When I get bored, I often ask my male friends if I can paint their nails.
Most times they aren’t willing (haha), but the rare time they say yes, I jump on the chance to go buck wild. And then I snap photos with my camera before they change their mind.
And, yes, I got their permission to post these on here. I just had to promise that I wouldn’t identify them by name. 😉
Although I’m sure that I have at least two more photos from other guys, we can giggle over these for now. 🙂
I love it when people don’t take themselves too seriously and just have fun!
Let’s get a closer look of this polish. It’s Cult Nails My Kind of Cool Aid!
(Wow, the bottle looks so small in his hands compared to when I hold it.)
And here’s a skittle manicure I did on another good sport. 😉
(Both of these guys have nice, flat nails. It was fun to paint them because I’m used to just painting my own nails, which are curvy.)
Although I didn’t take more photos of this one, I ended up doing nail art on the rest of his fingers.
Haha, I know this Smorgasbord Sundays post was really short, but I’ve been wanting to do a post on men wearing nail polish for some time.
What do you think of guys sporting nail polish?
I don’t often see guys wearing nail polish in public, but whenever I do, it’s always black! That’s kind of why I used all sorts of colours on these two guys. 🙂
Edit: I found another photo of a 3rd guy whose nails I painted very sloppily…haha! It’s Illamasqua Scorn.
Thank you so much for the Sunday laugh! 😀
I love the fact that you’ve got male friends that actually say yes to you painting their nails. 🙂
Rainbowify Me recently posted: Nubar ~ Prize ~ Valentine’s Mani
Hey Rainbowify Me!
Oh, you’re so welcome! I’m very lucky to know such good sports. 😉
My boyfriend has let me practice on his nails a couple times but he takes the polish off right away after I’m done lol its pretty fun I don’t blame u for giggling
I do my own nails all the time. !!! Cool that guys let you polish their nails. Ive done my toes since i was a teenager… Im a 45 YO 100% hetero heavily tattoed biker graphic designer & sign artist … Been doing my fingers 24/7 since 2012 … My nails come out betterost women i know…great blog BTW… Chuck Von Dietsch @ Vons Graphix & Designs …
Kudos to you, Chuck, for painting your nails and being true to yourself! 🙂
lucky u, don’t think my bf would approve of me painting his nails!
Naomi recently posted: TGIF Casual Blue with Red Pop Outfit
Hey Naomi!
Haha, just keep asking! 😉 I had to ask these guys quite a few times before they finally caved.
I is just paint; what is the big deal. I let my Wife polish my nails all of the time!
Sounds like you had a blast…great post!♥
Hey Val!
Oh, yes, I did! 😛 And all the guys actually asked me tons of questions about nail polish. They were really interested, but unfortunately, they didn’t want the nail painting to be a regular thing. Such a shame, right? 😉
Oh! How fun! I harassed my bf so much, he let me paint ONE nail… and then I had to take it off right away. I think he only let me because his mom and sister was also there (peer pressure!). 😛 Have a wonderful Sunday, Mary!
Jennifer recently posted: Rant
Hey Jennifer!
Congrats on him even letting you paint one nail! That’s still quite a feat because most guys are so against it. It always makes me laugh because it’s not like the nail polish is permanent! (Although, sometimes after I paint a guy’s nails, with a serious face, I say, “Oh shoot…I ran out of nail-polish remover. Is it okay if you wear it outside?”) Haha, I’m bad. But I don’t leave them in distress for long. The next sentence is telling them that I’m joking. 😉 You should hear the sighs of relief!
What good sports 😉 I always think of Johnny Depp when I think of guys wearing nail polish. My sons always bug me to paint theirs when I am doing mine…our favorite thing to do is paint smiley faces on their big toes 😉
Maribeth recently posted: Revlon "Devil’s Lure" Nail Polish With Essie Luxeffects "A Cut Above" (Pictures)
Hey Maribeth!
Aww…that’s so cute! Now I want to do a smiley-face manicure!
My husband is currently rocking a matte black mani. He preferes dark, matte colors and it looks really good on him, suits his style. I secretly ordered Manglaze Santorum last week 🙂
Hey Kristi!
That’s great how your husband is comfortable wearing nail polish and doesn’t need any coaxing. 🙂 Actually, recently another male friend let me paint his nails with Illamasqua Scorn, which is a black with a rubberized finish. I was going to include the photo, but got a bit busy. I may have to edit this post later to put it in. 😉
Santorum is awesome. I have that on my toes right now. If you put a top coat on it, it brings out the red shimmer in it.
Jim recently posted: BB Couture – Key Largo
When I was little, my dad would let me practice nail designs on his toes (since they’re much bigger than mine). He was so sweet about it. My husband won’t agree to let me paint his nails, but he does let me give him mani/pedis, so I guess I’ll take that. Painting guys’ nails is definitely fun!
Kinsey recently posted: Turkey Puppets and a Tandem Slanket
Hey Kinsey!
Your dad sounds awesome! 🙂 Did he pick the colour? What was it?
Haha how cool!
My husband sometimes wants me to paint his nails and he always goes for the most insane colors. If I didn’t know any better, I’d be suspicious 😀 It’s just his sense of humor though.
Hey Iris!
Your husband sounds like a cool guy! Good for him for not being afraid to go for the out-there colours! 😀
Have you ever done any nail art on his nails? Iris, you’ve gotta see how far you can take it. 😉 Hehehhe!
This is super awesome of your guy friends!! I honestly think it takes a very self-confident guy to allow you to do things like painting his nails. When I run out of nail wheels andwant to swatch a new purchase without ruining my current mani, the hubby usually lets me swatch it on him. 🙂 One time, I painted all his toe nails with glow in the dark polish while he was sleeping and it made for a really funny prank! 🙂
PS. Is it wrongthat seeing my kind of kool-aid onthat guy makes me want it even more? Hahaha!
Carmela recently posted: Color Club Hot Like Lava
Hey Carmela!
Haha, yeah, they were fine with me painting their nails as long as they could remove it later. But, I do love joking around about how I accidentally ran out of nail-polish remover. 😉 Hahaha! The look on their faces is always like, “Oh my God! Why did I agree to this?” Hahaha!
Carmela, I was cracking up when I read about how you painted your husband’s nails with glow-in-the-dark polish! I’m surprised that he didn’t even wake up while you were doing that. Haha, I wish I could see his reaction when he realized what happened. HILARIOUS!
Haha, I’ll tell him that he did My Kind of Cool Aid justice. 😉 Maybe he’ll let me paint his nails with another colour then!
Ooooh, I did that to my hubby once and he totally freaked out on me! (Turns out he had a big meeting the next day so he got really upset when he thought I ran out of remover. :P) I can definitely see what those faces might’ve looked like..! 😀
Hahaha, he’s a really heavy sleeper so it wasn’t all that hard. I had to shine a flashlight on his toes before I woke him up for maximum effect. 😀 Let’s just say I’ve never seen his eyes that round before and that was the fastest I’ve ever seen him get out of bed in the morning! 😉
Carmela recently posted: China Glaze For Audrey
Hahaha, yeah, I can just picture if he had to wear nail polish during his meeting! Nobody would be paying attention to what he says. 😛 And all the women would meet with him afterwards to ask what shade it is and where they can buy it. 😉
You cracked me up so much – you really got him good! And you were very prepared – you used a flashlight! Hahahahha!
