The Definitive Guide to Short Press-Ons, From a Lesbian Beauty Editor

Listen up class: We are gathered here today to discuss the best short press-on nails. But before we do so, let us first consult the ancient texts for some important context. Please open your books to Showtime’s "The L Word" Season 1 Episode 3, just over 10 minutes in. As we watch the girl gang test Dana’s “gaydar,” resident heartbreaker Shane McCutcheon’s first parameter for analyzing female queerness is “Look at her fingernails. Are they long or short? Polished or natural?” Now, let me be clear, as much as I love it, the 2004 lesbian drama is often reductive and hyper-generalized, but there is occasionally some truth to it, and while our understanding of queerness today is much more nuanced than it was back then—short nails does not a lesbian make!—there is a fascinating historical relationship between lesbians and their manicures.

Fast forward to today, where I, a self-proclaimed femme lesbian beauty editor, am sitting in my room surrounded by boxes and boxes of press-on nails, all of which I’ve hand-tested (pun intended) against my very gay day-to-day. Here’s my sitch: I love having my nails done, but I loathe getting them done, so I’ve long been a press-on lover, but I’ve often struggled to find press-ons that are 1. Actually cute (why do so many brands think short = square, French and clunky??) 2. Durable and 3. Short enough to accommodate my lifestyle.

Rest assured, though, I’ve done all the heavy lifting, and whether you’re a gay girlie looking for short press-ons that will make it all the way through date night or you just prefer a cropped length for your everyday, here is my definitive list of the best short press-on nails.