These Custom-Fit Gel Nails Solved All My Issues With Press-Ons
Adam Gowen
Welcome to Try Before You Buy, a monthly series where we talk about the pricey beauty products and in-office treatments that are getting major buzz and give our honest feedback.
Let me start by saying that I'm not the best candidate for press-on nails. I pick and scrape and slice at everything with my nails as if they were my personal Swiss Army knife. So, understandably, most press-ons I've tried in the past have been quick to snap off my fingers days after I apply them, and they've never quite suited my ungraceful lifestyle. ManiMe's stick-on gel nails, on the other hand, seem to have been made for someone just like me—and I mean that quite literally.
Not only are the ManiMe nails made of a soft, bendable gel sticker that's hard to break, crack, or snap, but they're also custom-made to order. Unlike traditional press-on nails—which are typically made of hard plastic and come in predetermined sizes—ManiMe's stick-on nails are made using 3D technology to create the perfect fit for each individual nail. The process involves snapping a few photos of your nails and uploading them to the site to complete your virtual "nail fitting." Though it may be a bit more involved than clicking "add to cart," the entire process barely took two minutes and the results were so worth it.
With other press-ons sets I've tried, there are always several too-small nails that feel tight and uncomfortable, and those too-big nails that stuck onto the skin around my nailbed. To use the Goldilocks principle, the ManiMe custom-fit nails are my "just right" option. When I applied the nails—which was as easy as peeling and sticking—I was in awe of how well they fit the exact size and shape of my nails. I was also glad they came with extra room at the top so I could clip and file them down to fit my current nail length—which had changed slightly since I did my fitting.
- 25 Available at ManiMe
The ManiMe nails also have some major staying power. I've been wearing them for over a week now and they look just as good as they did on day one—and it's definitely not because I've been gentle on them (I haven't). I even applied one of the stickers to a broken nail that was right on the edge of falling off and leaving me with a much shorter, out-of-place thumbnail. Thankfully, the ManiMe stick-on nail kept it together and disguised all the damage, so my whole hand looks fresh and uniformly manicured.
When it's time to remove the manicure, the brand simply recommends peeling off the stickers or soaking nails in warm water for ten minutes before peeling off to make removal gentler. One reviewer said the stickers left a bit of sticky residue behind, but that it was easy to get rid of with nail polish remover.
On top of the easy-to-use and hard-to-break benefits, the ManiMe manicures are to-die-for cute. There are currently 163 styles to chose from, including seasonal solids, trendy patterns, and limited-edition collaborations. For my first ManiMe set, I chose a green-and-white checkered option called "Race to Lunch" and I've queued up a pastel gradient option and a red-and-purple gingham option for my next at-home manicures.
- 25 Available at ManiMe
In the past week of wearing my checkered nails, I've received numerous compliments from friends and strangers alike. The other day, my server at a restaurant stopped halfway through taking my order to ask about my nails—instant confidence booster.
To add just one more cherry on top of my already rave review, all of the stick-on nails are just $15-$25, proving to be the more budget-friendly option to most salon manicures. So, whether you're looking for an affordable yet still Instagram-worthy manicure, or just need done-up nails that you virtually can't mess up, I strongly recommend giving ManiMe a try.
