Thread: Press-On Nails in a Pinch?

I know, press-on nails. How Valley Girl of me ,r:;

I was just wondering if any of you use them in a pinch for gigs or photo shoots. My existing nails look a little sad, so I was thinking press-on's might be a decent "quick fix" for a show this weekend.

Anyone have any tips, wisdom or caveats you'd like to share?

i think my mom used them once and she liked them. stayed on well, didn't chip, but were easy to take off later on.

i know that is not much help at all lol

That's good to know! I wanna make sure they'd stay put while I'm dancing - nothing grosser than a used fake fingernail in somebody's baba ghanoush!!! But I also don't want to be married to them for like a week, either

lol

they also have those acetone soaking pads or whatever to help u take them off..the one time i ever got acrylics (and never again because they were kind of a pain the butt), i used this little sponge pad thingy that is soaked in acetone (nail polisher remover?) and u just stick ur finger in there, one at a time, to help take it off. i'm sure it should work the same way for these

press on nails are a great quick fix. just make sure to push your cuticles back very well because otherwise the glue sticking to the skin is painful besides looking icky. just don't pick those that are like seven inches long because those have a greater tendency to fly off....but that's just common sense.

I've used press-on nails for photoshoots but I don't think I'd use them for a whole set because I had some veil issues with them.

Veil issues are exactly what I'd be afraid of! If I do use them, I'll get the shorter ones.

Good thing about press-on nails is that the newer ones look a lot more "civilized" than their 8-inch eighties counterparts .w.:

I used to use them all the time for troupe because I need short nails for flute/guitar/violin- the 'nails' requirement has slackened, so now I tend to go au natural & no one has ever commented on my clean, short nails... when I was using them, they came with both an easy off and a semi permanent version of the glue- the easy off version you could practically peal off afterward, tho they stayed on just fine through the show & all the harsh treatment I put them through in the dressing room (opening seals on new make up, safety pins, etc.) It works.

Good to know!

Yes, one thing I don't miss about my former clarinet-playing days. I can actually have nails again ..g.:

I just happened to try press-ons for the first time right before a show last weekend! I used the kind that already have the glue on them - you just open the package and stick them on. They were supposed to be "1-day" usage but I tell you they probably would have stayed on for another day or two at least. They came off with some determined coaxing after soaking nails in warm water for 15 minutes per the instructions.

They looked pretty but my only problem was I couldn't get the bottom of the nail near my cuticle to stay down and so my hair kept catching in my nails. It was a real pain. However my mom wears the same kind of press on nails and she doesn't have the same problem. Maybe I needed to cut the nails more to fit my real nails, I don't know. It wasn't an issue of the glue not being strong enough. I think my nails just curve more than normal perhaps, so the fake nail wouldn't lie flat towards the bottom of my nail bed.

Other than that, I liked the fact that they didn't involve an acrylamide glue and were not damaging to my natural nails.

Originally Posted by deelight

I just happened to try press-ons for the first time right before a show last weekend! I used the kind that already have the glue on them - you just open the package and stick them on. They were supposed to be "1-day" usage but I tell you they probably would have stayed on for another day or two at least. They came off with some determined coaxing after soaking nails in warm water for 15 minutes per the instructions.

These sound great!

I was going to say the ones that you glue on, with the super glue, but arghhh taking them off is not fun, and it ruins the nail.

Originally Posted by deelight

I just happened to try press-ons for the first time right before a show last weekend! I used the kind that already have the glue on them - you just open the package and stick them on. They were supposed to be "1-day" usage but I tell you they probably would have stayed on for another day or two at least. They came off with some determined coaxing after soaking nails in warm water for 15 minutes per the instructions.

They looked pretty but my only problem was I couldn't get the bottom of the nail near my cuticle to stay down and so my hair kept catching in my nails. It was a real pain. However my mom wears the same kind of press on nails and she doesn't have the same problem. Maybe I needed to cut the nails more to fit my real nails, I don't know. It wasn't an issue of the glue not being strong enough. I think my nails just curve more than normal perhaps, so the fake nail wouldn't lie flat towards the bottom of my nail bed.

Other than that, I liked the fact that they didn't involve an acrylamide glue and were not damaging to my natural nails.

What brand did you use?

