As fashion trends changed over the decades, so too did the trends with nail polish. Let's step back and look at the nail-volution
Nail polish formulation
Records of the earliest form of nail polish dates back to around 3200BC when the Babylon soldiers would stain their nails in green and black kohl as a scare tactic to ward off their enemies.
It was approximately 200 years later, around 3000BC that staining nails became fashionable amongst the women in China. Those in high class societies wore nail polish to show off their wealth and power. And it was a crime for anyone who wasn't wealthy to wear nail polish. The nail polish of the time was made with a mixture of beeswax, gelatin and egg white dyed with orchids or roses. Most popular colours were black and red as well the use of silver and gold metallic dust.
Nail staining grew in popularity across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. And in Egypt people began to use henna to stain their nails. The use of henna became popular across South-East Asia and parts of Africa.
Nail polish only became popular in Europe around the 18th century. It was around this time that Europe was trading with India and the Middle East. The first nail salon opened in the late 19th century in Paris. Nail polish was not a liquid; it took the form of powders and oils which would be rubbed into the nails and buffed away.
Nail staining became more popular as the concept went to the Americas. The first nail salon to open in America was in Manhattan in 1878 by Mary Cobb. It was from this time onwards that more advances were being made in nail technology and art.
The invention of the modern nail polish came about not long after. In the 1920s, during the First World War, Michelle Menard, a French make up artist, who was working for the Charles Revson company at the time, produced the first liquid nail polish. The Charles Revson brand is what we know today as Revlon.
The nail polish that was manufactured was a similar formula to that of car paint. The strong chemicals did cause a lot of nail damage and Revlon did get into a lot of trouble regarding this.
Fortunately, the formula was altered and over time new technologies continued to advance in nail art. The 1950s saw the arrival of acrylic nails, which were actually invented by a dentist accidentally.
Nail polish trends
1920s
Revlon was the first make up brand to invent the modern liquid nail polish. Cutex and Max Factor soon followed suit. The “moon manicure” was in vogue: Women kept their nails long and painted only the middle of each nail, leaving the crescent tip unpolished.
1930s
Women of the 1930's played around with different nail shapes; this included oval, pointed and stiletto. The style of the 1930s was to do a half-moon manicure where the base of the nails was kept bare. Reason for this was due to nail polish at the time taking so long to apply and dry that the women of the day found that if the left the bases untouched, nail regrowth wouldn't be as noticeable and ladies could wear their manicures for longer.
1940s
Ladies in the 1940s kept their nails neatly trimmed and filed into long oval shapes. During the war time, nails were kept slightly shorter for practical reasons as women were getting more involved in the workforce. The trend of keeping the base unpainted was slowly drawing to an end and women would paint their entire nails, usually in various shades of red however, different colours were becoming more available.
1950s
The 1950s was a decade of glamour and sophistication. A lot of the influences came from Hollywood starlets and women were filing their nails into almond shapes. Nails were being painted in various colours including red and pastel shades of blues, greens, yellows, etc..
1960s
Things scaled back slightly in the 1960s. While some ladies still enjoyed wearing bold colours, others opted for a more natural look. And it was during the 1960s that the first clear and nude shades of nail polish came on the shelves.
1970s
The 1970s was the decade that saw the invention of the French manicure. Ladies would paint their nails a pale pink and the tips would be painted white. As with all time periods, there were still those who opted for their own style and those ladies would wear more earthy tones such as browns, greens, blues, reds, etc..
1980s
During the 1980S, a lot more creativity went into nails. Ladies started to file their nails to achieve a squoval shape. They used many different colours of nail polish including reds, nudes, lilacs, peaches, beiges, etc.. It was also during the 1980s that people started to experiment with different types of nail art.
1990s
The mood of the 1990s was dark, sombre and gothic. Nails were kept short. They were usually painted black, maroon, blood red, etc.. The deep dark colours created an air of mystery and intrigue.
2000s and beyond
Nail art and technology had advanced considerably in the 2000s; there were nail salons dotted every few miles globally. This is also a time when the internet became widely used amongst the masses and people made online content about nail art. This period saw a lot of creativity in nails. People were getting acrylic nails, patterned nails, gel manicures, and the list goes on....This is a period of self expression where people can experiment with different looks on their nails.
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