Is a trip to the nail salon in order? Silly question, of course it is. There's nothing like a quick beauty treatment to boost your mood and give you a much-needed style refresh as we enter into summer.
MORE: Nude nails: 5 designs to inspire your next manicure
It is only natural to spend a lifetime poring over the colour wall of glory, but many of us probably spend far less time debating which nail shape to plump for. Are you wedded to tradition, or will you take the plunge and switch it up?
Hello! Fashion caught up with Lauren Williams, director of leading nail care brand London Grace, to find out everything you need to know about the different nail shapes.
Which nail shapes are in for 2023?
© Instagram / @aimeestokesbeautyRecently, almond and oval shapes have been dominating the nail game. "A chic upgrade on traditional round nails, the oval or almond shape is suitable for anyone whose nail beds are longer than the base of their fingers and has been seen everywhere from Instagram, to all over the catwalk," Lauren says.
What are the different nail shapes?
Round nails
© London Grace"A round nail shape is perhaps the easiest to create at home, use the nail file in a curved motion from side to side mirroring the natural shape of your cuticle. The round nail gives a clean, natural finish and is perfect to compliment a nude manicure."
READ: Pastel tip nails: how to get the look at home according to a nail expert
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Oval nails
© London Grace"An oval nail is similar to a round-shaped nail, however you need to file the sides of the nails at an angle into an egg-like shape. The most requested look in our stores at the moment is oval nails with the glazed donut effect (made famous by Hailey Bieber)."
Almond nails
© London Grace"To achieve an almond nail, hold the nail file at a 45-degree angle towards the centre of the nail and taper into a point," Lauren advises. "Then gently soften the tip of the nail to complete the almond shape. An almond-shaped nail works perfectly with a tonal mani or abstract French design."
Square nails
© London Grace"For an eye-catching look, square nails enhance a longer, narrow nail bed and provide a greater surface area for nail art. Simply file the sides of the nails straight down from the nail bed and then shape straight across the tip of the nail to create 90-degree angles. We recommend this shape to clients looking for bespoke or hand-painted nail designs."
Squoval nails
© London Grace"If a client is looking for a square shape but has weaker or shorter nails, we'd advise squoval nails as they are more resilient and a universally flattering shape," Lauren says. "To create a squoval nail, start with a square shape and then slightly round off the corners. The squoval shape looks great with a block colour, particularly darker on-trend hues at this time of year and is a great shape for showing off an accent nail effect such as glitter."
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