You might be in the middle of growing your nails out after a (tragic) break, or you might just not be able to grow long nails for the life of you. Or, like a lot of people, maybe you don’t like how long nails make your life more complicated, but you want them to look longer than they really are. Don’t worry; we have a very smart solution: nail designs that make your nails look longer. Here are 10 smart (and still cute) designs that will work.
The Italian Manicure
The Italian manicure is so smart even though it’s very simple. This method calls for putting one colour of nail polish on each nail, as close to the cuticle as possible. Next, use a fine nail brush dipped in nail polish remover to ‘draw’ a tiny line around the edges of each nail. This makes your nails look long and thin.
French Mani with a Sharp Edge
A stiletto nail shape will make your nails look longer right away. You can make them look even longer by adding a sharp French tip to each one. This design looks great with gold chrome on white, but it also looks good with any other colour combination.
Nails with a gradient
A gradient or ombre nail that goes from dark to light (either way is fine) is like a sharp French nail. This is a fun way to play with a few colours and make your nails look longer.
Long Lines Going Up
It works for fashion, and you can be sure it works for a manicure too. The idea is that thin vertical stripes from the base of your nails to the tips will make them look longer, even if they aren’t very long.
Lines that go up and down in a swirl
This is a more fun way to look at vertical lines. This nail idea makes nails look longer by using swirling lines that still go from top to bottom instead of straight and narrow. The almond shape and French tips also help make the shape look longer.
Polka Dots
This summer, rows of small polka dots are a fun way to do your nails. They also make short nails look longer than they really are, which is a nice bonus. Try a tapered gradient colour shift from top to bottom for more oomph.
Finish in chrome
The shiny finish wins the mani game! Chrome has a way of catching the light in all the best ways, even on shorter nails, making them look longer. There are also a lot of different colours and finishes to try out.
Playing with Negative Space
Negative space is a fun way to add some fun to your nails. Use negative space vertically with central cutouts, vertical lines, or bars to make your nails look longer. This manicure looks abstract, but if you look closely you‘ll see that the gold foil and pink are applied in a vertical pattern.
Small Minimalist Accents
Adding small simple accents like a single crystal, dot, or star to the middle or top of the nail can make it look like your nails are longer. The extra small accent that goes with it makes any nail look bigger than it really is.
Art of the Half Moon
Another way to make short nails look longer is to highlight the half moon, which is the white part at the base of your nail. There is a cute abstract flower at the base of each nail in this design. You could also try polka dots a single dot, or a solid colour.
Nail art that shows off three different styles of manicured nails
The “Ukrainian manicure” lasts a lot longer than gels laremosa.nails, selfish_london, so.shell_uk.
There are a lot of new nail treatments that help keep nails healthy and strong, like the “Russian manicure” and “stregthening BIAB.” Even better, the newest nail treatment that people who like a more minimalist and, more importantly, careful manicure are talking about lasts a lot longer than regular gels, strengthens your nail bed over time, and is said to be one of the cleanest nail looks you can get in salons right now.
What does it mean to get a “Ukrainian manicure”?
The “Ukrainian manicure” is all about getting ready and being very precise. It focuses on cleaning the nail bed and taking care of the shape of your nails. “A ‘Ukrainian manicure’ is a very careful and completely “dry” method. Maria Sharova and Yana Galiyeva, co-owners of So.Shell, say, “Instead of soaking the hands in water like usual, it uses a combination of precise cuticle scissors and an electronic file (e-file) to gently and safely remove dead skin.”
A traditional manicure usually uses warm water to soften the skin, but the “dry” method keeps nails from chipping and breaking (because soaking hands makes the nail plate bigger).The experience itself is very clean and comfortable. There is no soaking or softening, just pure precision and careful work. Galiyeva agrees that the result is a perfectly smooth even finish that lets the polish be applied closer to the root, which makes your manicure last up to four weeks.
What makes it different from other manicures?
Sharova and Galiyeva say that the biggest difference is in how the nail is prepared, not in the final coat. You can then choose a gel polish, BIAB, or Japanese manicure on top if you want.
“Gel polish on top is great for people with naturally healthy nails who just want a little colour that lasts. BIAB (Builder in a Bottle) is great for people who need extra strength and want to grow out their natural length. The Japanese manicure is best for people who want to take a break from gel.”
You can also just get the natural “Ukrainian manicure” because it looks clean and natural.Galiyeva says, “It’s a completely organic polish-free treatment that buffs nutrients deep into the nail bed, giving you a healthy natural shine that lasts the whole growth cycle.”
Who should think about getting this manicure?
This treatment doesn’t use any polish, so it’s perfect for pregnant women or anyone who wants to take a break from colour and nail art. You can also add colour on top of the manicure, but it’s best for people who want to recreate a clean “quiet luxury” look.
Why is it becoming more popular?
It all comes down to how long it lasts and how easy it is to use. The polish can be put on much closer to the root of the nail because the cuticle work is so precise and careful. This makes the polish last much longer before regrowth starts to show. People want a flawless high-end look these days, but they don’t have time to go back to the salon every two weeks. Sharova says, “This method gives them back their time.”
She also says that salons are starting to use a fully machine based version (using only the e-file) more and more because “it actually helps to slow down cuticle regrowth over time.”
