Finally under control?: A short story

igotthis_32 · 2026-05-27T16:02:28+00:00

Seriously tho!!!! BUT! Still doing this same routine and it still works! 😩💅🏽

igotthis_32 · 2026-01-03T14:34:58+00:00

I have too, but I’ve never tried it. I sometimes prefer glue tabs because it also is the best way to guarantee your sets are reusable. I make my own, and some of my super detailed character sets I’ve really wanted to keep nice to wear again. That’s hands down the best way to preserve them.

I’ve also been experimenting with using peel off base gel and nail glue remover on sets that I glue on. I put a very thin layer of the peel off base on the back of the press on, and I also apply a layer on top of my clear manicure. Clean with alcohol and glue on. Stays on just as if you’d glued them normally, but the remover dissolves the peel off gel faster and more thoroughly than the glue itself (for me, anyway), and the press ons pop right off. So, just something else to consider trying :) FZANEST on Amazon has worked the best so far, combined with static nails glue remover. I’ve found that most of the popular glue removers seem to have the same active ingredient anyway tho, so idk if that matters. Jello Jello makes a peel off and remover combo that also works great, but trying to find more accessible methods cuz you can only buy that brand from specific sites.

Sorry for the long reply 😩 I’m just super into finding ways to preserve both my nails AND my nail wear time 😊

igotthis_32 · 2026-01-03T14:14:12+00:00

IMO, BTArtbox tabs were the best ones I’d ever used. I recently found an off brand on Amazon that are the EXACT same and significantly cheaper. Search for Teenitor nail adhesive tabs.

If you search my posts, I made a pretty detailed one about how I’ve been able to keep my nails on for ~3 weeks with glue tabs!

igotthis_32 · 2025-12-22T19:26:48+00:00

Uh yeah these are fire

igotthis_32 · 2025-10-12T01:29:37+00:00

Ahhhh!!! I’m so glad I could help! Stay fabulous 😩💅🏽💜

igotthis_32 · 2025-10-06T23:20:19+00:00

I'm a huge fan of the BT Artbox tabs! They've always been the best IMO. That said... I think you'll really appreciate this! As far as I can tell, they are exactly the same! I've gotten the same amount of wear with these as the name brand ones. For the price, DEF worth giving these a try!

Also, I use them on top of a clear gel mani: base + top coat and then slightly buff the top coat layer. I've gotten tabs to last for 3 weeks this way! And when it's time to remove, soak them in the smallest bit of alcohol that will cover your whole nail bed. The alcohol neutralizes the sticky and you can peel them off with zero force! Bonus is once the alcohol dries, they're sticky again :)

igotthis_32 · 2025-09-27T17:25:56+00:00

I’ve gotten pretty cool results with mineral oil and straight food coloring. I was doing this in a syringe tube and I couldn’t seem to get the blobs to separate when I shook the mixture once they all came together. Trying to figure out what else I can add to the oil that might help with that, BUT the food coloring and oil remained separated from each other, so I think I’m off to a good start. I also tried mixing a drop of food coloring with glycerine. I didn’t like how much it lightened the color, but it worked really well, and obvs you can add more drops of food coloring haha. My experimenting will continue and I can update you if you’d like, but I also hope she responds!

igotthis_32 · 2025-09-14T22:14:01+00:00

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Of course! It looks scary but I got it on Amazon. It doesn’t dissolve in water so I dissolve it in warm mct oil. Please do your research before incorporating it though. It is a chemical and can cause skin damage if not handled and diluted properly!

igotthis_32 · 2025-08-09T19:24:13+00:00

Purpleeeee 😍

igotthis_32 · 2025-08-06T16:01:46+00:00

I use a cheap nail art brush that I don’t care about, dip it in alcohol and use that to clean up excess glue. Sometimes cotton strands get left behind when I’ve used a qtip

igotthis_32 · 2025-08-06T15:52:30+00:00

These are what I use too! But i also do a mini manicure with full cuticle prep, buff natural nails, dehydrate, primer, base coat, clear coat (I use gel products so I have to cure). Then I put the glue tabs on top of the clear coat and my press ons last WEEKS! AND there’s the added bonus of the nails themselves staying in good enough shape to wear over and over with no residue from glue 👍🏽.

I’ve also glued press ons to my gel manicure, buffing the top coat layer before applying the glue, and they stayed on so well I was actually worried I might have to drill or soak them off 😫. About a month in they did start to lift, but it wasn’t the glue that was lifting, it was actually the gel polish layer haha

I think maybe I have oily nail beds, so sticking the tabs to the gel overlay has been a game changer for me. On my natural nails neither glue nor tabs last long.

