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Origins in Babylonia as early as 3200 BCE -

Warriors (men!) in Babylonia during 3200 BCE would color their nails before going off to war. Higher ranks would use black kohl, which is finely powdered sulfide, and lower ranks would use green.

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Origins in China as early as 3000 BCE -

The original ingredients included beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, and gum Arabic (sap from the acacia tree).

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It once signified class -

In ancient Egypt, nail polish was used to signify class rankings. The richer the red color, the higher the class and the power they had. Queen Nefertiti wore dark red nails.

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Henna manicures -

It’s said that Cleopatra used henna to stain her nails, and that she would dip each finger in the dye to get a deep, rusty color. Women of lower rank were allowed to wear pastel colors only.

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Tints and shines -

Tinted nails continued in popularity as trade with Asia opened further. Bejeweling nails was famous in 18th-century French courts, where outlandish fashion trends were famously trendy, according to How Stuff Works. Tinted cream polish became popular, and women would buff them for a long time to achieve a shiny look.

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The first ever modern nail salon -

Mary E. Cobb reportedly first learned the art of the manicure in France, then redeveloped the process by implementing steps like soaking the fingers, trimming the nails, and shaping them using a file similar to a carpenter finishing wood. Then she would use an enamel to ensure that the nail was protected. Cobb then brought her ideas to the US, where she opened the first ever nail salon in 1878 (in Manhattan) and called it Mrs. Pray's Manicure.

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The first nail file -

In 1884, along with having her own line of products and creating the first at-home manicure guide, Cobb also made her most significant contribution to the industry: creating the emery board, also known as a nail file.

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Trailblazing female entrepreneurship -

By 1900, her business was reportedly one of the largest female-owned and managed businesses in the world.

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Beginning of big brands -

In 1911, the now-popular brand Cutex launched with an extract for softening cuticles around the nail bed. A few years later, they introduced clear lacquer and nail tints, and a few years after that came liquid nail polish.

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The car helped spur modern-day nail polish -

The invention of the car and automobile paint inspired the creation of the first colorless nail polish, by French manicurist Michelle Manard, which gave a shiny look without any buffing effort.

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Where Revlon’s legacy began -

The story goes that Charles and Joseph Revson were inspired to create a nail polish by the red-lipped Hollywood actresses of their day who needed nails to match. That marked the beginning of their Cherries in the Snow legacy, which continues to this day.

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Rita Hayworth was a big fan of red nails -

After the introduction of Technicolor, Rita Hayworth's bold nails inspired a red polish trend. Many actresses in films would restart the trend later, like Uma Thurman did with Chanel’s Vamp Red in ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994).

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The early French manicure -

Rather than painting the tip of the nail, the early French manicure reportedly left a crescent shape at the base of the nail and the tip completely unpainted.

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Acrylic nails were invented by a dentist -

In 1954, Fred Slack, a dentist, broke his fingernail at work, and created an artificial nail using dental acrylic as a temporary replacement. It turned out to look better than expected, and after some experiments he and his brother patented a successful version and started the company Patti Nails.

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Modern French manicures -

Jeff Pink, founder of the professional nail brand ORLY, is credited with creating the natural nail look later called the French manicure in 1976. Little did he know it would be one of the most popular styles of manicures ever invented. It debuted on the runways in Paris—as the nails worked with every outfit—and became an instant phenomenon.

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Acrylics in Black culture -

Black female celebrities used acrylics to create some of the hottest trends of the ‘90s, like SWV singer Coko, Lil’ Kim’s famous dollar-bill manicure, or Janet Jackson’s pierced nail look after wearing acrylics with hoops in each nail in the visuals for her 1998 hit ‘What’s It Gonna Be,’ as Bustle points out.

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Prejudice against acrylics -

Legendary Olympic runner Florence Griffith-Joyner was named the fastest woman in the world during the 1988 Olympics, but still the media at the time seemed more focused on criticizing her four-inch nails. The way acrylics were later adopted and celebrated among white people fails to give credit to the Black women who had to endure being stereotyped and disparaged because of their nails.

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The rise of mainstream nail art -

Social media gave rise to nail art culture by allowing users to share pictures and inspire one another. Several new nail polish related products soon rocketed on the market such as stickers, stencils, magnetic nail polish, nail pens, glitter and sequin topcoats, microbeads, scented polish, and even polish that changes when exposed to sunshine.

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It’s an extremely lucrative industry -

In 2012, nail polish sales reached US$768 million, a 32% increase over 2011 due to a rise in nail art popularity, according to Women's Wear Daily. Since then there was a small slump, but it’s on its way up again, as in the US alone in 2019 nail polish generated sales of approximately US$552.51 million, according to Statista.

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The most expensive nail polish costs US$250,000 -

Azature’s Black Diamond King polish is made with 267 carats worth of black diamonds, and it’s claimed to be the most expensive nail polish in the world.

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There are many types of nail polish finishes -

They include: shimmer, micro-shimmer, micro-glitter, glitter, frost, lustre, crème, prismatic micro-glitter or shimmer, iridescent, opalescent, matte, duo-chrome, holographic, magnetic, and translucent.

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There are seven main nail shapes -

The main seven types of nail shapes you can opt for are: oval, almond, square, squoval, coffin (also known as ballerina), stiletto (or pointed nails), and the classic round.

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Nail polish expires earlier than you think -

Opened bottles of nail polish only last about two years, while unopened bottles can last indefinitely. But once you twist the cap off for the first time, certain ingredients evaporate, which changes the formula and consistency of your polish.

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Nail polish is technically a household hazardous waste -

Technically, they shouldn't be thrown in the garbage since the EPA considers nail polish a household hazardous waste, Good Housekeeping reports.

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You actually shouldn’t store nail polish in the bathroom -

You're not alone if you're about to run to the bathroom to move them. Instead, nail polish should be kept in a dry, room temperature space without direct contact to sunlight.

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Some nail polishes have food in them -

Food extracts have become an increasingly popular ingredient in nail polish so as to include the healthy benefits of things like kale, garlic, and cucumber.

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Painting your nails is prohibited on airplanes -

While it might seem like the best time to do your nails since you can't move around, most airlines frown upon mile-high manicures.

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Nails in the time of pandemic -

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of nail products soared. In April and May 2020, popular London-based nail polish company Nails Inc. saw a 270% increase in UK online sales year on year.

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Predicted increase -

According to Globe Newswire, the global nail polish market is predicted to reach US$18.2 billion by 2027. Amid the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, the global market for nail polish was estimated at US$10.5 billion.

Sources: (How Stuff Works) (Globe Newswire) (Good Housekeeping) (Statista) (Byrdie) (Bustle)

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