If you have your finger on the pulse of beauty trends, you know it’s got to be a well-manicured one.
Having perfectly polished fingers is no small feat, as traditional nail polish can chip and bi-weekly nail appointments for gel and acrylic nails can be quite costly. Plus, many of us are forgoing in-person beauty treatments due to the pandemic, which means that our nail game may have suffered as a result.
Like most things nowadays, there’s a DIY solution that can yield salon-quality results at home, and for a fraction of the price. Press-on nail kits are all the rage, with simple application, long-term wear and some pretty incredible designs and colors.
Even better, many companies make their fake nails in a variety of shapes, including natural-looking rounded tips, some more full and trendy coffin tips and long stiletto-shaped nails.
While many brands carry a wide-range of products that span most shapes and colors, read on for a more in-depth breakdown by shape and style, to find your perfect rounded nails for everyday, statement nails for a night out and everything in between.
Best short fake nails
imPRESS Press-on Manicure x OPI Collection, $10+
Name a better nail partnership than OPI and imPRESS? These natural-looking tips look just like a gel manicure, but at a fraction of the price of your local salon. Plus, the nails have their own adhesive backing, so no need to mess with glue when you can just press on and go. The collection comes in a variety of bestselling OPI colors, from nude and pinks to bright blues and greens.
Best medium fake nails
KISS Gel Fantasy Sculpted Nails, $9
Get sculpted nails in a snap, with Kiss Gel Fantasy. These medium-length nails can be used as either a press-on with included adhesive tabs or as glue-on for those who prefer the traditional method, but both will have you looking amazing in no time at all.
Our review: Kiss comes highly recommended by anyone who has ever been to Prom or a college dance, and honestly, I agree. The nails are some of the simplest to use, with very natural-looking shapes that fit my nail beds. They also have a great range of classic colors and shapes, perfect for professional wear.
Best long fake nails
Artquee 24pcs Long Press-On Nails, $6.99
If you normally go to great lengths to get extra long nails, check these press-on options out. Sold on Amazon, the Artquee brand has a whole lot of colors and styles to choose from if you want long fake nails. The 24-piece set comes in 18 different colors, each with a sheet of glue stickers for easy application and long-term wear.
Best coffin-shaped fake nails
Glamnetic, $20
These coffin-style nails from Glamnetics are super easy to apply in under five minutes, coming with the adhesive, 30 nails in 15 sizes, a file and cuticle stick to help you get the mani of your dreams. Aside from the rainbow design, the coffin shape comes in both short and long lengths on the site.
Our review: We actually did a full review here, so make sure to give it a read for all lengths. To keep it short, we love Glamnetic for the pattern variety, length variety and ease of use. I wear these in my day-to-day life and find that they typically stay on for a week, but can be re-glued on when one or two pop off.
Best stiletto-shaped fake nails
Dashing Diva Urban Chic, $9
Who said stilettos were only for our feet? Achieve the trendy pointed nail look with these press-on nails from Dashing Diva. The stiletto tips are easy to apply, with a self-adhesive on the back and 30 nails in 12 sizes included in the kit for a perfect fit on each finger.
Our review: I personally am a huge Dashing Diva fan, from the above Magic Press collection to their gel nails that use an LED light to cure for an at-home gel mani or pedi. The brand boasts tons of designs, and I was also impressed by their length, after wearing their short nails that were perfect for those that don’t like the typical length of press-ons.
Best press-on nail kit
Olive and June Press On System, prices vary
Too many nails, not enough time? Then check out Olive and June’s brand new Press On System, coming with your choice of one set of nails or four, starting at just $8 per press-on pack. Then add on Olive and June’s must have extras like their cuticle remover, press-on nail organizer and more. The whole set comes in a cute-as-can-be pink case to take on the go.
They also sell their press-on nails a la carte, so you can also stock up on favorite colors and styles like a French tip almond shape, a longer cheetah pattern and more.
Our review: This really is a must-have kit for those starting out on their fake nail journey. I have the exact kit above and use it for both my regular polish manicures and my press-on weeks, using the nail prep tools inside and just switching out the press-on packs. The nails are also very durable, and I love their brush-on glue that seems to have an even stronger hold than typical glues in the tube.
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