
How To Apply Press-On Nails
STEP 1: Prep Your Nails
The key to applying press-on nails and making them look, well, not like press-ons, is giving yourself a nice little manicure before hand. This entails removing any old polish, trimming and filing the edges, and most importantly, pushing back your cuticles. Your last prep step should be cleaning with an alcohol pad. Once you finish with your prep work, make sure your nails are clean and dry.
STEP 2: Find the Correct Nail Size
The 20 pc press-on nail sets (my personal favorite) come with teeny, tiny numbers of the back of each nail to indicate the size. Pre Selected sizes will already be in order. Once you find your perfect fit on one hand, you can locate the matching numbered nails for the other. You want the press-on nail to cover your entire nail-bed without hanging over on either side. I find laying all ten fake nails out in finger order on the table in front of me the easiest way to work.
STEP 3: Glue Them On
When it comes to the application method, you can use the adhesive nail stickers that come with the kit or acrylic nail glue to apply your nails. I've tested both — the stickers are faster but the nail glue gives a better hold; it's a matter of personal preference. If you go with the adhesive stickers, tweezers are a big help in peeling off the plastic and sticking them to your natural nail; for the acrylic glue, just be careful not to get too much on your skin because it's hard to remove. I recommend KDS Nail Glue from Amazon but any of them will do!
One finger at a time, match the press-on nail up with your nail-bed before pressing it into place; hold for about ten seconds to really make it stick. Work from your pinky fingers in and leave the thumbs for last — this will make your life so much easier.