Almond tapers in at the sides and finishes in a soft rounded point. It is the most requested shape in salons because it narrows the visual width of a finger, and the most common source of disappointment because it needs length most people do not have.
Enough past the fingertip for the sides to taper over. On a natural nail that usually means a couple of millimetres at minimum. Below that the taper has nowhere to happen and the result reads as a soft square.
The point stays rounded. A sharp almond is a stiletto, and it breaks like one.
What it suits
Narrow nail beds and short fingers benefit most. Wide beds can carry almond but need more length to balance it. If you break nails at the corner already, tapering the sides removes material from exactly the place that fails.
Sheer nude
The softest way to wear the shape.
Milky white
Semi-sheer off-white. Softens the point.
Strawberry milk
Sheer warm pink.
Cherry red
Blue-toned red. The classic almond colour.
Oxblood
Deep brownish red.
Chocolate brown
Warm espresso with a mirror shine.
Navy
Deep blue, almost black indoors.
Forest green
Deep green with gold jewellery.
Sheer black wash
Smoky grey rather than hard black.
Micro French
A hairline edge following the curve of the tip.
Baby boomer ombre
Nude into white with no visible line.
Half moon
A curve at the cuticle rather than the tip.
Negative space swirl
One bold curve across a bare nail. Almond suits this better than any shape.
Gold micro-line
A hairline running the length of the taper.
Chrome mirror
Full mirror across the taper.
Glazed pearl
Iridescent powder over sheer pink.
Cat eye emerald
Magnetic band running with the taper.
Velvet burgundy
Shimmer worked flat into a cloud.
Matte olive
Muted green under matte.
Milk bath marble
Grey veining through a milky base.
Aura in coral
A halo blurred into a nude base.
Pearl charms
Two flat-backed pearls set near the cuticle.
Lace tip
A scalloped smile line. Two nails only.
Short almond in gel
The most wearable version. Built rather than filed from a natural nail.
Almond on toes
Rare and worth avoiding. Toes want straight across.
For every other shape and what each one costs in strength, see the nail shapes guide.
Questions people actually ask
Do almond nails suit short nails?
Not on natural nails. The taper needs length to develop over. Oval gives you a similar effect at short lengths.
Are almond nails strong?
Medium at best. Tapering removes material from the sides, which is where the stress sits.
What is the difference between almond and oval?
Oval curves gently and finishes wide. Almond tapers harder and finishes in a point. Almond needs more length.
How do I ask for almond nails?
Ask for a soft rounded point rather than a sharp one, and say how far past the fingertip you want to go in millimetres.
