Soft square manicure – design, how to make a “soft square” nail shape 2022

Features of a soft square

This form is quite easy to make at home, or by a specialist in a salon. A slightly longer length of nails is suitable for this, where the master carefully files the nail on the sides and then rounds the corners. This is where the name soft square comes from, because initially the shape is square, but after processing it becomes a “softer” option.

The shape is suitable for short, medium and long nails. It is beautiful to combine a lot of designs, including classic, complex and even exhibition ones.

If your nails are of medium length

When your nails are healthy and strong, you can grow them to any length. But for constant wear, a “soft square” nail shape is recommended. The photo clearly demonstrates how beautiful hands with such nails look. The length may vary, but the essence remains the same: nails approaching their natural healthy shape. They are durable, you can type with them, take coins from the table, do all your homework. It is not surprising that after the classic square, which moved to the side, they are so popular.

Oval nails also hold positions, but they are less comfortable. They are more difficult to care for and maintain their shape. When one nail is bent and you have to file it, it begins to stand out from the overall picture. Because it will no longer be possible to make the same arc as on the others. It will turn out flatter. This does not happen with the “soft square” nail shape. She always manages to be filed just like everyone else.

Any design looks beautiful on such nails. The French coat turns out expressive, the white line runs parallel to the line of the free edge and looks very natural. It coincides with modern paper strips for French, it is very convenient for self-application at home.

In addition, it is easy to maintain in neat condition. It is not surprising that more and more girls are choosing the “soft square” nail shape.

When the plates grow, and this is on average one millimeter per week, this does not affect the shape of the free edge. For comparison: the oval shape has to be corrected at home a week after visiting the salon; it “slides out”. There is nothing to say about a sharp square. The ends are difficult to protect, they touch objects and break off.

What is good about the uniform and who is it suitable for?

The shape of nails with slightly rounded corners - a soft square - has a number of advantages compared to a hard square and oval:

looks great on short nails;
it makes it easier and more convenient to do household chores and care for the baby;
does not require adjustment every 2–3 days;
Excellent for coating with gel polish and shellac;
Looks good with different types of nail art.

Important! Oval-square nail plates do not break so often.

The soft square looks especially attractive and appropriate on the hands:

with elongated nails;
with long thin fingers;
with wide nail plates;
with medium-sized nails and short fingers.

With stickers and thermal film

Nowadays there is a large selection of this decor - stickers, thermal film comes in different densities, is glued to nails in different ways, and looks original and unusual.

Execution technique

The picture below shows the basic nail shapes. These are almond, round, square, soft square (formerly called “oval-square”) and oval.

To process nails, you need to prepare suitable tools. It will not be possible to simply create a similar free edge on all ten nail plates using scissors or a nail clipper. This job is for a professional manicure file. It is good to choose it in a specialized store, with a grit of 180 (this is the abrasive value per square centimeter). You will also need a 240 grit buff.

The procedure is as follows:

Excess length is removed. The movements of the file from the master’s side are perpendicular to the axis of the finger. There is no saw blade tilt.
The excess width of the nail free edge in the area of the rollers is removed. The reference point is the width of the cuticle zone.
The file is placed as in step 1, but the upper edge is tilted towards itself (from the master’s side). Three or four movements are made with a file, during which the length will not go away, and the ends of the free edge will rise slightly upward.
Sharp corners are smoothed with a file, which is placed at an angle of 45 degrees. One or two swings, no more. We don't need an oval.
The free edge is treated with a 240 grit buff. At the same time, the sawdust is removed from under the nail.

By following these instructions sequentially, it is easy to figure out how to make a “soft square” nail shape.

Nail shape “soft square”: photo

How to make a smooth and beautiful edge of the nail so that this line is repeated on all fingers? There is a special technology for this. When the file moves left and right parallel to the cuticle area, the convex arc will turn out more or less steep depending on the angle of inclination of the file.

If the angle of inclination is almost zero, that is, the file is perpendicular to the nail bed, then the cut will be straight. If you place it at an angle of 45 degrees, it will be an oval. For a soft square, the angle of the saw should be slightly less than 30 degrees. To do this, the master first cuts off the excess length, then tilts the file slightly toward himself and continues working. A few strokes and the form is ready. You can be sure that all nails will have the same edge.

