When you’re rocking nails with some length, you get to play around with the shape. Ballet nails are a shape that sits halfway between an almond nail (tapered with a round tip) and a coffin nail (tapered with a sharp tip). “Ballerina nails have a soft, tapered square shape that resembles the pointe shoes in ballet,” says expert Amy Oung. “As long as the sides are softly tapered in, and the free edge isn’t too sharp, it will give the delicate ballerina nail shape.”
While the shape can be a little confusing to achieve, Heather Reynosa, global education director of OPI, shares a tip: “For ballerina nails, think of a super pointed almond that’s had the point removed, and you have a ‘ballerina’ shape,” says Reynosa. And because ballerina is so similar to other shapes, it’s really versatile, emphasizes Galdina Jimenez, education manager for OPI North America. “I love this shape because if my client wants to switch things up, I can easily take her shape from almond or square to a ballerina,” says Jimenez.
meet the expert
- Amy Oung is an educator for nail polish brand Orly educator and a nail artist.
- Heather Reynosa is the global education director for nail polish brand OPI and a nail artist.
- Galdina Jimenez is the education manager for OPI North America and a nail artist.
If you want to try out ballerina nails but need some convincing, see the shape in action with the 20 below examples.
Cherry Picker
Instagram / @pinkbunnynailz
Baby blue was used to create this angular micro tip design, which accentuates the ballerina nail shape beautifully. The addition of the cherries adds a fun pop.
Desert Muse
“For this design, the shape and the colors make the look,” says Oung. “This was from Orly’s Desert Muse collection ($59), which makes for a complementary neutral look that transitions into fall.”
French Ombré
Instead of a traditional French tip, this look features an ombré effect, where the traditional white shade fades into a neutral base.
Chrome Finish
Chrome polish looks pretty on any nail shape, but it’s especially pretty on ballerina nails. This white chrome polish is simple and gorgeous.
Blue Jeans
Emulating the shade of blue denim, these nails are pretty and simple. The dusty blue shade really sings on a ballerina base.
Red Flowers
This moody floral look features a shimmery gray base and red flowers. Because the pattern is presented in a tip on some of the nails, it keeps the look from being too busy.
Lip Gloss Nails
These ballerina lip gloss nails are beautiful. Having a sheer jelly polish on the nail allows you to appreciate the beauty of the ballerina shape.
Glitter Accent
Like the above look, these nails feature a lip gloss-style polish. However, one nail also got a top coat of chunky glitter, adding a dose of sparkle to the look.
Holographic Florals
Delicate holographic flowers create a garden-worthy tip for these ballerina nails. The deep mustard, burgundy, and violet hues really pop against the sheer base.
Color-Blocked Neons
Neon polishes with a matte top coat were used to create this poppy look. It was painted using the shades B451 (pink), B452 (purple), B454 (yellow), and B458 (green) from the Beetles Gel Polish Summer Paradise Set ($20).
Neon Marble
This bright set was created using three shades from the Lights Lacquer Zodiac collection, including Gemini (an electric lime yellow), Pisces (a soft sea-foam blue), and Taurus (a dusty matcha green).
Moody Rainbow
This moody rainbow look, created using polishes from the Holo Taco Down to Earth Bundle ($85), looks stunning on these ballerina nails.
Earthy Green
This look keeps it simple with a few coats of Elysian Fields ($11) from Orly. It’s a gorgeous muted shade that sits somewhere between green and yellow.
Violet Glitter
Kathleen & Co polishes were used to create this bright purple, chunky glitter look. It’s disco party ready!
Blood Orange Shimmer
Instagram / @missbellatracey
These ballerina nails are coated with the shade The Old One ($12) from Krisable Designs. It’s a bright blood orange with a touch of blue shimmer.
Coral Claws
This coraly pink shade looks really pretty on these long ballerina nails. As demonstrated here, the shape adds interest to a very simple hue.
Butterfly Accent
These lip gloss-style ballerina nails feature a gold butterfly decal that adds a subtle, yet eye-catching element.
Matte Crystal
The ballerina shape really shines with these matte, clear nails. Without the distraction of color or shine, the eye really gets to zero in on the shape.
Chocolate Ballerina
The shade Nude from Ruth Polish was used to create this chocolatey ballerina nail. It’s a deep, neutral brown.
