If you have naturally long or very short nails, how do you file them to enhance them? Which shape to choose and which colors of nail polish will suit us best? To find out, here are all the tips for beautifying your nails.
To determine the best shape to give to our nails before having a manicure, it is important to observe them: do they grow in a parallel or fan-shaped way? Are they fragile and brittle or naturally strong? What is their “natural” shape?
All these details will determine the shape we can give to our nails.
Round nails, the perfect shape for short nails
Whether by choice or by spite, we have rather short nails. If they tend to break or split, this is the length to choose. By filing our nails with round tips, we will prevent breakage and splitting. We prefer this shape if we have long and thin fingers. On the other hand, if our nails are small, if their birth is close to the end of the finger, we try to reinforce them so that they grow and we privilege oval forms.
Oval nails, for medium-length nails
This nail shape is the most common manicure. It suits all types of nails and has the advantage of refining the fingers. To get it, we file the corners of our nails to create a slight rounding and give them a chic look with an almond shape.
Square nails, for medium to long nails with a strong personality
This is a manicure with character. If you choose square nails, it’s because you’re lucky enough to have healthy nails that aren’t too fragile and long enough to be able to trim them in the way you prefer. For square nails, the sides are filed parallel and the tips very straight.
This shape is ideal if our nails grow naturally with parallel edges. Be careful, on long nails, a square shape creates more risks of breakage.
Square-rounded nails, an elegant in-between
If we hesitate between a rounded manicure and a square manicure, we make a compromise by first cutting our nails in square, then by rounding the edges. Perfect on medium to long nails, this manicure shape is ideal for wearing a French manicure. If you have nails that grow naturally with a square shape, you should go for square or square-rounded nails.
Almond-shaped nails, for an elegant manicure on long nails
To wear long nails, it is necessary to make sure that they are in good health. We do not ignore the care to strengthen them. The almond-shaped nails get a more harmonized shape. Indeed, by filing them in almond shape, we correct the edges of our nails that grow in a fan or in an uneven way.
Stilettos or pointed nails, the manicure on very long nails
This manicure shows a strong personality. Adopted by the stars and seen on red carpets, the stiletto shape, where the nails are cut to a point, is rather impractical in everyday life. To wear it, you must have very long and healthy nails. If they break or split, forget it. We strengthen our nails by using care serums before filing our nails.
Which nail polish colors to choose according to the shape of our nails?
If we have short nails, the choice of the color of the varnish aims at lengthening the nail. We prefer light colors to dark ones, which will accentuate the small size of the nail. The French manicure is also a must-have to create the illusion of a longer nail. As for the trick to refine your nails, it consists in leaving “gutters” on both sides of the nail, by applying the varnish in the middle. This will stretch the nail. This is called an Italian manicure.
If you have wide nails, you should avoid white, which will give a flattened effect to your fingers. We prefer dark and matte colors, which will refine our nails. On the other hand, if we choose glittery or iridescent varnishes, they will catch the light and will accentuate the width of our nails.
If we have very long nails, it is up to us to choose the color and the materials of varnish which we prefer.
