Nail polish brands

. In the 19th century nail polish came to France, England, Italy and the United States, but it was in the 1920's when nail polish really became popular. Many manicure establishments started appearing in France. Inspired by high-gloss car paint, makeup artist Michelle Menard adapted the enamel used for cars into a something more gentle for use on nails, resulting in a glossy lacquer similar to the polish we use today. Her creation was popular among "flappers" who generally only painted the middle of the nail, leaving the cuticles and tip bare in a style known as "Half Moon Manicure".

The company that Menard worked for perfected her formula using pigments instead of the dyes that were being used, and eventually evolved into a cosmetic house that we still use today-Revlon. Revlon started off only producing nail 'enamel' in a variety of colors that were sold at drug stores and department stores during the Great Depression. However, they expanded their line of cosmetics at the beginning of World War II to include other makeup as we know it today.

With the help of Technicolor and beautiful actresses, embellished nails became an element of high fashion during the 1940s. Red symbolized regalty and was worn by Hollywood royalty. The most famous red nails of the time belonged to Rita Hayworth, a well-known actress whose signature crimson hair and nails danced across the screen alongside Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

In the 50's and 60's red nail polish became especially popular for glamorous actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Red nails will always be a classic, timeless look.