How to give an oval-square manicure shape at home?

Designing your nail plates in the form of a soft square is quite simple, and this procedure can be done at home.

To get the perfect shape, your nails must first be grown by at least 5 mm.

Required materials and tools

For manicure you will need:

Special scissors or nippers.
Sponges.
Paper or cloth napkins.
Special nail polish remover.
File with abrasiveness, depending on the thickness of the plates:
from 180 to 220 - for thick people;
from 230 to 240 - for normal.
Buff for polishing with abrasiveness from 900 to 1100 grit.

Attention! To make a truly high-quality manicure, it is better to use glass, ceramic or diamond files.

Step-by-step design for short and long nails

Washed hands are treated with an antiseptic and wiped dry.
Using nail polish remover and sponges, clean the surface of the nail plates.
Positioning scissors or wire cutters perpendicular to the fingers, make an even cut, leaving the desired length of the free edge (for the shortest version - from 1 to 3 mm).
Compare the total length of the plates so that it is the same on all nails. To make sure the alignment is accurate, bend all the fingers on the palm facing up.
File the free edge, moving the file only in one direction to avoid the appearance of delamination cracks.
Place the file under the plate parallel to the sinuses and carefully file the sides.
The right angles formed at the edges with sharp tips on each nail are slightly rounded (by 1–2 mm) with a nail file, moving the tool in one direction and lifting it above the corner by 1–2 degrees, no more.
Grind the plates with a buff, placing it parallel to the nail and rubbing it no more than 8–12 times in one direction so as not to damage the top layer. The sides and end are also processed.

Reference. To prevent deformation of the nail plate and prevent its delamination, the filing procedure is carried out on dry nails before immersing your hands in a bath of water or a special solution.

Difficulties doing manicure

Manicure in terms of processing the cuticle and removing dead skin for the soft square shape is performed according to the standard scheme, and the design depends on individual preferences.

The most common types of manicure are:

European;
classic (edged);
hardware;
combined (apparatus + cutting tool).

When using artificial materials for coating, nail service specialists recommend giving preference to hardware and combined ones. These techniques are performed without soaking the skin and nail plate, which increases the wearability of the material.

Step-by-step instructions for sawdust in a soft square shape:

It is necessary to examine all the nails, choosing the shortest one. The comparison is made by measuring the length of the nail from the cuticle to the free edge. It is he who will determine the length of the future manicure.
Holding your finger firmly in the area of the side ridges, you need to position the file perpendicular to the frontal axis, visually drawn through the 3 phalanges and the nail to the free edge. Using long movements without strong pressure, file the end. You can check the angle of the sawdust by turning your hand away from you.
The finger is alternately turned over to the left and right sides to file the lower parallels. The file is placed under the nail, positioned diagonally to the growing point and parallel to the central axis. Without touching the ingrowth areas of the nail plate, perform long, soft movements.
The resulting sharp corners are rounded with short reverse movements of a file placed under the nail.
To remove the remaining particles of the natural nail, the end is treated with a buff.

The main difficulty is maintaining the perpendicularity of the free edge with respect to the central axis of the finger. A natural nail does not always have the correct anatomical structure, which makes it very difficult to give it a clear geometric shape.

The most common (anatomical or mechanical) growth defects of the natural nail plate:

growth points are at different levels;
shifted direction of growth relative to the central axis;
pecking and curling nails;
springboard-shaped growth direction;
lack of side walls.

Coating natural nails with gel polish and leveling with a base allows you to achieve the following results:

correct minor unevenness of the natural nail plate;
increase the wear time of gel polish;
strengthen the nail;
complete the apex and correct the architecture of flat nails;
align the longitudinal arch.

Correcting more significant defects is only possible when modeling with hard materials (gel, polygel):

adding the length of the free edge;
bending of the transverse arch;
raising pecking nails;
restoration of missing side walls and corners.

