The Best Nail Glues in 2024 – Reviews by Hollywood Life – Hollywood Life

Fix Broken Nails and Apply Nail Extensions With the Best Nail Glues

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Do you like experimenting with all kinds of artificial nails, like press-on and acrylic? To do so like a pro, you need a high-quality nail gel containing cyanoacrylate. Also known as one of the toughest and strongest glues, cyanoacrylate allows you to paste colored nails or a nail tip to get the perfect extension you desire. It is also perfect for pasting decals like rhinestones and diamonds.

Bearing this in mind, we’ve rounded up the leading nail glues of 2024 that are efficient and won't cause your artificial nails to come off easily!

The Leading Nail Glues of 2024 in Detail

NYK1  —  Editor’s Choice

If you use different types of artificial or false nails, your manicure kit needs to have a versatile nail glue like this one from NYK1. Coming to you with an applicator bottle and built-in brush applicator that makes application hassle-free, its strong nail adhesive allows you to easily stick a press-on nail, nail tip, and acrylic nail.

You can also stick different nail art décor with it, like diamonds and rhinestones!

Regardless of your nail bed type, this glue gel will fill all gaps and enhance the binding between your original nail and the artificial one. We consider it the best nail glue on our list, owing to its cyanoacrylate composition that makes it more suitable for shorter nails.

Pros

  • Lasts for a long time
  • Water-resistant adhesive
  • Ideal for different nail arts

Cons

  • Can cause allergies to the skin

Cala-TM  —  Budget-friendly

This pack comes with three small nail glue bottles to help you easily make a portable manicure kit, regardless of the destination. Each bottle is made from flexible material to ensure you get a generous amount of gel after squeezing it. Strong enough to keep artificial nails in place and reduce the chances of falling, this nail glue sets quickly and won’t encourage air bubbles between the false nail and your nail bed–which is an all too familiar problem across users who invest in cheaper brands.

If you love to use acrylic nails, this product is made for you!

Pros

  • Features small, portable bottles
  • Beginner-friendly nail glue

Cons

  • Instantly bonds with your skin

ECBasket  —  Long-lasting

Nail extensions make your fingers look longer and more beautiful. But what if the glue used isn't strong enough and causes the nail to come off? To avoid such unforeseen circumstances, grab this nail glue from ECBasket!

The pack comes with ten small glue tubes, each having two grams content to meet your manicuring needs for a long time. Made from ethyl cyanoacrylate and natural resins, this glue gel lasts for 14-30 days and won’t cause broken or chipped false nails–and to top things off, you can use ECBasket to fix a broken nail and stick false nails and décor items.

Also SGS and MSDS certificated, this certification is credited to their healthier, safer composition that ensures ultimate protection to your nail bed.

Pros

  • Easy to remove with acetone remover
  • One glue is ideal for 20-40 nail tips
  • Dries within 10 seconds

Cons

  • Loses binding strength due to water

Tiphulan  —  Built-in Applicator

To get the perfect manicure with nail art décor or false nails, you must have strong nail glue with no allergen. This is where Tiphulan nail glue comes in! Coming to you with four applicator bottles, the entire pack is best for home DIY and up to 24 professional nail extensions.

Infused with Ethyl cyanoacrylate, this glue not only offers excellent adhesion to false nails, nail décor stores, or broken nails but also stays intact for 14 days to 30 days. It also won't cause the nails to pop off earlier than expected.

To top things off, it comes with SGS and MSDS certification that guarantees no harm to your skin and nails.

Pros

  • Built-in applicator brush for uniform spread
  • Easy to remove from the nail bed
  • Works well with nail tips

Cons

  • Not suitable for gel nails

IBD  —  Easy Application

No matter how strong the glue is, the nails won't remain stuck to your nail bed if you can't spread it evenly. You can add this IBD nail glue to your manicure kit, and as an added bonus it comes with a built-in applicator to help you apply the glue in smooth, even strokes.

Thanks to its strong adhesion property, you can use glue for acrylic nails, nail tips, and natural gels. If you use glue polish nail extensions, this product is made for you.

Another plus? IBD also acts as a top coat, leaving behind a glossy, shinier finish after you are done with nail curing!

Pros

  • Enhances nail paint durability
  • Removal time is pretty long

Cons

  • Can harden quickly if exposed to air

How to Purchase Quality Nail Glue: A Buyer’s Guide

Nail glues have become a prominent element in nail art kits, owing to the skyrocketing demand for different manicuring accessories. You will come across multiple products looking almost similar. This can easily confuse and cloud your judgment, making it quite difficult to settle down with a particular nail glue. Keeping this in mind, we have explained a couple of factors based on which you can make the best buying decision.

The Primary Components of Nail Glues

Your average nail glue will be sourced from cyanoacrylate, which is an organic monomer composed of methyl acrylate, sulfonic solution, and hydroquinone. Often regarded as super glue, its strong binding force helps nails and decals stay in place.

Cyanoacrylate also has some other benefits, you should keep these things in mind prior to proceeding with your nail application: 

  1. After curing, cyanoacrylate easily takes the plastic form, ensuring the nails remain attached to your nail bed.
  2. Unlike other glues, cyanoacrylate retains its strong binding force when exposed to moisture.
  3. Nail glues won’t damage your nail’s texture or cause roughness.

From Our Celebrity Expert, Olivia Elgart:

If you're looking to recreate some of your favorite nail trends at home, nail glue is your best friend. Celebrity manicures are always a source of inspiration for summer nail trends. From Hailey Bieber's glazed donut to Lizzo's glossy French nails, there are so many celebrity nail trends to try this summer. And with a nail glue and some creativity, you can achieve them all!

Things to Consider 

Number of units

Most packs come with more than two nail glue bottles to help you use them for the longest time. For instance, a pack of four or ten bottles can easily be used for 20 manicure sessions. 

Composition quality

While cyanoacrylate is the major component of nail glues, you must check whether any other chemical is added to the solution or not. Usually, most highest-rated glue have natural resins as they act as a nail bed protector. Do not choose a product with a slight trace of parabens, hexanes, or any other toxic component. 

To promote best buying practices, it's better to go for an SGS and MSDS-certified product. These guarantee the absence of harmful chemicals that would otherwise cause several skin rashes and allergies.

Ease of application

Unless and until you spread the nail glue evenly, the artificial nail or decal won't stick properly. For this reason, you should look for a product with a built-in brush applicator. With an applicator, you can easily spread the solution over the nail bed and ensure the artificial nails can stick properly. 

Longevity and strength

To flaunt your nail extensions for the longest time, you must choose a long-lasting nail glue. Some products can last for one to one and a half weeks, while others are more durable and last for more than two weeks. 

Nail type

There are different ways you can use nail glue. For instance, some products are best suited for fixing a broken nail and sticking a press-on nail, while a couple of nail glues work well with acrylic nails and nail tips. 

To promote longevity, you should choose the product based on the type of nail extension you use. If you want to decorate your nails with decals, choose glue suitable for rhinestones, diamonds, and other types of decals.

How to Use Nail Glue for Sticking Nails and Nail Décor

If you do not use the nail glue properly, the false nail will come off within hours. In this section below, we’ve demonstrated how you can make the best out of your experience:

  1. Clean your nails by soaking the fingers in lukewarm water. Use a soft microfiber to dry lingering water droplets. 
  2. Apply a generous amount of glue to the bottom of the artificial nail. Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle to encourage a steady, more controlled flow. 
  3. Slowly press it over your nail bed to eliminate bubbles. To finish, cure it with your UV lamp.