Old-Fashioned (80s-Type) Nail Glue for Press-Ons?

Hello, everyone! Is there anyone here who remember the press-on nails from the late 70s or early 80s, and, in particular, the glue that came with most sets?

I'm talking about the pre-cyanoacrylate days.

Back then, I remember two different types of glue:

The first was a clear, model airplane-type glue that smelled really funky (and had warnings to use with adequate ventilation!), which dried rock-hard but it wasn't very strong, nor was it difficult to remove.

The second type was this yellowy-orange rubbery type stuff that worked almost like contact cement - you applied a thin coat to the press-on nail, and a thin coat to your own nail, you let both dry, and then you pressed them together, creating a bond. It was pretty durable for a day or so, and if a nail lifted, it retained enough adhesive quality that you could press it back on, and it would still stick. It could be peeled off both your natural nail and the press-on without any harm, which meant you could reuse a set of nails indefinitely.

Type 2 glue was amazing if you just wanted to wear nails for one night.

If anyone remembers the second type, here's my next question: Does anyone know where I can find something like that now?

I absolutely LOVE long, manicured nails, and I love doing my own nail art. The problem is, my lifestyle doesn't accommodate having a set of claws like that 24/7 (nor do I want long nails full-time; I do prefer them short for day-to-day stuff). I type a lot, and I also do computer repairs, so having shorter nails gives me the ability to pick up and manipulate tiny screws and connectors quickly and easily.

But, I'd like to be able to slap on a set of long, sexy, blood-red claws for an evening out now and then.

These days, it seems that nail adhesive is either permanent (or semi-permanent), or very temporary. I can't use cyanoacrylate-based glues for only a few hours of wear, and I've tried nail tabs (the stick and peel ones) but they never last, and I usually end up having nails popping off less than an hour after applying them. Another issue with the tabs is that my nails aren't typically shaped (instead of a c-curve, it's more flat along the top surface of the nail - think of an unused staple, just not as severe); with actual glue, I can modify what goes where.

So, I'm looking for something in between. Something that will give me a good, solid evening's worth of wear, but something I can also take off at the end of the day without having to soak in acetone, file or scrape.

Is there anything like that out there? Thanks!

Submitted August 08, 2018 at 08:23PM by AtomicSandworm https://ift.tt/2OnwS3s