Rounded tips, who? These are the most popular nail shapes this year

Confused by the concept of squoval nail shapes? Stumped when someone tells you they’ve opted to wear a stiletto on their fingers, or fascinated by how the girlies are running errands with their lipstick-shaped talons? We hear you; thanks to the proliferation of nail art trends popping up, suddenly the humble options of ’round’ or ‘square’ seem insufficient and quite frankly outdated.

While the past few years have largely been dominated by the “coffin” nail shape (a long nail with a blunt tip) thanks to celebrity fans such as Kylie Jenner and Rihanna, or the long square nails sported by the likes of Megan Thee Stallion and our very own Cover Star Saweetie, the past year has seen the rise of a far more demure, subtle style — the squoval.

Not only is the squoval a great way to add a little edge to your nail while remaining very demure and practical, but they’re also flattery and give the illusion of elongated nail beds. Alternatively, you can of course opt for the short version of squoval. They are praised for being more hygienic as pathogens, including viruses and bacteria can get trapped under long nails. That means less maintenance. 

Still not sure which shape to go for? To clear things up — and so that you know what to ask for at your next nail appointment, whether you’re having gels or acrylics done, we’ve come up with this ultimate guide to all the nail shapes you need to know about in 2022 — and asked experts about the benefits of each.

Squoval