Man-icures 101: a comprehensive guide to nail polish for guys

Hi boys, welcome to the Self Care Club!

It’s 2023, and taking care of one’s physical appearance isn’t a gendered practice anymore: skincare, body waxing, hair and beard treatments for men are more popular than ever. Same applies to nail care and manicures, as men around the world discover the joys of perfect cuticles and vibrant nail polishes.

If you want to dabble into the world of man-icures (see what I did there?) but are unsure of where to start, you’ve come to the right place: here is the ultimate guide to nail polish for guys.

Contrary to popular belief, men wearing nail polish isn’t a new trend at all. For decades rockstars like David Bowie, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Kurt Cobain have sported painted nails as a sign of rebellion against society’s strict gender norms.

In the era of gender fluidity, Bowie, Armstrong, and Cobain’s legacy continues with a sleuth of male celebrities with a passion for nail care. In 2021 singer and actor Harry Styles launched the lifestyle brand Pleasing, which offers skincare products and a wide selection of sorbet-colored nail polishes, along with apparel and accessories. Same goes for rapper Tyler, The Creator whose brand Golf Le Fleur features a nail polish collection.

Both artists are famously nail polish wearers, but they aren’t the only ones. Rapper A$AP Rocky has been a fan of cheeky nail art for years, and in 2019 he told Vogue “I feel like men should be able to do nail art without feeling feminine.” Dismantling the stigma around practices considered “feminine”, like self care and manicures,  is a step towards a more accepting society.

But let’s get into the nitty gritty of man-icures and malepolish: why should you, as a guy, care about getting your nails done? The answer is double, but quite straightforward: it looks good and it feels good.

Looking clean, tidy, and well-groomed is important regardless of gender, and nail care might be the one step missing from your routine. Moisturised hands with tidy cuticles and clear nail polish are so classy!

Looking good and put together is bound to make you feel better about yourself too—and treating yourself like royalty is the pillar of self care. Doing something nice for yourself, like indulging in a mani-pedi will be the highlight of your day!

If you’ve read this far, maybe I have managed to convince you to treat yourself to a well-deserved mani. Yay!

First of all, let’s actually define what a manicure is:  “A manicure entails cutting and filing the nails to shape, tidying the cuticles and buffing the nails. Regular polish or gel polish application can be followed after this,” says Amanda Lee, owner and founder of renowned London salon Iris Avenue, in an interview with GQ Magazine.  You can either get a classic mani, where regular nail polish air dries and lasts around a week; or a gel mani, where gel polish is cured under a LED or UV lamp, and lasts up to three weeks.

Cutting, filing, tidying, and buffing are all fundamental steps to achieve a tidy look, and also has positive effects to the general health of your hands and nails. Manicures promote cell renewal and growth, and might help you break that nasty nail biting habit.

If you’re feeling nervous about your first time, our advice is to keep it simple. Pick one or two neutral colors—black, white, nude, navy blue, forest green…—that will go with everything, and start experimenting with technicolor shades and even nail art when you build up some confidence.

And before you ask: no, no one in the nail salon will think it’s weird for a guy to get his nails done. Luckily, we are moving away from the belief that makeup is gendered, and a man-icure isn’t so much of a rebellious statement anymore, but more of a style choice like a pair of sunglasses.