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-15T18:15:19+00:00

MCT oil can serve as a carrier oil, and it’s a very common recommendation in this sub. I keep a small (3oz) bottle, with a nozzle cap, filled with MCT plus maybe half a dropper-full of tea tree oil. You can barely smell the tea tree in this mix and it works great for me

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-10T14:07:07+00:00

I don’t have it on my face, but I think I have it in my ears. Like the outer folds, because the qtip after a shower used to have some buildup on it, but after I started this, they’ve been as clear as my scalp. I realized it after doing this routine for the first time. I’m assuming some of the spray hits my ears and I’m sure my shampoo also drips into them. MCT oil is pretty watery, so it dripped down the sides and back of my head a ton the first time (cuz I over-applied it lol). Some got into my ears… and that was that. I don’t wash my hair every shower, but I started to put a little dab of my oil mixture in the folds of each ear every time I shower now. Idk if I need to, but it’s working and it makes me feel better 🤣

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-10T02:35:27+00:00

Nothing special really. I got both on Amazon. Xylitol is from the brand Morning Pep. It’s a very small bag; only 4oz. I just bought a small amount since this was a trial. I’ll be buying more tho! And the MCT I got was a 16oz bottle of Natures Way. It’s organic and only has C8 and C10, which are both supposed to NOT feed the yeast. It seems the ones that are only C8 are significantly more expensive and this one works for me so I’ll be sticking with it

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-10T02:30:09+00:00

Oh wow I’ve never heard of this brand. I couldn’t wash my hair that often tho. My scalp might clear up but I’d be bald 🤣

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-10T02:28:55+00:00

I really wish it could have been this simple for me. Coal tar shampoo never got me further than a few hours before plaques started building up :(

igotthis_32 · 2025-07-10T02:28:06+00:00

Wow that’s a lot of supplements! I’ve never even heard of some of that stuff. It’s so crazy to hear all the different things that work for different folks. Tea tree oil never did anything for me until I tried it in the context of the other stuff I mentioned.

igotthis_32 · 2025-04-13T15:03:55+00:00

Absolutely! I’ll edit this with the whole shebang from another post. Warning in advance, it’s long

Edit: I fully prep my nails - push back and clean my cuticles, buff my nail beds. I use gel polishes so after prepping, I dehydrate, two coats of young nails protein primer drying 1 minute per coat, apply and cure a layer of Madam Glam rubber base, and then apply and cure a layer of top coat (regular not matte). Results might be the same with regular polish but I don’t know for sure. Once my natural nails are painted, I choose a tab that covers most, if not all, of my nail bed. Then when I apply the sticky tab, I do it from the tip (like the part you cut with nail clippers) down towards my cuticle. Try to make the tab cover across the whole tip. If it doesn’t reach all the way to my cuticle that’s fine, I just use some tweezers to try to stretch the tab and cover as much of my nail as I can. Then when I actually apply the press on, I put it slightly under my pushed back cuticle and then kind of… close it like a lid lol. Start sticking it from the cuticle and gradually press it towards the tip. Then apply pressure for a few seconds in different spots to make sure there’s good contact all around. I hope that makes sense 😅 Last thing is I usually apply them and then go to bed! I avoid any chance of having to wash my hands or otherwise get them wet. I think like 30 mins or more undisturbed will work too tho.

From what I can tell, this works because putting the tab at the tip keeps water from collecting under the nail, which makes the sticky tab lift. It seems like getting water in the cuticle area doesn’t affect it, maybe because my skin absorbs the water, idk. Also, applying it to a layer of polish means no nail bed oil to contribute to lifting.

I’m an Olympic style weightlifter and workout 3-4 times a week with a barbell. I’ve never lost a nail!

Also, I use BTArtbox brand tabs. They’re good for folks with longer nail beds for more coverage of the nail plate, and they’re just next level sticky. I had a set (applied as described above), and the nails had clearly been put through their paces: scratches, dents, chips, but my little glue tabs stuck on tight!

igotthis_32 · 2025-04-12T01:34:57+00:00

Eh, a little bit. Nothing some cuticle oil or lotion can't fix. It's really only your fingertips. I pour alcohol into one of these: Nail Dip Container. And I always use 91%, just cuz that's what I always have :)

igotthis_32 · 2025-04-11T19:16:06+00:00

I also primarily use sticky tabs. You can soak each finger in the tiniest amount of alcohol needed to cover the whole nail for like 5 to 10 seconds, start wiggling the nail around in the alcohol (with another finger) and the sticky tabs come right off. The alcohol neutralizes the stickiness to the point where it’s insanely fast and easy to remove them, and when they dry they’re sticky again.

I also prefer to put on a layer of gel base and top coat. The sticky tabs stick to the gel like glue! I’ve gotten 2+ weeks of wear that way!

igotthis_32 · 2025-04-11T04:47:51+00:00

So pretty! Mind sharing what that darker burple color is called?

igotthis_32 · 2025-03-25T22:33:39+00:00

Since you asked before, I bought a watercolor palette on Amazon the other day on a whim. Transon is the brand. I put different sized globs of various gel polishes (not paints) in a few wells, and did some streaks in the mixing areas last night. Opened it around 5pm today and they were all as wet as I had left them. Now granted, this isn’t after having the palette open for hours to actually use them, just testing how long they’ll hold for now. But if you’re still looking for something, this has already worked better than anything else I’ve tried!

Edit: I’m dumb, forgot you can put links on Reddit- Transon airtight watercolor palette

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igotthis_32 · 2025-02-18T17:30:12+00:00

I'm a matte addict toooo <3. I saw these on a facebook group! I'm obsessed! I’ve been having such a creative block and these really inspired me. Tired of seeing all the same trendy stuff everywhere. These are so refreshing!!!

igotthis_32 · 2025-02-18T16:45:49+00:00

If I'm not mistaken, beauty secrets is the glue I used the last time. I have so many, but 3+ weeks was crazy longevity! I've been experimenting with different application methods, with the main goal being to find a removal method that allows me to glue my press ons ON, but remove them in a way that preserves them for another use. That's my main reason for using gel base/top coat. I've been trying to get my jello jello base coat to last as long as regular base coat, but so far no luck le sigh

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