12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Quickies Review: I Tried the Best Press-On Nails in 2025
I have visions of DIY manicures from my youth that were chipped, smudged, and uneven. Doing my nails myself is just not a skill that I possess as an impatient person with ADHD. It's fine, whatever! But it has led me to a lifelong love-hate relationship with the nail salon. I've done everything: Acrylics, gel manicures, shellac, gel extensions. They're all really expensive, take forever, and never last as long as I expect them to. And, of course, they always leave my nails so broken and brittle that I've got to start the cycle over again if I want them to look good. I hate it. So, I started wearing press-on nails almost exclusively.
Last summer, as I was coming into my sexuality as a lesbian and seriously dating women for the first time, I felt like my nails didn't really match who I was anymore. I spent the majority of my teen and adult life always wearing long nails. Men thought long nails were sexy, I once read in a magazine (was it an old issue of Cosmopolitan? Perhaps!). They make your fingers look ~slim~ and ~petite~. But it just didn't feel right anymore, and I suddenly found myself looking for press-on nails that were short in length but had all the sick art I was saving on Pinterest. That's when I switched to (and fell in love with) Quickies, a press-on nail brand that offers a mix of shapes and lengths all in monthly design drops that mimic what you get in salons.
Like most of us, Quickies founder Bailey Stanworth started experimenting with press-ons during COVID but was ultimately so unimpressed with the options that, unlike most of us, she created her own. She launched the brand in 2022 in Vancouver with the mission of finally making press-ons that rivaled what she got at nail salons. And with a name like Quickies, just know the branding is clear throughout: it's like if Sabrina Carpenter and Reneé Rapp had a lil press-on baby. It's horny and clever and queer. They wanna nail you! They want you to have a good press! Their tools are called "nail toys"!
But it's not just about the nails. Stanworth has been adamant about making Quickies inclusive and charitable from day one. 'There's nothing wrong with being an exclusive cool-girl brand, but I didn't want that for Quickies,' Stanworth tells Cosmo. She's included everyone from her 97-year-old grandma to nonbinary models in imagery and donates $1 from every order to abortion funds and LGBTQIA+ organizations. Stanworth came out as queer just before launching the brand and says that for her and the Quickies community, there's a strong link between sexuality, nail art, and self-identity. 'I know it's just nails, but I get messages from girls who say Quickies really helps their confidence so much.'
Worn by Ariana Maddix on the Love Island premiere episode, nbd 😜
Also available in medium almond!
FYI: This is a part of the Katie Maloney x Quickies collab!
In each lil bag of Quickies, you get 24 press-on nails, a mini nail file, and liquid nail glue. BTW, the actual bag that your nails come in is also reusable and is meant to make it easy to do your nails on the go or easily chuck in your bag for touch-ups. Stanworth says people use the zip pouch to hold medication, cords, jewelry, and cash. (I can attest to this—it's legit perfect for stuffing my vitamins into for weekend trips.)
Before applying mine, I always give my nails a quick buff with the included nail file (or, recently, I've been using the large one since it launched). This really helps the press-on adhere to my nails for a lot longer, and I can tell a difference when I skip this step. Then, I'll find my fit (more on this below in my review). I always opt for a slightly larger nail than a smaller one to help avoid any premature lifting.
Once my nails are picked out and ready, I take the glue and dab a little bit on the bottom of the inside of the press-on and drag it out to the edges. I really only focus on the lower third of the nail here, and I use much less than you think you need of the glue to avoid spillage once I stick the nail on. For a super secure nail, I'll also dab some glue on the upper third of my natural nail. Same story here: A teensy dot is enough. I'll immediately stick on the press-on nail, hold it for 30 seconds, and that's it.
I've been testing Quickies for over six months, and since I tried them, I haven't stepped foot in a nail salon. I have everything I need in this lil pouch; why would I ever get them done again? Lemme explain.
One set of Quickies lasts me a full seven days on average. That might not seem like a lot to you, but I've never in my life had a press-on nail not pop off for more than three days, let alone seven. I type at my computer for a living; I'm extremely hard on my nails and don't have the time or energy to baby my press-ons so that they last. But the Quickies glue, combined with the substantial-but-not-too-thick material of the nail, really holds on for dear life. I usually end up choosing to take them off and reapply a new set because I get bored, not actually because the nails have popped off. The longest I've had a set last is 12 days, which is unheard of for me with even a gel manicure, let alone a press-on nail.
If you're used to press-ons, you might be wondering: What makes Quickies different? First of all, I find them significantly easier to apply. They fit my nails really well, and now that I've worn a bunch of sets, I pretty much know which nails work for me at this point. I still end up always dumping out the entire zip pouch, but I don't mind because it's way easier than the usual trays found in most press-on nail kits. There's also not nearly as much waste—usually, I toss out three of those damn plastic trays per one set of nails. With Quickies, I only have the one pouch that I almost always keep to hold my extra nails and glue.
But I also just feel like Stanworth gets it on the design front. I don't want my press-ons to look like I'm wearing press-on nails, you know? A lot of the time, I just find that the options on the market are, admittedly, cringey and don't meet my standards, which is exactly the same reason she started the brand in the first place. These always match all the nail trends I'm reporting on and would have asked for at a salon anyway.
Compared to every other press-on nail brand I've tried recently, Quickies is easily my go-to. The brand is conscious (reminder: $1 of all sales is donated to abortion and LGBTQIA+ funds), focused on sustainability, and owned and run entirely by Stanworth, a queer woman living in Los Angeles. But, like, most of all, the products are so freakin' good. I genuinely don't want to get my nails done anymore—a strong feat for someone who had a standing appointment at the salon once upon a time.
I get hella compliments every time I have a set of Quickies on my hands, and people are so shocked when I say I'm wearing press-on nails. I've had so many people open up their Safari app and ask me to type in the brand name so they could purchase later. Friends of mine have texted me "thank you for showing me Quickies!" because they've become fans of the brand too. IDK, I'm kind of an influencer...
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories that range from the floral French manicure trend to ranking the best drugstore mascaras.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
