I Tried Local Press-On Nails For The 1st Time To See If They're Worth It

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And yes, I know gel manicures last longer but the few times that I tried them, I found the process tedious and expensive to return to the salon just to have them properly removed.

Otherwise, I might end up just ripping them off my nails eventually, resulting with ruined, scratchy nails. (Of course, if you're only doing a gel manicure once in a blue moon, then none of the above matters. I'm all for pampering yourself. Heh. )

Since press-on nails are temporary, I figured they would be great for events or special occasions. And because they're also reusable, the price wouldn't feel as painful as heading to a nail salon and potentially chipping your manicure within a week. (It's like watching your money chip away, no thanks.)

Each set of nails come with adhesive stickers and nail glue. I will explain further at the bottom of this article on the pros and cons of both.

But first let's talk about some of the designs from each shop!

WeWe sent two customised gel nail sets. Personally, both colour schemes were easy to match with most of my outfits and were right up my alley. I loved the intricate details on each nail, which were quite noticeable on their other designs as well.

They have a good design selection with softer tones that are perfect for daily wear, as well as some very artsy ones that I love.

Their price range is between RM59 and RM139 per customised set, depending on the design. They felt pretty sturdy – exactly like a gel manicure – and can probably last for awhile, as long as you take care of them.

Check out their other designs on Instagram.

Zen Nails is a nail salon in Petaling Jaya which also customises and delivers press-on nails that are stunning and meticulously crafted.

The longer nail shape I received gave me slight villain vibes and wasn't really my style but if you like designs that really stand out, they are definitely worth checking out. There's even a cool lion head design they made for CNY and their Christmas press-on nail designs were too adorable! Great looks for the 'gram, for sure.

I wore the longer nail set to the gym thinking it wouldn't hold up, but it impressively did. The price for each set starts from RM79.

Check out their other designs on Instagram.

Neko Nail offers a wide variety of different styles and nail designs to match all types of personalities and outfits. They sent me two different sets — a cutesy, short, squarish one and a long, matte electric blue set that'll definitely make heads turn. I loved how the matte really stood out on the nails, I'd probably wear them for a specific event that suits the vibe.

The combination of the colours and tiny details of the shorter purple flowered set made me wanna stare at them all day and were great for day-to-day wear.

Their price range is between RM49 and RM99 per set.

Check out their other designs on Instagram.

Thenailbunny sent three different designs and styles, all of which were super cute. The first pair was inspired by BLACKPINK's Lisa's nails designed by Unistella. They re-created all of the tiny details like the clouds and cow print really well.

My only comment is that if you're customising a design that has a bit of transparency, it's best to clean out your nails thoroughly before using a pea size amount of nail glue (if you're not using the adhesives), as the glue can seep through and affect the overall look.

Other than that, their attention to detail is apparent, even in their other cute designs like this one and this one, for example. I mean, just look at how pretty these pastel ones are! Even if those types aren't your style, they can customise designs like a classic French tip, as well as edgier looks like the starry black combo below. Their price range is between RM40 and RM70 per set.

Check out their other designs on Instagram.

Every seller provides the same or similar type of adhesive stickers, nail glue, alcohol swabs, cuticle sticks, and nail filers. They also offer instructions on their Instagram Highlights on how to apply them. 

In my opinion, the adhesive stickers are a winner. Some of them mentioned that the nail glue is meant to last two to three weeks and the stickers will last a week. However, I felt that it was the opposite effect for me. The adhesives lasted WAY longer than the glue.

They were durable despite me washing dishes, cleaning the house, going to the gym, or just running daily errands. I even tried opening canned drinks several times with the shorter nails, and they worked. (But I wouldn't recommend doing that if you want your nails to last. Haha.)

Applying the glue was easy but it can get messy. Plus, if you accidentally squeeze too much and it gets on the nail design, it can lose its shine. You're supposed to hold the nail down for 15 to 30 seconds after applying the glue and not touch water for a couple of hours but even then, the nails slowly popped off before the day ended and I had to keep gluing them back on. 

On the flip side, the adhesives were easy to apply and I could feel if they were slowly coming off. Unlike the glue, which I couldn't tell throughout the day and needed to keep checking if they were still stuck on or I had lost them. 

Personally, the fact that you can reuse press-on nails is a game-changer because it feels a lot more worth it than going to a salon and getting your nails done (in saying that, I know some people go for manicures to pamper themselves so you might not be able to completely replace that pampering experience).

The press-on nails were also a quick way to make me feel and look put together, even when I wasn't.

Some other things to take note of
— Make sure to measure your nail sizes correctly at the widest part before placing an order (there are instructions on how to do so on each seller's Instagram. And don't assume that nails on both hands will be the same size. It's a curved plastic at the end of the day, and it isn't flexible. If the size is slightly off, it's not too noticeable. But if it's far off, it might affect how long the nail will stay on your finger, as it is curved and can pop off easily if it's too wide / narrow for your cuticle.
— They're easy to apply and you can skip booking nail appointments / travelling to the salon / finding parking, yada yada. So if you have any event to attend, you can just pop them on and you're good to go. You can even use the glue if you're just wearing them for a short while.
— BONUS: You'll want to 'tappy tap' on everything like your phone and table because the sound is great. Haha.