Glamour's Ode to Nails!

As compared with hair and makeup, nails often get the short end of the stick when it comes to media coverage. There are many consumer magazines dedicated to hairstyles and cosmetics, but there is not one consumer magazine that focuses solely on nails. A handful of professional publications geared towards Nail Technicians exist, such as Nails, Nailpro, Scratch and VietSalon magazines. However, these periodicals aren't sold on newsstands or in book stores and most of the general public aren't aware of them.

That's why I get extremely excited on the rare occasions when a fashion or beauty magazine takes a moment to focus on nails, which is exactly what Glamour magazine has done in their October 2011 issue. Their "10 Things We Love in the Nail Universe" list is an homage to what is hot in the nail industry right now. It includes mentions of several of my personal favorites including fatigue green and classic red polish, what they refer to as "nail polish rings," which are actually called Finger Bands (created by the amazing Nonie Creme of butter London), boys with neat nails and the talented Patricia Yankee of Dashing Diva.

I was backstage with Nonie as a member of the butter London Nail Tech team for the Vena Cava runway show when she introduced Finger Bands to the world and knew they were going to be an instant hit. Barely minutes after the show ended the press and audience members in attendance were frantically tweeting about the look acheived by painting perfect circlets of nail lacquer around two or three fingers of the hand. It's a lot more difficult than it looks and requires a steady hand and attention to detail.

In the past couple of years, celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce and Rihanna have been making bold fashion statements with their manicures. Nails as fashion accessories are becoming the norm as celebrity trends trickle down to the general public and into neighborhood nail salons. Hopefully the media will catch up with the rest of us and put the focus where it should be a little more often...on the nails!