Gel polishPainted on like polish, then cured under a lamp. It can last as long as two weeks.
Regular polishThe classic manicure: file, shape, paint. Typically lasts two to seven days without chipping.
Clear polishOne clear coat on your own nails. A top coat forms a hard layer that helps prevent chips.
French manicureA pink or nude nail with a white tip, on your own nails or on extensions.
Bare and buffedNo polish at all: nails filed to one shape and buffed smooth.
Dip powderA clear liquid is brushed on and the nail dipped in powder, layer on layer. Tends to last about a month.
AcrylicsA liquid and a powder mixed to a bead, shaped on the nail, hard in minutes. Can last up to 21 days.
Gel extensionsHard gel built out over a tip or a form and cured under a lamp. Two to three weeks of wear.
Soft gel tipsA clear, ready-shaped tip that covers the whole nail, set with gel under a lamp. Soaks off in acetone.
Press-onsFull-cover tips glued over your own nails, at home. Nail tips last about 7 to 10 days.
Nail wrapsSilk, linen or fiberglass sealed over the nail with resin. Adds strength, not length, and can mend a break.
Hot oil manicureA manicure that cleans the cuticles and softens them with warm oil.
Nail shapes 8
AlmondEnds in a rounded point, which makes fingers look longer.
OvalRounded to an egg-shaped tip. Often grouped with almond, which comes to more of a point.
RoundA short curve that follows the fingertip. Easy to keep up on short nails.
SquareFiled straight across the tip, with square corners.
SquovalStraight across the tip with the corners rounded off, so it breaks less easily. Easy to keep up on short nails.
CoffinLike a square, but the sides taper in toward the flat tip. Also called ballerina.
StilettoLike an almond but sharper at the point, and it can be more brittle. Also called pointed.
FlareStarts square at the base and fans out toward the tip. Also called duck nails.
How it works
Two choices hide in the question: the shape your nails are filed to, and what goes on them. The list has both, from a round nail in regular polish to a coffin shape in acrylic.
Read the full guide
Choose the kind first
Decide whether you want color on your own nails (regular polish, gel polish, dip powder) or added length (acrylics, gel extensions, soft gel tips, press-ons). The length you end up with decides which shapes will hold.
What shape nails should I get?
On short nails, round and squoval are the easy ones: both stay close to the fingertip, and squoval has no sharp corner to catch. Almond makes fingers look longer. Coffin and stiletto need length, so they usually mean extensions.
Ask how it comes off
Regular polish wipes off with remover. Gel polish is soaked off in acetone, and some gels have to be filed off at a salon, so ask before you choose.
Take a photo of the shape you want: salons do not all use the same name for the same shape.
Questions and answers
What nails should I get for the first time?
Gel polish on your own nails, filed round or squoval. There is no added length to get used to, and you find out whether you like the upkeep before you pay for extensions.
What kind of nails should I get if I want them long?
Acrylics, gel extensions or soft gel tips. Acrylic and gel are built out over a tip or a form, and a soft gel tip is the length itself. Press-ons add length at home with glue and no salon visit.
What is the difference between gel and acrylic nails?
Acrylic is a powder and a liquid mixed into a bead that hardens within minutes. Gel stays soft until it is cured under an ultraviolet lamp. Gel is strong, though not as strong as acrylic.
What type of nails last the longest?
Dip powder, which tends to last about a month. Acrylics can last up to 21 days and longer with touch-ups, gel extensions two to three weeks, glued-on nail tips 7 to 10 days and regular polish two to seven days.