Do you love collecting press-on nails in all possible colors, shapes, and designs but can’t find the right ones to wear at the right time? Are you also guilty of losing your favorite set or an accent nail in your sea of press-on nails to never find it back again? If yes, you are at the right place.
We have all been through this pain. From not finding what dress to wear for a party to not locating the perfect set of press-ons to go with the outfit, the struggle is real! But when it comes to reusing your DIY stick-on nails, the solution is storing and organizing them properly using the correct supplies and ideas. And, if you are looking for help with the same, spend some time reading the article and learn some hacks for all your nail supplies’ storage woes.
What are Press-On Nails?
Simply put, press-on nails are a popular trend in the nail fashion industry owing to their affordable and convenient way of offering salon-quality nail enhancements from the comfort of your home. Using press-ons, you can get an array of options for fake nails without spending your time and money in professional nail studios.
Press-on nails are loved by all nail enthusiasts because they offer a plethora of benefits when it comes to styling them creatively. The best part is, that you can reuse them to create your unique designs unlike traditional nail polishes and even salon manicures.
Press-ons can be your go-to solution when it comes to DIYing your manicures. All you need is some beautiful designs, a few nail supplies, and learning some application and removal basics, and you are sorted for having beautiful nails every time. But then the concern is, if you splurge on buying hundreds of press-on nail sets, how can you store and organize them properly to make the most out of them?
How to Store Press-On Nails?
Imagine you have bought a new set of press-on nails or have a collection you have invested in for quite some time now. You should reuse them effectively to get a good value for money and to make them safe for the environment. If you throw them away after every use, chances are they won’t be as cost-effective for you and you will also have to get a new set every time with every outfit. Or maybe sometimes, there is just a design that has your heart and makes your hands flaunt every time you wear it. In that case, you need to maintain the quality and longevity of your set for the future to reuse it up to 5 times in the same pristine condition and intact shine.
The idea is to store them properly in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight. You need to protect them from bending or breakages and also need to save them from fading or chipping. You can either invest in a good-quality storage container or opt for DIYing your own organizer. Just be sure you are sorting and storing them in an organized manner so you can locate them later on with ease.
Having said that, just getting a container to store your nails only to throw them all together in a sea of designs will do more harm than good. All your tips, old and new, will be in it and it will be even more exhausting to search for designs that are made to be worn together. You will waste more time and energy and it will also destroy your carefully curated babies. After all, you are not going to remember all your designs always and will not be able to choose the best one for your outfit to flaunt on your date night or your birthday party. And we don’t have time for all those regrets later on in life, do we?
The answer to all your queries is you either invest in a good-quality organizer specifically designed for storing your press-on nails or make one for yourself using any cardboard box. It should have a grid-like structure with individual dividers to sort and organize all your sets along with other nail supplies like nail glues, nail files, etc. It should have plenty of space for saving your press-ons from scratching each other and ruining the finish along with being airtight to avoid dust and buildup.
Ideas for Sorting and Organizing Your Press-Ons
Organizing your press-on nails is essential to keep them easily accessible and prevent them from becoming a jumbled mess. You can sort and categorize your press-ons:
1) By shapes
You can group your press-ons based on shapes by placing together almonds, coffins, stilettos, etc. You can also sort by putting the most used shapes before the rare ones.
2) By lengths
You can arrange the nails as per the lengths from shortest to longest. So, you can choose to wear the set by picking up the length you want.
3) By colors
Store all the warm colors grouped together and all the cool colors in separate groups. So you can have your reds and yellows together and your pinks and blues together. You can also sort from nude to bold so you can choose your set as per your mood and the occasion.
4) By brands
Press-ons from the same brand may come in similar packaging, so you may store them with the pack by grouping the brand products together. You can pick them later by how much lasting you are looking for and which brand claims the most of it.
5) By labels
You may label your containers or drawers for future reference and place your sets accordingly so you don’t have to go rummaging through different boxes looking for that one specific design. You can even label solids and art separately so you can easily find what you are looking for as per your mood.
