.

Though I do love the look of the nails, I found it hard to predict how long they would last. For times when they do fall off unexpectedly, you might find them laying around but other times, if you’re outdoors, they’ll be gone for good. That was the one major downside to having press-on nails as opposed to shellac. One major pro is that they’re reuseable and if you’re careful (or lucky) enough not to lose any, they’re definitely worth the value.

How to Take Them Off

When taking off your press-on nails, you could either let them fall off naturally (which is what I’ve been doing) or you can soak them in hot water to soften before gently popping them off. Be mindful that when they do lift off, some glue residue will be leftover. This can happen if a significant amount of glue was applied. Contrary to what it states on the website, there was quite a bit of residue on some of my nails. I ended up buffing it off but overtime, the residue will came off naturally as well.

After two weeks of wearing my Static Nails, the chrome effect on the Peach Fizz had significantly faded to a light peach colour. They were also scratched up from going through everyday tasks. This was obvious when comparing to the unused ones. As well, the originally sharp-edged coffin-style nails had become more of a rounded shape. They looked great for the first week or so but after some time, they do become more worn-out looking.

After two weeks of wearing Static Press-on Nails, I’ll say I loved the look of them but they can be a hassle if worn any longer. It was difficult to predict when they’d fall off as some were sturdier than others. I also hated how heartbreaking it was to lose them on the street somewhere. Because of it, I always made sure to have a backup set and my nail glue handy in case some fell off unexpectedly.

Press-on nails are perfect for those looking for short-time wear as opposed to those wanting something longer lasting. It usually takes some trial and error to know exactly how much glue to apply for the longest wear possible. If anything, try to be patient with it. Overall, they’re still a great fabulous alternative to the usual shellac manicure so Static’s press-on nails gets the green light from me. Plus, it’s always fun to switch up your nail look from time to time.

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