imPress Nails (from Influenster)

I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster. For more information on Influenster, there is a button at the bottom of this post. 

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imPress Press on Manicure

How I Got It

First off, a little bit on the Influenster program. It's free to sign up, and easy to get on. Once you're all signed up and have confirmed your subscription, you fill out a bunch of really simple surveys, depending on your likes. Make sure to link your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn/Blog/Google+ etc. accounts, as the chances of you being selected for these trials are affected not only by your scores on the surveys, but also how many people you are able to reach talking about the products.

And then you wait.

If you're Canadian, you wait even longer (there are fewer VoxBoxes for Canadians at the moment, but they are working to get more up north!).

But, eventually, you get... the email. Saying you might be in for a VoxBox. Maybe. Fill out one more survey, so they can be extra sure. It's short and simple. A couple days later, if you get chosen, you get a confirmation email, followed shortly by a shipping email, and in a few days, your VoxBox arrives! Huzzah! Once you get the invitation email, it's actually a very quick process.

It's unassuming on the outside, but treasures lie herein...

The Product & Testing

In the box there were three items:

• An information card with product and Influenster information
• One package of imPress Press On Manicure in D080-Working Girl (black base with silver crackle)
• One package of imPress Disney Villains Press-On Manicure in Evil Queen (purple/green iridescent)

So far, so good! Two full sets = greater chance to get this right!

The products have statements like 'fast & easy', 'no glue needed', 'last up to a week', '24 nail covers, 12 sizes' on the front. The back has full instructions for both application and removal. Seems simple enough. They come in a little container that looks like a bottle of nail polish. Cute. 

I open up the Working Girl set (because, honestly, I like the colour of the Evil Queen more, and if I break them, I would be more disappointed). First off, I have no intention of putting them on my nails today. I'm just playing with them to get a feel for the product. It opens easy enough, and the contents spill all over the counter. Partially my fault (let's be honest), but the 5 displayed on top are also loose, so that was a factor, but by no means a big deal. It was contained spillage. And solid. Really, can't complain.

Here's what you get in the package:

All the bits and pieces from one nail kit

Each nail at a little tab at the bottom that covers the sticky part, and also shows you which end goes towards the cuticle (it's a little more rounded than the tip).

So I start playing with them and seeing what the fit is like. I must have an above average thumb on my right hand, because the largest nail doesn't cover the entire natural nail. I also discover that I will have to trim a couple of my nails to fit under the falsies (I wear gel polish day to day, not to be mistaken with gel nails, so my nails grow longer than they would if they were just natural). The picture on the side of the package shows a nice long nail, but these are actually quite short and barely come to the tip of the finger. 

So at this point I put the nails back in the little container, package it up, and put it away. I'll play with them on Monday when I have time. I'll have to soak off my current polish before I put these on, and I also want the nails to have a bit of time to re-harden after the polish removal before I try to stick something to them. 

Monday:
Okay, my nails have been without polish for about 24 hours. I soaked off my regular polish yesterday and let my nails harden. I have soft nails to begin with, so gel polish has been a SAVIOUR! It lasts for about 2-3 weeks before I have to change it, and about 2 months on my toes! Well worth the extra cost. But I digress...

I followed the instructions layed out on the back of the package of Evil Queen, which had more thorough instructions, including washing with soap and water, and drying thoroughly before using the enclosed prep pad to cleanse the nails. The pack I opened also didn't say to minimize contact with water for 30 minutes after the nails are put in place, so I'll do that as well when all is said and done.  With my nails clean and ready to go, I went to work clipping my nails, since they are normally longer and stuck out under the imPress nails. I had to trim quite a few, actually. Just a note that I'll only take pictures of the one hand. The other one looks the same. So unless I really mess something up, or something goes funky that needs to be documented, one hand will do nicely for this. 

Before the adventure begins

Out comes the package, and I start lining up the nails. Kinda. Some look very similar, but I figure this will help the process.

That's about right... ish...

I start trying to find the right nails for each finger. It's all very 'Three Bears'. Some are too big. Some are too small. Occasionally you find one that's just right. Occasionally. That's the problem with one size fits all. When they're supposed to fit everyone, I find they fit nothing well.

That's about right

The final line-up

This shows the little tabs that you line up along the cuticles well

The fitting took the majority of the time.  Having 24 of the little guys to try helps, since there is more variety, but you're still making compromises. The packaging says if you are between two nails in size, go for the smaller one. 

So, start small. A pinkie is clean and ready to go. The backing is super sticky, but once it starts pulling away it comes off fairly quick. I find the best position of the nail and press. It sticky right away and doesn't lift. So far so good.

One down, nine to go

The peel, place and press process actually goes fairly fast. I finish the rest of the fingers in no time. 

Fingers completed

Fingers with thumb

The whole process, including sorting, applying, watching TV and stopping to take pictures, takes about half an hour. 

Initial Thoughts:

Look: 
They appear little thicker than my normal nails, but they don't look bad. I'm not a fan of the square tips, and would prefer an oval shape. I don't know if they look bulkier because of the colour (I don't usually wear dark nails), but I like the funky, crackled look. My nail sticks out below the imPress nails in a few spots, but unless you're looking for it, you don't see it. I think it is just the look of the crackled ones that don't have the high gloss shimmer, like it's missing the top coat, because the other set, Evil Queen, look shiny and pretty. Some of the nails have ridges at the tip from the production process, but once the nails were on, that was easy to file off gently.

Feel:
They actually feel a lot more natural than I remember false nails feeling. Big plus. They also don't feel like they're going to pop off the first time I scratch something. But they're still false nails, and my fingers feel the difference. I'm used to long nails, so at least typing isn't taking any longer. I think it's mostly the square shape that I'm not used to. Both of my thumbs are a little sore because I guess my nails are more rounded on those fingers, and they're being pulled up. I think this will go away, because they're already starting to stop tingling a bit.

Verdict:

These are good for a quick cover up, but I wouldn't wear them all the time. They're not my cup of tea, generally. I will go back to my gel polish, which lasts two-three weeks and feels more natural. When will I use them? When I don't want to buy a full bottle of gel polish to complete a look, since they are about $13-18/bottle, and I can get a full set of speciality nails for $10 with imPress. If I'm looking for something funky and different, then I will definitely pick up a pack of imPress nails.