6) By expiry dates
Press-ons generally don’t have expiry dates but you can sort them by how many times you have reused them. Arrange the most used together and the new ones together to choose your style accordingly.
Choosing the Right Storage Options
You can organize your press-on nails protectively by choosing from different options to store them for easy access to reuse them in the future:
1) Separate Containers
You can use separate container boxes or small storage compartments in a drawer to store different categories. This will make your life easier as you can sort your sets as per your comfort and label the containers accordingly. This way, you have to shuffle through just one or two boxes when looking for a particular design in your mind.
You can further sort these individual containers also for easy reach to save time. You can arrange these containers in your closet or drawers and can reach out for them whenever you need a new manicure.
Also, you can have a separate container to store the supporting nail supplies you need for doing your press-ons, like nail glues, adhesive tabs, nail files, buffers, alcohol wipes, cuticle pushers, and whatnot.
2) Grid Organizers
These are readily available storage boxes with different sizes of grids. You can choose to buy some from a drugstore or Amazon as per the grid size you need. Sort and store your sets together without occupying too much space in your closet. You can label and stack them above each other to never lose a tip and to protect them from touching or scratching each other.
The grids are usually resizeable and you can store your press-ons with the pack or can pick out just the tips to place them in a compact space. These organizers are multi-purpose and can accommodate too many products in a single space. Plus they are not heavy on your pockets and look aesthetically pleasing on your vanity as well.
3) Sealable Ziplock Bags
If you don’t want to have stacks of containers and keep each set separate and well-organized, you may use cards, sticky tapes, and ziplock pouches to create your own storage space. All you need is to have a rectangular card sheet with sticky tape to place your press-on tips in a proper sequence and then store this card in a ziplock pouch.
This is useful if you don’t want to lose appropriate tip sizes and want the art to be visible upright when choosing the design. It helps retain the order of your designs and secures the tips from touching each other within the design. It also protects the set from dust and light and keeps it shining throughout.
You can further sort these packs in big storage boxes sequencing them in whichever way is comfortable to you. It will become easy for you to look through colors and designs when shuffling through sets as it will be visible from the ziplock pouch.
It can even ease your reapplication process. You need to simply pull out the tip specific to your fingernail and apply and follow the same steps in reverse to remove and store them properly.
Maintaining the Shelf Life
Remember when storing press-on nails, you are preparing them for reusing in the future for your DIY manicures. So you need to maintain their shape, shine, and longevity to make the most out of your reapplications:
1) Store them in a cool and dry place. As press-on nails are made of plastic and have pre-cured gel polish, you need to protect them from harsh weather, extreme heat, dust, and moisture or water. This will improve the overall shelf life of your tips. So, store them in a place away from heat, water, and direct sunlight.
2) Keep them clean. After removing your press-ons, make sure you clean the excess glue from the nail tips and wipe them underneath to remove any debris or deposits. Glue residue or dust can damage the tips and reduce the reuse time.
3) Avoid contamination. When talking of cleaning debris, make sure there are no sweat or other bacterial deposits on the surface or below the nail tip. These might not be visible to the eye but can cause dangerous effects if you reuse your nails. Use an alcohol pad to properly clean your sets before storing them to avoid fungal buildup.
4) Prevent air exposure. Just like sunlight and moisture, dust particles and even air can damage and deteriorate your press-ons. Store them in airtight containers or ziplock packs to secure them against exposure to degradation.
The Final Word
Effective storage and organization of press-on nails are essential for prolonging their lifespan and ensuring they remain in top condition for future use. By following the tips and techniques outlined in this guide, you can create a dedicated storage system that not only keeps your press-ons safe and organized but also allows for easy access and reuse. With the right storage and organization methods, you can enjoy the benefits of press-on nails for multiple uses, saving you time and money in the long run. So, implement these strategies today and make the most out of your DIY nail supplies!
