11/24/2023 0 Comments Dazzle nails by andrea acrylic nails![]() “We resist all of those in the beauty world and do whatever excites us.” And the same goes for many men. “I love the idea behind breaking gender norms through fashion,” says Mikael, who welcomes the attention he sometimes gets for having his nails painted. “There are endless labels and restrictions placed on Black women whenever we choose to confidently illustrate ourselves,” says Aja, who views her own nails as an extension of her Blackness. Mikael Cummings (left) and Aja Walton (right). “We elevate and we create with vibrancy.” “Nail culture has been the driving force for out-of-the-box creativity, and Black women don’t do simple,” she says. Transparent, hot-pink jelly nails accented with Swarovski crystals check off all the boxes. The nail artist enjoys telling stories with her work that are uplifting, fun, and glamorous. I like my nails to say that I care about how I look.” “When my nails are done, I feel like I look finished. “I speak with my hands, I hold the mic with my hands, and I use my hands for emphasis.” Not only in her career, but in her everyday life as a Black woman, Renée feels like her nails are a beautiful and necessary accessory. ![]() “My nails are a part of my image onstage and off,” Renée says. And in addition to quality time, Gina gets a dose of encouragement from Renée, who is a poet and motivational speaker. Renée McRae (left) and Gina Edwards (right).Īs cousins, Gina and Renée enjoy their nail sessions because it gives them time to catch up on family, life, and everything in between. She combined that inspiration with her signature pops of color for a pastel-and-neon design with a matte finish. For this set, Tahsiyn was inspired by wall art around the city. ![]() Whether her nails are long, short, or design-focused, or emphasize their almond shape, they make her feel feminine, sexy, and confident. When looking for a nail artist, it was important for Momo to find a Black person who understood her and her sensibilities. Nails are a way of making a statement and rebellion against mainstream beauty standards surrounding Black women.” “We are vibrant and colorful and bold we express our styles in so many beautiful ways. “Black people are not a monolith,” Tahsiyn says. The nail artist believes Black women have stories to tell, and she translates them. ![]() She likes for her signature almond-shaped nails to turn heads, and they do with the help of Tahsiyn. They’re also where I’ve discovered some of my favorite Black nail artists and their manicure-obsessed clients and muses.Īhead, five such duos - including me and my nail artist - delve into our love of the art, the emotion it evokes, and what certain designs mean to us.Ī 14-year-old Momo would go to the nail salon after school, request acrylic nails, then go home and get yelled at by her mom, who disapproved of her teenage daughter getting such long nails. As an adult, those same long nails tell people who she is - a creative, fun, and sassy woman. They’re an online oasis for women who, like me, find beauty and inspiration in designs that are often imitated by the masses. For years, long nails were deemed “ghetto” by many outside of the Black community, and the nail styles born in the Black community aren’t a trend - they’re a part of our history and culture.Ĭommunities like Instagram’s are rightfully putting Black women front and center of the nail-art conversation. Google “Who started the long nail trend?” and Kylie Jenner is often the first result - a fact that would be laughable if it weren’t so insulting. Today, intricate manicures are all over the pages of leading fashion and beauty magazines, and a host of celebrities have made complex nail designs part of their trademark style. (And I did have to wait, because in my moms’ household, they were “too grown” for me.) I couldn’t wait to wear my nails like that, too. As in, the ones worn by the women in my family and in our neighborhood. Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, New York, fluorescent colors and exaggerated designs were the highest form of self-expression - on nails, specifically. Glossy lacquer was a stage and album-cover staple for Donna Summer and Diana Ross Flo-Jo set Olympic records in a beadazzled red, white, and blue manicure and as hip-hop and R&B rose to prominence, so did the popularity of bold French tips and long, curved acrylics, worn by everyone from SWV to Lil’ Kim. For decades, Black women have taken pride in the divinity of their nails.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |