Your Guide to Squoval Nails: How to File Them & 6 Design Ideas for 2024

It's nail day. You're all set to get to work on filing down your old mani and refreshing your nails with your favourite gel polish. But what nail shape should you go for this time?

Rather than just sticking with your classic, we're here to tell you why the squoval nail shape should be your go-to.

Square oval nails – or 'squoval' nails as they're more commonly called – are all over our TikTok FYP and Pinterest feed right now, so we had to jump on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss was about.

Squoval nails have actually been around forever, but there's recently been a resurgence, and it looks like it just might be the nail shape of 2024.

Square oval nails are exactly as you might have guessed – a hybrid between square and oval nails.

They're essentially your classic square nails but rounded off at the corners to create a smooth and soft outline. You get all the ease of using square-shaped nails with the flattering aesthetic of oval.

Aside from the practicality, there are actually tons of reasons why the squoval is probably one of the most universally flattering nail shapes.

Here are our top ones!

There are some shapes that look better with a longer nail length, and others short. But one of the great advantages of squoval nails is that it looks just as stunning short or long!

Whether you like to keep your nails trimmed and neat, or if you like your nails long and bold, you can make the squoval shape work for your desired look.

Both create a flattering look, so it's really down to your personal nail length preference.

Whether you've got short or long fingers, the squoval nail shape will look great!

The softness of the rounded edging makes the shape super versatile and flattering for all types of hands.

Another great benefit of the squoval nail shape is that it's so neutral and simple that it complements every gel colour! It's the perfect foundation for your mani.

From darker gel polishes like our fan-favourite Witching Hour Gel Polish to lighter, brighter gels like our pretty Peony Gel Polish, the squoval shape will help showcase your chosen polish colour perfectly.

For all you at-home mani pros out there, you'll be glad to hear that filing a squoval shape is super easy and quick.

It doesn't take much to get the shape right – just a little rounding off at the corners!

If you want to achieve this versatile and flattering shape for yourself, we've got 2 ways you can achieve the look: by filing and shaping or by using our pre-shaped nail tips.

If you want to cut down on all the filing, buffing, and shaping, you can use our Fix 'N' Flash Tips to achieve the perfect squoval shape.

Our soft gel nail tips come pre-shaped, so you don't need to put in extra time to shape and file them from scratch. They're also pre-buffed, so they're completely ready for you to apply polish after you've popped them on.

We have two shapes that work great for achieving this nail shape: short square and long square, depending on your preferred nail length.

You'll need to round off the corners of these tips with a 180-grit file to get that signature squoval look, but it takes out a lot of the legwork.

Follow our video below to see how to apply our nail tips...

If there's one way to make us want to try out a new nail shape, it's whipping up some nail inspo!

We've rounded up some of our recent favourite celebrity manis that feature the squoval shape to get you inspired, and thrown in some of our own brand ambassador's designs, too.

Shay Mitchell's long squoval nails are the perfect example of how this nail shape can be turned up a notch! The red underside paired with a nude-beige gel polish is such a statement.

Created by the incredible @mini_mahni over on Instagram, these peach fuzz nails are the perfect spring-summer mani.

She's used our Peach Perfect and High Rise Gel Polishes, and finished the design with the Matte No Wipe Top Coat, creating a super sweet squoval look.

The combination of glitter and French tips is always a winner for us, and the squoval nail makes them even more flattering.

We've used our Gilded Masterpiece Duo for this look, but you can choose any colour and glitter combo that suits your style.

These nails are oh so dreamy! Ella Mai's pastel purple French tips with delicate cloud nail art make for the prettiest mani. The squoval shape and nail art look gorgeous together.

Our brand ambassador @patricia_naturalnails has created these stunning sunset nails using our shades Watermelon Sugar, Flower Power, Peach Builder, and Golden Leaves. The squoval shape adds a modern touch to this colourful and vibrant look.

Sometimes, the simpler things are just as beautiful, which can be said for this cranberry red mani! We've used our Solar Flare Gel Polish for this classic look, and the squoval shape gives it a sophisticated edge.

Ready to give the squoval nail shape a go?

Whether you decide to go for something bold or keep it simple and short, you can make the squoval nail shape work for you and your mani.

Plus, don't forget to keep stocked up on everything you need to perfectly shape your nails! We have a whole collection of nail tools you can use to perfect that squoval shape – so get to it!