We worry that we have the perfect garment, that fits well and flatters our body shape and compliments our skin colour. We find cosmetics that hide our imperfections and highlight the features we like the most. What about our hands, though, and most particularly, what about the shape of our nails? Do any of us take the time and trouble to find the most attractive nail shape for our hands? A professional nail technician would generally advise you to mirror the shape of your cuticles but, if you want something a little different and are not a nail technician, most of us would not know what shapes are possible. This post will help you find the perfect nail shape.
SHORT NAIL SHAPES
Short nails are unlikely to inflict harm and are super easy to clean. These are the perfect solution for busy mums and anyone dealing physically with other people.
MOUNTAIN NAIL SHAPES
Mountain shaped nails are beloved of pop stars and reality TV personnel alike: Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, to name but a few. To get this shape, you need a little bit of length to the nail. Imagine you have a mirror along the centre of the nail and file from where the nail leaves the side of the finger’s skin, to a point towards the middle of the nail edge. Repeat on the other side, to get a perfectly symmetrical shape. This shape is fairly conservative and suits slim fingers the best, if they are not to look too much like the talons of a raven!
STILETTO NAIL SHAPES
Stilleto nails are often thought of as a bit Goth, but judging by this year’s catwalks, they’re definitely making a come-back. Perfect for those who’ve lost their pea-forks or those who love a bit of nail art, this shape is the one to go for but – Ouch! -be careful not to scratch yourself! Achieved in a similar way to the Mountain shape, simply work on a longer nail and make a narrower v-shape to the point at the centre of the nail edge.
ARROW HEAD NAIL SHAPES
Arrow head looks a bit like the tip of an ink pen. Definitely different, but a shape that could induce the most conservative to give it a whirl: it is appealing to perhaps a literary sector of the population. To get this shape, file the sides of a fairly long nail, into a rectangular, train-track straightness on either side. Then, about halfway along the free-edge (the very outer edge or tip) of the nail, begin to taper the nail into a v-shape, a bit like the Stiletto nail shape. So, you should finish with an initial straight side, that then sweeps sharply into a v-shaped point.
ALMOND NAIL SHAPES
Almond shaped nails are a timeless beauty: discrete and classically elegant and suit pretty much all finger shapes, sizes and age groups. This shape is similar to the round nail, which simply reflects a rounded cuticle shape, if you’re lucky enough to own one! Start by imagining a c-curve for a cuticle shape and then file the sides of your nail into a straight rectangle ‘train-track’ – i.e., like the beginning of the Mountain shaped nail: straight on either side, like train tracks. Halfway along the free-edge, begin to taper your nail gradually and more curved and less direct than the v-shaped stiletto. Keep in mind that imaginary mirror, down the middle of your nail, to try to achieve a mirror image, a perfect symmetry, on either side of the nail. Make sure you have a soft and not pointed end of the nail. The end should be a c-curve, but narrower than the cuticle’s width. It’s a difficult shape to achieve but – as with all great achievements – practice makes perfect!
ROUNDED NAIL SHAPES
Rounded nails are the perfect mirror image to a rounded cuticle. A ‘c-curve’ free-edge that should be the same width as the cuticle. This nail shape can be long or short and suits a slimmer finger.
OVAL NAIL SHAPES
Oval nails are c-curves for both cuticles and free-edge, with straight train-track sides. Simple and endearing – really pretty for all finger shapes and sizes.
SQUARE OVAL NAIL SHAPES
Square oval looks difficult, but is surprisingly easy to achieve. You need to start with a longish nail, file the sides into straight train tracks, where possible. At the free-edge, this is where the fun starts! Imagine this very edge of the nail is split into 3 equal segments. With the outer 2, file down into a mitred shape: not the train track straight sides, nor the v-shaped sides of the Stiletto, but somewhere in between these. For the middle segment, simply round off, avoiding what could otherwise resemble the point of the Stiletto shape. Voila!
SQUARE AND LIPSTICK NAIL SHAPES
Square and Lipstick shapes follow the same format as the Square Oval shape: both have the same straight train track sides. The difference is in the finish. The very edge (or free-edge, if you’ve not discovered its technical name yet!) should be filed straight across, without angle, for the Square shape. Try to blunt off the outer edges, though, if you don’t want to scratch your face or ladder your tights! With the Lipstick, instead of a flat straight filed free-edge, keep a bit of the train track sides remaining, but with the rest, file a perfect 45 degree mitred edge and you’ll have this striking shape in no time. Blunt off the very sharp edge a little, though – you don’t want to cause an injury! This shape looks absolutely fabulous with French manicured edges of different colours. Experiment a little, with nail polish colours that compliment your outfit, shoes or handbag and enjoy your fabulous autumn nails!
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