We’re all well aware by now that iridescent tips, colour-changing decals, and the like can instantly turn an otherwise plain manicure into full-on nail-art inspiration — but shaping your nails a certain way can have just as much impact on a nail look. Case in point: lipstick nails. The shape, created and coined by South Korea’s Eun Kyung Park (aka @nail_unistella), puts a twist on rectangular and stiletto shapes with a pointed, slanted edge. They’re shaped… well, just like lipstick.
Unlike some other popular shapes like the coffin, lipstick nails aren’t limited to longer nails — not to mention there are about a million and one ways to wear them. Whether you’re into colours and designs that are minimal, bold, graphic, or neutral, combining them with a lipstick shape will give you the most unique manicure on your Instagram feed.
Here are some of the most inventive takes on Lipstick Nails from Instagram…
Eun Kyung Park, the shape’s inventor, gives the classic black manicure an edge — literally — with her signature long and slanted tips. A quick scroll through her Instagram feed will stock your brain with endless lipstick-nail ideas, including French tips, nail decals, and plenty more.
Instagram user @s20.eun has the perfect lipstick nails for any minimalist. Her nude, glossy finish might lead to mistake this for a regular manicure from afar, even though it is anything but.
The nail salon Ora Nail Spot in Nairobi, Kenya, takes the complete opposite approach to the trend with neon colors and psychedelic curves.
Los Angeles-based nail technician @sojinails combines lipstick nails, transparent extensions, piercings, and colorful tips for what might be the trendiest nail look of all time.
Fellow California nail tech @perfectlypolishedla offers up another new take on the French manicure with short, slanted tips and a bold red-orange color on a nude base.
If you can’t stop staring at the stark contrast between the royal-blue drips and the milky-white base on this look from England’s Reigate Nails & Spa, you’re not alone.
Nail artist @nailsbymimit makes a strong case for six more weeks of winter with her icy, quartz-patterned lipstick nails.
