How to shape your nails

Ever wonder how you should shape your fingernails, should you have U Shaped Nails-Square Nails-Squoval Nails-Oval Nails?

If the answer is yes then please read on:

Well after doing nails for over 20 years ( and yes I'm that young! ) anyway back to nail shaping you fingernails.  ;-)

 

If you are not sure of how your nails should be shaped read on because this applies to the shape of all nails.

Whether you are shaping acrylic nails, gel nails, or a natural nail manicure you should keep the following in mind if you want your nails to look good.

This is my just my opinion ( and we all have one ) on how our nails should be shaped along with some examples of nail shapes for you to decide which shape might be better suited for your hands.

The drawings are with a french manicure look for you to have a better vision.




 

Square Nail Shape

1. Oval shape nails on a square shaped cuticle can make the nail-look very unbalanced and can sometimes make the fingers look a little chunky.

2. Straight shaped nail and with no smile line this is probably the only shape nail that can really get by without any smile line.

 

3. Straight free edge with a small curve in the smile line looks more natural because no one really has a perfectly straight smile line.

Oval or U Nail Shape

1. Here we have the oval cuticle area with a square shaped nail another unbalanced look and tends to give the nail a heavy fan look to the free edge.

2. Not a totally square or round free edge (Squoval) with a small smile line and is ok with this oval shape cuticle.

 

3. Oval free edge and oval smile line is the perfect balance for the oval shaped nails.

  The In Between Shaped Nail ( Squoval)

1. Rounded and looks fine with the shape of the squoval shape cuticle area.

2.  Square free edge and looks ok would look better with a small curved smile line but still has a good balance.

3.  In between free edge (squoval) looks best with the squoval nail and looks very balanced.

 

As you can see the nails with the in between cuticle shape the ( squoval ) shape can get away with almost all of the desired nail shapes and not look out of balance. They are the lucky ones :-) .

There is no real rule as to how you should shape your nails except to always leave the sides of the nail straight for strength and do all of your shaping at the free edge.

It is amazing through the years how many women ( finally ) let me change the shape of their nails and then come back to tell me how many more complements they actually received on them.

What it all boils down to is what you like because you are the one wearing them-Right!

 

Do you know what shape your nails should be filed?

You may also like Why Your French Manicure Don't Look Right