NAILED IT!
Are manicures the new therapy?
If this year’s Hollywood red carpet looks were any indication of recent major trends, our bet is on nail art. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, all eyes were on A-listers Billie Eilish and Lizzo’s fingertips, adorned with dripping crystals and logomania. While more-is-more designs are a crowd favourite, simplicity finds its place in the nail art world, too. LA-based celebrity nail artist Betina Goldstein created the “doublecorner French” manicure for a fresh take on a classic design. For an edgier twist, South Korean nail maven Park Eunkyung found her signature in what she calls the “Lipstickshaped Nails” because of its lipstick bullet-like silhouette.
Getting your nails done regularly could come off as being high maintenance, but the simple act of pampering actually brings myriad wellness benefits. Greta Angert, a licensed psychotherapist, says that people with minor anxiety often find solace in nail painting. “Delay tactics of uncontrollable behaviour from stress and angst, like a quick manicure or teeth brushing, are helpful ways of getting through these urges until they pass,” Angert shares. While that may seem like a costly price for managing emotions, alternatives to booking a manicure session at the salon, like DIY nails and press-on art, are becoming increasingly popular for pampering days at home. Another way to play it up is through colour. Known as chromotherapy, it elicits the feeling of joy and calmness through light wavelengths and energy. For your daily dose of happy, look out for bright shades of orange and yellow for a boost of vitality, and nature-inspired hues of green and blue for balance and peace.