Nail art

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nail art is the creative color design of fingernails and toenails. It is offered in many beauty salons and is considered a popular fashion . Their origins go back several thousand years. In earlier times the choice of colors depended on social rank and status.

History of nail art

The history of nail coloring goes back to ancient times . In ancient Babylon, men painted their nails with lead-colored minerals like galena . The color of the nails determined the status of men. Members of the higher classes used dark and black colors, while socially lower groups used predominantly green colors. From 5000 to 3000 BC In ancient Egypt , women also practiced nail art to represent their social status. Vegetable saps such as the juice of the henna plant were often used for coloring . Each queen had her own preferences. While the well-known Egyptian ruler Nefertiti mainly used red colors to paint her fingernails and toenails, Queen Cleopatra liked dark colors with golden elements. Ordinary women were forbidden to wear the same color as the queen. During the Chinese Ming Dynasty , paints and nail polish were made from a mixture of beeswax , egg white, gelatine, vegetable juices and acacia nectar . As in Egypt, the color of the fingernails was a sign of the social class to which one belonged. Around 600 BC, during the Zhou dynasty , the rulers turned to gold and silver, and later also to black and red, to demonstrate their status.

Today's culture

The most widespread French manicure today (see French Nails ) did not emerge until the 1970s in Paris. Jeff Pink, founder of the cosmetics company ORLY, developed the French Nails style because he wanted to create a style that was both practical and versatile at the same time. Since it was no longer about expressing a social status, but rather fashion aspects were in the foreground, the triumph of painted nails continued from then on. In 2012, it was found in a study that the popularity of nail art as a fashion form had increased sharply worldwide. Shortly thereafter, a documentation about nail art "NAILgasm" was published, which explored the path of the trend from a subculture to the world's catwalks. In January 2014 Nailpolis, a website for nail art, was founded to offer artists and enthusiastic hobby nail art artists a platform to exchange their designs.

Techniques and tools

Nail art artists use the same techniques and products as for manicures and pedicures . These include:

  • Acrylic , usually a mixture of acrylic powder and acrylic liquid - can be applied directly to the nails or to nail extensions or extensions
  • UV gel - can be applied in different layers on fingernails or toenails and, unlike acrylic, must be cured with UV or LED light
  • Nail polish and fabrics that strengthen and protect the nail base
  • Glitter
  • Nail art pens
  • Nail piercings
  • Water marbling
  • Spot swirls
  • Nail art striper brush
  • Nail art brush
  • Nail filing
  • Nail art sticker
  • Stamp kits
  • Nail dotters
  • Acetones
  • Sponges
  • liquid latex
  • Nail art sticker

Innovations

Various brands and manufacturers try to create innovative and novel nail polishes with surprising effects:

  • New textures: "Caviar" varnishes consist of small particles or velvet powder that are added to the nail just before the varnish is completely dry. This creates textures that leave a "sand" effect on the nail through the individual particles.
  • Holographic effect: Various varnishes contain holographic particles that are already contained in the nail polish. When light shines on it, a glow or rainbow effect is created.
  • Cracked effect: This effect is achieved by applying special varnish to normal nail polish. The upper layer of lacquer runs and creates a so-called crack effect, i.e. deliberate cracks and streaks.
  • Thermal effect: these nail polishes change their color depending on the temperature. Minimal changes are sufficient e.g. B. the room temperature is already off. Using special varnishes, it is also possible to create different colors on a single nail, since the nail root is warmer than the outer end.
  • Matt effect: With special lacquers, a layer can be created that shimmers matt and covers the shiny nail polish.
  • Inverted French Nails: The so-called "half moon" is an essential element of nail art. You create a crescent-shaped area at the nail root and color it in different colors, while the rest of the nail stands out from it.
  • Nail sticker effect: There are also a large number of accessories that are used in the field of nail art. From colorful confetti to motif stickers and kaleidoscopic stickers, the accessories are attached to the nail base and fixed with glue.

Brands

Many companies sell cosmetic products in the field of nail art. A number of important companies have emerged in the past few years:

  • Essie Cosmetics, Ltd., founded by Essie Weingarten and owned by Lóreal since 2010
  • OPI Products, Inc., an American nail polish manufacturer
  • Ciaté, founded by the well-known English nail art artist Charlotte Knight
  • Sally Hansen
  • Kiss Products, Inc., a nail polish manufacturer founded in America in 1989
  • Konad Stamping Nailart Cosmetic, a Korean company that has been selling products in over 100 countries since 2002. According to its own statements, the company stands for quality, innovation, fun and safety for your customers when using the products
  • Nailkart, an Indian company that sells various nail art products worldwide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The history of nail art . Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ Nailpolis . Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ Nail Art Tools