History Lesson: Nail Polish Throughout the Years
Hi everyone,
For the second installment in the new series, History Lesson, I thought I'd tell you a little more about nail polish and how it came to be.
Even though a perfect manicure adds a definite mod-feel to an outfit or beauty look, the concept of nail décor dates back to approximately 5,000 BC in India where it's believed that people used henna to color their fingers. Both the Ancient Chinese and Ancient Egyptians used nail polish as a status symbol for wealth and power. Nefertiti and Cleopatra both wore red nails, which only royalty was allowed to wear. Some historians say that if anyone from the lower classes were to be caught wearing nail polish, they'd be hit with the death sentence. Talk about going to extremes for beauty! 
The idea of the modern manicure came into popular culture in the 1900s. Women began clipping their fingernails with small pairs of scissor, the emery board was invented in 1910, and women's magazines like Vogue began offering advice on how to care for your nails. But the real coup came in 1920 when nail lacquer was invented by a woman named Michelle Ménard. What she created was made with a similar formula to car paint, so it had that same shiny, glossy look. Then in the 1930s, Revlon tweaked the formula so that the nail polish was opaque and non-streak and so that its color came from pigments rather than dyes. 
After that, manicures remained a popular fashion statement. In the 1930s, the preferred style was the "moon manicure," where only the middle part of the nail was painted and the cuticles and tips were bare. Then when Technicolor became mainstream in film and television, nail trends followed what was being presented on screen. Rita Hayworth was famous for sporting red nails, so the 1950s they were a definitive trend. Pastels and natural colors defined the 1960s and 1970s, while bright colors such as red (again!), fuchsia, and neons became popular in the 1980s. 
What are your favorite nail polish trends? Share them in the comments section!
<3 Mish
Photo Credits: XTimeline, Little Miss Nail Polish, Art Deco Gal, Attic Paper, IMDB, Flickriver, Madonna Scrapbook
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23 comments
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I love everything about nail polish!!!
Have you heard of the Spotted by OPI top coat?! =_= it was only released exclusively in France. So I came up with a cheap way to achieve the same look without having to pay an arm and a leg for it on Ebay!
Check it out and please let us know what you think: http://www.lovebrownsugar.com/2012/10/style-play-polish-opi-black-spotted.html
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I love PAINTING MY NAILS!!!! That is all ideally care about. If I had one beauty product it would be nailpolish -
nail polish is my love! it makes me feel confident even if im not wearing make up :)
http://learningtobefree.blogspot.ie/ -
I love the french manicure. I have a natural french manicure and I only add cleat polish to add shine. My friends get jealous of it... :-)
And my favorite nail polish will be red.. It looks more elegent
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Nail polish is the only make up which must be tested on animals (like little rabbits for example)!!! Don't forget it !
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Red and a french manicure are definately classics I keep by but I am also loving any nail art atm
xo Emilie @ http://www.hungrydelights.com/
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i love nail polish, especially a red glossy manicure - so chic!
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It seems like that before, only certain makeup looks were popular at certain times. Now, everything is popular!
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I love classic nail trend, but also love nail art (painting) because you can custom your very own nail art^^
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I like colors like from the Julie g nail polish line, and for designs I like flowers, and the effect where the colors blend in to each other.
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Big trend right now are the SPACE EFFECT nails...! So aaaaawwsome!!
You should try and make a tutorial on this!! :) nails look like infinite stars... really inspiring to me!
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I love Pink and Purple! So cute! But today I discovered that my Art project must be done with nailpolish :D SO much fun!
www.starlightbeauty07.blogspot.com -
I love dramatic reds and french manicures. They're both very classic and overall beast! Also, I love stormy colors and neon on bad days d(-_-)b saludos de México!!
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my favorite nail polish trend these days are the patterns and the stamps for the nail. Konad and the sally hanson nail effects. :)
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