The Ultimate Guide to Nail Shapes
How to decide on what nail shape suits me most?
The first step is to look at the nail shape you naturally have and your fingers. If your fingers are delicate and slim, rounder shapes will work better. If your fingers are on the wider side, overly rounded shapes such as almond or a sharp stiletto may not look as natural, but a squared oval shape or squoval may take your manicure to the next level!
All of the Nail Shapes Out There
This shape is straight with sharp square corners. No flaring, no narrowing – just a straight shape. These are popular short, but also can be worn long.
This shape is filed from the sides and the tips, creating a lovely oval shape. This is a the go-to shape to make fingers look slimmer.
Say hello to oval nails’ sassier sister – almond nails! Similar to oval nails, this shape is filed on the sides ending with a round, not overly sharp peak. That’s right, just like an almond.
Inspired by the tip of a freshly bought lipstick, this nail shape ends in a tilted triangle. Simply keep one side straight and file the other side down diagonally. Et voila – lipstick nails!
The round nails shape is a timeless classic. Just like square nails, it’s completely straight with the ends curved instead of squared.
Imagine merging square and oval nails, squoval nails would be the result! This means that the nails begins its growth as a square shape, only for the tip to be filed down into a gentle oval shape.
While the stiletto has a gradual sharp tip, this nail shape resembles a triangle with a seriously pointy tip.
This nail shape starts its journey as a square, only for the tip to be cut out in an inverted half-moon shape.
Stilettos are not only high heels, they are also nail shapes! To achieve this shape, file the nail to a sharp end, much more extreme than the almond shape. There’s also stiletto’s younger sister – the square stiletto shape, which means that instead of a super sharp tip, you’ll end with a square tip.
Quick note: To achieve stiletto nails, your manicurist may suggest going got faux or acrylic nails.
The ballerina or coffin nail shape takes its name from the humble ballerina shoe… or coffin! This means manicured edged to resemble a triangle, but without the pointy top – instead, cut off the sharp end and file it to a flat square end.
Quick note: Just like the stiletto shape, ballerina or coffin nails can be achieved using faux or acrylic nails. Often natural nails are not strong enough to carry the shape!
A softer version of the square nail – this nail shape is all about softening the edged of the squared tip.
This a slightly more complicated pointy nail shape. While our whole nail aimed to be a triangle within the pointy nail shape, to achieve this shape, you’ll actually have to carve out a triangle using your trusted file. Not to worry, this shape is mainly achieved with faux or acrylic nails.
Some call it trapeze nails, some call it duck nails, others see them as flares – this shape expands as it lengthens.