How to choose and model the right shape for short and long, natural and extended nails.
The ideal female image consists of small, seemingly unimportant details. But only those who manage to create this image know how to combine hair and eyebrow colors, what length of chain to wear with a neckline of a certain shape, etc. If we talk about manicure, an important detail is that you need to pay attention not only to the color of the varnish and the length of the nails, but also to their shape.
Which nail shape to choose: types of nail shapes and names
The grace of women's hands depends on the choice of the correct shape of the nails. If you make a mistake, you can make your fingers short, like sausages, or, conversely, thin and long, like the legs of a spider.
When discussing the details of a manicure with a client and choosing a nail shape, the master must take into account:
- Will the manicure be performed on your own nail or on an extension?
- what are the features of the anatomy of the hand
- what are the woman's personal wishes?
- criterion of fashionability
Basic nail shapes.
Previously, only four classic forms of the free edge of the nail plate were identified:
- round
- oval
- square
- triangular
Today this range has been supplemented with new forms:
- rounded square
- almond-shaped
- stylet
- peak
- ballerina
- blade
- corner
Modern nail shapes.
IMPORTANT: Before asking a manicurist to give her nails some unusual shape, a woman should realize whether she will be comfortable with it in everyday life
When deciding how to file your nails, you need to pay attention to the shape of the cuticle. And it can be oval, square or triangular.
- An oval cuticle shape is ideal. It goes with absolutely any nail shape.
- The free edge of the nail plate is filed in the shape of a square or a rounded square if the woman’s cuticle is also square
- With a triangle-shaped cuticle, pointed or oval nails look natural
IMPORTANT: If there are doubts about whether a particular nail plate shape is suitable for a woman, you can ask the master to apply a tip, filed accordingly, to the finger
Nail shapes in comparison.
Here are some more principles for choosing the right nail shape:
- If a woman has a naturally short nail plate, its edge does not grow more than 0.3 cm from the tip of the finger, it is best for her to wear round nails. On long claws, the round shape looks a little rough
- If a woman has very thin and long fingers, an elongated nail plate, a square or rounded (soft) square shape will harmonize her image.
- If a woman has thin fingers, medium length or long nails, she can choose one of their pointed forms (stiletto, pike, blade, etc.)
- If a woman's work involves a computer, she should not wear square or too pointed nails, as they will quickly break. The ideal option is a soft square, in which the corners are filed
- Almond-shaped nails are very fashionable now. But they look really good only on medium-length nail plates
- If a woman has long, extremely strong or perhaps extended nails, they can be shaped into a corner. It's fashionable and unusual, but it requires courage and a desire to experiment
Making an Almond Mold
There are 2 popular nail shapes - almond and square, basic and beautiful shapes. First, let's talk about how to make almond nail shape.
First, you need to look at the length of the nail and what shape it has now. It is much easier to create an almond shape on long nails than on short nails.
On short ones, it will most likely turn out to be an oval and you won’t get any almonds. So it’s better to immediately understand that the almond form is intended for long nails.
The creation process requires perseverance; you must carefully create the shape of each nail so that they do not differ from each other.
Use a file to file down the edges, then sharpen each corner and move the tool smoothly towards the end of the nail. Bring the outline to a shape similar to an almond.
Continue doing this with each finger until you have completed them all. Done, you have an almond nail shape.
How and what shape to give to short nails? How to make round nails?
Short nails are usually given a round or square shape. It is better not to make a pointed one, because:
- the sharp tips of short nails can look ridiculous, even intimidating, making a woman’s hands look like the clawed paws of an animal
- The sharp tips of short nails will quickly break off
For short nails, a round shape is ideal.
IMPORTANT: Round nails are considered the most natural. French manicure is the most organic on them.
Round shape on short nails.
To make your nails round, you need:
- Perform a hygienic manicure
- Give the plates the same length. To do this, you need to find the shortest nail and fit all the others to it.
- Using a nail file, file all nails into a square.
- Moving from the edges of the plate to its center, round the corners
- Ideally, a round nail should follow the shape of your fingertip.
How to file properly
First of all, let's figure out how to make square nails. In fact, this is quite difficult, more difficult than making the same almond-shaped ones, but by following the recommendations, you can get the desired result.
- First of all, you need to clean the nail, remove all the polish from its surface and remove hangnails and cuticles.
- You choose the length of the nail yourself, the main thing is to try to keep the line as close to horizontal as possible.
- Place the file parallel to your finger to achieve a more even line for the exit of the nail plate.
- Having done this on both sides of the nail, place the file perpendicular to the nail and start filing, observing the shape you want.
As you can see, there is nothing difficult about this, but in the end you will get beautiful and neat square-shaped nails.
How to make your nails square? How to shape your nails into a soft square?
If round nails seem natural, then a square, regular shape indicates well-groomed hands and the fact that the woman regularly visits a nail salon. It is necessary to maintain this shape, since the sharp corners quickly grind off.
The square is formed as follows:
- First, the parallel sides of the nail plate are filed
- The free edge of the nail is filed perpendicular to them in a straight line with clear angles.
The scheme was written down to a square.
The shape is a rounded (soft) square or squoval, more delicate.
- First, the nails are given a square shape.
