Japanese Nail Art Fascination
There was a time when nail art was thought of as something trashy and ghetto. The posh lady would shy away from such a riot of designs, sticking to the minimal French manicure for her lunches and charity dinners. If she would ever wear something a tad flashy, it would have to be the classic red nails a la Marilyn Monroe. Looking at her long red nails would leave her feeling a bit naughty after wearing prim pastels for the day.
Secretly, however, Ms. Posh may have been casting her eyes towards the other side of the tracks, and envying the kitschy talons of the ladies who brought their washing to the Laundromat, cooked while cradling babies on their hips, and screamed instructions at the top of their lungs. She wouldn’t be able to manage stepping into their non-Prada shoes for the experience, but she’d definitely like an hour or two of getting a manicure in their talons. How they managed to do anything in inch-long nails is beyond her. Here she was with her own house-help and she occasionally breaks a nail.
It is no surprise therefore that when the Japanese started the Kawaii (cute and adorable) and Himegyaru (princess look) nail trend, it took a mere 2 years for the trend to hit the U.S. with an explosion. Edgy, big name music artists, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry started sporting the eccentric designs, and nail art suddenly became acceptable, if not coveted. Recently, nail art attained 3D dimensions with everything from beads to bows to tiny chains affixed to acrylic nails. Before we go through the current nail art trends in the US; let’s take a look at where it all began - in Japan.
Here are a few examples of Kawaii nail art design for acrylic tips.
photo credits: flickriver.com- photo credits: magtrends.com
- photo credits: magtrends.com
And this is what Himegyaru nail art design is all about.
photo credits: it.paperblog.com- photo credits: kawaiilovekiki.wordpress.com
- photo credits: these-pretty-flowers.tumblr.com
The nail art designs are an offshoot of certain girl styles spawned by the Shibuya and Harajuku (shopping districts in Tokyo) fashion. These distinct styles are marked by certain characteristics.
The Kawaii girl is distinguished by:
- A cute and adorable style. Think Hello Kitty.
- Use of bright colors.
- Big hair that’s on the brunette side.
- Wide open eyes in pictures.
- Kawaii girly nails that can be an inch long.
A Himegyaru or Gyaru (for short) is marked by:
- Hair colored lightest brown to blonde.
- Doll eyes.
- False eyelashes on top and bottom.
- Nails with rhinestones, gems, and various nail décor.
- Ultra-girly dresses.
As you can see, Japanese nail art is not for the faint-hearted. But more and more ladies are willing to try the look at least once in their lives. The thing is, once they do get to experience the eccentric manicure, there’s no turning back. The elegant French manicure won’t ever be seen by anyone who’s experienced nail art in the same way again.
Celebrities are now channeling eccentric and edgy nail art in their fashion repertoire. As long as the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry or Beyoncé (fashion icons all of them) continue to paint their nails in an assortment of designs, the acceptance of more than unconventional nail designs will only increase. Take a look at a few celebrity nails for inspiration.
Lady Gaga unsheathes her long claws.
photo credits: inspirationail.comBeyoncé seems to be doing a Himegyaru look in this shot, complete with nails.
photo credits: aberdeen.olc.co.ukBefore they divorced, Katy Perry had Russell Brand in her heart, and on her nails.
photo credits: definitionroyale.wordpress.com
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April Dela Rosa