Originating in China, the idea of nail painting has been around for thousands of years.
The first “varnish” was created around 3000 BC: a mixture of egg whites, gelatine, beeswax and gum arabic. Left on overnight, this mixture stained the nails a pinky red. Around 600 BC, during the Zhou dynasty, the imperial families used gold and silver to decorate their nails and wore red and black to indicate their royal status.
Rust for Cleopatra
The ancient Egyptians had the same idea, using henna to dye their nails orange and red. The Egyptian pharaoh Narmer liked to paint the nails on his hands and feet to distinguish himself from everyone else and assert his status. Cleopatra adopted the same method, her preferred dye being rust.
Queen Nefertiti coloured the nails on her hands and feet ruby red; all other women were forbidden from using the same colour, and had to settle for more discreet, neutral shades.
In China, as in Egypt, nail colour was an essential indicator of social status. The thirteenth century Incas also loved to decorate their nails using drawings of eagles, most likely a symbol of belonging to a particular tribe.
From camel hair to nail files :
From 1900 to 1910, people shined their nails by applying a little white powder, or a cream, with a brush made of camel hair. The first metal nail file was created in 1910 by a company called ‘Flowery Manicure Products’. Later, a cardboard version was created, which is still an essential item in manicures today. In 1920, inspired by the booming automobile industry, Michelle Ménard created the first ‘nail varnish’ using mostly the same components as were found in the paint used on cars.
It was in the 1930s that Charles Revson, from Boston USA, created the first opaque and durable nail polish. He and his chemist brother not only created a new type of pigment-based polish, but also came up with new shades of red, from pale to crimson. The brothers also had the idea of matching the colour of your nails to that of your lipstick, a concept developed by Revlon making it one of the most famous brands in the world. Nail polish was a big hit in Hollywood, where the image of the femme fatale with the red polished nails was born.
The first acrylic false nails appeared in the 1950s, created by Maxwell Lappe, a doctor who was looking for a way to stop his patients from biting their nails.
It was in the 1970s that square, acrylic false nails, and the French manicure, finally became a widespread phenomenon.
Kawaii art mania :
The concept of
nail art appeared in Asia in the 1980s, but it was in 1990 that this art of decorating nails was first used in Japan. Adapting the Kawaii (cute) art culture, a nationwide obsession, nails became true instruments of seduction and creativity. However, the idea really took off in Korea, from where it has expanded to become a worldwide phenomenon.
A technique whose key ingredients are creativity and madness,
nail art has been developed by computer-based artists worldwide, who have been able to develop their artistic talents and share the trend with millions of people via the internet. There is whole range of essential products created especially for
nail art, to the delight of the consumer!
Chloé KIEFFER for LiveCoiffure.com
