Who does this?
In my experience it's hard. There's black, but that's kinda boring. I usually go for a little holographic sparkle... At least I did occasionally since teenage years.
Recently I've been experimenting with colours, or gold. Seems to me dark colours, somewhat co ordinated with long sleeves works. Gold sorta works, but with bare arms (I'm pale skinned). I don't want to use car colours though...
Mostly I wear it on my thumbs, because I see them more and it's a little less intrusive than all 10.
Anyone else?
See, I'd totally do car colours. Gulf would be cool, four blue nails on one hand with the middle one being orange. Rubystone would be great as well.
Nope. Can't be bothered, way too much faff, plus my Mrs would look at me like I'm a bit odd.
This guy. Silk and epoxy. 23mins:
Superhans
>Gulf colours
I meant more like greys and grey-metallic, it's a different form
>look at me funny
You have to be able to pull it off, yes
>Superhans
Omfg yes
I go for black nails but not with nail polish, I use a hammer and whack each fingertip.
This thread wasn't what I was expecting. Which is a good thing.
My fingernails are currently blue but that's not because of nail varnish, it's because I dyed my hair and it's all accumulated under my nails from messing with it.
Hahah nice. I'm also tempted to do that. I keep shaving my beard into different configurations also. Last week I had a Hang Ups era Tom Wrigglesworth one
plus my Mrs would look at me like I'm a bit odd.
You really think it would only be your Mrs looking at you like your a bit odd?
Like push up bras, 6" high heels .. and an MX5, nail varnish is very much a girly thing far as i know.
It appears to be a thing. I watch an Australian engineer on Youtube and was always a bit shocked to see he wore nail varnish, albeit only one thumbnail. You can clearly see it in the first few moments of this video...
I've a casual male friend (no not like that!)
Who wears black nail varnish.
It's a look I guess.
Personally I can't be bothered.. Keeping my nails trimmed and clean is plenty enough maintenance effort for me.
Same with women.. Long or fancy coloured nails are just straight up strange and high maintenance as far as I'm concerned.
Like pubic hair.. As long as it's neat and clean I don't really have a preference!
Eddie Izzard
plus my Mrs would look at me like I'm a bit odd.
You really think it would only be your Mrs looking at you like your a bit odd?
Like push up bras, 6" high heels .. and an MX5, nail varnish is very much a girly thing far as i know.
That's kinda funny, the mx5 is a genuinely decent cheap sports car.
Yet you'll get blokes driving corsas saying it's a girls car, so who's the girly in this scenario? Hahah
So this is actually a serious thread?…..I thought it was a piss take but is men wearing nail varnish an actual “thing” now?
"They" have decided it is
So this is actually a serious thread?…..I thought it was a piss take but is men wearing nail varnish an actual “thing” now?
I see it a bit like tattoos.. But less permanent.
It's not for me but it's a look I guess. Each to their own.
Personally I couldn't be arsed with the maintenance so I'm strictly cut short and looking clean and that's it.
I'd prefer that in a spouse too.. It just seems like a superficial statement having silly nail finishes, I've got better things to be concerned about!
Mum used to put 'Stop n Grow' on mine to stop me biting them. Does that count?
I see it a bit like tattoos.. Not for me but it's a look I guess.
Thats certainly one very watered down way to phrase what I was about to post,
Not something I’d choose to do but have noticed it’s growing in popularity with music and arty types.
Not something I’d choose to do but have noticed it’s growing in popularity with music and arty types.
Depends on the art.. Good luck playing a stringed instrument with acrylic nails...
Although.. Thinking about it.. Acrylic glued on nails might be a plus for finger picking guitar style?
You'll be in a world of pain though if you get too enthusiastic and rip your actual nails!
My partner painted my little finger nail in a sparkly silver a little while ago. I quite liked it and kept it on for a week or so. But no way I could be arsed to paint my own and buy the gear!
Could get quite artistic with it, I suppose, like ...
I have never tried painted fingernails but wore painted toe nails for a while when we had my grand daughter over for a sleep over and I dozed off while she was awake and armed with makeup. Thank god it was only my toenails, kids makeup seems to have more bonding power than - insert example here* - does
*I default to saying POR15 but few get the reference
That's like if your the first person to fall asleep at a house party... You're gonna wake up with a bit more decoration than what you fell asleep with? Haha
Depends on the art.. Good luck playing a stringed instrument with acrylic nails...
It’s the guitar players I have noticed it most on, seems to part if the look for rock type.
•••••••
Whilst it is 2025, a healthy, respectful, open discussion is always welcome
•••••••
people like Ollie Hassell-Collins are 6ft+, 100kg+ and expressing individually what being a man is, video below from 2 (!) years ago
•••••••
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7mfGocJJ3kU&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
Depends on the art.. Good luck playing a stringed instrument with acrylic nails...
