While the early 2000s were known for sharp, squared, medium-length nails and French tips, the 2020s have shifted to favor longer, chicer styles like almond nails, oval nails and coffin-shaped nails. While almond nails have dominated the manicure landscape for quite some time, as we get more experimental with our manis, many nail lovers are mulling over new designs, colors and shapes.
Enter lipstick nails—one of the more eccentric, under-the-radar nail shapes that has been gaining quite a bit of traction as of late. An edgy, sharper style, lipstick nails are a great way to step out of your manicure comfort zone. Ahead, nail experts talk all things lipstick nails.
Featured Experts
- Sigourney Nunez is a Sally Hansen Global Partner
- Anastasia is the founder and lead nail tech at NashlyNails Studio
- Mazz Hanna is the CEO of Nailing Hollywood
What are lipstick nails?
"Lipstick nails are a unique nail shape that resemble the slanted tip of a lipstick bullet," says Nailing Hollywood CEO, Mazz Hanna. "Instead of being filed straight across, lipstick nails are cut and filed diagonally, which creates an asymmetrical angled tip. They can be any length and paired with any nail art design, since the look is more about the shape than anything."
Emphasizing their "it girl" nature, Sally Hansen Global Partner Sigourney Nunez notes, "Lipstick nails are one of those shapes that trendsetters wear! Essentially, it's a nail style that slants diagonally to mimic the tip of a lipstick. This type of nail shape is typically done with enhancements like hard gel, Gel-X or acrylic since it requires a structure to support the shape."
What colors complement lipstick nails best?
With a structure as attention-grabbing as these, color is more of an accent. As Nunez explains, "Lipstick nails are usually adorned with a lot of nail art or bold colors. One easy way to add fun patterns to this type of extension would be to encapsulate the nail using Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips ($8) which come in various colors and designs. The nail strips allow you to easily execute nail art in minutes by applying the decal to the nail. You can even customize the flexible strips by cutting them to a preferred shape, like a strip, to make a fun cut out of nail art. If you want to make the nail strips last longer, just seal them in with a clear acrylic or gel top coat."
Anastasia agrees, emphasizing that the nail shape lends itself seamlessly to nail art and designs. "Designs play a more important role than color with lipstick nails. When putting the designs on the nail, it is important to make sure the sharp angles of the shape line up with the designs to make them look beautiful."
Examples of lipstick Nails
