What type of manicure best suits my nail?

Your guide to finding the right manicure for your nails

A new nail colour can provide plenty of inspiration for your next manicure. You can spend hours deciding on a new colour that will add the finishing touch to your look. But what about the shape of your nails? Nail technicians often look at the shape of your nails and hands before they recommend different types of manicures.

There are plenty of other ways to decide on your manicure. Some nail technicians recommend manicures based on the shape of your hands. You might have hi-five hands with short fingers and a long palm. Maybe you have piano hands. This hand type is characterised by long fingers and a wide palm.

Figure out your hand type and it can make it easier for you to decide what length of nails you want to keep. Different types of manicures are more suited to certain nail lengths. Round and square shapes go well with short length nails. Coffin and oval shapes can be a fantastic solution for longer nail lengths.

So when you ask yourself “how do I find a manicure that suits my nail”, there are many ways to narrow it down. Follow our tips below and you’ll find it easier to pick your next manicure.

Nail shapes

Your nail shape can be used as a starting point for creating a fab looking manicure. Some shapes also work better than others at complimenting your choice of colour. The first thing you or your nail technician should do is choose a shape. Some shapes work better than others depending on how long your nails are. So your nail length may limit your options.

Oval shape nails are a popular choice because they can flatter the look of wide and narrow nails beds. They can also add the illusion of extra length.

Ideal for larger nail beds and is often used french types of manicures. We recommend you don’t use this shape with small nail beds as your nails will end up looking shorter and wider.

This conservative shape is suitable for anyone who likes to maintain short nails. It flatters wide nails and can give the illusion of a thin nail bed.

This shape is widely used for acrylic and nail art designs. This eye-catching shape can help lengthen and slenderise the look of your fingers.

Nail length

The length of your nails is another element to consider. Sometimes the length of your nails can influence what shapes you can pull off. Coffin or stiletto shapes often work best with longer nails. These shapes are usually achieved with acrylics. If you’re blessed with long and natural nails that don’t break easily, then maybe it’s time to try out one of these shapes.

If your nails are in the early stages of growth there are still plenty of elegant shapes you can achieve. Square and round shapes are just two of the most popular options thanks to how practical they are to maintain. The straight edge of a square nail lends itself well to geometric patterns. Round shape nails lend themselves to plenty of different nail colours and prints.

Personal style

While your nail colour and shape is important, you need to consider your personal style. Not every nail colour or shape will necessarily work with the rest of your look. If you’re used to wearing all black for your office ensembles then bright neon nails won’t match up very well.

Sometimes it’s best to stick to the basics like nudes, pale pinks and french manicures which go with almost anything. If you love to embrace colours in all of your outfits then don’t be afraid to go bold and bright with your manicures.

Your lifestyle

If you spend most of your time behind a desk for work then there’s a good chance you won’t be doing so many activities that could break your nails. So a longer manicure would suit your lifestyle just fine. If you’re more of an active person then think twice before you opt for long types of manicures.

If you do a lot of manual work with your hands then you open your nails to many opportunities for breakage. Activities like lifting boxes and operating machinery can scratch your manicure instantly. You’re also far more likely to break a nail during a work shift. That’s why it’s best to stick to short nail lengths when you’re really active. But shorter nails aren’t a death sentence for your style goals. There are so many chic designs and you can achieve with short nails.

Final words of advice

So when you’re choosing different types of manicures there are plenty of ways to go about it. You can start by looking at the nail length you want to keep. You could also use nail shapes as a starting point. You can even go right back to basics by looking at the shape of your hands first.

Your style and the way you go about your day is just as important too. Pick a manicure that fits in with your lifestyle and you may save yourself a lot of time deciding on shapes and lengths. Experimenting with different dip powder nail colours is a lot more fun than having to wait months for your nails to grow a certain length.