As much as minimalist lovers swear by pale pinks, nudes and classic reds, its only so much that one can experiment in that colour palette. The fashionistas globally have taken upon themselves to look beyond lips, eyes and hair and focus on nails as the brand-new canvas for their style expression. Nail art is the joie de vivre of the beauty and fashion industry lately. It has entered the Pop culture club making its way through Red Carpet appearances, celebrity spotting to collegians and youth donning the latest trends from Winter-Fall and Spring -Summer. Cool, minimalist nail-art options, modern takes on the French manicure, impressionist art on nails, ombre and candy effects and metallic accents are just about some of the trending nail art terms you should know before you visit any nail salon.
Nail care has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments in the beauty industry. While the trend of frequent change in nail colour does provide a significant opportunity for the growth of the market, but growing surge in fashion and beauty consciousness among women and growing affordability of consumers, is providing the relevant boost to the industry. Limited to the elites initially, today nail art has become an essential for beauty lovers and style divas. Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat have witnessed the rise in Nail salons since 2018. While Beauty salons have added an extra category to their services as Nails, consumers are preferring ‘exclusive nail salons’ to ensure that skilled professionals are executing the services. People spend around INR 1500- 2000 a month for a manicure, pedicure and gel polish package with further embellishments going up to INR 3000.
REASON FOR THE SURGE
Dipika Parihar, Founder and Master, The Nail Art School, comments on the growing scenario and shares,“There are a lot of changes in how people perceive and consumer nail art. Earlier nail art as a service was only limited to the occasions such as parties, fashion shows, shoots, etc. These occasions were not a part of day to day lifestyle nor everyone was having such kind of a lifestyle. But thanks to the glamour world, people have started accepting it as a lifestyle statement. Today Nail Art is a part of everyone’s lifestyle and has become the most trending service taken on a regular basis.” Dipika is one of the top 10 celebrity nail artists who started her nail academy in 2013 by the name of The Nail Art School. Having trained multiple corporate houses like Lakme, Enrich, Bounce, Play, Orane to name a few, she has definitive market insights both from demand and supply side of the nail art industry.
Nishi Nail Spa, Urbaniche, Tip & Toe Nail Club, B&B Salon and Nails and Coccolarre Nails are some of the choicest nail salons in Ahmedabad that witness continuous footfalls for its exclusive nail services whereas Nailed It, Mona’s Art – The Nail Studio, Dimple Ahuja, Bling and House of Nails rock the Barodian nails. Surat too has its share of exclusive nail salons including Tip and Toe The Nail Club.
An entrepreneur and a curator by profession and a fashionista, Monisha Desai, gets nail treatments done on monthly basis. On what has led to the surge in nail art love and its demand, she highlights, “Several factors have led to the spread of nail art in Gujarat. An increase in disposable income along with the growth of nail studios in cities like Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat makes it convenient for people to get nail art done. People now know where and what to spend on. Everyone from teenagers to senior citizens are going for nail art regularly and experimenting with it too. The need to look good besides pampering yourself is taken care of, so why not?”
Beyond youth and senior citizens among women, nail art as a trend has reached men too. Priya Sheth, an artist and nail art enthusiast, shares, “Even men these days get their nails done regularly. Whenever I go to a nail salon, I see both men and women indulging in mani-pedis; this is testimony to the tremendous growth of the industry.”
Oh well, we would definitely love to see men in Gujarat experiment more often in fashion and beauty.
TRENDS IN NAIL ART
“Apart from colours like nudes, pinks & pastel shades, Holographic nails are going to be in vogue in 2020. To create such looks, one can use metallic colors, pastel and nude gel colors along with the matte topcoat. Holographic nails can be achieved using nail chrome powders to stay trendy for 2020” shares Dipika. She adds further “Minimalist graphic designs of electric neon colors with high gloss nude base colours, classic French nail tips done with glitters, pearls & swarovski instead of basic white nail tips and quirky nail art using chrome tapes & nail tattoos on neutral nail colors are few other trends to bookmark for the upcoming season”
On the other hand, Dhara Patel Arora, owner of Urban Niche, a trendy nail-art salon in Ahmedabad, shares her idea of what’s trending by focusing on all possible trends as she shares
“Nail art and paints are headed to trendy abstracts, an extension of what you wear, to creamy hues and micro French’s, from bold to minimalist to negative spaces, even animal prints. metallics and chromes are making a comeback too.”
MANDATORY CARE
Nail-art is an essential part of grooming and while staying abreast with the trends helps you ensure that your nails look beautiful, one of the aspects of nail care that is often overlooked is before and after care.
3 steps for healthy nails:
1. Use gel-based cuticle softener to remove dead skin before nail art
2. Moisturize your cuticles well with good cuticle oil & cream
3. Avoid acetone-based nail polish removers to prevent chipping & brittle nails.
If you’re a nail art enthusiast or are looking to get started with nail art, here are some products you should check out:
Glam Gel Polish
Glam’s gel polish offers the entire spectrum of colour family and extends the shades in glitter, metallic, holographic and chrome as well. Packed in an opaque bottle, Gel Nail polish will not be exposed to the light which causes the lacquer to harden. With the thicker finish, Glam Polish gives a glossy high shine.
OPI Gel Polish
One of the widest selling nail care brands, OPI, has an elaborate range to choose from. From classic reds to blingy glitter, you can never go wrong with this brand.
Chambor Nail Lacquer
This high-gloss nail polish mimics the plumping effects of a gel manicure. It is UV rays protected, chip resistant and long-lasting. The nail polish promises a mirror-like shine.
Nykaa Cookie Crumble Nail Enamel Collection
Fashion-forward divas who want to experiment with their nails have to check out this collection! From frosted lemon to mint to blueberry, the collection is like wearing tempting crushed cookies on your tips. The patented two-fold plasticizer prevents chipping. It also contains a UV filter to prevent discoloration and yellowing.
Masaba By Nykaa Nail Enamel
Earlier, this year, ace designer Masaba Gupta partnered with Nykaa to launch her own like of beauty products. Her collection features 12 shades of nail enamel in velvet matte shades, all crafted especially for the Indian skin tone. Grab one of these and be assured that it will enhance your natural look.
Over the years, Nail Art has evolved from being luxury to becoming a mandate for style divas. With changing trends and increased emphasis being laid on personal grooming, the Nail Art industry is only set to get bigger and better with each passing year.