It’s the guitar players I have noticed it most on, seems to part if the look for rock type.
Finger picking style maybe but that brings it's own problems with snapped or cracked nails?
There's a happy medium for that.
You'll notice the fretting hand has short nails and the strumming hand slightly longer to pick..buy too long and you'll just snap your nails.
You'll notice the fretting hand has short nails and the strumming hand slightly longer to pick..buy too long and you'll just snap your nails.
I have never studied enough just a case of noticing them when speaking to some.
My nephew where nail varnish. Generally black, but most of his wardrobe is black!
It's always been a thing in certain circles, especially gothy type stuff and heavy rock. I kind of like it but couldn't be arsed myself.
Ollie Hassel-Collins who plays for Leicester Tigers and has played for England rugby Union always has his nails painted and usually his hair dyed. Edit: beaten to it as I'm in the slow typing club...
It appears to be a thing. I watch an Australian engineer on Youtube and was always a bit shocked to see he wore nail varnish, albeit only one thumbnail. You can clearly see it in the first few moments of this video...
"Shocked," really?
Penn Gillette has one black fingernail. It's an in memoriam thing, for him anyway.
You'll notice the fretting hand has short nails and the strumming hand slightly longer to pick..buy too long and you'll just snap your nails.
I have never studied enough just a case of noticing them when speaking to some.
It's different styles of playing, strumming or using a plectrum V's finger picking at a very basic level.
I see it a bit like tattoos.. Not for me but it's a look I guess.
I’ve got a lot of tattoos, but never seen the point of nail varnish. The ink is basically zero maintenance, but nail maintenance extends to keeping them clean, and below a certain length*, and smooth so there’s no snagging on fabrics.
*I’ve never bitten my nails, so they keep growing, which I take advantage of by using them as tools, eg lifting up corners of labels, adhesive tape, opening penknife blades, etc.
You'll notice the fretting hand has short nails and the strumming hand slightly longer to pick..buy too long and you'll just snap your nails.
I have never studied enough just a case of noticing them when speaking to some.
It's different styles of playing, strumming or using a plectrum V's finger picking at a very basic level.
He's not wearing the headband. Or nail varnish.
I'm enjoying the thread so-far. Some inspiration.
Black nail varnish was certainly a thing for some guys when I was at High School in the 70s. But then that was also the era of glam rock.
He's not wearing the headband. Or nail varnish.
I'm enjoying the thread so-far. Some inspiration.
blues show on radio 2 live on mondays!
I might sing my kids DS to get them to sleep, but I mostly listen to EDM myself.
The kids like the nail paint too. They're uninhibited, they just like the colours
I could see having colours could be cool. Sad reality is that like many others I just can't be arsed with the faff. I wouldn't mind if the kid decided he wanted to do them for me. Would be amusing although I doubt it would just be the nails
It's not something I've ever done but I've been tempted by it for a while. It's just a way of expressing yourself through your appearance, same as clothes, shoes, glasses, tattoos and jewellery. A few of my friends' partners do it, but they go to a nail bar for it because, I suspect, as men with limited experience of it they'd do a shit job, and it gives them some inspiration.
EDM sounds grim.. Like a medical procedure...
Do you refer to techno or house?
Keeping my nails trimmed and clean is plenty enough maintenance effort for me.
Erm, I'm lucky to shave once a fortnight, maintaining nails is getting to unnecessary levels of complication.
My daughter painted my pinky nail Barbie pink whilst we were watching the Barbie movie - I quite liked it. Kept it on.
fast forward to the following week and I’m sharing a table at lunch with some people I know and a few I don’t really know (all men) and some ball bag insists on regurgitating some ignorant they/them/teapot nonsense he’d doubtless heard on a podcast for the thinking impaired
now my look otherwise is more mugger than mugg-ee but as I drank my drink I made sure he saw that pinky and when he did I’m fairly sure he did a little poo in his pants
so from time to time I wear a pink pinky.
a lady at work told me it made her feel sick in her mouth (a peculiar reaction for sure) but that’s fine.
Most people don’t notice. Some people see it as an allyship signal and that’s quite nice I’m cool with that.
OP - crack on lad!
Do you refer to techno or house?
The tuna mayo and strawberry jam sandwiches of EDM.
Do you refer to techno or house?
The tuna mayo and strawberry jam sandwiches of EDM.
Ahh, so you're more of a dutch hardstyle man? I can get down with that, but the beat is a bit fast for me to dance too long at my age 😎
The kids like the nail paint too. They're uninhibited, they just like the colours
I generally think that junior school kids attitude to anything that's a little outside societal norms is a good guide to how we should all be much more tolerant and accepting of people. They don't care, just get on with their own lives.
