Press-ons let you try a shape or a color you would never commit to at a salon, so it helps to have a few different sets around. I like to alternate, partly for fun and partly so my natural nails get a break between applications.

OPI's On Point Press-On Mani is a good place to start if you love the brand's polish shades. Fluent in French is a nude French tip, and Suzi Without a Paddle is a pastel blue, the one I would try when I want more personality. Tip Beauty's Birthday Suit and Legally Blonde are the two names I would reach for when I want something light that works with denim or a dress.

Ardell's Nail Addict Naked sets are built around nude bases. Maven and Innocent are both quiet, natural-leaning looks, and they are what I reach for when I do not want anybody to notice the manicure at all.

A quick tip: try one new set on the weekend before an important event. You will learn how it behaves on your hands, how long the application takes you, and if you like the length, without any pressure. Keep the leftover nails from each kit in a small tin, since a spare in the right size can rescue a set later, and it is worth noting which sizes you use most so the next application goes faster.

The nail you cannot see is the one that decides how long a manicure lasts. Skin around it matters as much as the press-on does, and a set looks better on cuticles that are calm and soft.

Before you apply, push back the cuticle gently after a shower, when it is soft. Wipe each nail with rubbing alcohol so that the oil on the surface does not stop the adhesive from holding. Then put a small drop of oil on the skin, not the nail, after you have pressed the set on.

L'Occitane's Strengthening Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil is a shea-based oil in a small bottle, and I keep it at my desk. Dior's Huile Abricot Nail and Cuticle Serum is the more polished pick, a favorite to give as a gift. Sundãri's Lotus Oil is a hand and cuticle treatment, and Dermelect's Rejuvenail is a nail and cuticle treatment I would use in the days before a new set. Clinique's Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream is the thicker option for nights.

What I would skip: pulling a press-on off when it feels loose, and using oil on the nail plate before you apply, because it stops the glue from gripping. If a nail begins to lift, press it down again and hold it. Soak in warm soapy water to take a set off.

My routine is short. Prep the nail, press each one and hold, then oil the cuticles at night. A good set lasts several days of everyday life, and you can help it by wearing gloves for dishes and using your knuckle, not your nail, to open a can.

When you remove a set, do it slowly. Soak your fingertips in warm water with a bit of soap, then slide a soft stick under the edge. Forcing it off is what damages the nails, and that defeats the point of choosing press-ons over a gel manicure. Rest for a day or two, use the oil daily, and file any rough edges before you apply the next set. I like to keep a small file and a spare nail or two in my bag, so a snag on a busy day is a thirty-second fix instead of a reason to peel the whole set off.

If nails feel painful, look discolored or keep splitting, ask a doctor or a nail professional. A manicure should make hands look nice, and it should never hurt.