In the July|August issue of Irish Country Magazine you will find our beauty feature, ‘Bold or Bare‘ investigating the bare nail revolution.
This article is a snippet from one of the women who spoke to us about her choice to wear bare nails.
Having or not having your nails done is a personal preference. In recent months, it also seems to signify a societal statement. We’re seeing more conversation now than ever before on what having your nails painted or left bare says about you, with a huge cohort ditching the manicure and embracing the natural look. Irish broadcaster Angela Scanlon’s Substack essay titled ‘Bare nails are my quiet rebellion’, for example, shares how after years of diligently having her nails done, she asked herself, ‘why?’.
“It slipped into the same mental category as brushing your teeth or owning a decent coat – not optional, not expressive, just expected,” she writes. “I was sitting under a lamp and wasting two hours of my life every other week for something that didn’t give me anything other than a pain in my arse”.
Another Irish woman happy to opt out of the nail appointment hamster wheel is 57-year-old Marie Fay who says that she’s worn her nails bare most of her life, never feeling the need to cover them with polish or gel. “I’ve always had natural nails, except for my wedding day 29 years ago, and a few times for fun with my daughter when she was 12 (that’s ten years ago now).
“I don’t like the feeling of paint on my nails; it’s probably because I’m so used to having them bare for so long. I’m also embracing my natural silver hair for the last six years, and I like to use natural beauty products, so I guess it’s a trend in my life to keep things natural.”
“I love fashion and it’s wonderful to feel good and look nice, and it makes me feel really happy to show up in my natural beauty – which extends to my nails,” Marie concludes.
However, choosing to have your nails done can be an expression of your personal style, or a form of self care, as other Irish women we spoke to pointed out in the feature.
To read the full piece and get everyone’s opinions, pick up the July|August issue of Irish Country Magazine on shelves now. Find your nearest stockist here, or to subscribe and never miss an issue, click here.
