K-beauty skincare has been on the rise for some time, but we're also looking to Korea for manicure inspiration – or rather, the hands of K-pop stars. When Blackpink showed up on the VMA red carpet, each band member had their own unique nail design going on. However, one mani in particular had us doing a double-take. Not so much because of the design, but because of the shape.
As far as their wardrobes went, the Blackpink girls coordinated with each other. But, when it came to their manicures, they wore not only different designs (in shades of nude, pink and black and glitter) but also different nail shapes. In the case of singer Lisa, however, it wasn't just the crystal gems that had us under their spell, but also the extreme nail shape. And by extreme we mean extremely square… see for yourself:
The takeaway? Square nails are back. The angular nail shape had already announced itself in the past few years, in the form of coffin nails (also known as ballerina nails, due to the squared off bottom of pointe shoes). The shape features long, tapered nails with a squared-off tip. But this nail trend has had an update thanks to Blackpink star Lisa, who also wore her nails nails squared-off at the tip, but rather than getting narrower towards the front, they stay the same width, more or less like a rectangle.
The square, or rectangular nail shape has its pros and cons. Narrow fingers can be made to look a little wider with this nail shape without having to take the length shorter, but if you're looking to elongate your fingers, this shape is not as ideal. You'd be better off with a pointed almond or stiletto shape instead. Plus, pro manicurists warn that the square shape can be more prone to snagging and catching than a softer, rounded shape.
However, there is one thing that cannot be denied: square nails look totally modern, unique and offer a little something different. And we're sure we'll be spotting a lot more of this nail shape going forward.
This feature originally appeared on GLAMOUR Germany.
