Nail Art

14 Karat Gold Press-On Nail

April 2012:
Nails are exploding everywhere. The hottest and fastest growing fashion accessory is how to adorn one's finger and toe nails. Google "nail art" (click here) on their images page and be prepared to lose your breath. My hairdresser Marla at KRUSH in Los Gatos has been pressing me to write a fingernail article, so Marla this one's for you!

While surfing around the internet getting inspired with pictures of fingernail art I recalled a nail trend from the early 1980's. Remember the 14 karat gold pinky press on fingernail which was born out of a method to deliver an illicit white powder to your nostrils?  My manager at the  time had ten 14k nails made to fit each finger with a floral engraving flourish, Charms pierced through the fingernail were also present during this same time period.

Fingernail Charms

Today nail salons are as easy to find as a Starbucks coffee house or dog poop on the sidewalk. You have actress Tippy Hedron, mother to actress Melanie Griffith to thank for the overwhelming number of Vietnamese nail art artists in California. Ms. Hedron in an interview I watched several years back had her own nail artist in her employ. She was of Vietnamese decent. This woman told her employer there are many of these young women artists like her back home that would love to find work and share their talents. Ms. Hedron began a campaign in the late 1970's to import these talented ladies that ultimately lead to making beautiful manicures affordable. A service at one time was available only to a small segment of female society. Nail art is now mainstreamed into large corporate divisions with creativity and invention in the forefront. They have the cash and they make the big splash.
I have been painting my own nails for at least 30 years, various shades of red, pink and orange. I rarely purchase these colors anymore opting instead for a more contemporary gray, blue, green, purple or black; anything but red or pink.

Sally Hansen Growing Nail Line

Today we have nail "pens" that allows you to draw a personal design like a pencil drawing, stamping designs from a metal template to a rubber transfer, drip designs in which you drip alternating colors of traditional nail polish into a narrow well of water and drag your nail across its surface leaving a tie-dye or 1960's oil lamp pattern. I have painted red and black lady bugs, and pink and green strawberries on my own fingernails. Very cute and I receive many compliments from friends and strangers nearly every day.

Courtesy: chloesnails.blogspot.com

My latest obsession is in the world of nail decals. They are very simple to apply, you can decorate your fingers and toes at home while watching mindless television or sunning yourself on the porch. They make no mess, nothing to spill and no fumes to inhale. Celebrities have inserted their names into the nail decal market of curating exclusive designs such as the one between Avril Lavigne and 'Sally Hansen" nails. They currently offer a limited edition of 10 designs. If you have followed the news this week, it has been widely reported some ingredients in liquid nail polish are carcinogenic, perhaps the decal method is the right choice for you.

These are my favorite decal brands:

butterLONDON "Black"

butterLONDON "Black" is my #1 favorite design. The theme is feminine, detail crisp and delicate and each finger is unique.

Sally Hansen decals

Sally Hansen by COTY, has the deepest product lineup, their polishes require only one coat, and the decals are super simple to apply with dozens of designs for every occasion.

'Inspired Nails' Decal-Birth of Venus

I saved the best for last--> Allow me to step on my soapbox and introduce the newest incarnation of fingernail decals. I found "Inspired Nails" (click here) on Etsy.com. The choices they made on what to offer in design is impeccable. Paintings by Monet, da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Degas' ballerinas; holiday celebrations, nature, retro patterns and the reason I pick this company as numero uno:  CUSTOM DESIGNS (click here). Digitally upload a photo to your online order and make anything happen. A corporate logo may be used, picture of your newborn, a Bride's bouquet pictured on the fingertips of her Bridesmaids, Justin Bieber for you tweens and SF Giants pitcher Brian 'The Beard' Wilson for my friend Shirley. You can order decals that you apply yourself or select press-on nails with the same affixed design.

For you adventurous guys that dream of being a "Rocker", I recommend the solid all black decal.