I tried push-on nails – I couldn’t flush the toilet and they flew off into the jacuzzi
LIKE many beauty lovers around the world, I love getting my nails done – not only does gel last longer than regular polish, but I find the little pampering session therapeutic.
What I don’t like so much, however, is the bill at the end of each session, which costs me around £30 depending on the design – or a whopping £60 a month, considering I get a fancy mani twice a month.
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As I’m currently saving for the trip of a lifetime to India next year, I’ve come to the realization that shelling out a mini-fortune for nails may not be the financially smartest decision – and perhaps I did just that. to give up my visits to the nail shop.
Since I’m not one to walk around with bare nails, I decided to see which popular press-on nails could help me cut costs—and whether the at-home manicure can stand the test of time.
From simple monochrome designs to what I would best describe as dangerous claws, the high street offers something for everyone – with prices from just £1.50.
Here’s how it went next…
Elegant Touch, Cat Eye French Press-on Nails, £7
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One of the retailers I discovered that offers a wide variety of false nails is Boots – they are out there French tips for sale for €6 Polished nails in a beautiful deep red shade for just £3 and up.
However, despite the extensive collection, I ran into a small problem: I realized that the nail on my thumb was too wide for most handbag-friendly choices.
After going through all the options available at the store, I came across one of the few finds that matched my nail beds: Elegant Touch Glitter Nails.
The pack, which contains a total of 24 false nails and a special nail glue, retails for £7 and features the trendy chrome design with a subtle shine – ideal for the festive season approaching.
Applying the artificial nails did not take long at all and was not messy. However, you have to be careful with the glue because it dries quite quickly.
Being an avid gym goer who spends hours lifting weights, I never opted for long nails for fear that they would be impractical and that I wouldn’t be able to continue my day with these claws – and as good as I think that was.
Although these nails looked beautiful and made my sausage fingers look slimmer and more elegant, normal daily tasks proved to be a big challenge, like flushing the toilet.
It felt like the nail on my index finger was going to fly off, so I had to resort to bending my finger in a strange way after going to the bathroom.
Maybe I’m just not used to rocking long and sharp nails—and kudos to anyone who can function with them—but even taking off my sports bra was harder than I thought.
Another task I was terrified of was trying to put my contact lenses in, but somehow I didn’t gouge my eyes out.
If you’re a gym bunny like me and enjoy lifting weights to stay mentally healthy, that’s good news: the sparkly claws didn’t get in the way of deadlifts and other taxing exercises.
There were no notes on the box about how long the press-ons would last, but they held up solidly for over a week, with no fallen soldiers that I had to reapply.
Design: 10/10
Price: 7/10
Functionality: 6/10
Sustainability: 10/10
Ardell gel nail strips, £10
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Being one of the newest additions to stores Ardell gel nail stripswhich you can find for a tenner at Superdrug, but you have to take the Ardell LED gel lamp separately for €15.
The easy-to-use strips are available in a range of beautiful trendy designs, such as a little cute nude moment, a marble effect print with gold speckles and a sparkling black manicure, to name a few.
Each pack contains a total of 16 nail strips, a mini nail file and a wooden stick to push back the cuticles, as well as instructions on how to use the kit for best results.
According to the instructions on the back of the package, I used a manicure prep pad to clean the nail beds (not included) and shape my nails.
Once I was done, I selected the strips that best matched my nails. If you’re between sizes, the brand recommends sticking with the smaller one.
I then pressed the strip down firmly and smoothed it out, applying extra pressure along the free edge of the nail, before curing under the LED light for a minute and trimming off the excess.
Unlike the feline claws, these gel nails were, unsurprisingly, more comfortable and practical, and didn’t get in the way of my normal daily activities.
Indeed, with a beautiful shine, it looked like I had just left my local nail salon in London – although the brand promises an impressive two-week durability, this couldn’t be further from reality.
Maybe I hadn’t followed the instructions properly, but three days later there was some chipping – and one by one the gel strips started to come off.
Although they’re easy to remove if you want to switch designs, the price didn’t reflect the poor quality – which was a shame as I received loads of compliments on the festive red nails I chose.
Design: 10/10
Price: 4/10
Functionality: 10/10
Sustainability: 2/10
French Nails – Ombre Delight, £6
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During my painstaking search for press-ons that would fit my wide nail bed, I also found this one French Nails – Ombre Delight from Boots, for which you only get €6 back.
With an impressive rating of 3.8 stars online, the artificial nails promise beautiful results that would last up to seven days – which unfortunately did not meet my expectations.
As with other Boots purchases, I carefully applied the plastic nails with the glue provided – but they were so ridiculously long that I had to file them down quite a bit to make the false nails just that little bit more manageable.
Once again I was forced to use the special finger bending method to flush the toilet – and even typing on my laptop proved a huge challenge, let alone attempting to reply to my friends on WhatsApp.
From what age can you take children to have their nails done?
MOTHERS have sparked controversy after letting their children get acrylic nails. But how old do they have to be to have them legally exported?
According to National Occupational Standards, anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
They also need written permission from a parent or guardian.
It is also a good idea to check the salon you are going to, just to ask if they offer services to children.
Due to their hideously long and claw-like shape, every word I typed ended in a typo – and I quickly gave up, before resorting to sending voice notes to save time.
On the fourth day of playing these affordable press-ons, my friends and I headed to a spa vacation we’d agreed on a while ago — and while I was chilling in the jacuzzi and catching up on the latest gossip, I discovered I thought one of the nails had flown away.
I was beyond shocked – not so much from having to walk around with a missing nail, but more so from some poor person who was enjoying his relaxing time and was suddenly greeted by a lone nail in the water.
Luckily – for me and other spa-goers – the nail mysteriously appeared out of nowhere right next to me, before I immediately picked it up and put it in my bag.
Design: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Functionality: 6/10
Sustainability: 6/10
Poundland Range
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The popular discount store is the best choice if you’re looking for the cheapest DIY manicure, with most nails selling for just a pound or £1.50.
The options are indeed endless – I saw a simple white set with intricate forest green details for that pop of color, nails with sparkling gemstones if you want to add extra shine and glamour, and more.
However, if your nail beds are anything like mine then Poundland is not the store for you as none of the sets fit my wide thumbs and I had to leave the store in great disappointment as I had seen so many rave reviews online.
“They last for days and don’t ruin your natural nails like acrylic nails do!” wrote a super fan of the budget store.
Design: 10/10
Price: 10/10