Difficulties that may be encountered

If manicure is done regularly, no difficulties will arise. But there are points you need to know about:

If the nails have not been treated for a long time, the side ridges may be too large and rough. You can go over them with a file, moving the roller away with your fingers and making slow movements in one direction (down to the free edge).
If the nails form an arch, then you can slightly reduce the width on the sides so that when viewed from the side they do not fall down.
The pterygium (skin that extends over the nail) may prevent the sides from being filed down. Then it should be carefully removed, first moving it away with a pusher and cutting it off with tweezers.

Bright manicure

Bright shades of gel polishes allow manicure to become part of a woman’s image. The color can be combined with clothes, shoes, accessories or jewelry, or dilute the restrained style with bright accents. During the fall period, red, yellow and orange shades that match the season are especially popular. In the winter and before the New Year holidays, the demand for shimmering rhinestones and sparkles, and themed designs increases.

However, the holiday period is the most intense in terms of brightness. This period allows women to experiment with colors without restrictions or dress codes.

Who is not suitable for this form?

Among those who will not be able to wear such a uniform are people with very thin nail plates. If you do not strengthen such nails, the tips will definitely break off. The same applies to those who work with solvents, detergents, paper, soil and work without gloves. Drying your nails too much will cause them to become brittle, even if they are naturally thick. Round nail shapes are more suitable for them.

If the nails are trapezoidal, that is, they widen greatly towards the free edge, it will not be possible to choose a “soft square” nail shape for short natural nails.

If your nails are peeling and therefore lose their beautiful corners, it’s good to file down the ends right away; if your nails are broken, immediately get a manicure and shorten the length. Typically, creases form near the side ridges and run parallel to the free edge. This means that the nail cannot withstand the load. In this case, it needs to be shortened.

With sparkles and rhinestones

Brilliant nail decor holds its position and is not going to leave us. Sequins and rhinestones are everywhere, so if you like them, don’t miss the opportunity to give yourself such a manicure. An excellent option for going out or celebrating.

Soft square and popular designs

As we wrote above, a soft square is popular due to its convenience and practicality. There are different designs for it, but we have collected the most popular ones below in the selection.

Classic French

Classic will always look great on this nail shape. Any shades of classic French are available at your disposal, including beige, milky, classic white, coffee and light pink. If you don’t like delicate classics, then you can add colorful and bright colors.

Stylish lunar

Lunar is a more fashionable and stylish subtype of the classic French jacket. Here the artist highlights the hole of the nail, which visually makes them longer than they actually are.

Spectacular ombre

Ombre made in any color will always look impressive on a soft square shape. Delicate shades are best combined with it, but bright ones should not be ignored.

With the addition of rhinestones and stones

Rhinestones and stones can cover all nails at once, or only those chosen by the master. The first option will allow you to choose a manicure for a celebration: a wedding or a birthday.

With added glitter

The simplest and safest decor is glitter. They are easy and simple to use at home to create a delicate or festive manicure. Glitters are sold in a huge range of colors, so it will be easy for you to choose the best option for yourself.

Foil for square nails

The next fashionable solution for 2022 will be a design with foil. It is allowed to use not only gold or silver, but also other colors.

More and more often, this kind of manicure can be seen on modern fashionistas.

With acrylic powder

Acrylic powder helps create three-dimensional drawings and patterns. In addition, it is suitable for special highlighting of the nail, like a varnish. This coating will be slightly rough to the touch, but pleasant to the eye.

Bright design

Not only delicate shades, but also bright colors go well with a soft square. Don’t settle for a monochromatic choice, but create bright, contrasting or rainbow designs.

Geometric design

Geometric designs are the most sought after designs this year. They gained their popularity thanks to two lightweight ways of performing it. Not so long ago, drawing geometry by hand required the master to have skills in using a thin brush and long training to keep his hand steady. The development of such a direction as stamping allowed craftsmen to eliminate manual drawing and speed up the execution of the design.

Special engraved plates, when used correctly and selected materials, allow you to transfer a clear image in two touches. An even simpler way is to use stickers and sliders. They are ready-made images printed on a transparent base. All you need to do is carefully transfer it from the base to the surface of the nail and secure it with a top coat.

