imPress Press-On Nails Full Review

If you’re a regular consumer of my Instagram stories or posts in general, you know that I love my imPress Press-on nails. They are pretty much all I wear. I thought that I would talk about what makes them a good fit for me, and also if they’re a good fit for you too! They aren’t perfect, that’s for sure, but they work for me!

Some unused in-box imPress manicures.

The Facts

I buy mine online from the imPress website. They have a larger range of designs there and I can find exactly what I want. They also throw in free pairs every time and have free shipping. You can also find them at drugstores…CVS, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, whatever. I’ve seen the prices from anywhere from $5.99 to $7.99 depending on the design and sales. You select the size you need for each nail, peel off the back and press them on. Each kit contains 30 nails, and I can usually get two manicures out of a package.

One of my favorite manicures. The rhinestones fell off after eight days of wear.

Pros

The thing that I love the most is that these nails have fantastic nail art designs, but do not have any dry time. I love that I can do my nails five minutes before I need to rush out the door, right before bed, or during a break at work. There is no dry time. These are also very user-friendly. Instead of fiddling with a bottle of glue and the plastic nails, these are a peel and stick backing. Nothing else is needed to put these on. When they are on, they look pretty good from a distance and in photos. As a teacher, I’m pointing and using my hands all day and these look great. They also file down like real nails so I can shape them a little to fit my nail shape better. Finally, these are cost-effective. I used to regularly get my nails done at a salon. It would cost around $30, and I’d need to go every three weeks. These last for me about ten days, and at a cost of around $6 for two manicures, can’t be beaten. I have also noticed a big difference in nail damage compared to the acetone soaking and light-curing of gel nail polish.

A metallic Christmas tree set. Excuse my thumb, I missed cutting some carrots an it left a huge cut! :(

Cons

The nails that come in the packages, in general, are short and narrow. If your nails are wide or long, these won’t fit well. They do make some in a “medium” length that is longer but is still very narrow. I have wider nail beds, and you can see my natural nail peeking out the sides of the fake nail when other people get close. It’s especially apparent on my thumbs. Compared to gel polish, these don’t wear as long. I get about ten days of wear out of them, which is worse than I would get with the gels, but better than normal polish. They are also fairly sensitive to water. The glue gets soft and sticky and they can slide a little. It will solidify up after a while, but you’re more vulnerable to losing one when that happens. Also, let’s talk about how these come off. When they start to wear off, they do so from the cuticle side. I notice this when I run my hand through my hair, and hair gets caught under the back of the nail. It’s gross.

Glitter set I wore for NYE. You can see a chip out of the glitter on my ring finger. Seven days of wear in.

Here, you can see the thickness of the nails compared to my natural nails.

Bottom Line

I like these. I like how fast they are to put on and that they look cute and last with pretty minimal effort on my part. I also like that they don’t cost a ton. They aren’t perfect, but they’re a great solution for what I need right now — good nails, no fuss. I carry around a little bottle of nail glue in case one falls off prematurely, but otherwise no problems at all!

Do you use press-on or glue-on nails? Let’s chat about it below!

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Disclaimer: This post does not contain sponsored content, gifted items, or affiliate links. All opinions are my own, and all products were purchased.