Getting your nails done is an innocuous part of every modern woman’s life, or at least, it seems to be. Manicure and the many other things that can be done to your nails is becoming an internet content staple that garners millions of views, starting from Instagram and now on TikTok with an incredible evolution over the years. With self-care becoming a significant part of popular culture, nail care, the manicure and the choice of nail art have all become integral parts of the modern woman’s self-care routine.
The practice of manicuring itself is extremely ancient, with evidence of it to be found dating as far back as 4,000 years. There are discoveries of manicures that have taken place in southern Babylonia, and manicure instruments were found in Egypt’s royal tombs. Over the years the practice has popped up in different cultures and times, with the custom of growing long nails often relating to status, since it shows you are affluent enough not to have to partake in certain forms of manual labour.
In the present day, the pandemic greatly influenced the growth of nail art trends with the rise of intricate nail art and ‘nailfluencers’ on social media. This, along with nail salon shutdowns, gave rise to press-on nail brands with stylish, Instagrammable designs. But beyond the pandemic, affordability, convenience, and social media cycles are all factors driving demand.
Nail art trends in Asia are not too far off from global trends, with East Asia especially laying claim to many innovative moves in the nail art industry. Sri Lanka too is not immune to the influence of the manicure and it has settled itself as an important lifestyle element for many women. However, it can be assumed that Sri Lanka’s current financial crisis has affected these trends and perhaps even influenced the evolution of the practice of getting one’s nails done in the island.
For a better idea of nail art in times of crisis and what the future is likely to bring for Sri Lankan women, Brunch reached out to nail industry veteran Lucky Susil, formerly of Nails by Lucky Susil, who in 2019 opened his own beauty salon on Vajira Road, Colombo called Lucky’s Beauty Salon.
Lucky on the state of nails today
A veteran who started his career as a nail technician working in several leading beauty salons in the country, (including a decade-long stint at Chagall, Colombo), Lucky now provides his services to long-time customers through his own salon which offers not only nails, but other services like waxing, threading, and facials.
Lucky, with his near two decades of experience, shared his observations over the years on how the social, political, and economic status of a state has an effect on the nature of the beauty industry and its trends. In recent years, the beauty industry is seeing a boom, and the industry and the services it offers are becoming more accessible as a whole, as opposed to being exclusive to the higher echelons of society.
This growth, however, has only contributed to the adverse effects of the crisis being more pronounced, with Lucky noting that from the start of the pandemic, there had been a significant decrease in business and the closure of many smaller salons. Lucky’s own salon – Lucky’s Beauty Salon – operates on less than 50% of its usual business.
“I have tried my best to maintain my services at the best possible level and so I have managed to retain a large portion of my customer base. However, we absolutely cannot disregard the current crisis – it affects everyone to some degree,” he said, adding: “The cosmetic industry is viewed as a luxury service. It is not often viewed, particularly in Sri Lanka, as an essential part of one’s daily beauty routine.”
He shared that they had managed to remain transparent because they had adopted certain practices, particularly when it came to their pricing and charging of services – they had maintained a reasonable price range which had not been subject to any price hikes owing to the ongoing financial crisis. He said that while they certainly were experiencing more expenses, they had not adopted price hikes as it would be absolutely impossible to run a business and expect customers to keep seeking out these services at the rate that prices were increasing.
The fuel crisis has had a particularly interesting effect on the beauty industry, with Lucky noting that while the financial crisis ensured that many had to evaluate their daily expenditures, forcing them to trim down what they may consider luxuries, the fuel crisis had ensured that even though there were many who still wished to get their nails done, they were simply unable to come to the salon. “It’s almost like the pandemic all over again. Even though they have decided it is a worthwhile expenditure they simply can’t come to the salon,” he said.
Nails in crisis
For women who get their nails done, it is often a source of confidence, Lucky explained. Beauty is not purely surface level, and when people feel beautiful, it boosts their confidence and how they are able to approach their lives, which is why the cosmetics industry has had the growth and effect that it has and why it has become a mainstay in many lifestyles, with women often attributing it to self-care. “In Sri Lanka, I must admit it is still a high-end market. This much is true, but considering the global trends, much like skincare and hair care, nail care has also entered those checklists and women often prefer to treat themselves to a good manicure at the hands of an experienced nail technician,” he said.
While Sri Lanka is experiencing a crisis, the world is still moving forward, as are the industry trends, and despite being unable to access imported and more expensive non-essential items like nail polish, beauty technicians still need to keep an eye on trends and find ways to provide their customers with interpretations of those trends.
As these trends continue to evolve, social media remains the window to the outside world and local trends too don’t often swerve away from what is hot everywhere else. Lucky explained that there were certain colours that were considered upmarket and more expensive, but if they were trending then they would be trending everywhere, even in Sri Lanka, despite the prevailing crisis.
For example, while acrylics and gel nails have been on trend since the beginning of Lucky’s career, he had noted that dipping powder was the most recent nail trend to make its mark. He had observed that people with their finger on the pulse would not wish to forego these trends and would somehow opt to get what was freshly in fashion.
That said, Lucky added that at the same time there would also be certain classics that had long remained in trend and were also affordable, to which people turn to in place of the evolving and the most up-to-date trend.
Nails for the future
Musing on the future, Lucky shared that while beauty may be a fickle industry, it was also certain to remain an important part of culture and society. He noted that considering how the cosmetics industry had evolved over the years, growing in strength, with the industry being an exclusively feminine service now expanding to men as well, it was only likely to continue to grow in the long-term, despite our current economic troubles and the blows that the industry was being dealt.
Lucky himself encounters many clients who have been getting their nails done for decades: “I have clients from the age of 10 all the way up to the elderly coming in to get their nails done. It is almost awe-inspiring to see people who value their beauty and outward expression in that way,” he said, adding that while teenagers and women may be the focal point of fashion and trends, particularly in the nail industry, it was a lot more diverse than one may think.
As someone who has been around for many changing trends in beauty, Lucky believes that while trends may change and there may be difficult times, at its core, beauty is an undying industry.
Owing to this belief, he shared that the industry could also offer a great source of income and growth for those who were struggling to find themselves in the professional world – he himself did not come from an affluent background and had been able to make something of himself because he chose to learn the skills and passionately pursued good practice within the industry.
And so, he has begun to impart his knowledge to the beauticians of the future: “I want to share my knowledge and experience. I think If I am able to teach the correct and right way to do something, particularly this art of being a nail technician, then it may be a helpful skill for someone one day.”
