Choosing a nail shape comes down to three questions: how long you want to go, what your week looks like, and which line flatters your finger. Square is the everyday workhorse, almond lengthens the hand, coffin brings the drama with a flat crown, and stiletto is the full editorial statement.
Shape is the real personality decision in a manicure — colour whispers, silhouette speaks. Since every Hands Down set arrives in twelve sizes whatever the shape, you can choose on character alone. A tour of the house shapes, from restrained to theatrical:
Square & Squoval — the daily uniform
Straight side walls, flat free edge, zero snag. Short square survives keyboards, kids and kitchens better than any other silhouette, which is why it anchors our Short collection. Squoval — square with softened corners — is the same practicality with a gentler line.
Oval — the classicist
Rounded free edge, timeless and quietly polishing. Oval reads professional in every meeting and pairs beautifully with sheer nude finishes from the Nude & Everyday edit.
Almond — the flatterer
Tapered side walls meeting a rounded peak. Almond visually lengthens fingers more than any other everyday shape, makes short hands look elegant and long hands look intentional. If you hesitate, start here: our Almond collection is the house's most-forgiving row.
Coffin — the statement with a flat crown
Tapered like a stiletto but squared off at the tip (you will also hear “ballerina”). Coffin carries chrome, French lines and art especially well because the flat tip acts like a canvas. Explore it long in Coffin & Long.
Stiletto — the editorial
A sharp, unapologetic point. Stiletto is jewellery you type with — occasionally impractical, permanently photogenic. Best deployed for events, shoots and moods.
Matching shape to length and life
- Typing all day: short square, short almond.
- Want longer-looking fingers: almond, medium length.
- Event weekend: coffin long or stiletto, applied on tabs so the set survives to wear again.
- First set ever: almond medium — the shape that forgives everything.
Questions, answered
What is the most popular press-on nail shape?
Almond and short square lead. Almond flatters most hands and lengths; short square is the workhorse for keyboards and daily wear.
Which nail shape makes fingers look longer?
Almond and stiletto. Their tapered side walls draw the eye up the finger, lengthening the whole hand visually.
What nail shape is most practical for everyday?
Short square or short squoval. Maximum surface strength, no snag points, fully keyboard-proof.
What is the difference between coffin and ballerina nails?
Nothing — two names for the same shape: tapered side walls finished with a flat, squared-off tip, like a ballerina slipper.
Practicalities: how to apply, how long they last. Or browse every silhouette at once on the Build Your Set page — pick three, the third is free.