Disappointed to see some of the negative attitudes on here, even though I'm in the couldn't be bothered with the faff myself camp.
My toe nails are currently shocking pink due to being painted by the naughty elf while I was asleep!! Need to remember to get rid before I go swimming with work tomorrow 😂
I remember Tony Wilson reading the news on Granada TV with his little finger nail painted black.
When asked why he said it was because people would write in and complain about it.
It's not for me, but it's harmless, so if you want to do it, then go for it. It will be a talking point, so you've got to be confident enough to carry it off.
I have had a manicure on occasion in the past, and it's something that I'd do again if I had loads of money, along with other general grooming.
Disappointed to see some of the negative attitudes on here
Agreed, there's a lot more attitudes of "that's not manly" than I would have expected outside of a Daily Mail forum.
Disappointed to see some of the negative attitudes on here
Agreed, there's a lot more attitudes of "that's not manly" than I would have expected outside of a Daily Mail forum.
It is a bit unusual though. So if you're going to do it, do expect it to be noticed and to generate a reaction.
I've got a very confident (male) friend who used to dress up head to toe in bright orange to go out. He was totally authentic about it to the point that he'd get other people wondering why they weren't wearing bright orange too. He did it because it got him attention, and he owned that fact about it.
I'm a big fan of dressing up too. But don't do it and pretend that you're doing it for reasons other than to get attention.
It is a bit unusual though. So if you're going to do it, do expect it to be noticed and to generate a reaction.
A reaction is fine, but Rule One always applies.
It is a bit unusual though. So if you're going to do it, do expect it to be noticed and to generate a reaction.
Is it just me who thinks that, whilst probably true, this is downright weird?
it's the 21st Century. Pretty young women have tattoos, once the domain of punks, sailors, former inmates and assorted 'hard' men. Blokes no longer just have an earing, they have holes you could get a finger through and that's just the parts you can see. Women of all ages are shaving off their eyebrows just to draw them straight back on again. I'm a middle-aged IT bloke and I have blue hair. No-one blinks at any of this aside from the occasional "nice tat" or whatever.
Yet a bloke wears nail varnish and some quarters can't clutch pearls fast enough?
Weird.
It is a bit unusual though. So if you're going to do it, do expect it to be noticed and to generate a reaction.
Is it just me who thinks that, whilst probably true, this is downright weird?
I think it might be you? I don't think there is anything weird about noticing a man wearing nail varnish and thinking "oh that's unusual". Because it is currently fairly unusual. Your women with tattoos isn't at all unusual.
I have got a friend who wears nail varnish, white seems to be his preferred colour, I tend to notice his finger nails because of it whilst I never really notice the finger nails of other friends. I have always assumed that was the purpose of applying nail varnish, to draw attention to your finger nails.
My friend is gay and although I have never discussed with him why he wears nail varnish I have always expected that he does so to send a blip on the gaydar.
I have always assumed that was the purpose of applying nail varnish, to draw attention to your finger nails.
Because they like how it looks to them, maybe? Rather than for anyone else.
Yet a bloke wears nail varnish and some quarters can't clutch pearls fast enough?
Weird.
+1 for weird.
Thread is useless without pictures.
I have blue hair.
I've got a very confident (male) friend who used to dress up head to toe in bright orange to go out
I have had a manicure on occasion in the past
My toe nails are currently shocking pink
My daughter painted my pinky nail Barbie pink
wore painted toe nails for a while when we had my grand daughter over for a sleep over and I dozed off while she was awake and armed with makeup
Like pubic hair.. As long as it's neat and clean I don't really have a preference!
That's kinda funny, the mx5 is a genuinely decent cheap sports car.
Yet you'll get blokes driving corsas saying it's a girls car, so who's the girly in this scenario? Hahah
I drive an X5.
My wife used to own an MX5 when we first met .. she still wears nail varnish too. I'd say she is the girly in this scenario having ticked quite a few of the boxes.
I'm a big fan of dressing up too. But don't do it and pretend that you're doing it for reasons other than to get attention.
I think it's better to not pretend my rules about behaviour are universal societal constants.
My son paints his nails black, he’s 23. Whatever, I think it looks shite but if he’s happy. Rather that than tattoos. Tattoos ARE shite.
I always thought it was something that happened to goths as they age - the gothness gradually seeps out until only the black-painted fingernails are left as a final, parting reminder.
Seriously though, I mostly I don't get why people are bothered about how others dress or accessorise their appearance, as long as it's not gratuitously offensive in some way, it's up to them. Nor am I particularly bothered by the 'why' of it.
