.............................................................................................................................................................................Nails - Choosing the Right Shape Outrageous
Funky Nail Shapes
Stiletto This shape is weak and not very practical but looks great and is a dramatic style! The nail goes to a drastic point. File each sidewall straight but tapered in slightly towards the centre line to achieve the point.
Lipstick Here you need to make sure that every single nail is the exact same length, so it could take a bit of time to perfect. The sidewalls should be unequal lengths and then the top of the nail fi led at an angle - just like a lipstick!
enhancements Some of your clients are naturally outrageous and like something different every time they come for their appointment, from enhancements to nail art and embellishments. You could suggest a more fashion-led nail shape for this type of client if being on trend is their drive rather than strength and practicality.
able to determine whether they could have square, oval or ‘squoval’ nails.”
As the professional, it’s your job to educate your clients on the factors that will effect their final decision, for example the type of lifestyle they lead, their hobbies, the health of their nail generally, and the length that they choose.
If your client has nails that are brittle or easily break, then an almond shape nail wouldn’t be the best choice, whereas a client with quite strong nails may be happy to give a different shape a go.
“Most people tend to wear a slightly squoval nail as the shape is more resilient to breakage due to the ‘stress area’ in the side walls not being removed. However, the emerging trend from fashion weeks I worked at is a very oval nail,” says Michelle.
The right nail shape partnered with a gorgeous colour can make a whole lot of difference to the fingernail and believe it or not, not every shape will go with every colour, so choose both wisely before you begin the treatment.
“Always choose a nail shape that’s going to best suit your hands and fingers along with the colour of choice,” advises Louise Warner of Calgel.
Louise recommends which nail shapes and colours compliment each other: darker colours suit squoval short to mid-length nails as dark colours give the illusion of length, neutral and softer colours suit short to mid-length nails with a rounder edge, and bright colours and nail art are better suited to nails with a bit of length and a squoval shape.
“There are different nail shapes that have come around from the use of Acrylic and hard gels like the stiletto nail and lipstick nail,” says Michelle. “They really are fun to wear and create some great talking points but truly the only way of getting your clients to wear nails like these is to wear them yourself!”
Clients that regularly come to you for enhancements will more than likely have their enhancements squared off so next time encourage them to try something a little different. Let them know the issues with more of an outrageous shape, for example the stiletto style isn’t necessarily ideal for somebody who types all day long, but for the lady of leisure or somebody looking for a different look for their summer holiday they could be just the thing.
Going the extra length
Again, the length of the nail is mostly dependant upon your client’s lifestyle and the health of the nails, but the look they want to achieve is also important too. Before starting the treatment establish with your client a length that will suit them and remember, super long nails that risk breaking may look stylish as your client leaves the salon, but a nail that is broken a few days later won’t! Between yourself and your client you will be able to come to a happy compromise!
If clients choose to have enhancements, there is a bit more flexibility when it comes to choosing the right length as enhancements tend to be stronger, so it’s all down to your client’s personal choice and what they feel they can live with.
However, enhancement length can also be governed about the design you want to create on the nail. Gigi Rouse discusses the length of enhancements in her book Nailclass - Award Winning
Advice for the Serious Technician: “The thing that most often lets a technician’s work down, in my eyes, is that the length they’ve chosen is just too long and the symmetry and balance of the fi nished work isn’t as attractive as it could be and would have been if only the free edge had been made shorter.”
Getting into shape
Once the shape has been decided, it’s time to create it using your fi ling skills. “You can create the perfect shape for your client by using a gentle fi le or emery board, and in one directional movements, gently fi le from the side to the middle - repeat on the opposite side of the nail. If you rest your fi le gently on the side of the fi nger and nail you can use this as a guide,” advises Michelle.
Throughout the fi ling process and before your client leaves, don’t forget to keep checking the shape! “When you think you have achieved the correct shape, take the client’s hand and turn it to face you and check that the shape is totally even,” suggests Michelle.
Classic nail shapes Oval
Straight sides with a slightly oval tip. This style suits wide nails. File the tip and the sides of the nails to an egg shape.
Rounded This is an ideal shape for those clients with short nails or who are quite active. File the tips of the nails to a round shape. This should be a fairly strong style.
Square This is a great style for those with long narrow fi ngers and is and easy shape to achieve, just fi le the nail straight at the top and leave the corners square.
Rounded Square Just like the square nail, but the corners of the square are fi led slightly round.
Squoval If your client likes the oval style, this is a good compromise as it’s slightly stronger and suits bigger fi ngers. File the nail as you would an oval, but keep the sides squarer.
Almond This is a great style for those clients with small hands or fi ngers as it will elongate them. File the nail at either side at the top until you create a slight point.
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