I’ve been a habitual press-on nail user for the past two years, and over that time I’ve realized that I can be pretty rough on my hands. From hours spent typing every day to the fact that living in New York City means I haven’t had a dishwasher in almost 10 years, my nails go through the ringer on a daily basis. But nothing is quite as hard on them as the boxing classes I take three times a week.
You might ask why, if I spend so much time wrapping up my hands and punching a heavy bag, I wouldn’t just opt for short nails? Perhaps return to the ultra-short square black gel manicures I wore from approximately 2014-2018? And to that I say, no. I deserve to have style! I deserve the eye-catching designs and long acrylic sets of my dreams.
To be honest, I did think I would have to just get used to scrambling around on the floor to pick up the nails that popped off post-class, or just accept that I could apply a beautiful set one day and have the thumb nail snap in half the next morning. Thankfully, though, the press-ons from Static Nails came through for me in a major way.
Running from $20-24 a set, Static Nails Reusable Pop-On Manicures come in a variety of colors (each of those in multiple shapes and lengths), plus sets featuring the classy, minimalist nail art you’ve probably seen all over your Pinterest feed. Each pack comes with 24 nails of varying sizes, so you can find the perfect fit for your nails, and they’re easy to apply with the glue included in each kit. They also sell a brush-on glue ($8) that you can purchase separately, if you prefer that method of application to the included tube.
Also, the colors are ones I would actually pick out in a nail salon. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like sometimes press-ons come in colors or styles you would never choose on your own? As much as I love an elaborate set, the bejeweled drugstore nails just don’t do it for me. But Static Nails offers over 200 colors, prints and effects, so it’s easy to find something that suits your style. According to founder Alexis Irene, the brand has a meticulous design process, in which they review trending designs and colors, see what they don’t already have, and “create collections surrounding those gaps,” resulting in styles that actually reflect customer desires.
