The Most Popular Nail Shape — According to Our Instagram Followers

Since the dawn of time (and by that I really mean the early 2000’s), square nails have reigned supreme. The blocky, squared off nail look is easy to do at home, gives your nails uniformity and is pretty impossible to mess up. While the square nail is fine (even though I’m a coffin girl myself), there’s one shape that has captured the hearts of influencers and nail-lovers alike. According to our loyal community of IG followers, squoval is the best shape there is, and we’re inclined to agree. Here’s why:

It’s a happy medium.

This nail shape is a happy marriage between the severe square and dainty almond nail. It’s elegant without being bougie and looks great on virtually all hands and at every length — you pretty much can’t go wrong with this shape.

It’s the best nail shape for natural nails.

Even though pointier shapes like almond and coffin look great, it’s hard to maintain and leaves your nails vulnerable to breakage. Squoval is great because the weight of your nail is evenly distributed across the nail bed, leading to maintainable, strong nails. Squoval is also the shape most nails grow in naturally, which makes this shape a no-brainer.

You can do it yourself.

Some people can’t stand the nail salon for one reason or another — whether they can’t find a nail tech they love or have an aversion to paying for manicures, there’s a whole community of people who prefer to do their nails at home. Squoval nails are easy to achieve on your own with a simple nail file and a little bit of patience. And because this shape is easy on the nail, you won’t have to worry about subjecting your nails to irreversible damage.

You can rock this shape at any length.

Some nail shapes look better long (ie: stiletto), but squoval looks great whether you have claws or shorter, natural nails. As your nails grow, you can keep this shape for a softer, square look.