At-home manicures are the only manicures that most of us have had in a year.  So it’s no wonder that every few weeks, my feed explodes with ads for Static Nails.  And judging by my Instagram DMs, I’m not the only one.

Static Nails promotes two products: The Liquid Glass Nail Lacquer and the Pop-On Reusable Nails.  I tried both.

Nail Lacquer. First, let’s talk about the packaging.  Specifically how much trouble I had removing the tiny bottles from their plastic chains, and then unscrewing the lids so I could use the product.  Even my husband struggled to dislodge the product, and I ended up using my teeth (I know, I know) to open the lids.

Not a great first impression.

I bought the Sweater Weather set and the colors are really beautiful in person.  The formula offers smooth application and a seriously glassy finish.  I’m pretty sure that I could see my reflection in my nails.

As for the staying power, I type a lot.  A lot.  So any polish that can keep up is tough stuff.  I re-applied top coat on days 4 and 8 just like I usually do to ensure maximum strength.  And I got about 10 days of solid coverage.

That’s a good number, but the results are similar to my Deborah Lippmann Gel Polish and Essie Gel Polish.  The one serious difference between those formulations and the Static Nails was the aptly named liquid glass finish.

Who lived through the days of Lee Press on Nails?  This girl.

Who was really skeptical about the concept of reusable nails?  This girl.

Static Nails makes a Pop On Nail that you apply with “non-damaging” glue.  I purchased the Peony nails above, even though I rarely wear long nails.  I thought it would be a nice change of pace.

Applying the nails required some doing.  They send you multiple widths, and you size them appropriately.  You then file and adjust them to the length and shape you want.  The glue was easy enough to use, and not as messy as I anticipated.

It took me a little over 30-minutes to apply all 10 nails.  They looked nice.  A little fancy, but I was happy with them.  Until two hours later when they started popping off with zero effort.  I lost a thumb nail opening a door.  I lost my right index finger brushing my hair.  Both pinkies came off while I was trying to reapply the other two, and that was it, I was done.

I actually gave the set (because they’re reusable) to a friend to try.  She couldn’t keep them on either.  The text I got said, “I lost a nail changing the channel on the TV.”

Bottom Line.  The nail polish is great.  It’s comparable to other gel polish replacements, but is much shinier.  I love their colors, especially their soft neutrals.  But I’m wouldn’t spend $55 for a nail polish set for anything other than this column.

The reusable Pop On nails are to be skipped wholesale.  I see no way to keep them on.  Even if you do, reviews on other sites say removing them is a chore and results in some mild damage to the nail bed.

If you’re influenced by Static Nails: Buy the polish, skip the press ons.

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