If you follow me on Pinterest or Tumblr you know that I’m obsessed with cute manicures. I just can’t get enough. Sadly, I’m a college graduate that is stuck paying back loans, so I can’t afford to go to a nail salon regularly. One day while looking around the drug store I noticed imPress Press-on Manicure by Broadway Nails. I’ve tried press-on manicures many times for special event. Seeing the Broadway Nails set made me wonder how a press-on manicure would work for everyday wear. It was time for a little experiment. Could these imPress nails impress me?

There were a few different types of press-on manicure sets at the drug store. The imPress set caught my eye because the box said things like “long lasting” and “the only waterproof nails”. The manicure set comes with 24 in many different sizes. Some sets also include adorable little charms that you can stick to the nails for added detail. The box also promised that I could, “wear [the nails] with confidence all week long.” The adhesive on the nails is said to secure like glue and have a gap-free seal. This is due to the special “pressure- sensitive adhesive” that gets stronger when more pressure is applied. How could I pick another brand with promises like that?

To make sure that I could give a fair review of the imPress manicure set I was sure to follow all of the instructions. I read them multiple times to be safe. Application was simple. First, find the correct size nail for each of your fingers. Next, wash your hands and clean your nails with the prep pad included with the set. Then peel off the plastic that protects the adhesive and align the nail with your cuticle. Lastly, press down firmly in the motion pictured in the instructions. Continue to press on the nails regularly for a ½ hour after application for longer wear. Also, avoid water and manipulating (filing/cutting) the nails for 1 hour. The nails came shaped to my liking so I didn’t file them. I made sure to wait until I was ready for bed to apply so that the nails could set without being exposed to water or other manipulation.

Keep in mind that the packaging never clearly states if a week means a 5 day business week or a full 7 day week. Here is my experience: For the first 2 days the nails felt pretty secure. Toward the 2nd evening and 3rd day the nails loosened a lot. By the 4th day, I lost 2 nails and had 2 barely hanging on. That evening I replaced the 2 nails that fell off. I gave up on the 5th day when 3 more fell off at the same time. I had run out of properly sized nails to replace the fallen nails. Once the nails fall off it is over. The adhesive breaks down and disappears, so you can’t stick the nails back on.

I would recommend the imPress press-on manicure set for special events. They would also be great if you want to spice up the work week with an easy and cute manicure for a couple days. I just didn’t get that week worth of staying power and I tried a 2nd time with another set. The biggest plus for me is the fact that the brand features adorable designs and charms. Overall the imPress Press-on Manicure by Broadway Nails didn’t leave me 100% impressed, but they did leave an impression.