Have you ever wondered what kind of nail shape to request from the salon? Does it matter how wide your nail bed is or how long your fingers are? Although getting a manicure is one of the best forms of self-care, making some difficult decisions is still necessary.
In addition to color selection, the shape of your nails can greatly influence how your mani turns out. Your fingers may appear longer in certain shapes, wider in others, or more organic in others. Experts advise that your nail shape should emphasize your finger’s natural shape and follow the natural curve of your cuticle line. Here’s what professionals in manicures and nail art told us.
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How To Pick The Right Nail Shape For Your Hands
Lipstick
Because it can make fingers appear longer, the lipstick form is one of the most popular among Instagram influencers. Both short and long nails look good in this shape. Try filing your nails at an uneven angle and making a diagonal slant that resembles a lipstick bullet to get this appearance.
Perfect for: Short fingers with long or short nails
Round
With a round edge at the tip, round nails reflect the natural shape of the nail. Round nails are the best shape if your fingers are little. It helps make shorter fingers appear longer by softening and slimming the appearance of wide nail beds.
Use your file to follow the natural curve of your nail to create this form. Make sure the top edge is rounded and the sides are straight for optimal results.
Ideal for: Short fingers with wide nail beds
Oval
The oval shape is akin to an almond, but the tip is filed to resemble an egg-like look. Smaller hands with shorter fingers benefit greatly from this elongating design. Because it is filed in on the sides, it tends to give the impression that the nail is longer, “which adds length and subtle drama.”
Use the same filing technique as for a round form to create an oval, but make the shape taller and narrower at the sides.
Ideal for: Small hands with short fingers
Square
Square nails have a blunt top edge and are more straight on the sides. Square nails offer “the illusion of a wider nail bed,” which increases the chance that your hands will appear shorter and more stubby. However, if you have long fingers and a narrow nail bed, square nails look incredibly stylish due to their sharp edges. File in a straight line to achieve the desired nail shape
Ideal for: Long fingers with narrow nail beds
Squoval
The most straightforward shape to keep is squoval, or square-oval. Since this is how most people’s nails grow naturally, all that needs to be done for upkeep is to even out the shape.
To achieve this form, cut your nails [with nail clippers] to the desired square length. Then, round the corners with a nail file. Because it is the most natural form, this one looks best on nails that are no longer than the tip of the finger. It is pleasing on all types of fingers.
Ideal for: Any finger type
Almond
An almond-shaped nail has a broad base, tapering to a rounded tip, with slender sides. Short fingers will appear slimmer and longer with this configuration.
Ideal for: Short, wide fingers
Stiletto
File the sides to resemble a peak form, and make sure the tip is small to complete the design. Long and dramatic, with a pointed tip, are stiletto nails. It’s the hardest to keep up because longer, stronger nails are needed and it breaks often.
File the sides into a tapered point on the free edge to achieve this effect. Long nails look best with this shape, but to keep it in place, you’ll need to fortify your nails with gels or acrylics.
Ideal for: Long fingers
Ballerina or Coffin?
This form is tapered on the sides, like the shape of a coffin or a ballerina pointe shoe. Nails “are narrower than your typical square shape with a squared-off tip” for this design. For people with naturally strong, long nails and slender fingers, this design is ideal. Just square off the free edge to create it.
Ideal for: Slim fingers with strong nails
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