Nail beauty, as with any beauty, is all about making the most of what you have. It is about identifying and highlighting your good points and disguising your weaker points.
Nail beauty might seem a simple topic at first sight but there are many aspects to consider, many ways to make your nails beautiful, and many mistakes to make for the less well informed. This guide should help you realise the potential that you have at the tips of your fingers and how you can make the most of it.
1. Basic nail shape
Nature has given us some basic physical shapes that signal “male” or “female”. When it comes to head shape; square=male and round=female. Look at the way hairdressers shape masculine cuts towards a cube shape and feminine cuts in an oval shape. George Clooney and Ellen Barkin illustrate this perfectly.
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| Square male head shape |
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| Round feminine head shape |
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| Female nails |
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| Male nails |
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| Short nail beds |
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| Longer nail beds |
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| Nail bed length disguised with polish |
2. The Perfect Nail Shape
Is there such a thing as the perfect nail shape? We know that at minimum the nails need to appear longer than they are wide, but is there a perfect length to width ratio? Well it happens that there is some science behind our concept of beauty and this has been proven to exist in many areas; in facial beauty, in bodily beauty, and even through to art and architecture. The secret lies in the Golden Ratio which is approximately 1.618 to 1. Nails with this overall ratio will certainly appear to have a “perfect” length.
In this image, the middle fingernail has a Golden Ratio in the length and width of the nailbed, and a Golden Ratio between the length of the nailbed and the full length of the nail:
The golden ratio can also be applied to the curve of the nail. Here, the ratio is applied to create a spiral which can mirror the accelerating curve in natural nail growth:
3. Curved and flat nails
Like overall shape, curved nails and flat nails are male/female signals, with the curved nail being the more feminine quality. There is only one basic rule here: Nail polish shows off the shape of the nail. So if you have curved nails use a high-gloss nail polish to show it off! If you have flat nails, disguise this either by not painting them, or by using a more matt finish.
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| No polish |
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| Matt polish |
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| Gloss polish |
Flatter nails need more length to make the same impact as curved nails
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| Longer flat nails |
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| Shorter curved nails |
4. French manicures
Some nail technicians mistakenly think that a French manicure is all about the growth, and will make the white area appear as large as possible, even to the point where the nail bed appears masculine. A French manicure can also be used to exaggerate the nail bed to extreme femininity, but a good French manicure will make the nail bed appear just the right size whilst appearing as natural as possible.
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| Nail bed too short |
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| Nail bed too long |
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| Nail bed just right |
Nail polish comes in all colors but like lipstick and blusher, its roots lie in emphasizing the living tissue and blood just under the surface. The most popular colors are pinks and reds, with the very red colors being perceived as outright sexual and daring. The French manicure with its neutral tones has made longer nails more permissible for many more women than previously and in the end the nail polish you choose will reflect your own taste and if you wish, sexuality.
6. Toenails
All that has been said for fingernails holds for toenails too, from shape, to nailbed, to length. Just one point to add; If nail polish is meant to represent blood inside the body, then toenail polish should always be the same shade or a darker shade than on the fingernails.
Many women have beautiful fingernails, quite a few have beautiful toenails, but women who possess both are still quite rare.
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