English Version | Nailed it

There was a myth in the summer of 2023 that any nail daring to see the light of day (meaning, from the hands or feet) had to be painted a milky blue shade. Forgive the words, but it's the most accurate term to describe the famous blueberry milk that traveled the world in the form of ten-second videos on TikTok and photos showcasing the immaculate hands of Dua Lipa, Sofia Richie Grainge and Sabrina Carpenter. Perhaps the involvement of these three it girls is enough to justify the ink spent analyzing a color of nail polish that, let's be honest, has never been more than that: just a color. In a time when there are more manicure techniques than there are fingers, where individual expression reigns over imitation, and social media is overflowing with artists from every conceivable area, who can spare more than five minutes analyzing a mere shade of nail polish? Certainly not you, because we've done the math and this passage can be read in less than 50 seconds – after which the subject won't be mentioned again. Let's instead focus our attention on the (multi)colorful world of manicure, since it's no coincidence it is now called nail art. It is an art, yes, in every sense of the word. It springs from a source of creativity, talent, and inspiration. It is achieved using brushes, drawings, and sculptures. The only difference is that, instead of painting oil on canvas, we paint oil on fingernails – meaning that a new work of art is exhibited every month. But who are the artists of this generation?

They are called nail artists, and they do much more than paint nails. Some design stencils (molds and stickers that help paint complex shapes) or create press-ons, a term used to describe fake nails, often already decorated, which can be glued to natural nails for a quick and effective manicure. Daron Wood specializes in these two areas, along with running her own private beauty studio in Vancouver, Canada. Every week, she designs and creates small works of art on the hands of around 15 clients – and few leave her salon with just a single coat of nail polish. “I specialize in airbrush and make my own stencils so that opens up a lot of opportunities,” introduces Wood. On her Instagram (@reallyhotgirl), you can see the variety of designs that spring from her airbrush, from homages to symbols of popular culture – Betty Boop is one of the most popular – to abstract patterns, born from the free movement of her hands. What inspires her? “I’d say I do about 40% custom requests where someone sends me their own reference and I work off of that. Then for my own designs I pull inspiration from nature, vintage posters and graphics like 80s stickers, Japanese advertisements and characters from the 90s/2000s, old video game graphics, automotive painting, and tons of other things in that realm,” she explains. Among her most challenging jobs, Daron Wood highlights a manicure inspired by the opening sequence of The X-Files series: “I was impressed with how much detail worked in such a small space. It was [the client’s] natural nails so I had to shrink the design down really small.” She also reveals a special affection for a drawing based on the Scottish rock band Cocteau Twins that “because they’re all just inanimate objects [such as soccer balls, pins, padlocks, among others], they tend to lend itself really well to airbrushing”, and for a recent model which showcased a mix of various nail art techniques, including airbrushing, chrome, and 3D gel. The result was a multidimensional manicure with a theme encompassing a variety of clowns and floral motifs, set to be integrated into a sculpture by a Canadian artist later this year.

Among the vast array of themes that can be portrayed in nail design, popular culture seems to be a favorite among those who aren't content with a monochrome coat of nail polish. The work of Misuzu Shibano, known as @piopionails on Instagram, epitomizes this reality. “I am drawn to pop culture, because I enjoy communicating with humor and satire. Memes are a great example. Bootleg cartoons are also fun. It's a great way to just laugh at myself,” she reveals in an interview with Vogue Portugal. The Los Angeles-based nail artist swapped a job in animation for what was once just her hobby – manicure – and has since been animating social media with nails so sweet they could be edible. It's no coincidence that one of the techniques she uses most is called gummy gel. To understand it, we need to travel back to the genesis of her creations. “My salon manicure starts with a dry manicure using an E-file. On top of that my client will decide whether they want extensions or not. For extensions I mostly use Gel-x, but sometimes I will use acrylic, especially for special shapes like duck nails or curved nails,” describes Shibano. After preparing the base, it's time to unleash the creativity that distinguishes this nail artist. “I use hand painting for a nice flat look, and it can be as realistic as time allows. For 3D art I use both acrylic and gummy gel. Acrylic gives a crisp and solid look while gummy gel is versatile with textures. I do airbrush for any look that can use a nice gradient (…) and airbrush on top of 3D art is also very fun.” By combining these techniques, Misuzu Shibano says, "you can achieve endless looks while keeping the nails practical enough for everyday life."

Given the complexity behind some of the designs detailed here, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that extravagance should have a date and place. Is it worth decorating your nails with five different types of animal patterns on a week when the only spectators will be your office colleagues? For some people, perhaps not. But for others, their manicure is a vehicle of expression and personal identity as important as clothes or makeup. "I've been doing nail art for a few years now – seven, to be precise – and my choices have evolved and become increasingly daring. In the beginning, it was just a few different shades or details on each nail, but today I embrace all the glitter, all the colors, combinations and extras possible." This testimony belongs to Mafalda Beirão, a Portuguese content creator who shares her passion for makeup on Instagram and TikTok. However, at the end of 2023, it was her nails that stole her audience's attention. "I called them my nails on steroids because they had a base with a lot of glitter, a tiger pattern with two shades of pink (some nails complete, others just on the tip) and, on top, various things with a lot of texture: glitter, flowers, stars and various Hello Kitty." If this description sounds extravagant, it's because we haven't told you the story behind it. To achieve this nail design, three things were needed: inspiration, talent, and a trip of more than ten thousand kilometers. "Ever since I've been doing nail art, I've realized that South Korea has a very strong influence on nail trends and going to Seoul without doing my nails there didn't make sense," says Beirão, who included in her itinerary a visit to GangNailz, a nail salon she discovered through social media. "The experience was very similar to the one I have in Portugal. I think the biggest difference I felt was in the interaction because the language barrier could be a problem and, although [the nail artists] spoke English, they were more withdrawn." In addition, the content creator highlights the wide range of options on offer, particularly in terms of shades and accessories to apply to the manicure.

Although she is a strong advocate of going for irreverent nail designs, Mafalda Beirão admits that this trend may not be to everyone's taste. Even so, she reminds us that "even those who don't wear [nail art] on a daily basis will accept a little sparkle on a special occasion." From the explosion of images of extravagant nails on social media, it would seem that most people have fallen into the temptation to go beyond the simple "little sparkle." For Misuzu Shibano, this is the result of there being “more innovative products (like gummy gel and chrome gel for example)” and “people being bored from COVID-19.” “It is also much easier to share and learn techniques online now, so more talents can easily learn to use nail art as a medium to experiment,” adds the Los Angeles-based nail artist. Daron Wood agrees that social media has fostered this thirst for bold manicures: “I think the internet has changed the profession a lot. There are tons of people making tutorials and showcasing their work, and from my experience most people want to see what they’re getting (or someone else get it) before they get it.” Add to that the possibility of it being a style that, like so many other beauty trends, tends to emerge cyclically. “When I was younger it was mostly acrylic French nails or regular nail polish and now, we have so much fun stuff to work with,” concludes Wood. Fun is probably the word that most defines this movement for irreverence. What else could explain the fact that Misuzu Shibano recreated alien nails for her graduation?

Translated from the original in The Kitsch Issue, published February 2024. Full stories and credits in the print issue.