Amanda Tascher
June 6, 2011
Little Glass Bottles
On Sunday nights I’m painting my nails for the week. Doesn’t matter if it matches every hair style or article of clothing. The point is it matches me. I’m feeling bold so I pick the color that shouts the loudest.
I used to work as a cashier. One day, I was ringing up a grey- haired woman when she grabbed my hand and besmirched me my chipped nail polish. I vividly remember her saying to me, “A pretty girl should not have chipped nails. You need to fix that.” Harsh yet flattering all at once. Blushing, I pulled back my hand and assured her I would promptly fix them after my shift. Such a mundane detail in my eyes changed wholly a stranger’s reaction. I became even more embarrassed as I realized the color on my fingers shone stark blue. What a harlot I must seem to this old lady, I thought to myself while she walked away. Plausibly, a lady’s fingertips give a more defining impression than expected.
Nail polish, in some form or other, has been around for centuries. Enigmatically, the trend arose both in ancient China and Egypt. The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia, written by Julie Willett, details how nail painting developed alongside other practices such as foot binding in Asia. For the purpose of indicating class, women would grow their nails long and varnish them with bright colors, the marker of hands unsoiled by labor. The illustrious Cleopatra later exalted the accessory when she improved the formula, which Egyptian women had used for generations prior. Its existence proves longstanding and, despite the subtle addition to dainty hands, these tints connote serious social displays of wealth and leisure.
The transformations of time later adhered more to concepts of naturalism. Demure powder pinks or pearlescent skin tones overthrew vibrant colors of the past. Willet elaborates, “like the use of cosmetics, brightly painted nails were often linked to artificiality and impropriety.” In the 20th century, the different hues became recognized as separation of pristine housewives from scandalous flapper girls. White middle-class women overall “choose nail fashions characterized by short cuts and light polish with nails that are well kept and are markers of neatness professionalism, and good grooming,” Willet says. Angus Trumble expands on this in his article “The History of Nail Polish,” when he explains how synthetic polish emerged in Paris where it met obstinacy for years to come. Trumble writes, “ The use of color at the fingertips was thought to conceal some sinister hint of racial impurity, or else to conceal the humble origins or grittily obscure shop floor activities of certain female stars in the Hollywood constellation.” At one point, psychiatrists even deemed it a type of unnatural mutilation. Tinted digits have served rebellion as much as self expression.
The typical girl has a go-to repertoire of little glass bottles, cluttering her vanity with a rainbow. But the spectrum changes across each individual. “Peach Nectar,” “Heartbreaker,” “Mint Apple,” “Canyon Coral,” “Grape Escape,” “Apricot Sorbet,” “Starry Nights,” “Pink Cloud.” These clever names fill my collection. More decidedly, they distinguish my persona. I wear icy pinks for a graceful look. Shocking teal toes show my fun and funky side. I never underestimate the power of deep violet to sophisticate a nighttime outfit. And even though a French tip that takes hours to perfect will fade all too fast, I still trust it to communicate elegance. Shedding light on this credence, Willet stresses that various styles can make group choices evocative. “Even when these nails hamper manual dexterity,” Willet enlightens, “their personal and social impact may be so rewarding as to compensate for this.” Though lacquers are widespread and affordable, their use still requires disposable income and spare time.
Certain shades have become so popular that they continue to express status. Nail painting infiltrated the fashion industry when high end brand names began to manufacture their own lines. Chanel successfully famed colors like “Jade” and “Rouge Noir,” making them the enviable fashion accessory of their respective seasons. Times fashion editor, Lisa Armstrong, compares brands, “Average nail polishes don’t arrive with the fanfare of a Paris fashion show (autumn-winter ready to wear show in March).” Pigments escalated from everyday use to strict accordance with style seasons. In 1994, Chanel launched “Rouge Noir,” a deep crimson that feigns dried blood. Its guest appearance on Uma Thurman’s fingertips, in cult classic Pulp Fiction, solidified the hue as one of the most sought after polishes in history. Fans anxiously fought for the last bottle in the limited edition collection in hopes of emulating the movie star. Returning to the roots of nail painting, high end tints classify the haves from the have-nots.
The cosmetics industry continues to expand its ever brilliant marketing strategies for nail products. Branding intensifies price gaps yet the search for value persists. Petite’s by Scherer may appear a few shades short of Rihanna’s latest apricot tips but quality lacks. The true penny pincher knows that buying O.P.I. instead will prevent bubbles and cracks, saving time and money. Today, there are dozens of brands that pioneer new forms and styles. Sally Hansen, for example, recently produced “Salon Effects” real nail polish strips, which work like stickers and give the appearance of a professional manicure. Salons are another booming business for the art of nail painting to flourish; prices range and customers are abundant. Willet says of the manicurists, “This unique enterprise could not be successful without a steady supply of both nail workers who dedicated themselves to this type of body-related work and to their clients with the disposable income necessary to purchase the services offered by nail salons.” Still, even the most expensive salon treatment can end up chipped away after a little manual labor. So in the end, a neatly painted set of digits really can serve as a signifier of leisure.
I suppose that customer did me a favor by opening my eyes. Today, my nails are plum purple. The shade is called “Envy.”
Word count: 998