The power of red

There is nothing more glamorous than gorgeous, glossy, perfectly manicured nails. The color red is all about love and passion. Men are attracted to women wearing red dresses, and women are attracted to men who drive red sportscars.

Cleopatra knew about the power of red. She used plant extracts to dye her nails a deep blood red. One of Cleopatra’s favorite beauty regimens was to bathe in donkey milk that was infused with honey and lavender. Cleo knew her stuff. Milk contains alpha hydroxy acid, a common exfoliant used in many of today’s creams and lotions.

In 3000 BCE, long before the Egyptians painted their nails, Chinese women of wealth were soaking their nails in a mixture of egg whites, gelatine, beeswax, and rose petals, resulting in shiny nails, tinted a reddish pink. The Chinese also wore nail extensions (the first artificial nails) to signify wealth and status. They were often painted with symbols to keep the wearer safe from disease or harm and adorned with precious stones.

It was also the Chinese who discovered one of the main ingredients used in nail polish today. During the ninth century, Chinese monks, searching for a life-extending elixir, made an explosive discovery. They mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, and invented gunpowder. Nitrocellulose is an essential ingredient in nail polish. In its raw state it is highly explosive and was originally used for gunpowder and dynamite. Maybe that is why red is such an explosive color.

In 1500, the Aztecs and Incas, using sticks and natural dyes, would paint a white base coat on their nails, to symbolize purity. On top of that they would draw an eagle in red to give them strength. They would paint their entire bodies, as well as their nails, into a war totem.

Soldiers painted their nails before battle as early at 3000 BCE. Manicure kits have been discovered in the tombs of Babylonian soldiers. Reds and blacks were the most popular colors.

The Revson brothers renamed their automobile paint company “Revlon” in 1932, when they unveiled a new nail enamel that was as red and shiny as a newly painted automobile. They started selling lipstick in 1939.

In WWII red was “red hot.” Women were recruited to build tanks and planes. They went to work in overalls and red lipstick. Elizabeth Arden created a lipstick, with matching nail polish, called Montezuma Red. It was a bright crimson red that perfectly matched the red piping on women’s military uniforms. Hitler, who had already banned books, hated red lipstick and banned women’s cosmetics. Painted women were barred from public functions in Germany. Meanwhile, in the U.S., red lipstick and nail polish became a patriotic badge proudly flaunted by women.

After the war, painted nails became scandalous. Some churches required women to remove their nail polish before attending services. Red nails were suddenly sinful. This perception was a holdover from the Victorian era when painted nails were worn by women of ill-repute.

Then, in 1957, Frederick Slack, a dentist, had a mishap at work that tore off his nail. To repair it he used the dental acrylic that he normally used for fillings, and created an incredibly realistic nail. Yes, a dentist invented the acrylic nail.

Today, women enjoy a long, leisurely, walk, not on the beach, but to the nail salon. Nail salons give women the red-carpet treatment. A nail technician gently massages your hands, easing away stress and tension while gently adding the “war paint” that will brighten your day and give you the strength to fight any battles that may come your way.