Nail art is something that’s increasingly popular among Japan’s ladies due to the fact that it’s an easy way to express your individual style. As well as DIY-ing it at home with 100 yen store nail polishes and nail stickers, you can also get reasonably affordable yet super-durable gel manicures in a salon which are set by UV light and last for at least a month. Nail art trends tend to come and go depending on the season and whatever’s in style, but occasionally there’s a “boom” for a certain kind of design, with more and more people jumping on the bandwagon. First came anime nail art, and now it’s the turn of traditional Japanese performance art, Kabuki!
Kabuki is a type of dance-drama that dates back to 1603 and is still performed in Japan today. The colourful and sometimes bizarre makeup worn by performers is both striking and instantly recognisable, making Kabuki the perfect motif for nail art that’s both ultra-Japanese and awesome to look at. If you’re not too familiar with Kabuki, here’s a Youtube video of a performance by famous actor Bando Tamasaburo, a noted “onnagata” (female role) performer. The video has commentary in English which explains the story behind the performance.
The current trend for Kabuki-nails seems to have begun when nail-savvy shoppers discovered Kabuki-style nail stickers on sale at 100 yen shops across Japan. These DIY nailists began tweeting pictures of the creations they achieved through skilful use of the inexpensive stickers:
Those with less skill at manipulating fiddly stickers and tiny brushes headed to their usual nail artists to request “Kabuki nails, please!”
What do you think of this new style trend? Is it cute and unique, or just kinda weird-looking? At any rate, if you decide to adopt the Kabuki-style trend yourself, don’t forget to take care of your skin as well! A Kabuki face mask will sort out those unsightly enlarged pores and keep you looking fierce whether onstage or off.
Source: Naver Matome
Image: Instagram (Fuyurikobayashi)