I think they're great. I like the kind with the adhesive already stuck to them, rather than the glue on kind. they're good for a night or two and then not too difficult to take off.

a friend was here last weekend and was taking her annual oregon country fair break from her acrylics. ;) so they looked pretty bad. we had a show together and shared a pack of press-on french nails. I stuck mine on right before I went on stage - took about two minutes. they looked awesome and neither of us had trouble at all with veils or zills.

I'd do them for sure for a gig or photo shoot. you have to accept them for what they are - a temporary glam fix like false eyelashes. not always the most comfortable things to wear and they can lift at the bottom and catch your hair, but for ease and wow, they're worth it.

Originally Posted by maranajla

What brand did you use?

"Express On" is the brand. Short length, choose "Stick-On 1 Day Wear". Got 'em at Walgreens.

Someone told me to clean your natural nails first with a swipe of polish remover, let dry, and then apply the nails and they won't lift at the bottom. Haven't tried it yet.

This is ALL good to know!

I ultimately ended up dancing with fire last night and feared that acrylic and live flame could cause too many "worst case scenarios" that my dancer-friends in the audience would never let me live down ..l;,

But Walgreens has some excellent options....gonna stock up for my next photo shoot or gig!

Went to Japan last summer and found the greatest tool for stick ons-(fake nails are HUGE there and next time we go back I'm setting aside a faux nail budget!) They were these little sticky pads that go on top your natural nail, and then the fakes stick to those. They were made of the same stuff that clear gummy adhesive is made of. Anybody know what I mean, you see the gummy adhesive used to tape paper to plastic, etc instead of a traditional price tag?
Anyways, these things are amazing, and I can not find them anywhere here-I found them in a dollar store of all places over there, but I only bought a couple of packs-I was so wrong to not stock up =( These work really well for me, since I refuse to use nail glue.
HAS ANYONE SEEN THESE IN THE STATES? Or maybe I can figure out what that gummy adhesive is called and use it!
Nikki

oops, hit the send button twice!

Micamica I believe you can get them at any drug store, like CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens. I am not sure what brand makes them, but they have been selling them for ages. Also, not sure if it as great as the ones in Japan. I use to wear them when I was young and they always fell off. But, then again I was young so I wasn't so careful.

Press on nails are great! Yes, I like those little pads, look for them in the drugstore by the fake nails. I use the shorter sizes and trim them shorter still. I like to buy the natural tone nails and polish them to match a costume and add sparkle with glitter or metallic polish.

The first few times I used them I had trouble with my veil, but like anything else, it just takes a little practice.

Thank you, Deelight!

Are they reuseable at all? Like, if it's possible to remove some of the adhesive from the fake nail, can they be reused at least once more? (I can squeeze a couple of uses out of my false eyelashes so wondered if it could be the same with the nails.)

Originally Posted by bdaddiction

Micamica I believe you can get them at any drug store, like CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens. I am not sure what brand makes them, but they have been selling them for ages. Also, not sure if it as great as the ones in Japan. I use to wear them when I was young and they always fell off. But, then again I was young so I wasn't so careful.

OMG-I did another search after you said this and found out I should be searching for "nail tabs" so I can find these
20103 PRESS-ON ADHESIVE NAIL TABS - 50 Tabs [20103] - $2.00 : Nail Supplies Direct, Your Premium Nail Source
I should feel like a total dork, but I am so happy to find these I don't even care-somehow nobody knew what I was talking about last summer though?? Haven't seen these in stores, but I will go look again-thanks for this thread! Now I can wear all the gorgeous nail I brought back ..g.: So yes, I don't know about this exact product, but I highly recommend this for the temporaries!
Nikki

Like others have said, they are great for photo shoots, but for a performance...

I used them once for a gig because I had broken 3 nails that week. Instead of cutting them all down, I just covered the 3 broken nails. After my performance I noticed that they were all missing...found one on my costume and two in my hair!

Next time, if I had to use them, I would glue them on instead of using the sticker kind.

I would be afraid if I used them, then ran my hands through my hair and couldn't get my fingers out of my hair! Yep, that WOULD happen to me!

Originally Posted by elisagamal

I think they're great. I like the kind with the adhesive already stuck to them, rather than the glue on kind. they're good for a night or two and then not too difficult to take off.
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another item i wanna go shop for when im there;.. NEVER seen those here!

I use the glue-on kind. They come of fairly easily if you soak them in acetone after your shower, bath, whatever. Claire's actually has some really pretty ones as well that aren't too long. I'm wearing some right now as a matter of fact and can type with them just fine, which is always my litmus test for nail length. lol