I refuse to shut up about my nail health journey. If you haven’t heard my spiel, for the entirety of my life, my nails have been brittle, flaky, split down the center, and prone to breaking. But last year, I discovered the magic of a BIAB manicure (aka builder gel) and found the most incredible Russian manicure technician (Aigul at Aya Nails in Flatiron, NYC). The combination has completely transformed my nail health—they’re strong, sturdy, and for the first time in my life, don’t look like little nubs.
Having a stronger base to work with has given me so much more freedom when it comes to choosing a nail shape. I’ve played around with longer nails, oval manis, almonds, square—but my favorite will forever and always be a squoval manicure. It’s basically a square with rounded corners, which not only looks effortless and polished but is also the most flattering on short nails.
