Art at your fingertips Extreme nail art
Nail art is on the rise, and this time it’s taking designs to the extreme.
As the world of beauty continues to celebrate the individual, nail art is helping narrate your story uniquely and creatively. “Nails are more adventurous and challenging than ever before,” says celebrity manicurist Mei Kawajiri, who counts Bella and Gigi Hadid as clients. “I started making portraits on nails at a time when people were only getting French manicures,” she remembers. “I then moved on to creating 3D designs using acrylic powder. This allowed me to have more fun by sculpting art on nails. Now, people can enjoy 3D nail art from almost any top salon in any city.”
Nail art entered the mainstream about a decade ago, hitting pop culture through music and social media. The influence of Instagram has seen the industry skyrocket. According to research, the nail polish industry is expected to reach R232 billion by 2024. There’s no sign of it slowing, either, if the standard beauty enthusiast – her drawers brimming with rainbow polishes in matte, glossy and glitter finishes – is anything to go by.
When Mei created the diamanté-encrusted, flame-hued nails for Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear show, she sparked the return of a movement: extreme nail art. A touch of glitter or a graphic stripe will simply no longer do. Nails have to be bigger and bolder. “The woman who wears this nail is the woman who can’t be dictated to,” explained nail artist and industry expert Marian Newman.
Celebs are sporting some serious nail art, from Cardi B and Ariana Grande to Kylie Jenner and Elle Fanning. But long talons don’t suit everyone.
“Some of my clients are very active with their hands,” says Mei, and using your phone or even applying lipstick can become di cult with unwieldy nails. To get around this, nail brands Kiss and Essence oers interchangeable nail jewellery and stickers that can also be used on short nails. The result can look just as extreme as long nails covered in diamantés.
Just when every nail avenue seemed like it had been explored, Thea Mai Baumann, founder of the Metaverse Nails app (free on iOS), introduced hologram stickers that enable virtual content to seemingly fly out of your fingers. “It’s a new kind of beauty technology product that can augment your online and oine self with sparkling and beautiful digital content,” she says of her product, which is already being touted as the next big thing. Inspired by women playing Candy Crush, Thea utilised fashion pattern recognition that triggers hologram content when scanned using the app.
Another product to fuse nail art with technology is La Roche-Posay’s UV Sense adhesive wearable tracker, set to hit the market next year. It’s not nail art, per se, but it appropriates the trend to help you monitor your exposure to UV rays, pollution, humidity and temperature. The tiny sticker lasts up to two weeks.
And finally, what’s the secret to flawless nail art? Choosing an idea you really love. “This will encourage you to take special care of your hands and your nails will last longer,” says Mei.
“Nails have to be bigger and bolder. The woman who wears this nail is the woman who can’t be dictated to”