I wanted to paint my husband nails and he was refussing to do it he was the only boy in the family and his mom wanted all girls but she got a boy obviously a boy and he was the youngest boy so his mom and sisters always wanted to him to at least paint his nails and because his father died he had to go every where his mom and sisters went. One day I asked to paint his nails he said no so i rang his mom and sisters and they convinced him to paint at least on of his nails pink so he let us do it so i painted his nails the next day he asked me his mom and sisters to paint all of his nails and we did it and i was suprised he even asked for hot pink so we did it , it was fun painting his nails and to this day he always paints his nails and we got 3 girls and 2 boys the girls are older than the boys and they want to do what ever their sisters they paint nails and even dress up in their older sisters clothes and now our whole family paint each others nails in pink red white or purple and to this day we walk around in public with the same coloured nails
Hey Stephanie!
I’m so happy that you’re open-minded. Nail polish is about having fun, and whether you’re female or male, you should be allowed to enjoy it without being judged.
That’s super cute how your whole family paints each others’ nails! The family that paints together, stays together! 😉 Right? Hehe!
Yeah
And how cute is that my two son dress up in their older 3 sisters clothes and they are 7 yrs old how cute is it
And we all go to salons
Aww, super cute! 🙂
What good sports! Definitely the kind of friends a gal needs! 😀
According to my son and his guy friends, nail polish is close to the last frontier for most guys…it’s like wearing a kilt or eyeliner. Most of them would try it in private, but would think twice before doing it in public.
I have managed to talk a couple of them into it because it’s just fun for me to paint someone other than myself. One actually let me do him in a dark blue shimmer with silver shatter, but most of the others want something a little more subdued.
Hey karen!
The funny thing is that my female friends don’t want me to paint their nails…but GUYS let me paint theirs! Go figure, right? 😛
Hehe, I never thought about it like wearing a kilt or like wearing eye liner, but it makes sense how guys would be wary.
Wow, you actually got one to agree for crackle polish! You must be VERY convincing! 😀 (I need to try to convince one of them to do that. After all, I have so many crackle polishes just sitting there doing nothing…)
I agree, I’ve seen guys paint their nails before, but only in black! For some reason, when guys have on nail polish it makes their fingers look alot shorter and fatter to me. It must just be the shape of their nails.
*Unrelated question alert* XD
I notice every time that I sleep, I wake up and my nail polish is indented from my sheets. I hate it, and I don’t know how to get it to stop. I’m usually a night painter, so I switched to mornings for a day to see if that would stop it. Nope, it STILL does it. Am I the only one who has this happen?? Do you think a good, heavy duty top coat would stop this?? I’ve tried Sally Hansen Double Duty and right now I’m using OPI, same result XP
Hey Ashley!
Yeah, I know what you mean! A lot of guys have wider, flatter nail beds, and their nails are pretty short, so with polish, it does make their fingers seem shorter and chubbier. Haha, maybe that’s why I like painting their nails – so different than mine.
I also tend to paint my nails at night and right before I go to bed.
Hmm…have you tried waiting a few minutes in between coats? That’ll allow each layer to dry a bit more. But my biggest recommendation for you is to switch to using the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. It dries your polish rock hard in just a few minutes. When I use that, I never get sheet marks. (I have a review on Swatch And Learn if you’re curious about it.)
I might not be waiting long enough, I usually wait about 20 minutes between coats, but sometimes i get over eager haha. I used to have a bottle of Seche Vite, but I read the label and it had a warning on the back, something about birth defects and reproductive harm. Is that a legitamite concern? I only used it about three times, and it did work, but when I saw the label I freaked and got rid of it haha.
Well, that concern is hotly debated among polishers. If you’re not willing to take the risk, a great alternative is Nubar Diamont, which is Big-3-free and also dries your polish really quickly.
I hate to butt in but, I definitely second the Nubar Diamont top coat recommendation. You might also want to invest in drying drops just to make the polish dry even faster. I personally prefer the Nubar Freeze Dry ones as they definitely do the trick without harmful chemicals. 🙂
Carmela recently posted: China Glaze For Audrey
Carmela, always free to butt in! 🙂 I love it when people connect with and help each other!
Oh wow!! Haha impressive post. I think all the guys I know would sooner drop dead than let me paint their nails. I do know of some men who like to wear a clear coat, though. I also think a couple of brands are starting to market some polish just for men.
Hey Jessica!
Haha, you might just have to ask them a few times. Eventually, they cave when they find out that they don’t have to wear it in public and that it’s not permanent. 😛
Wow, I’ve never known any guys who wear clear nail polish. Interesting!
I wear clear on my fingernails all the time. Got that clean look feel. 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50644239@N05/
Robbie recently posted: CHINA GLAZE – MIDNIGHT RIDE
Do you apply the clear polish on your fingernails yourself, or do you get that professionally done, too?
Just saw this. My badd. I get the clear done at nail salon also.
No worries! 🙂
I do this to my boyfriend! He has very wide nails, so they’re nice for swatching colors. He’s a good sport 😀
Hey Solangel!
That’s very nice of him to let you do that because he knows it makes you so happy! 😀
Love this post! I sometimes manage to gorilla attack my bf with nail polish, but I have to take it off right away cause he claims he doesnt like the feeling…it feels “weird”. Thats a load of bull…I managed to paint his big toe nail once while he was playing on his xbox and he didnt even notice until I pointed it out. 😛
I think the only time i’ve seen nail polish on a guy that wasnt a black polish was in one of the Sephoras I went to in NYC. The guy working there had bright lime green Illamasqua polish on 🙂 It’s been on my wish list since.
Frosso recently posted: Super Freakin’ Awesome Giveaway!
Hey Frosso!
Haha, he doesn’t like the feeling? Why? Because it’s cool, temperature-wise? I think that’s just an excuse to get it off, but it’s nice that he even lets you paint his nails in the first place, though. 🙂
WOW, he was THAT into the game that you painted his toe nail without him knowing? You are stealthy! 😛 I’m impressed!
Hahaha! I love this post. One of my guy friends used to go with me all the time to get manicures (he wouldn’t get polish) and we would always see tons of guys getting manis and pedis. Since I started doing my own manicures, I always do other people’s nails when they come to visit including the guys. It’s fun and I always choose the girliest colors just to annoy them. They’re good sports, though.
lacquerloon recently posted: China Glaze Sunday
Hey lacquerloon!
Wow, I never would’ve thought that would be the case! (I’ve never gotten my nails done professionally, so I’d really be like a fish out of water at a nail salon.)
Just out of curiosity, were the guys who were there businessmen? Or were they younger…like college students?
I’ve seen younger guys as well as older businessmen. One time I saw a guy who looked supper rugged and manly getting a pedicure. I kinda giggled to my nail tech that he seemed a little out of place and she said: He’s a regular!
lacquerloon recently posted: China Glaze Sunday
Wow, I never would’ve expected that. But it shows that they take care of themselves and don’t mind being pampered. That’s refreshing to hear! 🙂
You would have really thought I was out of place. I’m a 6’4″ and 300+ pound ex-college football player. I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy.
