The Coolest Coffin Nails To Try This Weekend

It's no wonder young moms and cool girls, from Kylie Jenner to Rihanna, opt for coffin nails — they're the workhorse of the trendy manicure world. The nail shape (also called ballerina, for its resemblance to a point toe slipper) typically boasts major length that extends to a tapered, blunt tip. Unlike its talon-like sis, the pointy stiletto shape, coffin nails can take a beating while still being fit for delicate jobs, like touching a baby or putting in contact lenses.

"A coffin shape allows you a level of sexy without compromising function," says Kristin Gyimah, a nail artist and the founder of Dime Nails in LA. "They have a thicker base coming off the nail so they're less likely to break as easily and they're squared off at the top, allowing for more function."

Though coffin nails can be carved from shorter to nearly inch-long lengths, Gyimah says there's a reason we often see the shape rendered in ultra-long styles. "An almond or stiletto shape will elongate the look of the fingers, but the coffin shape makes fingers look quite a bit longer," she notes.

With all that real estate comes some pretty fresh takes on the latest manicure trends — including boomer, jelly, orbit nails, and more. See how it's all done, ahead, and get ready to level up on the nail shape seen on the busiest fingers around.