If you’ve seen the daily Instagram pictures and the advertisements on every other page of your Seventeen, you know nail polish has become one of the hottest trends of the 21st century.
- Rocki Lutsky ’16 sporting “Mirror” by Essie
Painting your nails begins with the daunting task of choosing a color. You look at the rows and rows of choices, mumbling to yourself “Mint Green or Wicked?” with such contemplative thought that one would think you were contemplating who is the cuter celeb (Ryan Gosling or Channing Tatum)?
As the manicurist asks, “Have you decided?” you go with your gut and quickly grab “Wicked,” wondering if it was the right decision. Thirty minutes later, happy with your color choice, your nails are now painted a purple-black. Looking polished and punk, you make your way back home.
But this was not the case thousands of years ago…
Have you ever wondered about nail polish in the ancient times or its origin? In China, around 300 BCE, people there began their quest for colored nails. Mixing flower petals, egg whites, and bees wax (a little different from the ingredients in nail polish today) people used to soak their hands for hours, tinting them a certain color. Meanwhile, in Egypt, people wore nail polish to distinguish social classes: red colors were for the royals, pale colors for the lower classes.
Jump a few thousands of years ahead to the 1900s. Women used gloss and powdery creams to tint their nails, but this didn’t last too long. Then, in 1925, came the first–ever nail polish of the sort we know today. It was the next big thing—besides flapper dresses, that is. Unfortunately, there was not a plethora of color choices, but only a vibrant shade of red.
Seven years later, Charles Revlon created a few more shades of colors and the first nail polish company. In the 80s and 90s, along with shoulder pads and crazy colors, nail polish developed into a unisex trend. Men started to “go goth” and wear a black shade.
Flash forward to 2013, and nail polish is as trendy as ever! There are hundreds of makeup companies starting to sell nail polish along with companies like Opi, Essie, and Sally Hansen dedicated to nail polish alone. From glitter to magnetic to acrylic to caviar (yep, caviar), nails have done it all. Roaming the Hewitt halls, I see dozens of students wearing polish. Rocki Lutsky ’16, a nail polish fanatic, said, “When I have no nail polish on, I feel like I’m…well…naked. It makes me feel polished and clean, and it adds a little spunk to my outfit, or my uniform.” Sarah Trugerman ’16 chimed in, “I like it because it’s a form of expression, almost like art.” When asked what her favorite color is, Rocki excitedly shouted “Mint Candy Apple.” Sophie Gerber ’17 replied, “No way. Mine’s Smokin’ Hot [a grey shade].”
Inspired? Click here to choose your favorite color.