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Nail Art Turns Drab Hands Into Fancy Fingers

It's fun, creative and can become an obsession

The word 'art' is no exaggeration when describing the embellishments and painting of fingernails. Far from being a quick brush of red or pink polish, nail art is enjoyed by many women who either do it themselves or go to a specialist nail salon and have a professional technician apply it for them. It's a hobby that employs immense creativity and improves a woman's appearance at the same time. Women who enjoy having nail art applied to their fingertips are well groomed and care about the way they look. If their friends are also into nail art, there is a definite sense of competition about who can have the most beautiful and exclusive designs on their fingernails. In fact, there are ladies who will change their nail art according to what's going on in their lives. They will have special designs for Christmas, New Years, Easter, Halloween, the four seasons, the Fourth of July or use any other excuse for a change.

Nail art can be applied to either natural nails or artificial ones. What's important is that there is enough space upon which to apply the artwork, so long fingernails are particularly prized. The bigger the 'canvas', the more elaborate the work can be. Fake nails include acrylic, gel and porcelain, all of which require various amounts of maintenance to keep them in good condition. Maintaining them can be expensive and time-consuming, and the cost and time of applying artwork can compound these considerations. Still, the fun and enthusiasm derived from this hobby outweighs the negatives.

There are some truly stunning examples of nail art to be found all over the Internet. Websites feature gallery after gallery of pictures showing the most amazing designs, colors and accessories. You'll also find guidelines on how to create specific looks for yourself at home, with step-by-step instructions individually photographed. A basic look would be a single color of polish embellished with a picture stamp such as a butterfly, snowflake or flower. Even the beauty of a French manicure does not escape additional enhancement. It too can be jazzed up with color alternatives such as replacing the pink with green and the white with silver holographic polish. Some of the more deluxe styles involve diamantes, stick-on glitter, metallic polish, and even nail jewelry. A single nail can be pierced and from it hung a gorgeous little silver or gold charm such as a teddy bear, a star or even something highly personalized like your initial. Your fantasy can turn into reality at a nail art salon. Walk in with drab hands; walk out with amazing showpieces that you'll be proud to show off. You'll soon be taking photos and posting them to websites like thousands of other women!

As a social activity, there are nail parties that bring groups of friends together at a table laid out with polishes, decals, decorations and all the required implements so that everyone can have fun creating nail art as they chat and enjoy a glass of wine and some snacks. Usually organized by a party plan cosmetics company, these are popular events for ladies who have a great time pampering themselves and browsing new products they can buy.

Nail art is a sign of individual style, of taking pride in one's appearance and an enjoyment of drawing attention to oneself. The designs are an indication of a woman's personality; devoutly feminine, colorful and crazy, free spirited, romantic, musical, patriotic, complicated and all manner of other things.