Nail Art and Nail Varnish have become a staple in the beauty industry with new crazes and options available. Where once the simple nail varnish was the only option there is now almost a bewildering array available: gel varnish, sequins and jewels for nail art, fake nails, nail wraps. The list is almost endless.
Virtually everyone has had a nail varnish disaster at some point too. Whether it is touching your nails before they are dry, to losing a fake nail when you wash your hair to the dreaded spillage on the carpet which has you scrabbling to search for Carpet Cleaning Gloucester before your parents get home. (If you are around that area https://www.clean-able.co.uk/ is a good place to start)
But where did the humble nail varnish begin?
Well, as far back as ancient times, Pharaohs had their nails painted using henna and in Indian and African women dyed their nails using the same Henna based idea. In 3000 B.C in China a metallic nail polish was used as a means to distinguish the ruling class from the rest of the general population.
It wasn’t until during World War One that the patent for the chemical nitrocellulose was released to the United States of America, allowing them to make pink nail varnish.
Nail polish was common amongst women during the 18th Century where having nail polish on indicated that you were a lady of leisure. However, nail establishments themselves did not emerge in popularity until the 20th Century.
Since then various crazes in Nail polish and nail art have emerged:
- 1920s France – women would paint the middle section of their nail and leave a small section at the tip and cuticle free of colour.
- 1930s England – women would paint landscape scenes on their nails.
- 1950s – Acrylic nail manicures emerged using the same materials that were invented to fill cavities.
- 1960s to present day – there have been more and more developments in the nail world with the emergence of virtually every colour you can think of, different finishing looks including glitter, matte, neon and metallic.
The Nail Bar is the modern innovation for our age. With so many new designs and sheer artistry coming on to the market these bars offer a bespoke service to the individual. It is also quite impossible to get the same amazing results in your own home for some of the simply stunning designs that are available. The act of just applying a red colour or a French polish is a thing of the past. Now anyone can now have the effects that have adorned the nails of the rich and famous to. Long may it continue.