How To Do Stiletto Nails

Stiletto nails are a gift and a curse. They look fierce, but figuring out how to do stiletto nails is hard, even if they are really trendy right now. Also, they have the potential to take out one or both of your eyes if you're not careful. Well, maybe that's just me, but those things can be scary. Still, I am happy to tell you all about how to get some claws. I admire the women who can rock them on nights out that don't end in the emergency room. And if you can wear stiletto nails and stiletto heels? Well, I bow down.

That being said, there's more to stiletto nails than just pointy tips. Like anything beauty-related, they're part art, part science, and there's a right way and a wrong way to rock them. There's also a lot of misconceptions about what a stiletto nail actually is. A lot of women think they're rocking stilettos when they're really wearing ballerinas or almonds. Not that it matters, as long as you're happy with your nails, but knowledge is power.

Plus, the more you know about stiletto nails, the better you'll be at busting them out at home instead of hauling your pretty pointers to the salon. Because you you can do anything with the right tutorial. You'll have your nails on fleek in the time it takes you to bust out the right file.

1. The Shape

If you are blessed with long, natural nails, all you need to get the stiletto shape is a good file. A crystal file is gentle on natural nails and easy to clean (plus, it lasts forever).

3-Piece Crystal Nail File, $12, Amazon

A Few Notes About Shaping Stiletto Nails

Just because your nails have a point doesn't mean they're stilettos. Stiletto nails are really pointy. If they're flattened at the top, they're coffin or ballerina nails. If they're rounded at the top, or if they're pointy but a little wide at the sides, then they're technically almond nails. Some of these tutorials veer more toward almond, but they will all give you the info you need to get your points on point.

2. Press-On Tutorial

Press-ons are cheap, easy to get your hands on, and a quick at-home solution. Plus, you can change them out or take them off whenever you're over them.

3. Acrylic Tutorial

If you're a fan of acrylic, you can get full acrylic kits in any drugstore. I feel like I should warn the uninitiated that acrylic takes practice. There's a reason an acrylic nail salon sits on every corner. But you'll never get it down if you don't start somewhere.

4. Gel Tutorial

Gels are so much easier than acrylics in my opinion, but you'll find plenty of people who believe the opposite is true. Gels also require a lot of somewhat pricey gear, but the results last a really long time and look really smooth.

5. Nail Art Tutorials

You can do pretty much any type of nail art on stilettos, so I've picked a variety of tutorials. Not all of them are done on stilettos, but you can use your imagination to see how they'd look on your nails.

Shattered glass is one of the hottest nail trends of the year.

The possibilities are endless, really.

If you're interested in wearing stiletto nails, this is pretty much everything you need to know. You've got this.

Images: Pixabay