It won’t surprise you to learn we love styling nails. But, there’s an art to choosing the right nail shape, polish, color and hue. Our technicians are happy to help you match your nails to your mood and the season’s latest styles. Certain nail shapes will also accentuate your uniquely beautiful hands! Here is a rundown of 8 basic nail shapes.

Natural: Just what it sounds like, this no-nonsense style mimics a natural look, but with our sleek Bellacures finish.

Almond: Chic, modern and universally flattering, this shape is more dramatic than natural. It features a softly pointed almond shape at the tip. Almond requires longer nails and is quite elegant and slimming.

Oval: More natural than almond and not quite as dramatic, oval is feminine and slenderizing and looks good on almost everybody. It has a wider nail tip, but less steep rounded edges.

Square: Hip and modern, with a perfect straight edge on top, this trendy style is great for slim fingers as it makes the nails seem wider.

Square Round: A square shape with the corners rounded off, square round isn’t quite as dramatic as square, but still makes a statement.

Squoval: A hybrid of square and oval, these rounded nails are great for medium-to-short length fingers, with a tapered, practical edge that won’t get caught on anything (great for busy hands).

Ballerina/Coffin: Named for a ballerina’s shoe or a coffin’s shape, this dramatic cut requires strong, long nails. It makes a bold statement with long tapered edges leading to a square tip.

Stiletto: As dramatic as it gets, this shape is great when you wanna go full Cardi B and really lean into your nails as a style accessory. The edges past the nailed are tapered into a sharp, acute point.

If you want a longer shape like ballerina / coffin or stiletto and don’t have naturally strong, long nails, we can help! Our nail enhancing projects like acrylics and Gel-X can give you any nail length and shape you desire!

There are so many options, it’s good to note that most hands have multiple looks that will flatter! Here is a great place to start, depending on the unique features of your nails and nail beds:

If you want to slim down your fingers:
Go with almond if you want longer nails and oval or squoval if you like them shorter.

If you want short nails, but with some pizzazz:
Square round is simple to maintain, but is more chic than a purely natural cut.

If you want to add some width to your fingers:
Try square or any of its variations for a widening effect.

If you want to add glam to long nails and make a statement:
Coffin / ballerina and stiletto cuts aren’t going anywhere! They’re in and they’ll draw all the attention you’re looking for to those digits. Just be sure you have strong nails.

If you want a simple, flattering cut, no matter what:
Oval lengthens short fingers, widens slim fingers and styles up just about everybody.

This all said, the only way to know what you really like is to experiment! With all the variations of color, shape and nail art, you may not know what you can pull off until you try a new cut. At Bellacures, you don’t need to be the expert on nail shapes… simply ask your technician to assess your fingers and nail bed to make a recommendation. It’s our job to make you look your absolute best!