Nail-shape nightmare?

Can't decide what is the perfect nail shape for you? Or thinking of changing your current shape? It's a decision all us nail junkies go through at some point. In fact, quite regularly if you're anything like me!

This post will hopefully shed some light on it all; from what each shape means and how easy they are to create and maintain.

Keep reading to find out more!

Ever been scrolling through Instagram to find someone referring to their nails as "squoval" and thinking 'what the hell are they going on about?'....you're not alone.

I was completely naive to the diversity of nail shapes until I was well and truly hooked into the nail blogging scene. Since then I've tried almost all of them (some more successfully than others I should probably add!)

Here is a breakdown of each shape:

Square

A firm favourite of mine for some time!

Pros

Easy to achieve with straight nail clippers or  a nail file.

Easily created with any length nail.

Great for beginners who want to try something new.

Cons

VERY prone to breaking at the corners.

Difficult to salvage the shape after breakage (unlike oval for example which can be quite forgiving)

Can also be very sharp at the edges, especially on natural nails. I've definitely laddered tights with this shape before!

Squoval

The fun-est of all to pronounce!

Pros

Is a great alternative when you break a square shaped nail.

Edges are softer and less harsh than square (less likely to scratch yourself with these!)

Don't feel too cumbersome or high maintenance.

Cons

Can be difficult to achieve an even curve on both sides of the nail.

Rounded

Au-naturel darling.

Pros

A very feminine and natural looking shape.

Easy to achieve with any length nail.

Less prone to breakages in my experience.

A great back-up when any other nail shape goes wrong!

Cons

Stands out from the crowd less.

More difficult to shape the longer the nail is (in my opinion).

Oval

It's the new squoval don't you know..

Pros

A lovely sophisticated feminine shape.

A more modern twist on the rounded shape.

Less prone to breakages.

A great alternative to a broken squoval.

Cons

Can be difficult to get even.

Sometimes hard to differentiate between squoval or almond (its somewhere in between!)

Almond

#trend

Pros

If you like trends, this is the shape for you. It's everywhere at the moment!

A great alternative to the rounded and oval shapes when your nail gets longer.

Less prone to breakages than the more angular shapes like square and coffin.

Cons

Difficult to achieve with shorter nails.

Coffin / Ballerina

The shape of the moment....thanks to Kylie Jenner.

Pros

Similarly to the oval, this is very much the shape of the moment.

Makes a strong statement which can make your nails stand out.

A great one to try if you fancy something completely different.

Cons

More difficult to achieve with natural nails.

Prone to breakages.

Can be sharp at the edges.

Stiletto

A great shape if you want to get nothing done ever again.

Pros

Who needs a dagger? Use your nail.

Forgot your letter opener? Use your nail.

Love the sound of nails running down a chalk board? These are great for that.

Cons

They're not all that bad I guess. But I don't think I'll be sporting these anytime soon, they just look to impractical to me!

I hope you found this post useful, let me know which shape if your favourite!

Fran x