The Best Nail Shape for Every Hand

Your hands-on guide to the most flattering shape for your fingers

Nail polish wields transformative powers. It can instantly pull an outfit together and make the wearer look as perfectly polished as her glossy nails. But instead of talking about the "it" color of the season or how to get the best at-home mani, let's talk about the base of any good manicure -- nail shape. 

• When your manicurist asks what shape you want your nails, you probably don't give it much thought. You just go with whatever shape you're comfortable with. Turns out -- that's a big mistake. Just as the silhouette of a dress can accentuate your figure, the right nail shape can similarly flatter your fingers. 

So we chatted with Ange and Vernice Walker, sisters and founders of London-based Rococo Nail Apparel, to get the scoop on how to make our hands look lovely.

Our biggest takeaway: It's all about proportions. "Focus on creating a shape to elongate and accentuate your nails. The general rule is to use nails to complement and make the whole hand look beautiful," advise the Walker sisters.

For example, if you have long, wide, square nail beds, your best option is not a square-filed tip, they explain. Instead, opt for an oval shape. "Elongating the nails by making them rounder will flatter every shape nail and every size nail bed, whereas a flattened, square nail will always make your fingers look shorter and nails wider," they say.

Still, the sisters don't want you to take your mani too seriously. If there's a daring new shape or color trend you want to try, it's still okay to break the rules.

One trend we're definitely trying: Ange and Vernice's feminine take on the pointy almond nail. "Create this shape by gently taking the sides away, leaving no corners or sharp edges, and doming the top." Easy, right?

To find the best nail shape for your fingers, use our, ehem, handy flow chart below.

Lots of Love!!!

XOXO

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