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Ten minutes, start to finish

How to put them on properly.

Most press-ons don't fall off because they're bad. They fall off because of step two, which everyone skips. Here's the whole thing — and the removal, which matters even more.

Step 1

Lay all ten out first

Before the glue is open, match every nail to the finger it belongs on and lay them out in order. Ten nails, both hands. It takes ninety seconds and it stops you gluing the ring-finger nail onto your middle finger and discovering it four nails later.

Step 2 · the one everyone skips

Prep the nail

  1. Push your cuticles back with the wooden stick. The press-on needs to sit on nail, not skin.
  2. Take the shine off with two or three light passes of the buffer. You're dulling it, not thinning it.
  3. Wipe every nail with the alcohol pad. Natural nail oil is what glue fails against.

This step is ten seconds a nail and it's worth roughly a week of wear. If you do nothing else on this page, do this.

Step 3

Glue — less than you think

A thin line down the middle of your natural nail, and a small dot inside the press-on. That's it. Too much glue squeezes out at the sides, sits in a thick layer, and actually makes a weaker bond than a thin one. If it's oozing out, it's too much.

Step 4

Press at the cuticle, then roll down

Line the press-on up just below your cuticle at a slight angle, set that edge down first, then roll the nail flat towards the tip. That pushes air out instead of trapping it — trapped air bubbles are why a nail pops off on day three.

Then press hard for 20 seconds, squeezing the sides between your finger and thumb. Count it out. Twenty seconds per nail feels long and it's the whole game.

Step 5

One hour, no water

Glue keeps curing after it feels dry. Give it a full hour before washing your hands properly, doing dishes or showering. Apply them in the evening while watching something and they'll be fully set by morning.

Hindi mein

Press-on nails kaise lagaye — chhota version

  1. Pehle sab nails match karo. Dono haath, das nails, sahi ungli ke saamne rakh do.
  2. Cuticle peeche karo, halka sa buff karo, phir alcohol wipe se saaf karo. Yahi step sabse zyada important hai — nail par oil reh gaya toh glue nahi tikega.
  3. Thoda sa glue. Apne nail par patli si line, press-on ke andar ek chhoti si boond. Zyada glue matlab kam pakad.
  4. Cuticle ki taraf se lagao, phir aage ki taraf roll karo. Phir 20 second tak dabao, side se pinch karte hue.
  5. Ek ghanta paani nahi. Bas itna. Raat ko lagao, subah tak set.

Nikalne ke liye: garam saabun wale paani mein 10 minute haath dubao, phir cuticle stick se halke se uthao. Kheencho mat — asli nail wahin kharab hota hai.

The bit that actually protects your nails

How to take them off.

Nearly all press-on "damage" is removal damage. If you pull one off dry, you take a layer of natural nail with it. Ten minutes of patience prevents all of it.

Do this

  1. Fill a bowl with warm water and a squeeze of dish soap or shampoo.
  2. Soak your hands for 10–15 minutes. Properly submerged, not a quick dip.
  3. Slide the wooden cuticle stick under the edge and lift gently. It should ease up.
  4. If it resists, soak for another five minutes. Never force it.
  5. Peel the old glue off the back of the press-on, wipe with alcohol, and it's ready to wear again.

Never do this

  • Pull or peel a nail off dry
  • Pry it with something metal
  • Bite the edge to lift it
  • Soak in acetone — it isn't needed and it dries out your natural nail

If one is properly stuck, message us. There's usually a trick for it and it's cheaper than a damaged nail bed.

Getting two weeks instead of five days

Gloves for the big utensil session

Everyday dishes are fine. It's the twenty-minute scrub after a dinner party that gets under the edges.

Use the pad, not the tip

Open cans, zips and lids with the pads of your fingers. Levering with the nail tip is what lifts them.

Cuticle oil at night

Around the nail, not under it. Keeps the skin from drying and lifting the edge.

Re-glue instead of giving up

If one lifts on day eight, clean it, re-glue it, press for twenty seconds. The set carries on.