I drive a phantom grey '04 ZZW30, light flywheel, 15x7 ATS wheels, coilover suspension, track spec brake pads, various tyres per condition, hardtop, TTE exhaust, some weight reduction etc. Does that help?
My friend is gay and although I have never discussed with him why he wears nail varnish I have always expected that he does so to send a blip on the gaydar.
The ones I know aren’t gay. It’s weird people have an issue with someone’s fashion choice.
I wear black nail varnish, but only on my fencing mask when it gets tatty from being repeatedly smacked in the face.
Cuts down glare if the mesh is all black rather than balx/ shiny
Clear nail varnish is for my fork stanchions when they have had incidents.
Based on how much mess I've made with both those applications I do not have the skill to apply it neatly 🙂
ATS Cups? They could well be the sexiest aftermarket wheel ever.
I only stopped cause it raises more questions than I can be bothered with, in a stodgy "old white man" office
the OH doesn't have any, so my daughter's have to use my (Now ours) collection.
>ATS Cups
Sadly not. Not exactly sure if the model, looks like the GTR but less relief at the rim
I have a name for the thread btw - Justin Hawkins. Wearing black and white in the Danny Sapko interview
Disappointed to see some of the negative attitudes on here
Agreed, there's a lot more attitudes of "that's not manly" than I would have expected outside of a Daily Mail forum.
I'm in no place to judge, I used to apply a form of make-up (badly) to my face for a living.
A good matte nail varnish would help keep the shine down of the ole fingernails, I did used to ear gloves to get around that issue though.
Of all the things people could do to express themselves painting ones nails shouldn't even blip on the radar of socially unacceptable. But I guess some people are too hung up on their own shit.
It’s weird people have an issue with someone’s fashion choice.
Has anyone suggested that they have an issue with it? Genuine question, I hadn't noticed anyone expressing that they had but I guess might have missed it.
But yeah seems weird to have an issue with what another person wears, unless it is your partner or your child or anyone very close to you.
Has anyone suggested that they have an issue with it? Genuine question, I hadn't noticed anyone expressing that they had but I guess might have missed it.
Cougar asked if it was just him that thinks it weird to have an issue with it.
Has anyone suggested that they have an issue with it?
E-machine and somafunk early on.
I think you misunderstood Cougar's intent Drac, (at least I interpreted it differently).
It was with regards to Kramer's point :
It is a bit unusual though. So if you're going to do it, do expect it to be noticed and to generate a reaction.
Is it just me who thinks that, whilst probably true, this is downright weird?
I don't think it's weird that it might generate a reaction because it's a bit unusual. I think it's likely that wearing a top hat might generate a reaction! I guess it depends what the reaction is of course.
My friend is the only male that I know who wears nail varnish, I have never commented about it to him but following this thread I might ask him what his experience of wearing nail varnish has been in terms of reactions.
For the avoidance of doubt, I think it's weird that anyone would see a bloke wearing nail varnish and react with anything other than "oh, there's a bloke wearing nail varnish." It might well be uncommon, but it's about as outlandish as eating grapes in public.
I sometimes do my ring finger on my left hand with Snail Works Metal Coat. My nails themselves are not long or pointy or shaped in any way. It polishes up to look like an actual metal finger nail (rather than a nail-varnished nail) and matches perfectly the ring on the same finger.
Seems this is more widespread than some assumed.
I'll be a little more adventurous in future
I don't - but by heck some on here have outed themselves as being stuck in gender specific land of olden times. Bit sad of them. Or is it "bants!" eh?
I'm fully with the OP here, do what you like in life.
I have to admit that I do enjoy trolling those that get a bit hung up on "girls should do this, boys should do that". My hardtail is that shimmering high gloss blue ragley big all with pink accessories and its amazing how many "R U Gay?" type comments i get.
Ive never worn nail varnish as it was always a bit goth and i'm an old punk. I might start now though.
Get in the van.
You can do it there 😉
Old punk too. Early 80's all my clothes were from women's shops (80's so that term was acceptable!) Pink striped lycra jeans, orange string vest, red hair tangled up each day with a can of hairspray. Dressing or looking like that wasn't an issue back then. Now drive a convertible Smart car, and my cycling bag is adorned with plush toys that I find on the trails. Still have long hair, shaved at the sides, and my boots - a shock to some on here - have odd coloured laces. True rebel eh?
Nail varnish on men isn't really a big deal.
I reckon I've lived through at least three "phases' of male nail varnish being a thing; glam rock, punk and new wave. In almost every case, folk wearing it were trying to stand out/be provocative or showing membership of a clique. If it was very common that wouldn't have worked. So yes, expect comments and "looks" just on account of it being fairly unusual rather than it necessarily signalling disapproval.