TL;DR: If your nail beds are short or wide, choose oval or almond — the tapered sides visually lengthen your fingers. If your beds are long and narrow, square and coffin add balance. New to press-ons? Start with a short square or medium oval: most durable, most typeable. And if you're torn: medium almond flatters almost everyone, which is why it's the most common handmade shape.
Shape guide by hand type
| Your nails/hands | Best shapes | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Short, wide nail beds | Oval, almond (medium length) | Wide square — broadens further |
| Long, narrow beds | Square, coffin, squoval | Long stiletto — over-elongates |
| Short fingers | Almond, extra: nude shades elongate more | Ultra-short round |
| Active hands / typing all day | Short square, short oval | Extra-long anything |
| Statement occasions | Coffin, stiletto — maximum canvas for art | — |
The five shapes, decoded
- Square: flat edge, strong corners. Most durable; the working-week shape. (Cherry Bow is our short-square classic.)
- Oval: soft all-rounder, elongates without drama — Essential Solids Oval.
- Almond: tapered with a rounded peak; the universal flatterer and our most-used base.
- Coffin: tapered with a flat tip; editorial energy, big art canvas — most of Statement Art lives here and on stiletto.
- Stiletto: the pointed showstopper. Gorgeous, less practical — date nights, shoots, events.
Shape is half the equation — size is the other half
A flattering shape in the wrong width still reads "pressed-on". Two minutes with the tape method (or the $6.99 sizing kit) sorts it permanently, and every Luvmani set is made in your size with a free resize within 30 days.
FAQ
What's the most durable press-on shape?
Short square, then short oval. Less leverage on the tip means less lifting in daily life.
Can I reshape a press-on at home?
Lightly, yes — gel tips file cleanly at the sides and tip. Go one shape softer (coffin → squoval), not shorter by half.
Which shape looks most natural?
Whichever mirrors your natural free edge — for most people that's oval or almond in a medium length and a nude-adjacent shade.
Find your shape in The Essentials — solids and Frenches across square, oval, almond and coffin, from $24, sized to you.