It’s a thing. A guy getting colored nail polish on their fingers and toenails is a trend that has done nothing but grow in the past few years. Creative and fun to some while still odd and unsettling to others, the biggest question that most have when the topic comes up is simply “Why?” Well, there are lots of reasons… and many of them are the very same ones why women wear it: because they like it. They enjoy having nicer-looking feet. It’s creative, it adds personality, it’s a conversation starter and it promotes better care of one’s nails overall.
Perhaps the real and most simply put attraction is that it’s just fun. You begin experimenting with a long-time favorite color or something subdued and find that it has a certain allure to it. Soon, you begin to notice it more on others and take notice of different colors that you like, that you might want to try yourself. Surprisingly, it seems the name a certain color or shade is dubbed also seems to weigh in on deciding on a future color commitment.
Aiding the growing trend is the number of celebrity men also jumping on board with it. And not guys you might expect either. Singer-songwriter legend Seal leads the pack, having most often his signature pale yellow on his fingers AND toes. Kate Beckinsale’s husband Len Wiseman and Tori Spelling’s beau Dean McDermott also regularly sport color on their toes.
“Guys getting a colored or clear polish is sort of a natural progression from going to get a manicure or pedicure,” said Will Welch, a senior editor at GQ. “The change is guys being like, ‘Some of these things that are traditionally for women only are actually OK for me now, and I’m not self-conscious about it.’ Once that door’s open, the idea of clear or colored polish is sort of in the room.”
It’s no surprise, then, that a handful of nail polishes aimed specifically at men have emerged. Los Angeles-based men’s skincare company EvolutionMan offers a varied selection of polishes designed just for guys, both in clear versions and colors like a matte hunter green and navy. When 11 of the brand’s products were featured on the flash sale website HauteLook, its clear Pure Matte was one of the several items that sold out before the day was up. AlphaNail, another made-for-men collection, comes in a thick marker-like pen that is handled easily by larger hands, compared to the conventional tiny bottle with the delicate brush.
Whether you’ve never tried a single shade or you’re up to a ten-bottle collection, giving color a whirl could be a fun and revolutionary experiment to try for yourself this summer. And I’ll soon be featuring guys who took that first color plunge on upcoming installments this summer! Stay tuned…
Check back here every other Tuesday for more reviews and tips on how guys are Nailing It when it comes to their grooming.
Pictured: Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren – he wears pink nail polish
We are seeing more and more men come into the salon. Mostly for pedicures. We haven’t decided to carry “men’s only” polish yet because the demand is not there. We will be watching.