Picking the right nail color is important to creating a truly vintage manicure. In general, I stick to bold reds but I have been known to stray from my tried and true from time to time.
These ads show what colors would have been available mid-century. They are mostly reds and pinks, but as you can see there are a few colors from the other side of the color wheel. A big trend of the day was for your nails to match your lips, so you’ll notice many vintage ads premiering nail polish and lipstick together.
{Image Source: Casey’s Elegant Musings}
{Image Source: Cutex}
{Image Source: Cutex}
{Image Source: Cutex}
{Image Source: Vintage Ads}
{Image Source: Cutex}
{Image Source: Bobby Pin Blog}
While many of these exact shades are no longer in production, there are some comparable colors currently on the market. These are some of my favorite modern polish shades.
Last year was my first time at Viva Las Vegas and as a Viva virgin I had a lot of expectations without too much guidance on what to expect. There were a couple of blogs that gave pointers to the newbies, which I was very appreciative of (see the round-up of the blogs I found most helpful here), but I still didn’t really have a clear picture of what I was getting myself into. There was one issue that I really stressed about prior to getting to Viva Las Vegas, which I realized I didn’t need to worry about as much once I was there.
The biggest thing I think it would have helped to understand last year was the level to which people got dressed up. Clearly, this is the largest Rockabilly event on the planet, so many people are going to dress to the nines for the entire weekend. Be prepared to see some utterly gorgeous outfits, perfectly manicured nails, and ridiculously perfect hairdos. Some of these ladies looked like they were at a photo shoot the entire weekend. And you know what, some of them were. When you look at picture of Viva Las Vegas in the past it really does look like you have to be at the top of your game in order to not stick out like a sore thumb. I was stressing out for weeks prior to Viva and at our hotel in Las Vegas trying to get my hair to look perfect and wondering if I should have chosen to pack a another pair of shoes or a different cardigan. I didn’t want to be the only person there not looking perfect, because perfection was all I saw from Viva online.
Reality:
There are plenty of perfectly put-together guys and dolls roaming Viva, but there also many people who don’t look like they just stepped out of a magazine. These were the people I was not expecting to see, and who made me feel better that my I couldn’t quite get my victory rolls perfect, or that my Spanx were holding my belly into my wiggle dress as well as I would have wanted it to, or that I wasn’t wearing the high heels I had packed with only vague hopes that I’d find sometime to wear them. There are normal Rockabilly people out there too! Of course we don’t see many of the imperfections when we look at online galleries and Google image search. People pick and choose which pictures they share online – some of them with a heavy hand on the photo-shopping tools. Even when you aren’t completed dressed up, you still pick out which photos you share with people online. So, you are likely to not find too many pictures of the lady in modern cut jeans with the Johnny Cash shirt and her hair left straight sans flowers and bows. You’ll probably be hard pressed to find a lot of pictures of the guy who is just wearing any old t-shirt with a pair of short and flip-flops. You might not see these people representing Viva Las Vegas online – but they are out there; drooling over hot rods and buying cat eye glasses and laughing at the Charles Phoenix slide show. It really takes some of the pressure off (if you’re the type of person, like me, who feels pressured to fit in perfectly).
Lesson:
Don’t stress about being perfect – at Viva Las Vegas or anywhere else. For every drop-dead bombshell you see in a photo, know there are many more average Rockabilly folk in the background. I am going to try to not be so hard on myself when doing my hair and makeup this year. I want to look good, but I don’t have to look like a model. In the end, we are all there to have a good time, enjoy the company of like-minded individuals, spend a little too much money, and hear some great music. It doesn’t really matter what you wear, as long as you wear something.
If you’re a first time visitor to Viva Las Vegas, I hope you find this helpful and remember to just have fun!
I’m totally fascinated by vintage advertisements, especially ads for beauty products (and anything involving mid-century kitchens, but that’s off-topic). So I loved searching the web for these great vintage nail polish ads from the 30′s, 40′s, and 50′s. Advertisements like these are a great way to get an authentic look at vintage nail shapes and colors.
1930′s Nail Polish Ads
{Images Source: Cutex Nails}
1940′s Nail Polish Ads
{Images Source: Cutex Nails}
{Image Source: Fifties Wedding}
1950′s Nail Polish Ads
{Image Source: Cutex Nails}
{Image Source: Nails By Stephanie}
{Image Source: Beauty Geeek}
{Image Source: The Nifty Fifties}
You don’t need to search just polish ads to find great examples of vintage nails. Check out these other vintage adverts.
The half moon manicure was a popular trend in the 1930′s that is making a comeback today. The typical half moon design consisted of a crescent shape at the cuticle and another at the tip. Modern versions of this look generally forgo the tip crescent, which looks just as stylish. These crescents could be bare, or colored with a contrasting polish. This style can be seen in most any nail or hand product advertisement from the late 30′s.
Half moon manicure on stiletto shaped nails
According to ad art from the period, it would appear as though manicurists and ladies at home accomplished this look free-hand. I, however, have never been one to have a steady hand with polish. If you’re like me, then this tutorial is for you.
What you need:
Hole reinforcement stickers (the circles you put around hole punches on paper)
Nail polish: your primary color and your crescent color
Clear coat
Here are 5 easy to follow steps for a single crescent look:
1. Prepare your nails; clean, file, and shape to your liking.
2. If you want your crescents to be colored, apply a single coat of paint to your entire nail. Allow polish to fully dry. If you’d prefer a bare crescent, disregard this step.
3. Cut hole reinforcement stickers in half (you can get these in the office supply section of any store) to create the half moon shape. Place one sticker half at your cuticle. Check to make sure you’ve applied the stickers evenly on all of your nails.
4. Using your primary polish color, paint your nail again. Apply a second coat, as needed. Allow polish to fully dry.
5. Remove reinforcement stickers (slowly!) and apply a clear coat to add strength and shine to your nails.
If you’d prefer the double crescent look (the more traditional half moon manicure) follow steps 1-4 as above, then follow these next steps:
1. Place another reinforcement sticker in the middle of your nail, leaving a crescent shape open at the tip.
2. Paint the tip with your crescent color, or if you left your cuticle crescent bare, use a small paint brush with polish remover to clear off your primary color from the nail.
3. Remove reinforcement stickers (slowly!) and apply a clear coat to add strength and shine to your nails.
There you go! Now you can do your own half-moon manicure at home (or expertly advise your manicurist at the salon).