Jim recently posted: BB Couture – Key Largo
Hey Jim!
That’s cool that you used to play football in college! I hope that some other guys are reading this and realize that men who wear nail polish come in all different shapes and sizes.
I love it when men rock nail polish. I’m all about smashing the gender binary with a big hammer. I actually follow two male nail polish bloggers – they’re both super awesome. 🙂
My boyfriend isn’t into it, but I don’t try to pressure him into it, even when I feel like it. Maybe someday he’ll get curious… 😉
Hey CupK8!
Oh yeah? Please share those blogs! I would love to check them out. Nail-polish blogs by men are pretty rare, so it’s something I’d be very interested in seeing!
The two I follow are Lacquer Man: http://lacquerman.blogspot.com/
and Men and Nail Polish: http://polished-men.blogspot.com/
Enjoy! 😀
Thanks for sharing! I’ll be sure to check them out.
Thanks for mentioning my blog. I have always had a thing for polish. I always compliment women when they have pretty nails. I started with pedicures when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was told I need to take care of my feet. I go for pedicures every two weeks and love it. I’ll wear just about any color on my toes and sometimes get nail art. I have become such a polish addict that I started painting my nails. I have even worn polish to work and the world didn’t end. Tell your guys, its not a big deal, they won’t lose interest in football and NASCAR. I wore Giants Blue for the Superbowl!
Jim recently posted: BB Couture – Key Largo
Hey Jim!
I think it’s really cool how being diagnosed with diabetes is ultimately what led you to pedicures. Very cool! 🙂 Hehe, and you take better care of your feet than I do. Puts me to shame! 😉
Lol
I actuall love my nails in colour
And even had tips on once
Love them in pink
haha this made me laugh so hard! I love all the arm hair on the man in the first photo. I have tried to convince my husband to let me do this or apply makeup on him, but every time i get a firm NO lol.
Amber recently posted: Wearable Valentines Day look
Hey Amber!
Haha, yeah, gotta love a hairy-armed man! 😉
Well, keep on trying. He’s bound to cave eventually…hahah!
My husband wont let me paint his nails, not even white to practice painting other people’s nails. How rude! Haha. He’s just not one to bend any gender stereotypes so I guess I understand…. although I think your guy friends sound super fun. I bet I could talk some of my guy friends into letting me do it… then my husband might change his mind 😉
Nicole M recently posted: Brown Animal Print Nails with a Metallic Pop
Hey Nicole M!
Hahaha! Yes, some men think that they’re breaking a cardinal rule if they get their nails painted. Maybe you can show him some photos of male rock stars who have their nails painted. Would that help convince them? 😛
My boyfriend always lets me swatch little samples on his nails so I know what something looks like before I paint mine. He’s a good sport as long as I promise to remove it right away lol.
Hey Katrina!
It’s good that your boyfriend is very easy-going like that. 🙂 I wish more guys were able to realize that it’s just nail polish, and it doesn’t take away your masculinity. Imagine if it did? Wow, how strong would that formula be? 😛
I really enjoyed this post! If only more men would allow us to paint their nails! Usually when I ask I get a firm “No”. Though there was one time when one of my friends let me paint a variety of emotions (smiley face, angry face, etc.) on their nails. He has talked about wanting unicorns done on his nails too! 🙂 Honestly, I just love painting anyone’s nails guy or girl.
Katie recently posted: NY Giants Superbowl Manicure
Hey Katie!
It brings a whole new meaning to talking with your hands, doesn’t it? 😉
Whenever I can’t decide what I want to do to my nails, whether it be just a color or a design, my boyfriend lets me do his and then choose the one I like the best. I’m lucky to have him!
Hey Sarah!
First of all, I’m terribly sorry that I’m only replying to your comment now! Somehow, it fell through the cracks all the way until now when I was replying to a new comment on this post. Then, I scrolled up and saw that I completely missed yours!
It’s great that your boyfriend is such a good sport and doesn’t mind letting you try out new colours on him. 🙂 Hehe, maybe work him up to try some crazy nail art on him? 😉
I would love to have my nails painted girly style. My wife hates the idea! But I do have a feminine side, not that I act enfeme , cause I don’t.
Hey Paul!
Hahaha, why does your wife hate the idea? It’s just for fun, and it’s not like it’s permanent. Plus you two can both laugh about it and have a good time doing something different together. 🙂
Or maybe you could try painting her nails. I think that would be fun, too!
Yep I’ve done her nails before, not that much was made of it. My wife is conservative I would say and “men don’t do that stuff” kind of thing! But I like it alot – my fav is deep red!
Have you ever tried any freehand designs?
I’m a 31 year old guy (straight) and I paint my toenails. I’ve been doing it since I was about 12, and I usually only wear different shades of blue, grey, and purple. I used to only do it in private, but after I turned about 25, I stopped caring and now I’ll wear it in public. You’ve gotta have decent-looking feet and nails, and you’ve got to do a good job (or better yet, get them done professionally) in order for it to look good. Sure, it’s a total turn-off to a large percentage of women, but there is a percentage of women who dig it. I just started dating a new girl a few weeks ago, and when she found out that I paint my toes, she got all excited. She’s a nail polish addict too. She thinks its hot, and I think it would be fun to match our polishes and pick out colors for each other and stuff. Aside from all this, it has the added benefit of making conservative’s heads explode.
Hey Chris!
First of all, thank you for leaving a comment. Although I appreciate reading all the comments left, it’s refreshing to hear from a male on this subject. 🙂
That’s cool you paint your toenails and that the girl you’ve been dating is open-minded about it. 🙂 It’s a very special thing that you two can share. Not many couples have that.
Hahahaha…your last sentence made me laugh so hard! I love making conservative heads explode, too! 😛
LOL! Love love love this post!
It gave me a good giggle 😀
I tend to think of nail polish as a girly thing, and so while I don’t frown upon men wearing polish I also won’t be on their cheering squad 😉
I have painted Peter’s nails a few times, and even did a fancy pedicure when his leg was in a cast and he couldn’t exactly run away (lol :D)
I totally love the first photo with cult nails. I like the dainty way in which the bottle is being held juxtiposed with the hairy arm 😀 oh, precious! 😀
Thanks for the good giggle 😀
Marta recently posted: Guest Post – Jasmine from Colour Coated
Hey Marta!
I see – so you waited for the opportune moment to polish Peter’s nails. 😉 Verrrrry smart!
Haha, I don’t even think he meant to hold it so daintily. I’m totally going to tell him you said that…hahahah!
I too paint my toenails all the time. Get them done at a nail salon. None of the women ever say anything negative. Many have said it looks really nice. Or can they use my polish because they like the color. I am also a straight man. I wear dark colors mostly. But paint them pink for Breast Awareness every year. I have been getting mani /pedi’s for well over 10 years. Just something I dig. Love the blog.
I posted a link to some pictures of my toes.
Hey Robbie!
I think it’s really awesome that you’re a male who isn’t ashamed about painting your nails. The fact that you even get them done professionally blows my mind. Very inspiring how you’re confident with yourself like that. 🙂 Good for you!
I looked at the photos you shared, and I really like the way the dark colours look on you the best. Hehe, although the pink one’s cute, too.
