The 15-Minute Manicure That Completed My Lazy Girl Lifestyle

Whether it’s a television show, movie, book, underground cultural phenomenon, or beauty product, there are certain seemingly small things that have actually changed the course of our lives. In our Life Changer series, we’re sharing the things that helped us become who we are today, and hopefully, inspire you to try them out for yourselves.

I know what you’re thinking: “Press-on nails? Excuse me?”

Let me give a little backstory here. Back in my early high school days, I was quite a fan of extra-long, extra-excessive acrylic nails. It annoyed my mother to no end, but, as long as I did well in school, she allowed me to spend my shitty part-time job paychecks on the tackiest, most ornate sets of nails that I could dream up in my 15-year-old mind.

Fast-forward a few years: Short, perfectly clean nails were having a moment, and so I let my long nail obsession take a backseat. I swapped my biweekly acrylic fill for painting my nails at home, which slowly but surely turned into painting them “every once in a while." This, of course, meant that I was sure to let whatever polish I chose to die a slow and painful death until it became nothing but a faint speck above my poorly tamed cuticles. I was lazy. Sue me.

Fast-forward a few more years, and claw-like nails are back on the rise: stiletto tips, coffin shapes—you name it. The difference between the last time I had long nails, 12 years ago, and now is that because of my job, I currently spend a majority of my waking life typing away on a computer keyboard or an iPhone screen (rather than answering the phone at a New Jersey pizzeria), so having a set of daggers glued to my fingers isn’t exactly practical, at least not for an extended period of time. And, to be completely honest, I am way too lazy for that kind of upkeep.

That’s where Static Nails’ press-on nail kits come in.

These 10 little miracles let me relive my dream of having the perfect set of weapon-like nails, for whatever (short) amount of time I desire. The best part? They take literally 15 minutes to apply and look legit as hell.

The first time I tried a pair of Static Nails, I had a birthday party to attend that evening, and I was really trying to look my jazziest. As per usual, my bare, flaking real nails looked like trash (I really can’t remember the last time I took my biotin supplement because, as I stated earlier, I am lazy) and I had no time to sit at a salon. I grabbed the Holographic Spill kit that had been sitting on my desk for a few weeks and decided to give them a go. And I'm so glad I did.

Static Nails are nothing like what you might imagine press-on nails to be—you know, the box you find on the clearance shelf at the drugstore. In contrast, Static Nails are chic and stylish; they’re pretty much everything you could ask for from something that didn’t naturally grow out of your own nail beds. My clear, holographic set had a glass-like effect that got me compliments for days in both dimly lit bars and in broad daylight—and not one person was able to call me out for gluing them on myself. They were both the perfect amount of sass and the perfect amount of class that I needed for that evening—and for my life, in general—without the hefty commitment of a gel manicure.

Sets are available in a range of trendy shades and styles. Think: a combination of nudes, holographics, and glitter ombres, in a variety of lengths and shapes. They’re also easily shapeable by file and can be painted over, so you really have the freedom to do whatever your lazy little heart desires.

They cost around $16 each, with special-edition Swarovski crystal-encrusted sets priced at $38, and include 24 nails (with 12 sizes per hand), non-damaging nail glue, a file, a buffer, and a tiny, silky pouch to carry around your extra nails and glue in case of an emergency (because realistically, toward the end of your manicure, a nail could pop off now and then).

Check out the full collection here—and prepare to transform the way you look at manicures forever.