by I’m addicted to press on nails. Almost every purchase from Shein not only includes earrings, but also press on nails.
There are so many stylish press on nails to choose from for a fraction of convenience store prices. They cost an average of $3 per set.
Now I have a horde of press ons. Yes, I truly mean a horde of press on nails like a dragon resting atop its treasures.
You’re probably thinking what most people say to me when they learn I wear fake nails: “They’ll never stay on my nails.”
You’re definitely not alone with this thought. Google how to put on press on nails and there are lists upon lists of the right way to apply press ons for long-lasting wear. Lots of people experience the inconvenience of leaving the house and returning with one or two fewer fake nails lost in the wild.
Because nails have a natural layer of oil that protects the nail bed, weak nail glue will not bind the press on nail to the nail bed no matter how many times you prep your nail beforehand. The very basic trick to make fake nails stick for a long time is a great brand of nail glue.
And, boy oh boy, do I know of a product that has surpassed my expectations. I’ve clumsily jabbed my press on nails into objects, crevices, and onto the keys of my keyboard. My press ons went five days strong without a break: no cracks in the glue, no lifting of the press on, and no falling off the nail bed. Five. Days. Strong.
Five days may not sound so long, but when I was just using regular Sally Hansen nail glue, I was lucky to make it ONE day before possibly losing a press on nail in the toilet.
Before reading further, please note that I am an Amazon and Shein affiliate, and this blog may generate a small profit from qualifying purchases with the specified links below.
The Press On Nail Glue that Lasts
Where does anybody go to find the largest selection of products for whatever need? Amazon. That’s exactly where I went to search for nail glue, and NYK1 Super Strong Nail Bond was the first result. Of course, I ignored it because it cost $10.99 at the time.
After losing more nails for the umpteenth time at a Walmart, no less, and repeatedly touching up nails with more weak nail glue, the Amazon product page comments for NYK1 Super Strong Nail Bond were getting extremely hard to ignore:
“I usually buy kiss brand and it does work but stays like for a day or so but this product stays for like a 1 week and I really mean it…”
“It’s been around 5 days and nothing has been messed up at all…I’ve banged them across a lot of things while doing housework and they’re still going strong…”
“My nails stay on for at least 2 weeks. On occasion I have had to remove the nails because the nails were looking pretty bad.”
Three months, two bottles of Sally Hansen brand nail glue and working on a third bottle just to reapply nails that were consistently falling off within hours of application, I realized $10.99 for one bottle of glue that lasts the lifetime of multiple fake nail sets ain’t a bad deal.
How to Use the Nail Glue
The bottle size is pretty standard for nail glue, but NYK1 Super Strong Nail Bond comes with a brush applicator! No nozzle to pour glue onto your nail or the press on. Just brush the product on like a topcoat after prepping the nail.
How do you prep the natural nail? Follow these very simple steps:
- Remove any coatings on the nail
- Push the cuticle back with a cuticle pusher
- Use acetone to remove any oils on the nail
- File the nail edge and buff the nail bed
- Brush the nail bond onto the natural nail
- Push the press on nail, bottom edge first, onto the natural nail
- Shape and file the press on nail
- Do not submerge the nails in water for at least a couple of hours
I love quickly transforming my nails with press ons, so I don’t always do every step, but the most important steps are to remove oils from the natural nail before putting on the nail bond, and to make sure there is no gap between the nail bed and cuticle by attaching the false nail bottom edge first. If there are any gaps between the fake nail and natural nail then water will weaken the bond.
Removing the Nail Glue
To remove press on nails, soak them in acetone. The acetone will melt the fake nail and dissolve the bond. Use an acetone soaked cotton ball to remove left-behind nail glue residue.
Removing nail glue takes a while, but I didn’t find that the bond was any harder to remove than with the Sally Hansen brand I was using. Just keep the soaked acetone cotton ball on your nail as you watch a show. You’ll get the glue off in no time.
Afterward, put on a hardener to straighten the nail. It is very important to use a hardener after you’ve removed press ons. My nails do not like anything on them, and they will chip or fray along the nail bed.
When I first started using press ons, without applying a hardener after removing the nail, my nails would break in pieces-down to the nail bed. Using a hardener keeps my nails from breaking, so I really, really advise that you use the same thing after removing press ons.
Overall Opinion
The strength of this nail glue is astounding. I’ve chopped vegetables, taken out the trash, cleaned around the house, grabbed clothes from the washer and dryer, played with my pets, washed A TON of dishes (cause ya girl likes to cook), washed my hair, and typed furiously with the same one application of NYK1 Super Strong Nail Bond that lasted five days.
Usually, with the other nail glue I’ve used, I could feel the fake nail begin to separate from my natural nail. I’d then apply more nail glue and hope I can get through the day. I even kept a spare nail glue in my purse. I hadn’t needed to reapply glue since switching to NYK Super Strong Nail Bond. That is until I cut my press ons short.
I was going five days strong until I cut my press ons down to an average short length. I needed to get adjusted to a new ultra-slim keyboard I purchased. I’m pretty sure I weakened the bond because not long after I cut the nails, two popped off over the course of two days. I’m convinced that one application would’ve lasted me longer if I didn’t disturb the nail bond.
A good takeaway is if you want to get press on nails off sooner than five days, cut the nails short! And I wouldn’t blame you to cut the fun. Wearing press ons beyond five days doesn’t look good. It’s great to have a strong nail glue, but eventually, enough is enough. Make the sane decision to move on to a new set. And why not? Shein has A TON of fake nail choices for cheap! Check out my gallery. I’ve purchased most of these nails and the coffin sets are PHENOMENAL. They surround the nail bed perfectly, but you’ll need to hurry. These fake nails sell out quickly!