the technique for longer nails

Tired of your short nails? How about trying nail contouring, that on-trend nail polish application that uses the contour of the nail to make them look longer?

Popularized by Kim Kardashian, facial contouring is a makeup technique that aims to redraw the contours of the face to enhance it by refining it, softening certain features and giving it more structure. This makeup trend, quite simply unavoidable a few years ago, continues to this day and continues to reinvent itself with new make-up techniques such as blush draping, of cheek carving and strobing which rely on the use of various makeup products (blush, concealer, highlighter) to make the contours of the face more harmonious. But the contouring technique is not reserved for the beauty of the complexion, it is also invited in the field of nail art to make us pretty nails.

What is the nail contouring ?

Inspired by the famous make-up technique to redraw facial features using a play of shadows and lights, the nail contouring is a manicure technique bordering on nail art that plays on the difference in color between the outline of the nail and the shade of varnish applied to the center of the nail to give the illusion that the nails are longer.
Created for New York Fashion Week in 2010 for the Ruffian show, this manicure that restructures the nail to give it a more elongated appearance is sometimes still called the Ruffian manicure for this reason.

This contouring nail art exists more precisely in two forms of manicure: one focusing on the negative space created by the outlines of the nails left bare (that is to say without varnish) which contrasts with the shade of the varnish deposited on the nail plate, the other combining two colors of nail polish to obtain a similar rendering but more or less contrasted according to the desires of each one. This nail makeup is therefore entirely based on the optical illusion created by working on the contour of the nail during application, which makes the nails appear longer than they actually are.

The main idea being to draw the eye to the center of the nail, the technique is very easy in the case of a nail contouring simple with just one color of varnish because it suffices not to cover the nail entirely with varnish to obtain the desired result. Where the French manicure mimics the natural by enhancing a well-defined immaculate free edge, the nail contouring instead, emphasizes the center of the nail with a meticulously drawn line down the middle of the nail to (almost) make us forget the outlines of the nails. No matter what color of varnish you want to achieve your manicure with, the result will be there even if it will of course be more obvious if you opt for a pep or dark varnish color that will stand out better on the edges of the bare nails than beige varnish for example.

When you choose the version of the nail contouring done using a duo of nail polish on the other hand, it is important to apply the darkest or flashy color of varnish to the center of the nail while the lighter or sober shade of varnish to nails colors the outlines of the nails to create the perfect optical illusion.

The ideas of nail contouring to copy

A nail contouring simple with gray varnish

Blue and white nail polish contouring

Contouring nail art where the negative space contrasts with the black varnish

A nail contouring colored with two varnishes

Colorful nail contouring

Contouring nail art with a nude varnish base

How to make a nail contouring ?

The technique varies a bit depending on the version of the nail contouring which you fall for. Indeed, for a simple contouring based on the application of a single varnish, the realization of your nail art contouring of the nails is easier and faster than for a contouring of the nails with two colors of varnish.

  • Start by filing your nails to perfect their shape. In almond, square, square-rounded or stiletto shaped nails, it's up to you as long as you make sure to display a very regular nail shape on the ten fingers of your hands. This is an essential step in order to be able to carry out a nail contouring precise and harmonious on all your nails.
  • Coat all of your nails with a clear protective base.

For simple contouring nail art

  • Then take your nail polish and place the product in the center of the nail, from the lunula to the free edge of the nail, making sure to leave the edges of the nail plate bare. In short, just draw a wide line of nail polish down the center of your nails, using your polish brush to be precise. in order to achieve a clear result and a convincing trompe-l'oeil effect.

For contouring nails with two varnish colors

  • First apply the first color – that is to say the lightest or most sober shade of varnish – on the entire nail as you would do for the most classic nail polish application that is.
  • Then, on each finger, color the center of the nail with the second shade of varnish chosen, proceeding carefully to draw a wide line of varnish over the first color, so as to leave the latter visible on the sides of the nail. the nail plate. Do not forget to color the center of the free edge of the nail when painting the nail with the second color to perfect the illusion and make your nails as long as possible.


In both cases

  • Once the polish (s) are completely dry, finish by applying a layer of transparent top coat to protect your contouring nail art and improve the shine and hold of your manicure in stride.

Our advice and tips for making a nail contouring perfect

  • When choosing the two-polish version of nail contouring, consider choosing colors that contrast well with each other. If you go for two shades that are too close to each other, your nails won't look much longer.
  • If you have any doubts when choosing your two colors of nail polish, that you don't really like two-tone manicures, or even that you want the most subtle optical illusion possible: bet on a first varnish color neutral as a base. Nail polish nude in a shade close to that of your natural skin tone is indeed a very good idea for a successful contouring manicure without fuss.
  • So that your nail contouring be pretty, the key is to work the outline so that it is inconspicuous and not too thick. A coarse nail contour would be really unsightly. So remember to adapt the thickness and the outline of the nail contour to yours precisely because the perfect thickness of an outline on one nail is not necessarily the most elegant on another type of nail or does not match. not necessarily the same way for another nail shape.

The essentials for nail contouring

These very simple manicures to do and the result of which is stunning:

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