P.S. Thanks for representing! 😉
I think women like you are really awesome! Open-minded and fun! I’m a 36 year old male and I get my nails done at the salon every two weeks like clock work. I’m a little different than most guy posters here because I wear only women’s clothing and high-heels,wear hosiery, carry a purse and wear perfume. I wear pink & white french acrylic nails permanently in a very long square length, get pedicures with nailart (flowers right now) and get my eyebrows waxed. I’m very clean-shaven and appear somewhat feminine in gerneral. I enjoy being myself and everyone is so nice and accepting of me. I love to go shopping and I have great conversations with all kinds of women and they are always so sweet and complimentary about my style, nails…etc. Anyway, thanks for the post!
Hey Chris!
Haha, thank you! 😀 I’m going to have to come back to this post and re-read it when I’m having a bad day. It’ll remind me that I AM AWESOME! 😀 (I’m not being sarcastic. Comments from my amazing readers like you do wonders to boost my spirit!)
You are very brave about doing what you want and wearing what you want despite potential social backlash!
I’m curious now – which perfumes are some of your favourites to wear? Also, how do you react to snide remarks?
Hi Mary! Thanks for your kind response. I’ve been dressing this way for 3+ years and I have never ever received a snide remark. There have been the occasional stares and giggles but never snide comments. It doesn’t bother me at all. Mostly, I just receive smiles, thumbs up and compliments, even from a few guys, but mostly women. The reactions have been mostly positive. I guess it doesn’t matter to me because I don’t really care what others think. For perfumes, I’m nuts for Juicy, Prada and Burberry. There are others but these are my favs. Thanks again!
You know what? I’m surprised that you haven’t received much negativity, but I’m glad that you haven’t! I guess I thought that there are more close-minded people than there actually are. For once, being wrong feels good! 😉
And good for you for not worrying too much about what others think. You’re not hurting anybody by expressing yourself through the way you dress and present yourself. Plus, it does make people re-think traditional stereotypes, which is a good mental exercise.
HIya’all.. I am a straight man, and i love to Paint my own fingernails,been doing this for a long time even B-4 i met my wife ,and even so she id like utterly delighted that her own hubby enjoys doing his own nails in addition of doing his wifes nails…i do go out in public, and i have encountered both men and women who thinks its so cool after viewing my colored nails..they rarely asked my sexual preference,bec my wifes usually hanging out with me so its obvious im a married staight-ass guy who simply relishes painting own nails…Cool.huh/?
Hey Zullinz!
Very cool that you wear polish and are proud of it. 😀 More power to ya! 😉 And it’s great that your wife is so open-minded about it, too.
Hello, there. I think that having men’s nails painted is a trend that should be experienced everywhere. I haven’t done so yet at all (I’m also a guy), but I’m curious if I can even use purple & pink nail polish on my manicures & pedicures like Lilac colors (since they’re considered “girls” colors).
I like cream polishes mostly. 🙂
Hey Garland!
Of course you can use purple and pink! 🙂 You can use whatever colours you are most drawn to. Who’s to stop you and tell you to abide by rules? They’re your nails, and painting them doesn’t hurt anyone. 🙂 Go for it!
love the idea of a woman painting my nails, wish I could find one that felt the same in DC!
Hey Dav!
I think that there are more out there than you’d think. Have you asked any of your female friends to paint your nails? 🙂 A lot of them would probably jump on the opportunity. I know I would!
🙂 thanks Mary, no takers yet, but will ask around, I think it will be fun!
Hey Dav!
Hehe, best of luck! I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.
If you were here or I was there I wold certainly take you up on the offer! I travel a bunch, so you never know!
Hey Dav!
Okay, get ready for insane nail art and hot-pink polish that burns your retinas! 😉
Hi Mary,
I am a guy and I get professional pedicures every two weeks and always wear bright red nail polish on my toes. I get a lot of compliments on my pedicure and choice of nail color. I always wear women’s low-heel sandals because I like the styles and most men’s sandals are very ugly. Whenever I’m not at work, I wear sandals and therefore my toes are always on display. My favorite nail color is “OPI Big Apple Red”. I also really like Dutch Tulips, and Koala Berry. I have tried a lot of colors, but mostly prefer red and sometimes hot pink polish on my toes. I love to get pedicures because it feels so good to be pampered, the massage is so relaxing, and the colors are so pretty. It is sad that most guys could never understand this simple pleasure and won’t give it a try because it’s a “girl thing”. I know that painted toenails are a “girl thing” but it is a “girl thing” that I really enjoy. For me it is a compliment to be told that I have pretty toes like a girl. When I’m having a bad day, it really cheers me up to look down and see ten pretty red toenails peeking out of my sandals.
Hey Jamie!
Kudos to you for pampering yourself every so often and for staying true to yourself, despite what the general public may think. Painting your nails is harmless fun, and it’s nice to see that you’re embracing it. Hope that more guys will realize that just because they have polish on their fingernails or toenails, it doesn’t turn them into a woman automatically. 😉 (Us, women, are a LOT more complicated than the makeup we wear…hehehe!)
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Hope that you’ll stop by again. I only have a few male readers, but I’m always curious to read the point of view from the other side!
Hi Mary,
It is nice to meet you and great to find your blog. I have a strong feminine side and feel very comfortable wearing polish on my toes. I guess I’m like the make equivalent of a tomboy. I am wondering if you have any information on where I can purchase Zoya Nail Polish. One of my coworkers purchased a bottle of Zoya Sookie and was wearing on her toes. We compared the polishes on our toes (it never works to compare the bottles) and her Zoya Sookie was a little brighter than my OPI Big Apple Red so I would like Zoya Sookie a try on my toes. She purchased the polish in Northern California at a privately owned beauty supply store. I live ins Southern California so I can’t just go purchase a bottle. Do you know where I can purchase Zoya? I hope they are not going out of business. Maybe the only choice that I will have is to order it online.
Another polish that I want to try is Orly Haute Red. Have you ever tried Haute Red?
From now-on I will be a regular reader of your blog, however I have found that my opinions regarding nail polish is not much different than the opinions of my female friends because we are usually very much in-sync regarding our polish liked and dislikes. I am hoping to learn from your site and the responses of your readers.
Best Regards,
Jamie 🙂
Currently wearing OPI Big Apple Red on my Toes
Hey Jamie!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂 I’m honoured that you’ve decided to become a regular visitor – hope that you’ll chime in again and let me know what you think of various colours and nail art. I love interacting with my readers. They’re the best!
I love how you’re very self-assured and aren’t afraid of wearing polish despite what others may think. More power to you! I hope that more and more people will realize that just because a man wears polish or makeup doesn’t mean that the guy wants to become a woman. Makeup and nail polish is about self-expression and creativity! 🙂
Nope, I haven’t tried Orly Haute Red, and I don’t own it, either. If I find it at Sally Beauty Supply or someplace else, I’ll take a look at it.
It’s pretty difficult to find Zoya nail polishes here in Canada, too. Mainly you can find them at Trade Secrets. Do you have one of those stores near you? Other than that, etailers are your best bet. NailPolishCanada.com sells lots of Zoyas, and they ship to where you are in the States. But you can also try the official Zoya website. Since your’e in the States, they can ship to you. (I wish I could place orders on the Zoya website! :D)
Hahahaa…no, Zoya isn’t going out of business. If anything, they’re thriving! They have a lot of promotions and cool bogo deals very often…but as a Canadian, I can’t participate because they’re only for Americans.
Hey, cool post (I mean the original subject)! My wife used to tease me with nail polish when she’d paint her nails too. What’s up with that – is it some kind of weird obsession that girls have to mess with guys?
Well, anyway, she succeeded a few times and though I didn’t care much for the polish on my fingernails, I actually liked the way it looked on my toenails. I’m not talking about red or pink, but darker colors actually looked pretty good! So much so that I now wear my toenails painted pretty much of the time. No worries about it looking ratty either, we get pro pedicures together so it looks pretty decent and ‘tasteful’, not like most guy’s toenails (rough and cruddy).
It’s pretty cool – you guys should try it!
Hey Jake!
Haha, I just think it’s really fun to paint guys’ nails because it’s not that common. Plus guys’ nails seem to be shaped differently and they usually have larger nail beds, which makes it fun to paint because you can see the colours better. Also, half the fun is that most guys are so reluctant about getting a manicure. 😉 It’s fun to tease sometimes!
Very cool how you enjoy nail lacquer on your toenails now. Kudos for experimenting!
I think it’s pretty cool that you are open-minded enough to share your nail polish with guys. My wife also has a penchant for this – she first painted my toenails close to five years ago and much to my surprise, I liked it! Since then she has painted my nails (toes only) many times and I find the colors she chooses to compliment my feet – and it’s kind-of fun too
Keep up the ‘guy painting’!
Hey “Name”! (Hehe)
I’m glad that you gave it a shot. Some guys won’t even try it once! And it’s cool that you ended up liking it.
Thanks for the encouragement! I’ll keep painting my guy friends’ nails…haha, as long as they allow me to!
Heck I’d LOVE it if my wife was open to this! She once painted my nails as a joke and she did such a great job that I actually liked it. But now that she knows I like it, she’s not that excited about it any more. What’s up with that anyway?
Hey Bob!
Haha, I think she just wanted to find something to tease you about! 😉 Now that you like it, she needs to find something new maybe! Hahaha!
I love how you’re open-minded and gave it a shot. Lots of guys just won’t allow it, even if it’s harmless fun. (And it’s a huge compliment to your wife that her painting skills won you over!)
I think it’s pretty cool that a) you are fun enough to even suggest this and b) your BF lets you do it!
My wife would often swatch one of my toenails sometimes when she would paint her own just as a joke. I did’t mind, I knew it would come off. But one day she decided to just keep going and she painted them all! It was with a dark blue color that I actually liked, so I went along with it. When she was done I liked it enough that I didn’t take it off (she did a nice neat job). Since then she’s painted my toenails with numerous colors and the only ones I don’t care for are pink and red.
We have even gone to get pedicures together and polish too! I just like the way it looks on my feet so I continue to wear it now.
Hey Bob!
That’s really nice of your wife to do that for you, and it’s cool how you enjoy wearing polish. It’s refreshing! Fun how you both go together for pedicures – it’s another chance to spend quality time together.
Have you ever tried painting your nails yourself? And have you worn any nail art or cool designs?
Oh, none of the hands in this post belong to a boyfriend. 🙂 (Currently single!)
Hi everyone, I am male 44, and have been painting my toes since 34 🙂 I love it, but am so nerous to go out in public. sigh im getting better nervs haha
Hey Jaymie!
Don’t be nervous about it. Be proud of who you are. Nail polish doesn’t change who you are. It’s just something to help you express yourself through colours. If people have a problem with it, well, that’s THEIR problem. You aren’t harming anyone by just painting your nails. 🙂 Hope that you’ll have the courage to enjoy your lacquer in public.
Me and my wife paint each others nails every weekend I like and she says that it makes my nails look better. I have a light pink on now and my wife bought some new colors today that we are going to try tonight
Hey David!
How fun that you both share a love of polish. Good for you for being open-minded about this! It sounds like you and your wife have a great relationship where you can have fun like this together and turn it into an experience. 🙂
Love this post 🙂 I was just searching around and I found this… As a guy, just thought I would say too that I really like painting my nails – even though they’re seen as feminine, reds and pinks are my favourites, but I’m liking vivid yellows and oranges and dark blues a lot more lately too.
I really wish I had more courage to wear out in public.
It’s also such a stress reliever too and I always love the look of it on my toes and fingernails. So keep on painting I say, and keep on being a real inspiration.
And if ever you’re looking for a volunteer for a nail paint, I’d definitely put myself forward 😉
Hey Steve D!
Kudos to you for being true to yourself and not swaying on what you like just because some narrow-minded people think differently! 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying nail polish. Maybe one day you’ll wear it outside, but even if you don’t, it’s still nice that it brings you some joy and comfort.
Hehehe, thanks for being a willing volunteer! 😉
Great blog and holy cow what a response! I’ve painted my nails quite a bit over the course of my life… have always loved it, but never have felt comfortable showing it to my friends/family. My previous girlfriend painted my nails for me all the time (mostly black and/or darker colors) and it was great. I was even gradually getting comfortable enough to wear it around some of her close friends. Had some interesting comments/questions when they first saw it, but they were pretty receptive of it eventually… everything was going great… Unfortunately, everything else about her was not compatible, so the relationship didn’t work.
Now my current girlfriend isn’t interested in doing that at all. She saw some pictures of me from before and was a little weirded out, I think, so I haven’t been able to paint my nails around her. I do have a job where I certainly couldn’t wear it to work; however, I personally don’t see the harm on the toes and on weekends and/or evenings. Current GF thinks that if I ever was to bump into someone that I knew from work that the consequences would be pretty bad. Sorry for the long post… I’m just a little glum about not being able to express myself the way I could in my previous relationship and to a lesser extent when I was single. Something I have to learn to live with I guess.
Hey James!
Yeah, I didn’t expect that I would get so many comments on this post when I sat down to write it. But I’m glad that people are so vocal. It just goes to show you that men love polish, too. And I’m all for encourage men to wear it. It’s about fun and self-expression, so why not do something you enjoy? 🙂
Sorry to hear that you’ve had to stifle your love of polish now. Have you ever thought about painting your girlfriend’s nails? It could be a win-win – you’d enjoy the painting process and looking at new colours, and she’d get a fabulous manicure!
I am a straight successful guy in my fifties, married. Have been getting manis and pedis for ten years. Last year I got the idea of walking into a nail place and asking for color. There was a young asian guy, owner, up front and I had to talk to him and he was very negative. But one of the women came by and she said she’d help with a little (very little in turned out) color. She put some nude type polish on but not knowing any better I messed it up pretty quick with shoes. I recently had another similar experience at another nail place, where and older woman said she’d do a pedicure but no color. It takes something for a guy to walk in and ask for color. I think there may be a negative asian feeling against guys with color. But I like a little more than just clear so I will keep asking.
A better way is to go in and ask for clear (which doesn’t freak them out) and then when you sit down you ask for a little color as if the idea just occurred to you. That has worked for me but still they err on the side of very little color and use one of the nude polishes (which still look good).
I don’t like these places when they are full of women. I like to be the only person there. Last Saturday I went in a nail place one half hour before closing –it was empty–and asked for some polish on the freshly manicured toes. This was the first and only time I really got the treatment. While the toes were still the natural color of toenails, she used an irridescent, pearly, uber-shiny type that really caught the light. I carried on the rest of my weekend shopping and so forth in flip flops and really enjoyed it. Guess what? Nobody seems to care or notice and I a little zing down there.
Hey Jim!
I think it’s really cool and confident of you that you’ve been getting manicures and pedicures for 10 years. It seems like only recently, it’s becoming slightly more ‘socially acceptable’, sadly. So, I’m impressed that you’ve stayed true to yourself, and did your own thing.
That’s so strange how the owner of the nail salon you went to gave you so much flak! You’d think that he’d treat you well because you’re a customer and because he wants to make money!
I’m part Asian, and while I can’t speak for everyone who’s Asian, I have absolutely no problem with guys who want to sport a colourful polish, whether it’s on their fingernails or toenails. Actually, I encourage it. It’s fun, and it’s harmless.
Maybe next time you go to the salon, ask them for a specific colour so they won’t give you a nude shade. Haha, funny how they thought that’s ‘colour’. Then again, maybe they don’t get too many men coming in who want strong colours, so they went on the safe side.
Hehe, I love what you said: “a little zing down there”. 🙂 Hehehehe!
If I may ask a color question. For summer flip flop wear, to tone it way down (and I can always get away with clear), what would be a good opalescent product to give clear toes the slightest uptick? One that catches light but doesn’t do much color?
I actually don’t have too many opalescent polishes that are subtle, but have you tried OPI Fireflies? It’s very subtle – has a soft yellow/orange shimmer. Plus if you ever feel daring later on, you can layer it over black and it turns it into a fierce green duochrome!
If you want something that’s more pale pink and opalescent, try Honeymoon Sweet. It’s very soft and subtle, and it reminds me of the inside of a seashell.
It’s really nice to see open minded ladies like you, and i love you for it.
I ‘ve been painting my toenails for aovr twenty five years now, i started painting my fingernails two years ago and i lone it. My favorite color is red, no coloors are off limits to me i wear everything!
I love your blog keep up yhe good work.
Hey Nick!
I’ll always be an advocate of men wearing nail polish. I believe in everyone’s right to express themselves through colours, regardless of gender.
Good for you for wearing the colours you love and for standing up for your freedom to experiment with colour. 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement and your support!
I somewhat stumbled on your blog. I’m happy to see there are such open minded women who are not turned off but the idea of a man with nail polish, unfortunately my girlfriend is NOT one of them. The stereotypes of what is acceptable for men and woman is so ingrained in our psyche, it can be an impossible thing to overcome for some. I think painted toes look better on me than unpainted. So I do it 95% of the time in private and take it off before i see her, and once in a rare while i do it where she sees it, but i mostly keep my shoes / socks on around her at those times. We both try to compromise on most issues, but this one seems to be almost a deal breaker. Other than that she says I’m the perfect boyfriend… loving, kind, loyal, romantic, thoughtful, considerate, generous. just the polish is a turn off…
Hey Greg!
I’m sorry to hear that your girlfriend isn’t supportive about you having fun and playing with nail polish. Maybe it just takes some time. When she sees that it’s not changing who you are, maybe she’ll become more comfortable with the idea.
What colours have you been wearing (and loving) on your toes?
Hey, thanks for responding to my post. Well, Im not holding my breath on her changing her mind anytime soon. And honestly, i think its a deeper issue for a couple. She is not attracted to it, and i feel like it would be nice to be supported in doing something i enjoy doing. Plus, i think it looks good! Now mind you, I’ve seen other guys barefoot or in flip flops that even I would not want to see polish on their toenails… yikes! Even on some women, I’ve seen some pretty gnarly female feet that I would just as soon see covered up, but hey, I’m all for peoples freedom of expression, and if it makes them happy, go for it. I sometimes get tired of the whole “gender” expectation issue. There are so many products for women who want to look better and feel better about how they look, but almost none for me. What the heck!!
I keep my feet and nails in great shape. Trimmed nails, and i dont have hair on my toes.. yuk! Heck i think i could be a male foot model, no bunions, or deformities like that….. lol. I typically choose the darker colors, like dark green or blue, or gun metal gray. I have a tattoo on my leg that celebrates my and my girlfriends anniversary of the day we met, and it has some aquamarine color in in, so i like matching polish to that as well, it looks pretty dang cool!
It’s my pleasure! I love replying to the comments that readers have left me. I try my best to reply to them as soon as I can. Sometimes it’s not the same day, but I eventually do get around to replying.
Hehe, when you mentioned toenails that, umm, don’t look their best, it made me think of this one time in high school when I went shoe shopping with a friend. She hadn’t clipped her toenails in what looked like weeks, so they were long and gnarly! The funny thing was she was the one who wanted to shop for shoes, and when she tried them on, she took her socks off. I had to stifle my laughter when I saw the expression on the poor sales associate’s face. Hahahaha!
Wow, yeah, you sound like you have amazing feet! (I hardly ever paint my toenails. Not a fan of my toes or small women’s size-5 feet, so even the rare occasion when I do paint them, I don’t think they look any better. That’s okay, though, because I enjoy painting my fingernails much better anyway.)
How funny, you are so into painted finger nails, but not your toes….
Really long nails like that look like claws! LOL
I have a birthday coming up first week of next month and my girlfriend asked me to write down a list of things i would like. In addition to doing things with her, (first on the list i might add), i listed toward the bottom a pedicure and polish job… hehe. Would be funny if she actually did it!
Will keep ya posted!!
Hey Greg!
Yeah, it seems like I should be interested in both, right? I’m really terrible at painting my toenails – haha! They’re so small (because I have small feet and toes). To give you an idea – the mini polishes usually are even slightly too big for me to paint my toenails with, but they’re far more manageable than full-sized brushes!
Happy early birthday to you, Greg! Hope you have a great one – make every moment count!
I’m very curious to hear how it all goes and if your girlfriend will give in to your reasonable request. *Fingers, toes & eyes crossed*
58 year young straight married 3 kids guy who also paints my toes. Not my fingers because I’d trash them really fast, and trashed polish looks bad on everybody- although a lot of younger girls seemingly haven’t gotten that yet.
I started about 3 years ago as I’m diabetic too and started taking care of my feet better. While I like color, and do do dark reds, blues etc, I find that I like the shine more than the color, so mostly do the sheer French bases most of the time. Essie mademoiselle, sugar daddy etc- just enough to even out my natural nail color. If you’re going to show your feet I think they should look their best, and that goes for anyone.
I am amazed though that people are so rigid in thought about the division of gender. I can hardly think of any products, and certainly not one color that is inherently male or female, yet the idea persists. Media and advertising has had a lot to do with that but people don’t realize it. When you ask them what a manly man is they cannot tell you what that means without having a picture in their mind that comes directly from an ad or a movie. That tells you a lot.
By now, my wife is generally OK with it, she still has her moments because she’s more afraid of what others think, about me, but underneath probably about her more so. People I’ve found are only really happy with you when you live your life according to the way they see it should be. They will always at least think if not say something to complain about your way of being, so I gave up on stopping myself from doing what I want just to please them, because I’ll never please them anyway. I say do want you want if it hurts no one else, and live your life the way you want rather than trying to live someone else’s idea of what your life should look like.
Life is really short. There’s lots of serious stuff out there to worry about and me or any other guy coloring their nails seriously is not one of them.
Hey Mark!
Thank you for sharing your story with me and opening up to me!
I find it really brave of you to paint your nails and do what you love, despite there being a lot of people who don’t accept it or who may even ostracize you because of it. It takes a lot of courage and sense of self to do it. And I agree – there are things that are far more concerning than nail painting! Wear what you love if it makes you happy, and you’re not harming anyone because of it!
I agree with you Mark, for the most part. We are so programmed/influenced/ from an early age what the norms of gender roles are supposed to be for male and female behavior that it affects us the rest of our lives. I think the biggest issue for wives or girlfriends of men who want to polish their nails is the fear of them being gay, or turning gay, or being feminine. Which is a valid concern, but something that should be discussed and addressed as a totally separate issue. I dont think its fair to expect a spouse to totally accept your nail polishing desires if its something that is “sprung” on them years into the relationship. Much different if they know about it beforehand. But, sometimes things dont work out that way, and all you can do is hope for the best.
I wanted to tell Mary, that my wife took me for a mani-pedi on my birthday, and even selected a silver polish for my toes!!! Which i wore all weekend. Even though i knew she did it to make me happy, and she was still not 100% comfortable with it, the gesture meant so much to me, and i love her for it. Well, one of the many reasons i love her!
Hey Greg!
Very well said!
It takes an open-minded woman to be flexible like your wife, so kudos to her! It says a lot about her – she’s willing to go out of her way and try to make you happy. These kind of gestures account for a lot!
Hi Mary, this is a very interesting post! I say it’s interesting because I haven’t read much about guys wearing their nails polished before, in fact I hadn’t even considered it before this but now you have me intrigued about it.
I have had a few pedicures but not with polish – do guys really do that? I do admire girl’s nicely polished nails and now am wondering what mine might look like with some polish on them. It feels odd, dangerous almost, like contemplating jumping into the water from a high outcropping, or asking that cute girl for a first date. How would I get past the jitters to be able to even ask for colored polish?
And do I wear it so others can see it, or just privately? What color should I start with?
Hey, I’m actually thinking this might be kind of fun – still feels scary though.
Thanks for your advice Mary!
Hey Dave!
Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I’m so happy to hear that my post made you think about something you hadn’t thought of before!
I remember reading in a magazine that more men than ever are now going to the nail salon to get their nails done. Probably most just get clear polish or have the nails buffed compared to getting full-on colour. Thought that was interesting, and I wonder what brought on the shift. It would be an interesting study.
I bet that most guys who are curious about polish initially just paint their nails with their girlfriend’s/sister’s/mom’s nail polish before actually getting the guts to wear it in public (if they ever do). Other than the amazing guys I’ve met online who aren’t afraid to wear polish, I don’t actually know anyone in real life (personally) who does that. If I did, I would want to publish a post, interviewing them to get (and share!) more insight. It’s really fascinating to me!
As for what colour you should start with – any one you want! Nail polish is about freedom and self-expression. If you want to play it safe, that’s okay – clear or one close to your natural nail colour. But if you want to try something very different, go for a bold shade like green. (Hehe, I’m a green lover, so naturally, I recommend green!) 😉 Biased much?
Glad to see others posting here! My response to Dave is.. yes! guys really do paint their nails. It started for me Oct of last year, when i did it in conjunction with my Halloween costume. I liked the way my nails and feet looked so much, i wanted to do it again. It was not something my girlfriend liked much though, but over the last year plus, we have talked about it, and she has come to somewhat accept it, sort of! Its still not something she is super crazy about, but she accepts it because she knows it something that i enjoy. I also keep the colors somewhat toned down. No bright reds, or flaming pinks, etc. She even gave me a gift for my birthday of a mani-pedi with my toes being polished silver. I wore that for a week or so, then changed the color for Thanksgiving to “cinnamon spice” metallic, which is what im sporting now.
I wanted to tell Mary that when my gal saw the new color on my toes, she said;, “ohhh, very fancy, what color is that, can i borrow it sometime”? I love that girl!!!
I will be thinking about some color for xmas soon!!!
Hey Greg!
Same here! When I first wrote this post and published it, I had no idea what kind of overwhelming response I would get from it. I love how more guys are feeling comfortable about this subject – even just talking about it. That’s the first step. Hehe, it’s not like I’m trying to convert everyone into becoming nailphiles, but I am a big supporter of individuality and self-expression, especially when it’s harmless and fun like wearing nail polish!
That’s really big of your girlfriend. Good for her to be so mature about it! And it speaks volumes about your relationship – compromise is very important, I think, for a serious long-term commitment.
Hehe, that’s cute that your girlfriend wanted to borrow your nail polish. You should wear it at the same time – matching nails! The couple that paints together, stays together! 😉
I have long acrylic nails, and yes, I am a very straight male!! My girlfriend absolutely loves them, and yes, I occasionally paint them. I power lift at the gym I have gone to for 20 years and nobody cares. I recently had a french manicure that were twice as long as my girlfriends.
Who cares what people think!
Hey Tony!
I’m glad that you took the time to leave a comment! Lots of people assume that guys who wear nail polish are gay, which simply isn’t true. All types of guys can (and do) wear nail polish and express themselves with different nail lengths.
I would send a picture, but have no idea how to attach!
Hey Tony!
Do you have a Flickr account? Instagram? Or you could post the photo on my Facebook wall. 🙂
I’ve painted my nails in private for many years… Going out in public is not so much the scary thing for me – I pretty much did what some have suggested… start with clear, then very subtle colors, then going to the colors I like, which are blacks, dark greys, etc…. I’ve gone for manicures and pedicures, and I really enjoy showing it off, but the problem for me is having people I know find out… Any tips for this?
Hey Josh!
Well, I don’t know if my suggestions will be helpful since I haven’t been in your situation. Being a female, I don’t get judged as harshly about wearing nail polish.
My advice would be to just be happy and confident. Wear your polish as you normally would around people you know and care about. I bet that if they care about you, it won’t matter if your nails are painted. Nail polish doesn’t change your core essence. You’re still the same person, but now you can express yourself with colour.
i love to paint my nails in most feminine colors & even apply mehndi on my hands. I love to do all girly things & painting nails is the best of them, other than wearing a b.
Hey Niral!
Painting nails is very relaxing, isn’t it? I think that’s why I enjoy the process so much, and then you’re rewarded with a nice manicure in the end.
I am in my 50s and just got my first pedicure 2 years ago with my wife. I used clear polish at first, but after a few times, I chose a nice pale pink color. I now usually wear colors like OPI Bubble Bath and Chillin Like a Villain. But, I sometimes use a dark reddish color. I was also nervous about wearing polish in public, but I now do so often. Amazing, people seldom notice. Every once in a while, I will notice a woman looking at my feet and they just smile. I haven’t even had a comment made yet. Like many other men posting here, it just makes me feel happier to see my feet looking more attractive. I would like to branch out to more colors, but my wife like me to keep it toned down.
