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Nail polish has acquired a trending spot in the world of men recently. Breaking the taboo of masculinity, recently Harry Styles at Grammys held aloft his trophy with fingers adorned with pearlescent nail polish – making a statement that the trend for men sporting painted nails is here to stay and slay. One thing which the generation of men has clearly understood is the difference between masculinity and toxic masculinity. To speak broadly, ‘masculinity’ is ever- evolving. A few years down the lane, men speaking about their emotions was seen as taboo, and see where we are now.
The history of nail paints goes well down to the civilization of Babylon. Babylonian soldiers
used ground minerals to color their fingernails before going into battle (black for noblemen, green for commoners). More likely, they were seen as FIERCE instead of GIRLISH because of their nail art, scaring and confusing their enemy in much the same way ancient Britons, painted blue with woad, terrified Roman invaders. So, are you ready to unleash that masculine warrior energy through your nails? Choosing the right colors for your nails can be quite tricky, but don’t worry we have the perfect solution for you.
1. Confident Polish
It is always safe to wear a color that you are confident with rather than what is on the trend. The back of the hand rule is to go with your lucky or favorite color, if you are first time painting your nails. Then as you climb the confidence ladder, you can try other colors as well.
2. General Shades
Generally darker shades like grey, navy blue, and black are popular among men. If you are too confused to select a color then you can select from this general list. However, you should not let yourself be confined to these colors. Painting nails is a fun way to express yourself, so some risks are good to take.
3. Darker & Lighter Shades
Darker shades will be more noticeable than lighter shades. If you are trying this for the first time and don’t want to make it easily noticeable, go for lighter shades like peach, nude, or pearlescent, and if you want to go bold and noticeable, go for darker shades like black, green, or navy blue.
4. Too Afraid to Try Shades?
We understand your fear of others judging you. No need to go harsh on yourself if you are just beginning. Pick a transparent or clear lacquer for subtler nails. Begin with transparent polish. A transparent peach or light brown color (depending on your skin tone) will not be obvious but will add a pop of color to your nails. If you’d rather avoid color altogether, a single layer of clear nail polish will still add a noticeable sheen to your nails. Essentials for Nail Jobs
If you are going to give yourself a saloon-style professional nail job, you must get hold of all these tools from the list. Not to mention your job would be much easier as you follow the home manicure and pedicure routine from our earlier blog. If you haven’t read it yet, read it before getting your nail job and step up your nail game.
1. Clippers 2. File 3. Buffer 4. Cotton Pads 5. Nail Polish Remover 6. Base Coat 7. Nail Polish 8. Clear Topcoat
A few essentials to start your nail polish journey with. 1. Manicure Set
2. Nude Nail Polish Set
3. 3 in 1 Top & Base Coat
Buy Now Shape It Up Whether your nails need to be trimmed or just filed to get that perfect top of the hexagon shape, we leave that part to you. Shape them up with your clipper and filer. The best thing would be a manicure and pedicure day right before you paint your nails to get the best shape. But assuming we men do have a busy schedule, trimming them before the nail job is the best alternative. Always remember while filing, to file in one direction to reduce the chance of future breakage. Then take your buffer and run it over the nails to create the ideal surface — this is crucial to create the best base for a colored manicure. Another tool if you have not done your manicure, is the cuticle pusher to push back that cuticle right at its place. The base has to be good so that the rest of the preparations go on smoothly.
Clean them Up Wash your fingernails with soap and water. Your nails need to be washed clean before you begin to paint them, otherwise, the polish will stick to small flecks of dirt, rather than your nail. Also, clean out any dirt from underneath your nails so they won’t stick to the nail polish once you apply it. Moreover, after all that trimming has left behind quite some nail dust around your nails, so cleaning is an essential step. Dry them with a towel and wait till they are completely dry. Minute details like this give the best result we wish for.
Cleaning a Notch Higher
Take your nail polish remover and the cotton ball. Soak the ball in the remover and swipe it over your fingernails. Surprised? What are even removing? There is no nail polish yet. Nail polish remover will clean your fingernails of any grease or oils that the soap and water may not have removed. You can use either acetone or non-acetone polish remover for this step. Wash your hands again to clean off the remaining nail polish remover. If you don’t clean this off, the polish may not stick well to your nails.
Applying a Base Coat Start with a base coat before applying the color of the polish. This will ensure that the color will stay on your nails for as long as possible. The base coat will adhere to the nails firmly and will provide a soft surface to which the polish can firmly stick. Wait a few minutes for the base to dry off completely for the best results. You can find a clear or base coat nail polish at any drug or cosmetic store. In case you are out of your base coat, you can use white nail polish as a base coat which will make the color of the applied nail polish more vibrant overall.
Becoming the Picasso
Here comes the best part of painting the nails, painting the nails themselves! The idea is to paint each nail in 3 smooth strokes. One stroke to the left side of each nail, one stroke to the center, and one stroke to the right side. This simple 3 step method will help you get more control over the polish and avoid getting the polish on the skin next to your nails. Always wipe off any excess polish from the brush on the insides of the bottleneck and wait for the painted nail to dry before moving on to the next one to avoid any accidental smudging.
Cleaning the Excess
No matter how hard you follow the above 3 step process, amateur hands can never keep it off the skin. No need to go hard on yourself, even the pros mess up sometimes. To rectify this, keep a cotton ball ready with yourself. If you mess up, soak the ball in nail polish remover and clean it up immediately. Do this on a nail-by-nail basis, before the paint has dried. Otherwise, it’ll be much harder to clean off the dried polish from your skin.
The Return of Picasso
After the nails have dried off and if you think the shade has not appeared as dark as you had expected, apply a second layer of a coat of color. As before, paint each nail using three full strokes. Be careful, though; if you add too much polish, it will start to lump together on your nails and you’ll have to start over. Hence, you must wait till the first coat is completely dry because the color can sometimes appear opaque when wet and you might not need a second coat.
Applying the Topcoat
Once the layers of polish have dried off on your nails, and you have achieved the desired shade, apply a topcoat over each nail. This will dry to form a hard and protective finish. Now, you need not worry if you bump or slightly scratch your fingers along a hard or rough surface. Both slow - and fast-setting topcoats will be available at a local cosmetic store. Opt for the slow setting; it will give your nails better protection and keep the colors bright for longer.
That is all you need for your perfect nail job. Nail Polish is a fun way to add an element of flair to your look. Even if most of your male friends don’t wear nail polish, sport your nails with confidence.
Always remember confident men are masculine in their way and love to play by their own rules.
Their individuality in clothing or accessories does not define them as a person. And who knows, you might become the next trendsetter for your friend circle. For more such informative and unique blogs, follow us on Instagram, and Facebook and subscribe to our Youtube channel. Also, join us on Whatsapp to be part of the largest grooming community for men in India.
