imPRESS Press-on Manicure Review

Another product I received in my Influenster Holiday Voxbox was the imPRESS Press-on Manicure in the design 'Space Cadet'.  I have seen this brand in stores for a long minute, but never paid too much attention to it.  I am very much a fan of the natural nail, venturing into acrylics in high school and deciding that they were not for me.  Now that was half a lifetime ago!  When I saw these at the store the first time, I was intrigued.  I was even more curious when I saw there was a package in my box.  According to the site:

"Introducing imPress Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails, the revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPress is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all 36 colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPress, your nails will always be your best accessory.

imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!"

First I would love to talk about the packaging.  I'll be the first to admit that the packaging definitely grabbed my attention.  It's shaped like a little polish bottle. 

When I was getting ready to begin the process of applying these, I had difficulty getting the little bottle shaped package open.  I struggled with the black lid for a while, and once I got that open, it took me at least another 5 minutes just to open the clear part.  I guess it's good that the container is child-proof!  On a side note, I can now open it very easily.

Anyways, I sized up all my nails and trimmed them very short.  I then used the prep pad that came in the box as well.  Slowly, I began peeling the backing of the nail and applying them square to the cuticles.  I would hold each nail on for a long count of five and move on to the next.  They are very easy to apply.  As I got closer to my thumbs, however, they got a little more difficult.  I have long nailbeds to go along with my long fingers.  Since these nails are considered 'sport length', they were just too short to cover my full nail.  Here I cheated a little and put them a bit lower.

Here is my full hand:

Sorry about the large image.  So from close inspection, you can see the shine.  You can also see how the press ons don't quite fit right on my pointer finger and on my thumb.  They also bump out along the thumb, as can be seen on my thumb.

Here's what they look like on both hands:

Sorry about the quality and the size again.  I just wanted to show you how gorgeous they are.  What was sad for me was that I was only able to wear them for two days.  Even a couple of hours after putting them in, they felt like they would come off doing random tasks.  They lasted through washing the dishes and other household tasks.  They also lasted through my hot showers.  What they didn't pass was the hair test.  I have VERY long hair.  It falls almost to my waist.  Every time I would go to brush my hair, some strands would make their way between the press on and my natural nail, tugging and pulling my hair. 

This brings up another point as to how water tight the nails are.  Because water can seep in under the nails and stay there, it's a perfect environment for bacterial and fungal infections. 

Removal was quick and easy, and I can say that they were really stuck on.  There was a little bit of peeling on the surface, but a light buffing can take care of that.

Overall, this is a pretty good product if it were for more of an emergency situations.  If you have longer nailbeds, it might not be an ideal fit.

Check them out at impressmanicure.com/ for more information and a peek at all the colors and patterns they offer and more.

FTC Disclaimer: As mentioned above, these products were provided to be my Influenster for my review. As always, any opinions provided are honest and my own.