imPRESS Manicure: Best Instant DIY Gel Manicure!

Back in May, I was contacted about trying imPRESS Manicure press on nails to test out and write about. Here’s a little blurb about the brand and product from their website:

Since 2012, imPRESS Press-on Manicure–featuring patented SuperHold technology and an amazing gel finish–has revolutionized the beauty industry with a DIY manicure in minutes!

KISS imPRESS Press-on Manicure

one-step gel nails take minutes to apply! From solid colors to a colorful mix to matte and chrome finishes–adorned with glitter, 3D crystals, colored stones, and more–everyone’s favorite false nails are always on trend!

• Comfortable, secure Ultra Fit for a seamless natural look
• No Glue needed: Patented Super Hold technology allows nails to say put and stay perfect
• Safe on natural nails & easy removal
• Chip proof, smudge proof & no dry time
• Includes 30 nails, prep pad, file, wood stick

Well, I’ve been actually using one set for a couple weeks now and they’ve stuck on my fingers despite a lost nail here or there. The set I’ve been wearing is called Symphony, which I was having trouble finding on their own website, but Amazon seems to have them at a marked up price and ebay has some at more reasonable prices. Cheapest but out of stock on Walmart.com, but maybe it’ll be back?

First imPRESS-ions

The color is a deep berry red (crimson?) with gold accents and a chevron accent with red, gold, and white. They’re USC Trojan colors (for my SoCal peeps), but I do actually kind of like the combination. I normally polish my own nails (I’ve been giving myself home manicures since I was a child).

Pros

These press on nails are really a lot easier to apply than regular nail polish and they end up looking great and surprisingly natural. I was initially shaping the more square edges to a softer oval shape, but I’ve kind of stuck to the default square edges as I lost a few more nails.

Perhaps it is the color combinations, but it definitely feels less toxic than nail polish which is a bigger concern with both toluene and acetone in nail polish remover, both of which are toxic and known to cause cancer. Safety reasons alone make this a much better and faster option to your traditional nail polish and even gel manicures, which could be just as toxic.

Cons

The downside to fake nails is that I feel a lot less interested in housework and cooking tasks that might ruin them or make them fall off. It’s a sorry excuse, but a valid one. Anyways, these nails live up to their name and managed to Impress me in how easy they are to apply and how good they look. I have social distanced a lot these days, but the few people I came in closer contact with noticed how cute they are.

Price per Pack vs Regular Nail Polish

Also, since you get 30 nails in each pack, you essentially have 3 sets of nails that are supposed to last 2 weeks. This means no salon visits or reapplications for up to 6 weeks!

In reality, I did lose quite a few individual nails attempting to wash dishes or open cans and things where nails get in the way so it may last in total about a month. I’m not a go-getter but I don’t often just sit around doing nothing.

The adhesive is strong, but not totally invincible. A normal busy person who does some manual labor might get a full month’s use out of these. Considering the retail cost of between $6 and $12 depending where you shop, that’s not bad at all!

Today, a bottle of nail polish is between $5 and $15 though not everyone has time to do their own nails, which I feel is who these would appeal to most. I’m not a salon goer, so I honestly have no idea how much a manicure costs these days…

Next Options to Try

imPRESS Manicure has 69 designs for sale in their online shop, though they sent me a few more sets for later. I requested to try Limited Edition Heart was Broken, Couture Collection in Lavish as well as a couple of the Rebecca Minkoff collaboration in Glitterati and Blue Haze.  I’d like to save for them occasions outside of doing housework and DIY Projects (I’ve gone into overdrive there particularly in the backyard)… I think I’ll save the black ones for my next concert (whenever that might be)!