Olive & June Have Reinvented Press-On Nails…Again

Paradoxically, it seems that one of the highest compliments you can bestow on a beauty product is its ability to virtually disappear: The best foundations and concealers are those that feign a naturally dewy, flawless complexion. The best skin care eliminates the need for other products. And the best press-on nails? The ones that look and feel like the real thing — only better, of course. And when it comes to the latter, Olive & June has just about bested everyone else in the game...including itself.

"When we think about being everyone’s best friend for all things nails, we really think about the subcategories the consumer is interested in," Olive & June founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle tells me one sunny afternoon. "The thing is there is a consumer that’s interested in press-ons but likes the ease of polish and is maybe scared of nail glue."

Gibson Tuttle doesn't know it, but she's talking about me: I'm a Virgo who lives for the relaxing, multi-step process of a home manicure. I'm obsessed with nurturing my natural nails but am easily bored — and therefore like to switch my polish twice a week. Enter: The Super Stick Mani, which is a best-in-class reimagination of the classic tab press-on nail.

Here's the problem: Tab nails (which work by sandwiching a peel-able layer of sticky adhesive between the natural nail and the press-on) may be easy and quick to apply, but they have notoriously short wear time. Olive & June's solve? The perfect "low-stakes press-on mani" that combines the on-trend designs and shades you love from faux nails into a longer-wear system that lasts up to a week. (This launch comes two years after the brand launched The Instant Mani press-ons, which have become a favorite of the O&J community.) "The best compliment we can get is when someone says 'I wanted to change my mani. My polish didn’t chip. My press-on didn’t pop off. I decided when I change it,'" Gibson Tuttle explains.

Featuring 31 new shades and designs in two lengths (Extra Short and Short) The Super Stick Mani is, in so many words, press-on nails for people who hate press-ons. Ahead, keep reading as I take the $8 kit out for a spin.

The first step of prepping my nails began with removing my old nail polish with the Olive & June Polish Remover Pot. (I actually use this stuff all the time — it makes the process so easy.) Then, I used the included wooden stick to gently push back cuticles and buffed my nail surface smooth with the mini file. One last go with the prep pad, and my bare nails were ready for some mani magic. 

Just as with the brand's Instant Mani press-ons, I measured each nail size and jotted the corresponding numbers down on the little insert. (Pro tip: Take a photo of your numbers to skip this step when trying other O&J styles!) These numbers corresponded to the glue tabs, making the whole process super-easy and user-friendly. 

Next, time to apply each nail. From past experience, I find it easiest to do each hand at the same pace, working from both pinky nails inward; I’m right-handed, so I’ve run into issues where I’ve done my entire left hand first, but then struggle to do all of my right hand without messing up a nail on my already-done hand. (Learn from my mistakes!)

The whole process from start to finish took around a half-hour — I did my mani while watching the Doja Cat episode of Hot Ones — and the results were pretty perfect: The fit was comfortable and lightweight (they don't have that bulky, acrylic-set feel that you get with some press-ons) and it was easy to type and use my phone with them on. As Gibson Tuttle told me, the Super Stick nails are thinner and more flexible than The Instant Mani press-ons, which makes them super comfortable and easy to pop on. Not only is there obviously zero dry time, but the designs offer something for every mani mood. (I went with Classic French, pictured here.) The finish was as glossy as a fresh gel mani, and they lasted through hot yoga, dog walks, and hours of writing — I have them on as I type this! (Reminder: These are literally $8 each. A solid gel manicure at my local salon is $55.) Finally, I ran the Cuticle Serum pen over my cuticles and sides of the nail to quench any dry spots for that salon-perfect finish.

Olive & June, consider this one beauty secret I will be more than happy to reverse gatekeep.