How to Wear Lipstick Nails According to the Manicurist Who Made Them

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updated Sep 21, 2020

Instagram is busy incubating a new beauty trend. This time, it's a nail trend, though it doesn't have anything to do with a specific shade (Selena Gomez's neon peach is a continual fave) or a specific design (minimalist nail art still reigns supreme). It has to do with a specific nail shape called "lipstick nails," because of the way each nail resembles a brand new bullet of lipstick.

The driving force behind the lipstick nail shape is Park Eunkyung, the creative mastermind behind the wildly popular Instagram account @nail_unistella. "I’ve been keeping my nails short for a long time but recently I started loving longer nails," she says. "The reason why I couldn’t keep my nails long, even though I love the way it looks, was because they didn’t feel comfortable to me. As I was working at a photoshoot for cat eye-shaped sunglasses, I thought it would be interesting to shape my nails into that shape and gave it a try. It turned out like a lipstick shape, so I did it on my nails immediately." No matter what side of the love-hate line you fall on, it's easy to see why this new shape is causing a stir, and why we think it's set to become a full-fledged beauty trend.

Keep scrolling to see the best lipstick nail designs that just may inspire to you jump on the bandwagon.

Meet the Expert

Park Eunkyung is a nail artist and owner of Unistella by E.K. Lab salon in Seoul, South Korea. She is known for her experimental nail designs, such as shattered glass, wire, and negative space manicures.

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Iridescent Minimalism

Here, this nail artist created a super futuristic-looking manicure by combining a dramatic lipstick shape with holographic polish and minimalist nail art. It reminds us of something we might have seen in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, and we mean that in the best way.

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Neon Tips

We also love this lipstick-shaped manicure Eunkyung did, in which she combined nude and neon polish into one harmonious design. It's a wearable way to experiment with bold color.

Make sure to keep track of the point edge on your left and right hands when doing lipstick nails at home. Eunkyung explains that on your right hand, the longer side should be on the right and for the left hand, it should be on the left.

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Shiny Black Details

If you prefer neutral shades over bright hues, take inspiration from this black-and-white lipstick manicure Eunkyung posted to her Instagram. The curved design of the polish softens the harsh lipstick slant of the nail. It's a cool juxtaposition, don't you think?

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All Nude

If you're a fan of neutral nails, we have a feeling you'll love this all nude lipstick nail look. The chic yet simple look is topped with a high-shine top coat. To mimic the mani, top your nude polish with OPI's Infinite Shine ProStay Gloss Top Coat ($13).

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Statement Nude

There are a few other nail artists utilizing the lipstick shape on Instagram. Here, the perimeter of the nails are painted with a cherry-red color that looks (funnily enough) like a classic shade of lipstick.

Make sure your nails are long enough to create the lipstick shape. If you can't seem to grow your natural nails, fake nail extensions will do the trick.

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Red, White, and Black Fire

Speaking of red lipstick nails, this red, white, and black combo is fire—seriously. Here, Eunkyung painted an alternating black and white base coat. On each black nail, she used a red glitter polish to create a flame, an on each white nail, she did the same but with black polish.

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Sunshine Yellow

There's little we love more in this world than a bright yellow manicure. We'll be taking inspiration from this combination of lipstick-shaped nails and sunshine-yellow polish.

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Glitter Specks

For a more whimsical approach, paint your lipstick-shaped nails with your favorite chunky glitter polish. This example makes us want to top Côte's No. 124 ($18) with ORLY's Kick Glass ($10).

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Nude and Black Stars

We're huge fans of nude lipstick nails with a touch of detail, which is why this manicure immediately caught our eye. The see-through nude base coat is adorned with black lines and tips and small silver stars.

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Short Lipstick Nails

While lipstick nails do require length, this example proves your nails don't have to be super long to rock the look. Plus, how cute is this mani that showcases lavender skies with fluffy white clouds?

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Milky Way

How mesmerizing are these black, metallic-tipped lipstick nails? They remind us of the Milky Way and crystal collections alike.

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Black and White Drip Nails

These black and white drip lipstick nails are giving us serious pop art vibes. Consider it the perfect way to give your French manicure a fun and trendy upgrade. After creating a traditional French tip (with that lipstick nail shape, of course), use white and black nail art pens (try Sally Hansen's I Heart Nail Art Pen, $7) to add those dripping details.

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Jelly Nails

This half-jelly lipstick mani is one for the books. With a creamy lavender color and clear, glitter-speckled tips, they've captured our attention.

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Snakeskin

If the idea of minimalist nails—regardless of the shape—makes you want to cringe, consider these intricate snakeskin lipstick nails instead. Considering how trendy the animal print is, you simply can't go wrong.

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Pink Fire Tips

If you're a fan of the red, white, and black fire nails we mentioned earlier, you'll love Eunkyung's other version of fire lipstick nails. The iridescent base and pink tips make for the perfect combination of feminine and bold.

Up next: Discover 15 perfect shades of blue nail polish no matter the occasion.