First thing’s first; personal grooming is important for both the gender and not just for women. We don’t live in the Stone Age where we can get by with looking like Shrek, do we? Clean and tidy hair, on the head as well as face and body, along with overall body cleanliness. No one likes an unkempt man, trust us. It just goes on to show how you are as a person. A well-groomed man will give off a more sophisticated and charming vibe for sure.
Since more and more men are jumping on the bandwagon of self-grooming, we’re seeing a general increase in men visiting spas and salons, and not just for haircuts, but for actual grooming services. They’re getting facials, and manicures and pedicures.
After getting a mani/pedi, men are often asked whether they would like clear nail polish over their freshly buffed nails. Here’s where the general confusion arises. Is it a thing these days? What should they do? Should they get it or politely refuse? To answer all these burning questions, let’s answer the most basic one: Can guys wear clear nail polish? Guys can wear clean nail polish! There’s no rule that says otherwise. It’s all a matter of personal preference and where one draws the line. In this day and age, is there anything anyone can’t do unless they didn’t want to?
In addition to personal preference, wearing nail polish has benefits too that we will discuss with you. Read on to find out more about this grooming habit adopted by men.
It’s all Clear
The feeling of getting a manicure/pedicure is one of the most relaxing feelings ever. Those of you who haven’t given it a shot, you’re seriously missing out! Just kick back on a comfortable sofa and let the professionals work their magic on your hands and feet and revive your nails to make them brand new.
For women, it’s a norm getting some sort of nail polish after finishing with their mani/pedi. If they don’t get it, the service feels incomplete. After all, what’s a mani/pedi without nail polish? What about men, though?
Salon and spa owners have noticed an influx in the number of men heading their way for grooming services and it’s a change for the better. Nails are becoming a thing among men with more focus on how clean and perfect they look, and like for women, mani/pedis for men require something such as nail polish to seal the deal. Some men jump on to the idea of nail polish in an instant, while others are a bit hesitant.
Nails and nail art have always been a trend among women, with the industry getting bigger with each passing day. There are a plethora of products aimed at women and their nails. Now, companies have launched variants for men as well since that’s what the demand is for. Many spa owners claim that some men even request for clear-polish to be put on their nails, which is just wonderful! Why shouldn’t they?
Why are we insisting so much on clear nail polish and not the regular colored ones? Well, that has a very simple answer. Are men ready for such a bold style statement? We have men who become uncomfortable with the idea of clear nail polish. Who’s to say they wouldn’t run out at the idea of bright colors. Therefore, let’s leave colors to the ladies for now, and for the men who are brave enough to experiment and express themselves. This too is a form of self-expression after all.
There are different kinds of clear nail polishes available out there. Some are outrageously shiny, bringing too much focus on your nails, some are moderately shiny, while some have the matte element in them. For men who are just started with the trend, we recommend the latter two. You may let the professionals at the salon do the picking for you, you may ask for choices and make a selection yourself, or you can carry your favorite kind of clear nail polish and hand it over for some flawless application. We recommend the Orly Nails for Males (Amazon) that comes with a semi-matte finish.
Clear Benefits
We’ve all heard how too much makeup is bad for the skin and wearing too much nail polish can harm the nails. Is it true or is it just a scare?
Turns out, there are actual benefits to wearing nail polish. However, you must make sure that you are using the right brand of nail polish, with no use of harsh chemicals that can harm the skin and nails.
Clear nail polish is sometimes also referred to as the topcoat. The reason being that clear nail polish is also, more commonly used on top of colored nail polish to give it extra protection and help it last longer.
The same can be said for nails in general. Clear nail polish on top of nails helps seal in all the goodness after a nice, pampering mani/pedi session. Only buffing the nails is sometimes not enough since the shine fades away rather too early. A clear coat will last much, much longer and will make the nails look shinier and healthier long after the spa visit.
Adding a clear coat can also lengthen the life of your nails and make them more resistant to chipping and breaking. Who wouldn’t want that? Those pesky little chips are the most annoying things ever and can seriously be uncomfortable if caught up in clothes or hair.
It also helps bring back luster to dull-looking nails that have lost their shine. Do you think that people don’t notice these small things? Trust us, they do. Also, what’s important is how you feel about grooming and pampering yourself.
DIY Mani/Pedi
While there is no doubt that a professional mani/pedi stands no chance against one done by yourself at home, it’s at least worth trying. Sometimes, a visit to the spa can be too heavy on your pocket, or you just might be one of those DIY-ers who love taking on such challenges. The bottom line is that everyone must know these basics of these self-grooming services.
Thankfully, there are a lot of DIY mani/pedi sets available out there that you can easily get your hands on. We suggest the BOZEVON Pedicure Set (Click to view on Amazon) that comes with all the tools you would need for a perfect manicure or pedicure.
Start with washing your hands and feet. It’s the rule of thumb in self-grooming to always start working on a blank canvas.
Second, soak your hands and feet in warm water and scrub away all the dead skin and impurities. This is a crucial step and must not be skipped at any cost. Scrub it well, but don’t be too harsh on the skin. It’ll start irritating you later if you are.
Now start with cutting and trimming the nails. Use the nail file in the mani/pedi set to give them all a uniform size and shape.
Use a buffer block on the nails to remove ridges and give them that perfect shine. Be patient and take your time with this process.
Once done, apply an even coat of clear nail polish to preserve all your hard work and protect your nails from breaking.
Add a little color
If you want to experiment with the colored variations of nail polish, go ahead, we support you!
Don’t worry if you’re confused and need help choosing the right shade. There are ways to determine which shade works best on you, but we’d ask you to wing it and go with what your heart tells you. Wearing nail polish is an act of self-expression and we wouldn’t want to limit you in any way.
Black and blue are the so-called safe, universal colors. Women love them and so do men. They give a somewhat dark, goth look and work on almost everyone.
Other colors are also an option depending solely on your preference and what you think you can pull off. There’s a broad range of spectrum ranging from reds to pinks, and yellows, and oranges.
Celebrity nails
Quite a few celebrities have been seen flaunting different shades of nail polish. If the celebrities are doing it then it must be a thing, right? There you go. Even more, the reason for you to jump on the bandwagon and experiment with colors.
Johnny Depp loves blue nail polish and has been seen wearing it with a touch of black on one nail. Pretty neat, eh?
David Beckham, a fashion icon for millions around the world, has tried almost every fashion trend, and dare we say, rocked every one of them! Pictured in varying shades from light pink to black, this man has given all us men some serious style goals and confidence to look up to.
