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But how long exactly has the practice been around?
The History of Nail Polish
It’s claimed that warriors in Babylonia during 3200 B.C.
Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images
would spend hours having their hair curled and their nails manicured before going off to battle.
The purported ingredient of choice for nail color: kohl.
The colors of their nails may have signified their class.
During certain dynasties, wearing the color of royals may have been punishable by death.
She would dip each finger in henna, coating just the nail portion.
Her go-to color of choice?
The First-Ever Nail Salon
We owe so much of the very best in beauty to France.
Mary E. Cobb first learned the art of the manicure in France.
She then redeveloped the process and brought it to the United States.
In 1878, Cobb opened the first-ever nail salon titled “Mrs. Pray’s Manicure.”
And she didn’t stop there: Her most significant contribution to the industry was inventing theemery board.
The brand has since grown to be a beauty empire.
As it turns out, he designed a faux nail that looked entirely too realistic.
In the 1980s, two nail enhancements came onto the scene: nail wraps andgel nail polish.
For those who preferred their natural nail length, gel polish solved the issue of easily chipping nails.
However, gel polish was initially short-lived as the curating methods never got off the ground.
Decades later, gel polish would become one of the most requested manicure options in salons.
According to Orly, in 1975, he created the versatile French manicure.
Little did he know, it would be one of the most popular styles of manicures ever invented.
It debuted on the runways in Paris and became an instant phenomenon.
Famous Shades
Essie Weingarten developed her collection of nail polishes in the early ’80s.
The shade, like the movie, instantly became a cult classic.
Nail Polish Today
Today, nails are a multibillion-dollar industry and still growing fast.
Nail polish was created as a status symbol to indicate one’s wealth and social class.
Yes, nail polish was popular in the 1920s among flappers and upper-class women.
Red was a common color as were deeper maroons and browns.
