This topic was recently discussed at the Kitchen Table and one of the gals raved about the French nails she bought at Wal Mart. She even included a photo of her hands and they looked fantastic. The brand she used was Nailene French Nails and she used a different glue than the one that came with them - she used Nailene Ultra Quick Nail Glue with the purple cap.

Here's a link to the thread. There were lots of women who have used them and there's some great tips on applying them too. Check out the photos.

Maire

Here is a link that might be useful: fake nails.

I have gel nails -- sort of one step beyond standard acrylic nails. I always get a French manicure, but skip the pink. I like the natural look better.

The gel formula goes on over the white paint for the French tip. And the gel formula withstands about anything, while the acrylics are prone to damage from solvents. I.e., it's tough to be working on home improvement projects with acrylic nails. The gels hold up great.

The shine on the gel nails is great, and does not wear off. They are a bit more expensive to maintain, but it's worth it to me.

The glue-on nail brand Alisande used was Kiss and the glue was by Nailene.

I bought them and I love them. I bought the Custom Fit nails for Flat Nails. They went on in just minutes and stayed for 5 days until I soaked them off. Some of the styles have a softer white tip than others, and those are the ones I prefer.

I got so many compliments on my nails. They looked professionally done and friends could not believe they were glue on.

I've had acrylics and silk wraps. I don't care for the growing out look. And my nails were damaged and thin when I stopped doing them.

If you soak these nails thoroughly so they melt (don't force them off), then there is no stress on your nail and they stay smooth and healthy.

For some reason I leave my cuticles alone when I have my nails on. Otherwise, I "play" with them.

For $6.00, they're worth a try, I think.

Thanks for the correction Mona. I read her post twice and must have mistaken the brand names.

It's good to hear that if you are careful they won't damage your own nails. That was my only fear about trying them - that - and I've been waiting for the end of gardening season which is just about here.

If I was going to have artificial nails, I would use the solar type. I did it for a number of years, and if you keep up with it promptly to avoid the growing out issues they always look fabulous. There is also no wait for drying polish which I loved.

What I did not like about it was that the people applying it wear masks, and that the chemicals sometimes give you a burning sensation. I mean a really STRONG burning sensation. It only lasts about 30 -45 seconds, but I found it painful.

Recently I have been trying to eat less processed foods, use less chemicals, etc, so I figure anything that can cause pain like that and the techs to wear a mask probably is not that good for me.

I did love that it didn't fade or chip and always looked great. I am going to try to start getting regular manicures, but for me, the polish chips or wears off in a couple of days and I find that very disappointing.

I had the solor nails done in pink and white for a few months, then finally gave up on them. I have very strong and good nails naturally that grow very fast. The reason I wanted the solar nails, was because it lasted much longer than getting my natural nails painted.

BUT! The main reason I quit doing it, was because my nails grew so quick and I had a hard time texting on my blackberry. I liked mine short as possible also, which is hard for the manicurist to do. So, now I just go au naturelle most of the time. Polish just does not stay on my nails! Also, I couldn't pick itty bitty things up very well.

I did, however, try the Shalack (sp?) the other day. That is where they put, I guess, shalack? over your natural nails and it is suppose to last about a month. It lasted about 2 weeks on me, and it is pretty expensive to go every 2 weeks to get it re-done. About $35.00. I don't know if it was the girl who put it on or not, but, mine didn't last. Loved the colors though! But, I won't have it done again.

I read up on shallac. The site I read said it is supposed to last 14 days. How much is a regular manicure? Is it less than $15, and you have to go every week? If this lasts two weeks and doesn't burn I am all in. I just hope they get more places near me soon.

Here is a link that might be useful: CND - shallac