Rave Nailz Review: The At-Home Manicure That Completely Exceeded My Expectations

rav nailz review fake press on nails
Courtesy Rave Nailz

Disclosure: Rave Nailz provided me with a free sample but all opinions are my own and this is my honest review of the nail set. That said, we may make a commission if you purchase any products below.

When Rave Nailz reached out to me about trying one of its nail sets, I was excited, but a bit apprehensive.

The one and only experience I had with fake nails was circa 2012 when I went as Snooki for Halloween (she was popular at the time, I swear!).

The nails were super fun but they came off in less than two days.

So when Rave Nailz boasted that its nails would last up to 2-4 weeks — as much as a gel manicure — I was skeptical.

First Impressions

rave nailz review fake nails press on
Courtesy Rave Nailz

I decided to go with the Celestial Nailz since the dark, moody vibes felt winter-appropriate.

The set came with 24 nails of varying sizes, a little nail file, and some nail glue.

When I took out the nails, I could tell immediately that they were high quality (unlike the junk I bought at CVS a decade ago). They were sleek with a matte finish and looked exactly like they did in the pictures.

Applying the Nails

rave nailz review press on nails fake nails
Courtesy Rave Nailz

If it wasn’t clear already, I’m a total newbie when it comes to fake nails. So applying the glue felt a bit intimidating.

I was also nervous about whether or not the nails would actually fit. I have extremely small hands/nails, but fortunately, they had enough sizes that I could make the set work.

The instructions were clear but applying the glue turned out to be a tad tricky. I was instructed to apply 1-5 drops of glue but the glue wasn’t in a dropper bottle so getting it out took a bit of finesse.

In retrospect, I probably applied too much glue (a lesson for next time), some of which got all over my fingers (oops!).

All in all, they were relatively easy to apply, even for a rookie like me, and now that I actually know what I’m doing, I’m sure it would go smoother next time.

Enjoying My New Talons

rave nailz fake nails review
The finished product!

Once I had the nails on, I felt like a total badass. The nails were long and gorgeous and fit relatively well.

And they were definitely attached strongly. Those suckers weren’t going *anywhere*.

Once I finished admiring my handiwork, I decided to get back to my day, which proved a little more difficult than I thought.

For those who are used to wearing long nails, these nails would be no biggie. But since this was my first time in years, I had trouble picking things up, typing, opening things — basically doing anything! It was borderline comical.

I wasn’t sure how long I could wear them since I felt pretty much incapacitated. But I decided to try a hail mary and trim them with clippers.

I was certain the nails would pop off the second I took my clippers to them (I don’t have regular ones — mine are heavy-duty). But surprisingly, they all stayed firmly in place.

I was able to trim them to a reasonable length and go back to my normal life.

Final Thoughts

rave nailz review press on fake acrylic nails
Courtesy Rave Nailz

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved these nails. They looked great and, more importantly, made me feel great. I’ve already been on Rave Nailz’s website, picking out which set to try next (I currently have my eye on the Dream Nailz set).

That said, I’m probably not ready to wear fake nails on a daily basis. But I could totally see myself getting a pair for an event or a big night out. They’re definitely way cooler than any nails I’ve worn seen and, considering how much it would cost to get this type of nail design in the salon, much more budget-friendly.

Consider me sold!

Lena Finkel
Lena Finkel is the Editor and Founder of Femestella and The Feminist Health Source. Prior to starting Femestella, she worked at People, InStyle, Tiger Beat, and Sesame Workshop (aka Sesame Street). She loves all things Real Housewives and The Challenge. When she's not busy binge-watching TV, you can find her taking an absurd amount of photos of her tuxedo cat Tom.