Sunday, November 14, 2010

Nail shape and balance

What's the best nail shape for your finger?  Believe it or not there are rules.  No one says you have to follow them, but they are a good guideline for what is visually appealing.

 How awesome do these look?
Unless you're from Jersey, visually these probably seem a bit off.




This is my post talking about different nail shapes and how to best balance your finger past the free edge based on your nail bed shape.



There are 3 main nail bed shapes.  Look at your nail bed from cuticle to tip.  Forget anything past the free edge because you can manipulate that shape with a file.  Your nail plate is probably either rounded, square or triangular.  Below is a graphic I made of proper nail shapes past the free edge based on your nail bed shape.

As a warning, this graphic is very text book and I have listed other options that, in my opinion, will work very well.  Unfortunately, the triangle nail shape is the most limited.  If anyone has any suggestions please comment.










Here are links to a series of posts showing how you can manipulate the free edge into different shapes.
Taking down length
Square
Oval
Squoval

31 comments:

  1. Funny pics :)) I prefer soft square shape.

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  2. I am actually in Long Island,NY at the moment for work and I see nails like that pretty often. HEE HEE.

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    Replies
    1. I'm from L.I but moved away lol

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  3. Hi Kim, Thanks for commenting!
    Love the squoval!

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  4. I have rounded nail beds and I want to learn how to shape my free edge to be square, as it seems like they never stay square. Lol I'm 99% sure I'm doing it wrong. Lol

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  5. No, worries. I will try my best to show it.

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  6. Haha those nails are very jerseylicious.

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  7. Those things could be used in place of spoons.

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  8. damn i love those jersey nails! they're my secret wish!!! of COURSE i'd never do it...well never say never ;)

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  9. I'm a squoval girl. I hate those Jersey nails with a passion because i can only imagine how bad their day to day life must be. Why would a person mutilate their hands like that :( it's nice art but not very convenient

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  10. I just want to thank you for *mentioning* the triangle nail plate! I have them, and it does really limit your options (and you get odd looks at nail salons...it must be unusual!). You're the first site with good, basic information that mentioned we exist. :)

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  11. @mena - My eye's bug out a little every time I see them, lol

    @Rebecca - I think most people are not used to seeing that shape. My mom has this shape too. :)

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  12. Those nails look so wrong! They most be modeled after paint scrapers.

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  13. Oh My! I didn't realize women did that flat, fan shape on purpose! You could paddle a canoe with those suckers!

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  14. Just perusing some older posts of yours I missed somehow. I am STILL laughing that someone did those nails like that all up ON PURPOSE! And great guidelines!

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  15. This is awesome, although...in making all of our nail ends the right shape for our nail beds one would hope that the nail beds are all the same shape. What if they aren't? I have 3 triangles, 4 square and 3 round...right now I just file each one to be its own shape, so it looks good...but is there one shape that would work for them all?
    Thoughts anyone?

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    Replies
    1. Word is that squoval tends to be flattering on any nail type.

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  16. They used to say the free edge should reflect the cuticle shape. I prefer a sqoval or round edge.

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  17. I have the triangle nail shape. I know you really shouldn't because it makes the nails weaker, but I tend to file down the walls of my nail so at least the sides are parallel. I still need a way to reinforce them because they keep breaking...

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  18. Believe it or not there are rules. No one says you have to follow them, but they are a good guideline for what is visually appealing.

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  19. Nice site! I am loving it!! Will come back again ??taking you feeds also, Thanks.

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  20. It is very difficult to get young maicurists to follow the nail bed line or do anything that looks natural. They either want to round them,and take off the walls,so really I call that pointed, or still file off the sides of my nail, and then make it flat. I want my maicure or shellac to look natural and they seem to only know how to make my nails look fake. And it doesn't help that most of them dont speak very clear English.

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