Recently nail polish was declaredrecession-proof and now there are stats to back it up.  According to Women’s Wear Daily, nail polish sales were up 59% for the first 10 months of the year andit fared better than any other beauty product in these poor financialitems.

In fact, both colored lacquer and top/base coat sales were up50%, which implies ladies are giving themselves complete at-homemanicures. This makes sense too, since many women may have cut salon visits out of their budgets.

We’ve bought into the nail craze for many reasons. For one: you can pick up a great new bottle for under $5 and it will brighten your day. The ritual of doing your nails can also be therapeutic as you must set aside about a half hour for “me time” (we’ve been known to paint ours while watching so-bad-it’s-good reality shows). But aside from fun and affordability, why has nail polish become so astronomically popular in the last few years? We think there are a five other key factors at play.

1. Variety. There are SO MANY COLORS and we want them all. Back in the ’80s there were red shades and pink shades. That was basically it. In the ’90s, lines like Hard Candy and Urban Decay introduced more

vibrant and obscure shades, while dark red colors inspired by Chanel’s Vamp were also popular. But now if you’re looking yellow, green, blue, purple, neon, metallic, or glittery polish it exists in many variations and different price points. Instead of seasonal shades big brands like OPI seem to launch a new line every few weeks. And if you sell it, we will come.

2. Nail Innovations. In the past few years, we’ve seen so many new items on the market. There’s magnetic nail polish, scented nail polish, heat-activated color-changing nail polish, nail decals, Crackle top coats in numerous colors, Konad stamp plates, gel and Shellac techniques that last for weeks at a time, and stickers like Sally Hansen Salon Effect nail polish strips to make designs achievable. The best part: You don’t have to be artistic to master using these tools. All you need is a steady hand and enough time for your polish to dry.

3. Celebrity collaborations. Just as many stars have their names tied to clothing lines or fragrances, they’ve jumped on the nail lacquer bandwagon. Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj, Serena Williams, and the Muppets have all recently launched nail products, and celeb manicurist Deborah Lippmann often collaborates with stars on signature shades. If famous people we like are behind them, we’re often more inclined to buy.

4. New creations. Thanks to creativity and a hole lot of online tutorials, French manicures are no longer the only manicure variation. We now see ombre nails, half-moon manicures, polka dot nails,checkerboard nails, newspaper nails, marbled nails, and nails with turkeys or Hello Kitty on them-you name it! Nail art is an awesome way to stand out and express yourself.

5. We’re less conservative. Bright nail colors used to be for kids, but now career women will have grey or navy blue nails. Old ladies will be rocking purple or orange nails. Manicures don’t have to be so serious and many institutions are realizing that (duh) women can have fun with their nails and still get the job done.

Our own nail polish collections are quickly outgrowing our medicine cabinet, but we want to hear from you. How many bottles have you purchased this year, and what is your favorite recent nail shade or innovation?

Source:  Shine.Yahoo.com