Geometry is unique in that it can be combined with most existing techniques and decorative elements.

Typically, images are:

contours of geometric shapes;
straight lines;
geometric patterns;
combinations of the listed elements.

Geometric patterns look most harmonious in combination with neutral shades or camouflage bases.

With wire

This thin metal decorative element allows you to create various shaped compositions and attach them to the surface of the nail using artificial material.

The most commonly performed patterns using wire:

lines;
shapes of geometric figures;
abstraction;
openwork curls;
framing the nail at the cuticle or free edge.

Despite the fact that lighter, but no less effective, techniques are gradually replacing the described design, it still has loyal fans among women.

3D effect

Soft square manicure (3D and 5D design) is performed using cat eye gel polish. It is distinguished from the usual one by the presence of shimmering metallized particles. Depending on the manufacturer, it may have a thick or more liquid consistency. The severity of the effect depends on the density and covering power of the material. In addition to the gel polish itself, you will need a magnet, thanks to which the sparkles form a highlight of a certain shape.

There are several types of magnets:

rectangular;
round;
sphere;
pen magnet.

Despite the variety of forms and manufacturers of magnets, the scheme of their action is identical. Metallized particles in the varnish react to the magnetic field and, under its influence, form a glare. It is worth considering that for this material the surface must be perfectly flat, otherwise the glare will reflect all the unevenness and alignment flaws.

Step-by-step scheme for performing a cat's eye design:

After leveling or modeling, the surface of the nail is degreased with a lint-free cloth soaked in liquid to remove the sticky layer.
Then apply two layers of thick black gel polish with intermediate drying in a lamp. Black color allows you to most clearly and expressively reveal the characteristic effect of a cat's eye.
The surface is covered with a middle layer of gel polish with metallic fractions and a highlight is formed. Its direction depends on the location of the magnet in relation to the nail and the shape of the magnet itself.
The clarity of the glare depends on the power of the magnet and the speed of operation. If the varnish has a liquid consistency, the finished highlight may spread and become deformed. That is why you should not hesitate with polymerization. The material is dried in a standard cycle for regular gel polish.
The cat eye can be used as a standalone design or as a base. To fix the result, the surface is covered with a glossy or matte topcoat.

Drawings and inscriptions

A separate trend in manicure designs was the use of a combination of fashionable designs and inscriptions. At the moment, such designs are at the peak of popularity, especially among clients under the age of 30-35. The design allows you to be creative and make the manicure unique, giving it individuality, using phrases and drawings related to the client’s personality.

To complete the design use:

manual drawing;
stamping;
stickers;
sliders;
transfer foil.

Hand lettering is a rather complex technique that requires artistic abilities and brush skills. Other methods are based on the use of ready-made inscriptions, their correct transfer to the nail and fixation.

Minimalism

Until recently, it was believed that minimalist designs were an office manicure option with a strict dress code. Gradually this direction is gaining more and more popularity. This is not only due to fashion trends. A modern woman has a rather busy schedule and an eventful life, and the most valuable resource is time. A minimalist manicure allows her to look elegant and sophisticated, spending a minimum amount of time.

Minimalism involves the use of natural, pastel or muted shades. The designs are distinguished by modesty and conciseness. An abundance of glitter, massive decor, and complex designs are excluded. According to all the canons of the beauty industry, the primacy among nail shapes remains with the almond shape. However, in real life, not every woman can afford a length sufficient for her sawdust. A soft square is a more versatile type of manicure for nails of various lengths and designs.

Nude manicure

Neutral flesh colors can become an independent coating or serve as a background for fashionable geometric, floral or animal prints, metallic rubbing. The delicate design does not involve the addition of shiny elements.

Fashionable technique “Liquid stone”

A special method of applying several layers of cosmetics creates a voluminous imitation of precious stones and drops of precious metals with a 3D effect on the nail. Due to their size and design, only those with long nails should use this option.

With rubbing

This design with pigments is gaining momentum and is not going to leave us in the coming year. It is distinguished by brilliance, chic, beauty! Looks luxurious on square nails of medium length.

