As important as it is for your clients to choose a great colour for their gel polish manicure, selecting the right shape for their nails can be the real difference between a good manicure and a great one.

Choosing a shape for your client that compliments their hands, as well as taking into consideration their job and day-to-day activities, can make sure they leave you with a gorgeous new set of nails that last 2+ weeks!

Here are the top 7 nail shapes and how best to style them so that you can find the perfect shape for your client’s next mani.

Round Nails

Best for: short nails with a wide nail bed

Round nails are the classic nail shape and a great fit for natural nails. They’re a great length and shape for clients who like fuss-free nails that are less likely to break – and perfect for anyone who has a hands-on job!

The round edges of the nail also create the appearance of a longer nail, which will make their hands look more slender in the process.

Almond Nails

Best for: short, wide fingers – helps to lengthen the appearance of nails and hands

With their wide base and slim sides, almond nails are a popular choice when it comes to nail shape. A natural look that makes the fingers look longer and a shape that is suited to longer natural nails. This style also works great with nail extension products like Gum Gel, Hard Gel or Builder Gel.

Oval Nails

Best for: small hands; medium-long nails

Similar in shape to almond nails but with a rounder nail tip, oval nails are great for medium length nails and are ideal for both short and wide nail beds. The shape is great for smaller hands as it elongates the nails to give an illusion of longer fingers.

Square Nails

Best for: long fingers; slim hands

A stylish and slightly different look, square nails have straight edges and are squared-off at the tip. They’re also one of the most practical nail shapes out there and low-maintenance, however, it is a look suited to longer nails. So if your client has short digits, we’d recommend nail extensions before trying out this shape.

Squoval Nails

Best for: short nails with low maintenance

Think square nails but slightly curved at the edges. No matter what size your client’s nails are, squoval nails are a great choice as they follow the outline of the cuticle. They don’t require much nail length, so those clients with shorter nails will look great with this shape.

Coffin/Ballerina Nails

Best for: long Acrylics/nail extensions

A classic shape for those clients who love your nail extensions. The coffin or ballerina shape works on long and strong nails, with the tip squared off to give the appearance of a ballerina’s shoe. They’ll have to grow their nails quite long for this look, so extensions are definitely the way to go.

Stiletto Nails

Best for: long Acrylics/nail extensions

The classic look for the most glam nails around. The elongated shape is pointed at the end and great to enhance shorter fingers or to simply go all out. Not the most practical, but the most striking; best created when using nail extension products like Gum Gel.

Ready to get started with creating your new nail shapes? Make sure you're stocked up on our Bluesky nail files and buffers!