- The corners of the square are rounded using a file. The rounding does not go to the center of the nail plate, but only along its corners!
Soft square.
Classic French and its variations
One of the successful design solutions is a square jacket. This can be a classic version with a straight smile line. But an interesting solution would be a V-shaped line.
A white French jacket is a win-win option. But modern trends allow you to experiment with bright colors. The combination of cherry or black with a gold line is an option for a beautiful and luxurious manicure.
Due to the fact that square nails have a protruding edge area, it allows not only to make a “smile”, but also to draw an ornament. Make a non-standard geometric jacket, but to make it less strict, use a matte finish. For those with a wide nail plate, a vertical French jacket is suitable. This will make your nails visually narrower and longer.
The next popular variation of the French design is lunar. An island is drawn at the base of the nail bed. We accept both the classic version and a combination of bright colors. Emphasize it with a pattern or rhinestones. An inverted French manicure does not suit square short nails; it will simply make them visually shorter and narrower. A smile is drawn at the base, which should be decorated with rhinestones.
A variation of the French ombre technique is suitable for nails with a square length. Transitions can also be made using glitter. The original solution is a smile that follows square lines. To smooth out the angularity of such a manicure, paint a couple of nails in a soft pastel color or decorate with rhinestones.
The square shape of nails, despite the clarity and severity of the lines, looks elegant and graceful. With the right color and design, the manicure will look gentle and feminine. Girls and women will be able to attract the attention of others by making interesting and bright accents. Having mastered the creation of straight lines, you will add an interesting and stylish twist to your look.
How to make beautiful almond-shaped nails?
Both the almond and the ballerina and the stiletto are derivatives of the triangle nail shape.
Scheme for filing nails into an almond shape.
An almond-shaped nail turns a woman into a coquette. You don’t have to think that it only looks like a classic French jacket. In the portfolio of every more or less experienced master there are enough examples of beautiful design for this form.
- The nails are filed into a square
- The sides of the nail are filed at an angle to create a triangle with a blunt end.
- The corners of the triangle formed on the sides of the nail plate (at its base) and at the tip of the nail (at its apex) are rounded
Almond-shaped nails of medium length.
Long almond shaped nails.
Features of filing nails at home
Before you start filing your nails, remember some rules:
- Sawing is carried out on a dry surface.
- Align the length with the shortest one.
- Manicure is done in good lighting. The smallest details can be viewed through a magnifying glass.
- Before you begin drawing the outline, visually imagine the desired shape.
- There should be no more than 10 filing movements in one direction.
- All manicure tools must be of high quality.
- To avoid delamination and nicks, filing is carried out slowly, slightly inclined, in one direction (from edge to center).
- It is allowed to file nails that have grown 2-3 millimeters from the nail bed.
- Hands and fingers should be periodically lubricated with wax to avoid roughness.
How to make a beautiful ballerina nail shape?
Ballerina is a fashionable and interesting nail shape in which the free edge of the nail is rounded at the base, narrowed and filed into a square at the end. The shape really resembles a ballerina's pointe shoe. Interestingly, it has another, less attractive name - coffin, which means coffin in English.
Nail shape “Ballerina” or “Coffin”.
- After a hygienic manicure, the nail, which should be long or medium length, is filed into a square
- By moving the file at an angle, the square is transformed into a trapezoid
- The corners at the base of the trapezoid are rounded
Nail design Ballerina.
Beveled square
This manicure option is used mainly on artificial nails. Most often due to the fact that it is very difficult to achieve this form on your own. The only exception can be a very strong nail plate, which has ideal and clear boundaries. If this is not given to you by nature, then you can use the extension procedure. This beveled square manicure design looks very bold. According to surveys of some girls, we can conclude that this form is not very practical and there is a possibility that the sharp tip can quickly break off.
Pipe nail shape: step by step
The C-line of the nail pipe looks like an arch or pipe, hence the name. Such nails are modeled from gel or acrylic on lower forms.
Pipe nails.
IMPORTANT: Usually, when building up, the C-line is about 30% of the circle. For pipe form – 50%
To achieve this angle, the nails are lightly pinched with tweezers.
Pipe step by step.
Pros and cons of nail modeling
Advantages:
- short nails can be given any shape and length;
- if the natural plate is severely damaged, it can be easily restored; this cannot be achieved with ordinary gel polish;
- the result lasts about 4–5 weeks;
- if the material is classified as self-distributing, it is easy to work with;
- nails are protected from chemicals in the gel polish.
Disadvantages of modeling and nail extensions:
- there is a risk of allergies;
- the pungent chemical smell takes a long time to dissipate;
- in frost, the coating may crack, and if it comes into contact with fire, it may catch fire;
- metal files cannot be used for processing;
- When removing the material, there is a possibility of damaging natural nails.
Shape of toenails
The ideal shape for a healthy toenail is a square. It is also possible to make a soft square, only slightly rounding the ends.
Toenails are soft square.
By filing your toenails into an oval or circle, you can provoke ingrown nails.
- Feet steamed in a bath
- Correct the length of the nails. The free edge of the thumb should be 0.1 cm. If the nails are too thick, they are trimmed with scissors; if just a little, they are filed with a nail file
