Welcome to Try Before You Buy, a monthly series where we talk about the expensive beauty products and in-office treatments that are the subject of a major buzz and give our honest feedback.

Let me start by saying that I am not the best candidate for squeeze nails. I pick, scratch and slice everything with my fingernails as if it were my personal Swiss army knife. So naturally most of the pressures I’ve tried in the past were quick to snap my fingers within days of applying them, and they never quite suited my unsightly lifestyle. ManiMe gel nails, on the other hand, seems to have been made for someone like me — and I mean it literally.

Not only the ManiMe Nails made of a soft, pliable gel sticker that is not easy to break, crack or break, but they are also custom made to order. Unlike traditional pressure nails, which are usually made of hard plastic and in predetermined sizes, ManiMe’s glue-on nails are made using 3D technology to create the perfect fit for each individual nail. The process involves taking a few photos of your nails and uploading them to the site to complete your virtual “nail adjustment”. Although it might be a bit more complicated than clicking “add to cart”, the whole process barely took two minutes and the results were therefore worth it.

With other press-on sets I’ve tried, there are always several undersized fingernails that feel strained and uncomfortable, and those oversized fingernails that stick to the skin around my nail bed. To use the Goldilocks principle, the ManiMe custom nails are my “just right” option. When I applied the nails, which was as easy as peeling and sticking them, I was in awe of how well they adjusted to the exact size and shape of my nails. I was also glad they had extra space at the top so I could cut and file them to fit my current nail length, which had changed slightly since I had my try-in.

ManiMe nails also have great endurance. I’ve been wearing them for over a week now and they look just as good as day one – and it’s definitely not because I’ve been gentle with them (I haven’t). I even applied one of the stickers to a broken nail that was about to fall off and left me with a much shorter, out of place sticker. Fortunately, the ManiMe adhesive nail held it together and masked all the damage, so my whole hand looked fresh and evenly manicured.

When it’s time to take off the manicure, the brand just recommend peeling off the decals or soaking the nails in lukewarm water for ten minutes before peeling them off to make the removal smoother. A critical said the stickers left a bit of a sticky residue, but it was easy to get rid of with nail polish remover.

In addition to the easy-to-use and hard-to-break benefits, ManiMe manicures are to die for. There are currently 163 styles to choose from, including seasonal solids, on-trend patterns, and limited-edition collaborations. For my first ManiMe set, I chose a green and white checkered option called “Lunch race“and I queued up a pastel gradient option and one red and purple gingham option for my next home manicures.

In the last week of wearing my checkered nails, I have received many compliments from friends and strangers. The other day my waiter at a restaurant stopped halfway taking my order to ask questions about my nails – an instant confidence booster.

To add just one more icing to my already rave review, all self-adhesive nails cost only $ 15 to $ 25, which turns out to be the cheapest option for most salon manicures. So whether you are looking for an affordable but still Instagram-worthy manicure, or just need some nails remade that you hardly can mess up, I highly recommend you give ManiMe A try.