Lamour Nail Tips Guide: Natural vs K-Tips vs ToeTips

By Edmond Lin, M1 Nail & Beauty Supply, Markham, Ontario. Last updated 12 October 2026. Product details are read from the Lamour pack labels; sizing and application steps are general salon practice.

Lamour makes three plastic nail tips: Natural for most fingernails, K-Tips for nails with a strong side-to-side curve, and ToeTips for toenails. Natural tips are opaque, thin and have a normal C-curve. K-Tips are semi-transparent with an extra-deep C-curve. ToeTips are wide and flat. Natural and K-Tips come in sizes 0 through 10 and are sold in packs of 50 tips of one size; ToeTips come 48 to a bag. Pick the tip by the shape of the client's nail, not by habit: the wrong curve is the most common reason a tip lifts at the sides.

The three Lamour tips at a glance

Natural or K-Tips: choose by the curve of the nail

Look at the client's nail end-on, from the fingertip towards the knuckle. The arch you see from sidewall to sidewall is the C-curve, and the tip has to match it.

• Flat to average arch: use Natural. Its normal C-curve sits down on the nail without being forced.
• Strong, tunnel-like arch: use K-Tips. A normal tip on this nail touches in the middle and springs up at both sidewalls; the deeper curve of the K-Tip follows the nail instead.
• Not sure: dry-fit both without glue. The right tip touches the nail from one sidewall to the other with no rocking and no gap.
• Mixed hands are normal. Many clients need K-Tips on one or two fingers and Natural on the rest.

Colour is the second difference. Natural tips are opaque, so they stay visible under a clear or sheer overlay; they are the usual choice under colour, French or full-cover work. K-Tips are semi-transparent and show less under sheer and natural-looking finishes.

How Lamour sizes 0 to 10 work

Size 0 is the widest tip and size 10 the narrowest. Our listings show size 0 as "00". The sticker on each pack carries the size number, so a pack marked No. 9 holds 50 size-9 tips.

• Measure the nail from sidewall to sidewall at its widest point and choose the tip that covers it exactly.
• Between two sizes, take the larger and file its sides to fit. A tip that is too narrow leaves the sidewalls bare and lifts early.
• Do not press a wide tip flat to make it fit a narrow nail. It will pinch, and it will try to spring back.
• Thumbs usually take the low numbers and pinkies the high ones, but hands vary: size every finger rather than guessing.

Which packs should a salon buy?

Each pack holds one size, so you buy tips size by size. Start with one pack of each of the eleven sizes in the tip you use most, then reorder the sizes that run out first. The middle sizes go on almost every client; the two ends of the range last much longer.

How to apply a nail tip, step by step

1. Prep. Push back the cuticle, lightly remove the shine from the natural nail, then cleanse and dehydrate it.
2. Size. Dry-fit the tip from sidewall to sidewall. Check the curve as well as the width.
3. Glue. Put a small amount of nail glue in the well of the tip. Too much glue floods the skin; too little leaves air pockets.
4. Set. Hold the tip at an angle against the free edge, rock it down onto the nail and hold for about 10 seconds. Rocking pushes the air out ahead of the glue.
5. Cut and shape. Trim to length with one of our tip cutters, then file the shape.
6. Blend. File the seam with one of our nail files until you cannot feel a step. Work on the tip, not on the natural nail.
7. Overlay. Cover the whole nail with acrylic powder, builder gel or dipping powder. A tip adds length, not strength; the overlay is what holds the nail together.

ToeTips: when and how to use them

ToeTips are wider and flatter than fingernail tips because toenails are. Pedicurists use them to extend or rebuild a toenail that is short, broken or uneven, most often on the big toe, so that the pedicure looks even in open shoes.

1. Finish the soak and cuticle work first, then dry the nail completely. Glue does not hold on a damp nail.
2. Fit the tip from sidewall to sidewall and file its sides if it is too wide.
3. Glue, press onto the free edge and hold for about 10 seconds.
4. Cut it short. A toenail extension should end at, or just past, the end of the toe so it does not catch in shoes.
5. Blend the seam, overlay with acrylic or builder gel, and finish with polish or gel colour.
6. Do not put a tip on a toenail that is lifting, discoloured or infected. Suggest the client see a doctor or chiropodist.

Common tip problems and how to fix them

Browse the category: Nail Tips & Forms. More guides on this topic: Nail Tips.

Lamour nail tips questions

Comparing Lamour with other brands, or with soft gel tips? See Nail Tips Guide: Plastic Tips vs Soft Gel Tips.

Product details are read from the Lamour pack labels and our own stock as of October 2026. Sizing, application steps and troubleshooting are general salon practice, not manufacturer instructions.