Almond nails are a nail shape that tapers from the side walls to a soft, rounded point, like the nut, which makes fingers look longer and slimmer but needs some length and a strong nail plate to wear well.
Also known as: almond shaped nails, almond nail shape, short almond nails, amandelvormige nagels
An almond nail is narrow at the tip and widest at the base, with the taper starting about a third of the way down from the free edge. The point is rounded, never sharp. The shape gives an illusion of long, slender fingers and suits shorter fingers for that reason (Mavala).
The trade-off is strength. Filing the side walls removes the part of the nail that resists bending, so almond is listed with coffin and stiletto among the shapes that break most. It needs a few millimetres of free edge to show the taper, and a plate that does not peel or split. Daily cuticle oil keeps the plate flexible so it bends before it cracks (Manucurist).
To file an almond, start with an oval. Hold the file at an angle against one side wall and stroke toward the centre of the tip, in one direction only. Repeat on the other side until both slopes meet in a soft point. Hold the nail up against the light to compare the two slopes, then round the very tip so it does not catch.
Almond nails flatter shimmer, jelly and magnetic finishes because the taper lengthens the band of light. On short nails, a shorter, rounder version of the same taper, sometimes called a short almond, gives most of the effect with less breakage. The autumn 2026 direction is shorter, rounder shapes across the board (Jan Magazine).