Hands up: Men about the bright manicure and the reaction of others
The more open the world becomesthe more variety of beauty we notice around. At the same time, stereotypes related to appearance are still incredibly strong: for example, the belief that a bright manicure is an exclusively female prerogative. Western media have long been trying to deal with such gender predestination, and stars like singer Jayden Smith or actor Darren Criss are pushing the limits of self-expression by personal example. Together with the artist and manicurist Yevgenia Golubeva, we present a project with men who once had the experience of a bright manicure. We asked them to try on an unusual nail design and tell about their attitude to the manicure and the reaction of others to it.
Dasha Prince
hoody Obey, Kixbox
Arvid
musician, member of groups "Apple Tree" and Human tetris
Once again I saw with my girlfriend (Evgenia Golubeva, the ideologist of the project. - Note ed.) beautiful nail design in instagram and wrote that I really like what she does. In response, Zhenya invited me to take part in the shooting. I could not refuse her - I am pleased to support the creative initiatives of my friends.
Design on one hand is an abbreviation of Super Besse group, made in their corporate style. On the other hand I made two smileys: one smiling, the other upset. This idea was born spontaneously.
The first time I painted my nails in 2016, I went first in Moscow and then went on a European tour. It seems that then I chose a dark blue or black color lacquer - I do not remember exactly. Whenever I painted my nails, it was only an internal request, the desire to do just that. I did not want to change my life or rethink the style - I just wanted to make up my nails. So I wondered why.
I was a little surprised at the result - I was embarrassed by how fingers look unusually well-groomed. I follow the nails, but, for example, I do not cut the cuticle.
I did not notice any particularly negative feedback. While I was driving to the MCC, the child asked my mom why his uncle had made up his nails, and then some guy laughed at me on the subway, shook his head and sighed loudly. After that, I did not experience any problems - at the same time I do not amuse myself with illusions and do not think that in Moscow one can judge the whole country.
After the shooting, I erased all the nails, except those with emoticons. In ordinary life, they still turned out to be bright for me. And I don’t quite like it when all the nails are made up at once.
Alexey
musician, member of the group "Uvula" and Fleece Flower, HSE student
Hoodie Obey, Kixbox
I think this is a good and important project, so I agreed right away. I first participated in such a serious nail experiment, although I myself painted my nails many times and generally support this practice.
I really like the work of Timura Novikov - I even have a tattoo inspired by his work. I thought that miniature drawings would look good on a small plane. Both in color and in form, the resulting result completely repeats the original paintings - we did not invent anything.
Of course, a bright male manicure in Russia as a whole and in Moscow in particular is hard for others to perceive: many see it as a threat to personal space. But I am ready to uphold my principles and wear whatever bright design on the nails. I do not see anything shameful, unethical or incorrect. In this case, with a pattern on the nails, I remain who I am, this does not directly characterize me.
In the summer I was in Berlin, and even there some people paid some attention to my nails - I caught a little surprised looks on myself. It seems to me that this is not going to go away, it is simply unusual for people They need time to take it easier. It’s also rather silly to blame them - if there are no men with painted nails in their circle and the look of a stranger with a manicure is shocking, you can only feel sorry for them.
I didn’t wipe these nails right away - this is a big hard work, and it would be a shame to me to destroy it. When I painted my nails myself, I liked it when they naturally “peeled off” and looked sloppy and “loafayed”.
Jacket and shirt -Uniqlo, a turtleneck - the property of Sergei
Sergei
the hairdresser
I didn’t have any doubts whether to participate in the project, as painting my nails is not new to me. It is very interesting for me to observe how people around me react: I came across both positive and negative reactions, but I want to note that it is not always there. In Moscow, who and what will not see.
Close people are always looking at my nails with interest, because sometimes it comes to bright rhinestones, stones, glitter, gold, and national ornaments. And all this on two hands. Looks amazing.
But when I lived in Tashkent and painted my nails there (by the way, not only the nails), it was considered the most terrible "phreakism", and several times it came to fights in public transport. Now I remember it with a smile. Most Russian men also never thought about painting their nails, not to mention the transition from thought to action, so firmly the conviction that color manicure is a purely female prerogative.
I really want everyone to live their own lives, full of events, opportunities, discoveries. Making new, we develop, and developing, we live an interesting life.
Valdis
founder of the Great Fruit and a member of the poexxxali group
Shirt SacaiLeform
I had doubts about participation in the project, but rather because I do not have much time. What Eugene does, I really like. The only thing that confused me a bit was that all the nails “glittered”. If the covering were opaque, it seems to me, it would be cooler. I myself also painted my nails, and not once, but for a long time, as a teenager. At the same time I didn’t make any special design, I only painted them black and red.
We "finished thinking" the drawings together - the original design can be seen on Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy decks. It was important for me to keep drawing on the nails for at least a week: we had a concert and I wanted to perform on it like this. I was already at a rehearsal, I was so high from the way my fingers looked cool on the neck.
My daughter immediately appreciated the result and also wanted to paint something on her nails. The guys at the rehearsal just asked how much it cost. At first, I was rather uncomfortable in the subway, once again I did not want to get my hands out of my jacket. I didn’t pay attention to my views - it’s rather a matter of inner feeling. Most of all I liked the way the hand with the points turned out - I was not ashamed of it at all, I would have walked like this all the time, with the other hand we, perhaps, had a little “overdone”. But in the future I would like to try another minimalistic, not too bright design.
Idea and execution: Evgenia Golubeva
Photo: Lyubov Kozorezova
WOORSTKA: Anya Oreshina
The shops: Kixbox: Tsvetnoy department store, Tsvetnoy blvd., 15, building 1, +7 (925) 286-65-36
Leform: Dmitrovsky per., 7, tel. +7 (495) 660-02-80
Uniqlo: TC "European", +7 (499) 551-52-77
STYLE: Lisa Bryanskaya, Dasha Knyazeva
