Are press-on nails considered beauty minimalism? I don’t know, but I was determined to find out. When the Glamentic reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I wanted to try their press-on nail kits, I said yes immediately!
Pre-pandemic, I used to visit the nail salon fairly often for a traditional gel manicure. Reflecting back, it was expensive and time consuming. I’ve always loved having perfectly polished digits but I no longer have the patience to wait for nail polish to dry.
Glamentic sent me two press-on nail kits. I was really eager to try out ‘Sweetener,’ a creamy nude nail look with marble and metallic accents. It looks subtle enough for everyday but could still work for special occasions. The second kit I chose was Sprinkles, which is basically a French mani with bold colored tips.
Glametic Press-On nails come with 24-30+ nail sizes, a cuticle stick, a nail file, an alcohol pad, and nail glue. The company says the nails can last up to two weeks, depending on your lifestyle. They range in price from $15 to $22, depending on the style but they are reusable and a fraction of the price. Compared to the nail salon, a full set of acrylic nails can cost at least $100.
Here’s my honest review of Glamnetic Press-On Nails.
Prep
The most time consuming part was sifting through 30 individual nails to figure out sizing. I must have spent 15 minutes sifting through to find ones that would fit and then attempting to find its duplicate. Halfway through, I ended up watching a YouTube video that explained each nail had a number so you could match its counterpart. If I had known that sooner, I probably would’ve been able to pick my nails much quicker. The cuticle stick and alcohol pad came in handy for the prepping my nails and I had no issue with either tool.
Application
I’m also not a fan of the glue applicator. I would prefer a brush-on applicator because this was difficult to dispense and found myself reapplying when the nail wouldn’t stick to my natural nail. Glamnetic does offer a brush-on nail glue but it’s sold separately for $7.
The application itself doesn’t take long at all and all my nails were ready within a few minutes. I LOVE how they look. I’ve never had nail art done on my natural nails so it’s really cool to see cool designs without having to patiently wait in a nail salon.
Wear and Tear
I always shape and file my nails to short and round so I was really not used to wear long nails. I ended up trimming them to a length that was more comfortable about 24 hours after applying them. There are things that still feel weird when you have on long nails, regardless if they are plastic and don’t require drying.
I’m talking about…
Typing
Getting dressed
Doing my makeup
Preparing meals
Washing my hair
If you regularly wear long nails, how do you manage? I would seriously love to know!
Once I trimmed my nails though I felt so much more comfortable and worried less about the nails preventing me from doing my usual activities. I found the nails to be pretty durable overall. There were a few instances where a couple of the nails fell off. Two of those times I was able to just re-glue the nail back on and one time I had to go back to the kit and pick a replacement nail. To some, that may be a deal breaker but it’s very possible I didn’t apply enough glue the initial time and that’s why they fell off. Out of an abundance of caution, I ended up carrying the bottle of glue in a small Ziploc bag with me at all times to mitigate any mishaps.
Removal
I’ve been wearing my press-on nails for a week and I have not removed them yet. Per the instructions, I need to soak my nails in warm water and oil for 10 minutes. I’ll be sure to update this blog post when I do if I have any issues.
Final Thoughts
Glamnetic press-on nails are definitely a budget-friendly shortcut from a trip to the nail salon; however, there’s a bit of a learning curve the first time around. Despite a few hiccups with the initial application, I would definitely be willing to wear them again and purchase other styles. Now that I have a better understanding of how the nail sizes are organized, it won’t take me nearly as long to prep and apply. I also won’t feel bad about trimming and filing to the length I prefer.
You can shop Glametic press-on nails here and use code KARABEAUTY for 15% off your purchase at checkout.
Glamnetic sent me two press-on nail kits in exchange for a post I made on Instagram last week. I wanted to write an in-depth review on my blog. No one is paying me for this blog post!
