What Ive learned about wearing nails as a man

Well I have been wearing nail polish now for about 6 months on a daily. And there are a few things that I have learned that has given me true perspective on the whole ritual of doing so. The first thing that Ive learned is that there is NO rushing the process.

It really doesnt matter if you have a fast drying, or a special spray or anything else. Unless you have a dryer or curing light you are pretty much in for at least 15-20 minutes of down time.

Two, not all nail polishes are the same. There are vast differences between the $0.99 polish and the $20 bottle. Sometimes but not always, they are about the same. The nail polish that I pretty much use exclusively is LA Colors. Growing up in the 80's LA Color was a major brand name that was very popular. They continue to produce a line of cosmetics that are vastly underrated in my humble opinion as a man. And yes I have tried their other lines and no Im not a Drag Queen or anything like that. I grew up the younger brother of a teen girl in the 80's and early 90's so 'dress up' was and is something im familiar with. Also as a teen I was goth and used their products almost exclusively.

Three, that pampering your nails by taking time to apply cuticle oils and file and hydrate them etc, is just a small way of doing something nice for yourself. You dont have to go full purple polish and be a trend setter while on the construction site (however, that would be amazing and would push people to see that it is nothing more than a fashion statement), that you could just have a nice clear top coat on with some type of nail strengthening components in it.

There were many years before my conscience decision to wear polish in bolder colors, that I would only wear a top/clear coat. I think the first time I started wearing polish was in either Jr. High or High School. A friends mom gave me this shimmering purple grape color. And it was my cherished little gift. At the time, though looking back I have no fucking clue as to why I had done this, I only painted my pinkies. As time progressed and I became Goth, I began wearing black polish. Back then you could only seem to find black during Halloween. So I would get as many bottles and tubes of black polish and lipstick as I could, and hoard it throughout the year.

Forth, nothing sucks more than smudging your freshly painted nails when you think that they are fully dry, but find out that they are still tacky and wet. I can not tell you how many times I have to go back and remove all the polish and redo one or two nails damn near every time.

Five, no matter what, you could be stranded on a deserted island and the moment you put a fresh coat on, you are going to be come busy and have to do something that is going to make you have to do something with your hands. Or for what ever Newtonian law you are going to have the worse itch in the universe and cant really scratch because you will either drag polish through your hair, or smudge it.

Six, people are going to automatically assume you are gay or whatever because well you're a dude with nail polish, and that is ONLY FOR GIRLS. Well actually quite factually, men wearing nail polish has been gaining popularity in Hollywood, and in the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Community now for the last couple of years. And plus, I wear polish because I want to, not because of my sexuality or because Im trying to be a rebel rouser, or controversial, but because I like it. I enjoy talking to people about it, and damn it why not? Why must it be a point of topic in a negative way? Why cant it just be seen as "ok" no one thinks twice about someone wearing a blue shirt, or for carrying a messenger bag. I just see it as an extension of fashion.

So im going to keep wearing my nail polish, and getting excited when I find a new color that I dont have, or try a new combo when im doing them up for the week. And be really excited about going on shopping trips to Alta, or Sally Beauty Supply.