The Art Of Nail Plothing

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The art of polishing nails has been around for centuries for both men and women. Nail polish or nail stain, as it was known for many years ago, started out being natural in formula. However, as the years have progressed, nail polish formulas have become more intricate including chemicals. As the years have passed, the color and purpose of polishing nails has expanded to not only nobles or those of high rank/station, but also everyday people. There are many different ingredients in today’s nail polishes. It is important to know which ingredient correlates with the four primary qualities of nail polish, specifically the ingredient that is responsible for the drying-time. Red has become one of the most popular colors to paint nails. Essie, …show more content…

9). Toselli noted that Egyptian women used henna to color their nails (2009). The most notable color used to paint their nails was red. However, the color red was reserved for women of power. One example of such women, is Cleopatra, who “…favored a deep rust red” (Toselli, p.9). Women of lower stations “…were permitted only pale hues” (Toselli, p.9). Pales hues refers to light colors. Over the years different ingredients were utilized to create nail stain, varnish all otherwise known as nail polish. According to Toselli, the mixture of Arabic gum, egg whites, gelatin, and beeswax was used by the Chinese. “They also used a mixture of pulped rose for color, or orchid and impatiens petals combined with alum, which, when applied to mails overnight, left a pinkish, reddish stain” (Toselli, p.9). Eventually, ingredients included: scented red oils, powders and creams. It was by accident that it was discovered that “…boiling nitrocellulose made it soluble in organic …show more content…

They have certainly come a long way from their early formulations” (Toselli, p. 14). As Agapakis noted, nitrocellulose continues to be the main ingredient in today’s nail polishes (2014, [online]). However it is with a slight twist, Toselli reported that the form of nitrocellulose is as nitrocellulose cotton, which is a liquid mixed with micro sized pieces of cotton (p. 14.). According to L’Oréal, there are “…four primary qualities of nail polish: application, drying, glossiness and duration” (2015, [online]). L’Oréal refers to the quality of application as the ease to which the nail polish goes on the finger nail (2015). The characteristic, drying, refers to the time length after applying the nail polish for it to be hard to the touch. Glossiness refers to the shine a polish gives off, while duration refers to the length of time a polish lasts on the nails before chipping occurs as L’Oréal has explained (2015). To achieve each characteristic in one bottle of nail polish different ingredients must be utilized. As Secret Ingredient: Nail Polish (2011, [online]) has stated, “Nail polish usually consists of four major types of ingredients: polymers, plasticizers, pigments and solvents.” Each of these ingredients contribute to the four primary qualities of nail polish. Besides the four major ingredients, there are a long list of additional

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