Fashionable colors for manicure soft square

To make your nail design look appropriate and relevant, when choosing a color and pattern, focus on several criteria:

Season. Each season has its own “traditional” colors. In autumn it is a warm orange-gray-brown color scheme, associated with fallen leaves, mushrooms, and fog. Traditional winter design uses rich dark shades of blue, green, and red. And in spring and summer, light bright colors with floral or geometric prints will delight the eye.
Place of work. Often, the office dress code requires a short length, minimal nail decor - plain, nude, French. Representatives of creative professions can afford a more informal manicure design.
Wardrobe color and style. Since manicure is one of the elements of the image, it must be combined with clothes, accessories, and makeup.
Fashion trends. Every season, fashion designers offer fresh manicure ideas. They fit perfectly into current fashionable looks and can complement them or become a distinctive “highlight” of the appearance.

An exception to these rules may be holiday events that offer their own colors and patterns for manicure. For example, New Year and Christmas with their red-white-blue-green colors, Christmas trees, toys, and other paraphernalia. Valentine's Day, Women's Day, and other celebrations have their own symbolism, which can be displayed on the nails when preparing to celebrate them. Photos in our gallery can help you choose a design.

In white colors

Pink manicure soft square

Beige shades

Strict black

Printing

One of the stylish ways to decorate your nails is to use popular prints on them. The latter include:

animal art (leopard, tiger, zebra);
watercolor flowers;
tai dai;
cell.

Such a nail design can not only echo your favorite print in clothing, but also act as an independent reference to global trends. As an option, there is a way to depict flaps of fabric with a selected pattern on your nails.

Also, the print can be used for 1-3 fingers, and the rest of the coating remains monochromatic.

Soft square nail designs are a great way to give them a beautiful look and a comfortable everyday shape. Photos of the best ideas for fashionable manicure will help you create charming nail art or a trendy, laconic finish.

Green manicure soft square shape

Blue nail designs

Bright red option

With a design on one nail

Small, hand-drawn drawings of flowers, twigs, petals, cartoon characters are especially popular in manicure today. Experiment.

Drawing over matte top, oba_nails_studio Black luxury, photo: nailworldforme

Artistic painting, pilki_nail.

Recommendations from professionals

It is recommended to file the nail plate no more than 1-2 times a week. With a soft square, it is not difficult to fulfill this condition - the shape is wearable, and the rounded corners practically do not grind off.
When working with a buff, you should polish not only the nail body, but also seal the end and sides. Thanks to these actions, the problem of delamination will disappear.
It is best to start filing by starting with the little finger.
To check whether each nail is the same length, turn the hand palm up, bending all the fingers together.
Manicure tools should be sanitized after each use. You should not give your personal file into the wrong hands. The fungus can be transmitted through this device.

The soft square is a universal shape. It is suitable for working women and young mothers. Registration does not take much time. You can deal with it at home. The main thing is to follow the rules regarding hygiene and filing techniques.

New manicures

Any existing new product is a modified version of existing techniques. The soft square is a classic manicure; all the innovations that have appeared in this direction over the past few years are associated with the improvement of the manicure procedure as a whole. The main value for a modern woman is such a resource as time.

Material manufacturers are constantly improving their products, improving their characteristics:

chemical composition;
impact on health;
consistency;
wearability;
rapid polymerization with minimal heat generation;
practicality in use.

To facilitate the implementation of designs without loss of time and quality, various decorative elements are created:

rhinestones;
glitter;
foil;
dried flowers;
stickers and sliders.

Following fashion trends, manufacturers of familiar materials are constantly modifying the concept of their products, and experienced craftsmen are experimenting with new techniques for using them. At the moment, a technique called stamping is very popular. Allows you to create designs with drawings without having any artistic skills. The wide subject matter of the images will not leave either the client or the artist indifferent.

Cat's eye with a 3D effect and gradient remain consistently popular. However, on short nails the mentioned techniques do not look as impressive as on long ones. After the holiday period, bright and rich manicures become less popular and are replaced by neutral pastel shades with a minimalist or geometric design.