Friday, January 6, 2012

imPRESS Press-On Manicure

impressI recently received a complimentary imPRESS Press-On Manicure kit by Broadway in my Holiday Vox Box from Influenster. If you like trying new products, I highly suggest you high tail it over to the Influenster website and sign up now. This was my second box, and it's been such fun to have the opportunity to check out new products.


Broadway's imPRESS Press-On Manicure kits are sets of fake nails that come in a clever nail polish bottle package. Mine were a solid pinky color, but they also come in fun patterns. When Bethany saw my kit she couldn't wait to try it. I told her to go ahead, but unfortunately she rushed through without first reading the directions before I could stop her. Therefore she didn't use the enclosed cleansing pad to clean her nails before putting these on, and I think she also may have put them on upside down. The result was that they didn't stay on. Within a very short time, several fell off, and she ended up removing all of them. She was disappointed, but maybe she's learned a lesson about following directions.

I decided to give them a try, even though fake nails are truly not my thing. I never, ever use them. Even on my wedding day I had natural nails. A variety of sizes come in the kit, and I was able to find nails that fit mine pretty well. If anything, I would say they are a little big, which is okay because my own nails did not show at all. I carefully cleaned my nails with the included cleansing pad, let them dry for a minute, and applied them to the exact specifications of the directions. Each nail has a little tab where you pull of the adhesive covering, and the side with the tab is the bottom, which goes along the cuticle line. I pressed them on really firmly, holding each one down for several seconds before moving on to the next one. The directions suggest to lay the nails out in order before getting started, and to do the thumbs last. That is what I did and it worked out well. For my first time applying fake nails, I think it was really easy and I give myself an A+. I have to admit, they looked good. My nails are kind of small, and I don't keep them very long, so it was fun to see myself with some really nice looking nails. They made my hands look totally different.

Unfortunately, as I said, fake nails are just not my thing. I kept them on for a couple hours, did some typing, and washed my hands and face with them on. They never felt loose at all and I was surprised that they didn't feel as unnatural as I feared they would. But I was still desperate to get them off. There was no way I was going to bed with them on for even one night, so I was unable to test the claim that they last for up to a week. I'm sure if you're a normal woman who doesn't suffer from claustrophobia at the thought of artificial nails being stuck on your nails, you'll do just fine. I followed the directions for removal, and applied nail polish remover along the edges of each nail with a cotton swab and let it sit for a minute. Then I peeled the nails off from the sides. They were definitely a lot more difficult to get off than to get on, which is great when considering most people want them to stay put for as long as possible. I went over each of my nails quickly with a little polish remover, and there was no residual adhesive at all.

My verdict is that I don't think I'd buy these for myself, but I would get some for my daughter to try for a special occasion. And I would put them on for her next time to make sure she fully understands the correct way to do it. I think they're perfect for a wedding or a night out when you want to look extra spectacular.

ImPRESS Press-On Manicure kits are available in 36 colors and patterns, with solid colors retailing for $5.99 and patterns retailing for $7.99. They can be found at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, Kmart, Walmart, and Walgreens. Visit imPRESSmanicure.com to download a $1 off coupon and check out all the colors and patterns. Thanks Broadway and Influenster for giving me the chance to try something new!

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