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The promise of a professional-grade manicure you can do at home was given in the '50s by the invention of press-ons, artificial nails made from acrylic meant to be glued on top of your real ones. In the '80s, thanks to new holographic designs and striking neon colors, they became wildly popular. But as trends shifted into neutral (and salons that specialized in nail art became easier to find) at the beginning of the 21st century, press-ons became less commonplace.
Now, 20 years later, press-ons are back — perhaps as a result of the at-home beauty boom prompted by the pandemic — and they still deliver on their original promise…. right? Well, sort of. While the intention of professional results at an affordable price still holds true, many struggle to find press-ons that actually fit their nail beds.
Traditionally, press ons come in packs of 24 to 30 nails that are available in 10 to 12 different widths that vary from 9 mm to 18 mm, depending on the brand. What happens, though, when your nail beds are below or above the average size? (For reference, the average width of a pinkie nail is about 8 mm to 10 mm, while the average width of a thumbnail is about 13 mm to 15 mm.) There simply aren’t enough nails in a pack to cater to a full set of smaller or wider nails.
The Challenge
"I have pretty wide nail beds, so a lot of times I can't put together a set of press-ons that fit all of my nails perfectly. Typically, I'll have some of my own nail peeking out of the sides, especially on my middle nails," says beauty writer Emily Rekstis, who says her pinkie fingernails are about 9 mm wide and thumbnails around 16 mm across. "If I'm able to find a set that is wide enough, it doesn't really deliver the effect I want of elongating my nails." After experimenting with a ton of brands, she finds Dashing Diva Magic Press Design and Kiss Press-On Nails (which recently began offering a wider fit option in some styles) to be the most suitable options.
Influencer Sydne Summer has the opposite problem: "I have small nails, so I can only use about half the nails that are included in the kits. The nails meant for your thumbs and pointer and middle fingers are always huge for me." (Summer's pinkie nail measures approximately 5 mm.) Her go-to is Chillhouse Chill Tips, because the brand offers super tiny size options with unique designs.
Mary Dae Hollender, a press-on user who also characterizes her nail beds as on the smaller side, mentions another challenge. "When a 'petite' nail is offered, there aren't any special shapes other than the traditional 'squoval.' For me, despite needing a petite nail, I'd also like the opportunity to choose from other nail shapes such as coffin, round, or oval."
Because a salon-style manicure is all in the details, creating the perfect press-on requires true craftsmanship. Nail length as well as cuticle shape, nail curvature, and design are all factors that play an important role, and must be considered along with sizing. Is the industry putting in the effort? Some brands are paying attention, but the perfect solution isn't out there yet.
The Momentum
Currently, the most size-inclusive press-ons on the market are by Olive & June. The brand offers 21 sizes for a total of 42 nails in each pack — almost double your typical set — in widths ranging from 5 mm to 16.5 mm. The Best of Beauty-winning press-ons are available in four different shapes (squoval, round, oval, and almond) and lengths (extra short, short, medium, and long).
"We conducted a fit study of over 1,000 people to determine the right range of widths and heights, thickness, curvature, and wear of each press-on nail and worked with our scientists and engineers to develop the most inclusive mix of extended sizes," says Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June.
"Everyday I wake up to DMs from people who found their sizes after struggling to find press-ons that fit with other brands. A few of my besties have clubbed thumbs, and they've been wearing our press-ons since before they launched, because they helped us create the custom molds for the nails. Hearing that people are able to find their best, most natural-looking fit is all we hoped for," Tuttle says. (Several Allure editors past and present with clubbed thumbs also endorse the brand.)
While Dashing Diva has a more limited size range than O&J (6.2 mm to 13 mm wide) the brand has done research to ensure the fit is inclusive for a variety of nail curvatures. Kyunghee Ma, head of product development for Dashing Diva, says the brand relies on 30 years of research and data to determine the sizing of their press-ons. "Our data is based on our R&D team's consistent tests of sizing with real consumers in all parts of the world," she says, adding that the team works to understand the minute differences in nails such as the curvature of nail shapes and cuticle shape. The brand's resin nails are flexible and designed to accommodate all nail curvatures, and are also thinner at the cuticle and become thicker towards the nail tip, allowing the nail to sit flush against the cuticle line.
Potential Solutions
If you're struggling to find your perfect set, there are some hacks to help your press-ons fit as snugly as possible. "I wouldn't recommend taking a set of nails out and just popping them on," says manicurist Vanessa Sanchez McCullough, who often turns to press-on nails for red-carpet looks and photo and video shoots. Instead, if you have smaller nail beds, she recommends customizing the sizing by sizing up and then scaling the width down using a nail file.
Wider nail beds require some proactive legwork — because, unfortunately, all the nail pros we spoke to said there aren't any magical hacks for making standard sizes fit larger nail beds. "Start by measuring your nail bed in millimeters to see what you need in the first place," says McCullough, adding that most brands share their sizing in millimeters online. To do so, place a piece of transparent tape across the widest part of your nail, then use a pen to mark the sides of your nail on the tape and then measure the distance in millimeters. Manicurist Deborah Lippmann also recommends doing your research by reading reviews. (She likes to use Marmalade Press-On Nails because they offer 12 sizes in a variety of lengths, shapes, and finishes.)
While offering more sizes seems like an obvious solution, with more included press-ons comes more waste (most press-ons are made from acrylic resin that can't be easily recycled, even if they're unused). What about sustainability?
Customization could be the answer. One example of this is Nailstry, an app that virtually measures your nails and sends curated press-ons created by nail artists from all over the world. The challenge, however, is how to bring this technology to the masses. Right now, larger nail companies aren't set up for this type of customization as it would take almost a complete overhaul of their manufacturing centers.
Summer offers what might be a simpler solution: "I wish nail kits came in three sizes, like small, medium, and large, similar to gloves. This way you could actually use the majority of the nails in the kit and wouldn't have to toss a ton of them." Sounds like a good start to us.
Read on for more nail inspiration:
- 32 Short Nail Designs That Prove Elaborate Manicures Are for Everyone
- The 7 Biggest Nail Trends in South Korea Right Now
- 35 Anime Nail Art Ideas That Look Like They Were Pulled Off Your TV Screen
Now watch the history of manicures:
