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Nail art is a creative way to paint, decorate, enhance, and embellish nails. It is a type of artwork that can be done on fingernails and toenails, usually after manicures or pedicures.
The exact origin of nail treatments is unclear since they appear to have originated in different parts of the world around the same time. In ancient Egypt, from 5000 to 3000 BC, women would dye their nails with henna to indicate social status and seductiveness. Women of the lower class wore pastel and neutral shades, while the upper classes wore deep, bright shades. In Babylonia, 3200 BC, men, not women, painted their nails with black and green kohl, an ancient cosmetic. [1] To prepare for war, warriors of Babylon spent hours having their nails prepared, hair curled, and other similar beauty treatments. As in ancient Egypt, nail color indicated one's status, black for noblemen and green for the common man. Around the same time, in 3000 BC, the first nail polish originated in ancient China.The Chinese first would put porcelan false fingertips on as a symbol of their class. [2] It was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and gum arabic. Chinese dipped their nails in this mixture for several hours or left it on to dry. Colors ranged from pink to red, depending on the mix of the ingredients. During the Zhou Dynasty, 600 BC, royalty used this simple nail polish with gold and silver dust on their nails to show their social status. [3]
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was known for extremely long nails. [4] Sometimes, these nails were protected by gold- and jewel-encrusted nail guards. Servants performed personal chores for the royals so their nails did not break or become damaged. [5] Empress Dowager Cixi of China, who ruled from 1835 to 1908, was known for her long nails. Many photos show the empress with 6-inch-long gold guards protecting her long nails. [6] A lot of these above did not use nail art as it is widely known today, only stained, dyed, or dusted the fingernails and toenails. [7] The first actual record of nail art was from the short-lived Inca Empire (1438-1533), one of the largest empires in South America. Incas decorated their nails by painting eagles on them. [8] In 1770, the first fancy gold and silver manicure sets were created. French King Louis XVI, who ruled from 1774 until his deposition in 1792, always had his nails taken care of using these sets.[ citation needed ]
In the early 1800s, the modern manicure developed with the invention of the orange stick, a thin wooden stick with one pointy end, usually made from orange wood. [9] It was invented in 1830, by Dr. Sitts, a European podiatrist, who adapted a dental tool for manicure purposes. Before this invention, people used acid, a metal rod, and scissors to shape and trim nails. In 1892, Dr. Sitts' niece invented a nail-care line for women of any social class, eventually reaching United States salons. [10] Before then, women had short, almond-shaped nails and often used oils for additional shine or tint. Not long after, in 1907, the first liquid nail polish was invented, although it was colorless. Soon after that, it was available in a variety of different colors. [11] In 1925, the lunar manicure (today known as the half-moon manicure) was seen everywhere. Reds and pinks were used on the nail bed while avoiding the area around the cuticles. [12] Then again in the 1970s, the natural look was back in fashion and preferred by many women, but only for a short time. [13] The French manicure style was created in Paris in 1976 by Jeff Pink, the founder of the Los Angeles-based cosmetic company ORLY. [14] Nail painting came back in vogue in the 1980s and has been extremely popular since then. [13]
Nail art of various types are used to create designs ranging from simple to elaborate. [15]
The most common type of nail art involves the use of traditional nail polish. This method is easy to apply and remove, and relatively inexpensive, although it lacks the durability of some other forms and can chip easily. [16]
Acrylic nails are created using a mixture of acrylic powder and liquid monomer. They provide a more durable and complex design option compared to traditional nail polish, but are also more difficult to apply and remove, and can be more expensive. [17]
Gel nails are created using a gel that is cured under UV light. They are similarly durable and complex in design to acrylic nails, but can be more costly. Application and removal processes are similar to those for acrylic nails. [18]
Nail wraps are pre-made designs applied to the nails. They provide a quick and easy method of nail art creation and come in a variety of designs. They can be applied over traditional nail polish or acrylic nails. [19]
Other types of nail art include stamping, stenciling, and hand painting. Stamping involves the use of a special tool to transfer a design from a stamp to the nail. Stenciling uses a pre-cut stencil to create a design on the nail. Hand painting utilizes brushes or other tools to create a design on the nail. [20]
In some cultures, nail art can be tied to the concept of femininity and the sense of belonging in a group of females. [21] While it is mostly women that have nail art, it is increasing in popularity among men. [22]
Nail art is also a way to create its own identity through fashion, using colors and shapes as a disruption of childhood and entering the female teen/adult world, also leaving the influence of their parents to create their selves. [23]
The nail is also part of the puzzle of mounting gender identity; the nails for teenagers and adult women represent a piece of the symbol of what is a woman and how the woman should present herself. Though women use nail art to express their womanliness, the different types define a woman with particular personalities, e.g. French manicure (delicate). [24]
Clipped and filed nails, either on all ten fingers or on the index and middle finger of the dominant hand in particular, are considered a symbol of queer women after the origin of the practice as a practical measure to allow for safe digital penetration between cisgender women. [25] [26]
The nail-care industry has been expanding ever since the invention of modern nail polish. [27] Nail art's popularity in media started with the printed press with women's magazines. It had an essential rollout as not a mainstream fashion trend before the 2000s. After the internet age and the everyday use of social media, [28] the trend became prominent subculture among women. [29] Social media made it easier to connect to the mass audience, and with this, people started to share their designs as a way of their creativity and use the nail as their blank canvas. YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter are the major platforms which provide many new ideas and designs for the subculture. [23] However, according to a study, Pinterest is the most critical platform for recent beauty trends. [30] In 2012, the United States witnessed surging popularity of nail art. [31]
Manicurists start with the same techniques as for the manicure or pedicure:
Several options are available for decorating nails: [32]
To decorate the nails, manicurists use several tools, such as:
Do-it-yourself (DIY) is a new concept of doing nail art without the aid of experts or professionals. One way to do a DIY design is by using home tools such as toothpicks, earbuds, cellophane tape, etc., or toolsets with dotted tools, brushes, and nail-art pens.
As nail art has evolved, nail artists use acrylic powder to match clients' skin tones when doing specific techniques (Baran, 168).
Some brands try to innovate by creating new kinds of nail polish.
Cosmetics are composed of mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes, including personal and skin care. They can also be used to conceal blemishes and enhance natural features. Makeup can also add colour to a person's face, enhance a person's features or change the appearance of the face entirely to resemble a different person, creature, or object.
A manicure is a mostly cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed at home or in a nail salon. A manicure usually consists of filing and shaping the free edge of nails, pushing and clipping any nonliving tissue at the cuticle and removing hangnails, treatments with various liquids, massage of the hand, and the application of fingernail polish. When the same is applied to the toenails and feet, the treatment is referred to as a pedicure. Together, the treatments may be known as a mani-pedi.
Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired. It is sold commercially in various shades.
A nail is a protective plate characteristically found at the tip of the digits of all primates, corresponding to the claws in other tetrapod animals. Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough rigid protein called alpha-keratin, a polymer also found in the claws, hooves and horns of vertebrates.
A pedicure is a cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails, analogous to a manicure.
Nail polish is a lacquer that can be applied to the human fingernails or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. The formula has been revised repeatedly to enhance its decorative properties, to be safer for the consumer to use, and to suppress cracking or peeling. Nail polish consists of a mix of an organic polymer and several other components that give it colors and textures. Nail polishes come in all color shades and play a significant part in manicures and pedicures.
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and medical spas.
A nail file is a tool that can be used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. They are often used in manicures and pedicures after the nail has been trimmed using appropriate nail clippers. Nail files may either be emery boards, ceramic, glass, crystal, plain metal files or metal files coated with corundum.
Decorative concrete is the use of concrete as not simply a utilitarian medium for construction but as an aesthetic enhancement to a structure, while still serving its function as an integral part of the building itself such as floors, walls, driveways, and patios.
A nail salon or nail bar is a specialty beauty salon establishment that primarily offers nail care services such as manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements. Often, nail salons also offer skin care services. Manicures are also offered by general beauty salons, spas, and hotels. People who work at nail salons are usually called nail technicians, manicurists, or nailists.
Artificial nails, also known as fake nails, false nails, acrylic nails, press ons, nail extensions or nail enhancements, are extensions placed over fingernails as fashion accessories. Many artificial nail designs attempt to mimic the appearance of real fingernails as closely as possible, while others may deliberately stray in favor of an artistic look.
A nail technician or nail stylist is a person whose occupation is to style and shape a person's nails. This is achieved using a combination of decorating nails with coloured varnish, transfers, gems or glitter. Basic treatments include manicures and pedicures, as well as cleaning and filing nails and applying overlays or extensions.
Mary E. Cobb was the first known American manicurist and introduced modern nail manicuring to Britain and the United States.
A glass nail file is a nail file with an abrasive surface made of glass, that is used to gently grind down and shape the edges of fingernails. They are often used in manicures and pedicures after the nail has been trimmed using nail clippers.
Water marble nails are a finger nail art technique involving dropping nail lacquers into clear water and creating a pattern on the water surface; the pattern is then transferred to the nails.
Powder coating on glass is a specialized procedure related to traditional powder coating, which is the technique of applying electrostatically charged, dry powdered particles of pigment and resin to a solid item's surface. It requires its own unique process, however, because glass is a poor electrical conductor in comparison to metal, the traditional powder coating substrate.
UV curing is the process by which ultraviolet light initiates a photochemical reaction that generates a crosslinked network of polymers through radical polymerization or cationic polymerization. UV curing is adaptable to printing, coating, decorating, stereolithography, and in the assembly of a variety of products and materials. UV curing is a low-temperature, high speed, and solventless process as curing occurs via polymerization. Originally introduced in the 1960s, this technology has streamlined and increased automation in many industries in the manufacturing sector.
Jenny Bui is a Cambodian-American nail artist known for her crystal-studded creations. She was named Nail Artist Influencer of the Year in 2019 and is known as "The Queen of Bling."
Michelle Nguyen, known professionally as Coca Michelle, is a British nail artist. She is known for her detailed style that often includes non-traditional materials and has worked with the likes of Teyana Taylor, Megan Thee Stallion, and Cardi B. She appeared on the 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Bernadette Thompson is an American celebrity manicurist and nail artist known for her innovative designs and collaborations with prominent figures across the music, fashion, and entertainment industries. Since the mid-1990s, she has worked with a diverse array of celebrities, including Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong'o, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga. Thompson's work has been featured in major fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's BAZAAR, Allure, and Essence. She gained widespread recognition for creating the "money nails" design for Lil' Kim in 1999, which involved embedding real currency into acrylic nails and later became a part of the Museum of Modern Art's collection, the first nail art to ever be included. Beyond her celebrity collaborations, Thompson has worked with fashion designers like Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Louis Vuitton, contributing to editorial campaigns and runway shows. Her work has influenced both street style and high fashion, playing a role in bringing creative nail art into mainstream acceptance.
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