I like to consider myself adventurous with my nails. For me, this means embracing hot pink over pastels, wearing a wine color when it's not winter, or tracing a single stripe down my thumb. (Wild, I know!) Still, when the brand-new SinfulColors CLAWS press-on nail manicures arrived at my doorstep just before their late April launch, I felt a moment of hesitation. There was camo. There was glitter. There were sheer press-ons — aka "jelly nails" — covered in Sailor Moon-level hearts and stars.
Which is exactly why you should pick up one of the under-$10 packs. "I love that there’s so many different styles in this collection, so everybody can find their perfect ones," Naomi Yasuda, celebrity nail artist, tells me over Zoom. Yasuda designed eight of the nine inaugural CLAWS — with SinfulColors' brand ambassador Bebe Rexha creating the last, punk-rock set. "SinfulColors is known for very bright colors, so I wanted to use a lot of colors for this collection," the nail artist adds.
Even with the celebrity designs, CLAWS won't break the bank. The 2D designs retail for $5.98 per pack, with the 3D designs bumped up to just $7.98. "I know that everybody can’t go to like, a fancy nail salon. But these press-ons are so affordable," explains Yasuda. “So, everybody can have access to fun nail art."
Thankfully, Yasuda walked me, a press-on newbie, through applying the nails via Zoom — though you'll be able to figure it out in minutes on your own. Each CLAWS pack bundles together everything you need, including a mini cuticle pusher, file, and a cleaning wipe. There are 24 nails total per pack, too, just in case one press-on pops off when you least expect it.
I opted for the My Party set, that aforementioned jelly design covered in colorful, cutesy graphics. Yasuda recommended that I clip my nails pre-jelly, so I started by getting them as short as possible. Then, I wiped them down with the included cloth, did a bit of cuticle maintenance, and began applying the adhesive tabs. For other press-on rookies out there, these are what keep the faux nails adhered to your actual nails.
All of my previous press-on fears — that they wouldn't fit, might pinch, or would make a sticky mess — were quickly assuaged once I finished the job. I've spent a lot of time swooning over jelly nails in the past, and I really don't think anyone would be able to tell that these cost $5.98 or that I'd done them all on my own. (Well, other than the fact that I accidentally repeated the same print on two fingers. Try not to do that.)
Taking them off ended up being easier than I would've thought, too. SinfulColors includes a how-to guide in the pack, but you will need a cuticle oil of some sort to help wiggle them free; I ended up using a moisturizing hair oil, as my stocked-up nail stash somehow doesn't include cuticle care. (Again, user error here.)
But even with the occasional rookie bump in the road, I can safely say that SinfulColors CLAWS are well worth their way-low price tags. Below, the CLAWS designs I want to try next.
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