The Italian Manicure Will Make Anyone’s Nails Look Longer

If you’ve ever wished you could have longer nails, the Italian manicure is here to make your dreams into a reality. As much as we love the ever-classic French manicure, this competing European mani is stealing our hearts. While the French manicure is by no means a thing of the past (in fact, Jennifer Lopez showed off a trendy micro French manicure just recently), this trending Italian manicure technique is a new solution for those who dream of achieving an optical lengthening effect on their nails.

The Italian manicure is stealing the internet’s attention with the simple, elegant, sophisticated, and easy-to-wear design. The best part? It’s super flattering for those with short nails.

What is the Italian manicure?

This trend works by visually lengthening the look of the nail using a single nail polish shade. The trick is to start applying the polish as close to the cuticle as possible without touching. After finishing applying color, use a super-thin nail brush soaked in nail polish remover to draw a miniscule line around the edges of the nails. This creates the smallest amount of space between the sides of the nails and the polish, which creates the illusion of more elongated nail beds (i.e., longer-looking nails). Insider tip: Before applying any color, it’s essential that the cuticle is properly removed (either cut or pushed back, depending on your preference) to make the most of all the space on the nail. Keep your cuticles hydrated and make your mani last by applying a cuticle oil.

Ultimately, the goal is to make your nail look more slender and longer with this simple and effective mani. Though this technique is ideal for those with short nails, it can also be great for anyone with wider nails who want to make them look narrower.

How to wear the Italian manicure

There are plenty of ways to style your Italian manicure to your liking. Because you’re aiming for a longer-looking nail, an almond-, squoval-, or square-shaped nail works best. Since it’s a single-color trend, you can choose any shade you like. Just note you should use only one at a time. Scroll on for some Italian manicure nail ideas that we’re sure you’ll love.

Glazed donut nails

Hailey Bieber really was on to something when she first wore glazed donut nails. We love the effect that the chrome powder gives, so to give your nails a cool and elegant touch, try a nude, pearly color.

Burgundy nails

How about an Italian manicure with a moody pop of color? This fun take on the trend is ideal for a moody spring mani and gives a surprising dash of color to nails.