Hey Mike!
Kudos to brave men like you who aren’t ashamed of expressing yourself and not being stuck with rigid gender stereotypes! Thank you so much for being you and for leaving me a thoughtful comment that also lets other men know that it’s okay to wear nail polish! 🙂
I hope that you have a great day!
Hi Mary, intriguing thread you have going here. It is a bit surprising that you have received so many comments – especially from men. I wonder why many women don’t care for men to wear nail polish.
I get that it’s not a common style for men, but when you see other’s nails that are not polished (especially toes) they seem rather blah don’t they?
I agree that more people should car for their nails better and I see it as just good grooming. No one looks good with rough and yellowed nails, or chipped polish IMHO.
I think it’s rather cute that you like to find opportunities to paint guy’s nails, you fun side is showing…! I do hope that it becomes more widely accepted for men to be expected to have nicer looking hands and feet and to keep their nails maintained as well.
As far as color, there are so many ‘non-traditional’ shades available now that can work for both women and men that I feel guys can get away with wearing some of them and it actually complimenting their look as well.
As for me, I fit into the same category as a lot if your commenters; I like the idea of wearing nail polish but my wife has the firm idea that it’s gay and not attractive. It’s not worth ruining a marriage over but is something that I have been wanting to do (an actually have done a few times) but am not ‘allowed’ to.
Keep up your really interesting post and maybe the many positive comments in support of guys wearing nail polish will help convince my wife that it’s ‘okay’.
Hey Doug!
Thanks for leaving me a comment! 🙂 I agree – once you see nails that are polished, plain nails look yawn-worthy. It’s so much fun to express yourself through colour, and I don’t think that men should be excluded. After all, it’s only nail polish. It’s not like it changes you. If you don’t like a shade, simply remove it. 🙂 That’s why I have absolutely zero problem with men wearing nail polish.
My girlfriend wanted to paint my fingernails and I love her alot so to k show her I can be fun and I care about her I let her, it felt kinda weird but our relationship is better than ever so I’m happy 🙂
Hey Joshy!
That’s great that you compromised, and torn down restrictive walls like that. I’m proud of you!
What shade did she paint your nails?
I’m loving the fact, that your friends let you do something like that.
I’m fortunate enough that I can paint my little brothers nails ocassionally. 🙂
When he left school, he let me paint his toes in black. He was wearing Birkenstocks too. It was cool I think.
Have a nice day
Enlightening post 🙂
Well…all I can say is you have a VERY cooperative guy friend!…LOL! My daughter and I tried to polish my husband’s nails. and he would hear NOTHING of it! I DID, however, convince him to let me do ONE of his nails to show her a new polish I got! It was a Zoya blue polish…and I didn’t put a base coat on underneath of course because it was only going to be on for a couple of minutes…but it STILL managed to stain! The WORST part ( or funniest…depending how you think of it!) is that my husband is a typical man, and has the nasty habit of gnawing at his fingers…so, when I went to remove the polish, the acetone got into all the little micro cuts of his fingers! O.M.G.! That woke him up!!!…let’s just say he will NEVER let either of us do THAT again!!!
Hey Mindy!
Haha, yes! Some guys are very resistant to the idea, which is funny because it’s not like nail polish is permanent. 🙂 The more guys’ nails I can paint, the happier I am!
Wow, that must’ve been some serious pigmentation if that blue polish stained his nails so quickly!
Well, this is one long running thread! I paint my toes too. It’s simply paint, I’ve never heard a logical reason why men can’t, the gay thing is silly beyond belief, it’s just the stereotypes are so deeply driven, that a man runs away from nail color like Beelzebub was chasing him and he really hasn’t a clue why he’s running! I paint my walls, my house, agonize over the color of my car and motorcycle but am NOT allowed to paint my toes? That’s just plain silly.
I would guess that if a man was honest with himself, the first time he saw a cool color on his digits he’d be all liking it, if he could be sure noone would razz him about it. But when you think about it, all these guys are so scared of this aspect, yet who wants scared people around them that can’t even have enough courage to paint their toes if they like? That’s not very manly in my way of thinking.
I’ve heard people criticize a fellow for doing this as being frivolous and wasting time. Like girls do. So what they’re really saying is 1/2 the population is silly, frivolous and time wasting. I’d be offended if I were a woman who heard this.
So, from a woman’s honest perspective, what’s the scoop on why it’s such a big deal when a man puts color on his nails? Why would anyone seriously care? Homelessness, hunger, war-that’s serious stuff. Color on my toes isn’t in the realm of serious stuff, so why care?
Hey Mark!
It was so refreshing to read your comment! 🙂 You articulated your opinion very well, and I agree with you. It isn’t a big deal if men paint their nails. But what oddly enough makes it a big deal is when people create such strict ‘rules’ for something that is harmless. Painting nails just adds temporary colour onto your fingertips, so it’s so strange to me that a lot of men have such fear about even trying it for a few minutes and then removing it later.
The gender stereotypes are instilled in young children, and I think people grow up sometimes not questioning certain things like social norms. I get that it’s a personal choice – everyone doesn’t have to wear nail polish, but the option to do so should be there.
I’ve also been the target of the situation you described about people commenting that painting nails is a ‘waste of time’. Some have even made backhanded compliments like, “Your manicures are nice. It must be great to have all that time to spend painting your nails.” The way I see it is that, like with any hobby, if you enjoy it, you make time for it. You fit it into your schedule, no matter how busy and overwhelmed you are because it de-stresses you, it brings you happiness, or it’s just something you want to explore. You could also argue the same thing about relationships. They take up a lot of time, but if you want a significant other, you’ll make time for her or him. If that’s not a priority, you will put other goals ahead.
Whenever I get comments like that, I don’t get offended. My first thought is, “Okay, they just don’t like nail polish as much as I do.” It takes a nailphile to truly understand a nailphile! 😉 But maybe if they think about the things they enjoy, such as learning how to cook new recipes, they might be able to relate to the fact that people invest time and effort in the things that bring us pleasure. It’s not a new theory.
I also get regular pedicures, polish included. Get any color that strikes my fancy and wear mny sandals almost everywhere. Ccouple of months ago, the lady that always does them asked what color I wanted, I said I was out of ideas and for het to pick. She painted them flourescent, neon, day=glo orange. My feet lkooked the headlight on a train. WOW Got more compliments on it than any other color, kept in on for the whole month. Wife later said she didnt like it, but she doesnt like any of it so I dont care.
Hey Jimbo!
Good for you for staying true to yourself, but I hope your wife will warm up to the idea of you wearing polish, so it won’t become a sore spot.
Too late, it’s already a sore spot. I don’t usually go against her wishes like this, but she introduced me to the joy of nail polish and kept them polished for two years, then, all of a sudden, decided she did’nt like it. No excuse she gave ever made any sense at all. Whatever happened to her did’nt happen to me, and since she is the one who got me hooked, she’ll just have to live with it. Right now i’m wearing mint green and next time i’m getting bright red. I’m enjoying your blog, cool!
Hey Jimbo!
Aww, so sorry to hear that. I hope that she’ll come around, but remember that nail polish shouldn’t put a strain on your relationship. I hope you two come to a compromise so that you’re both happy!
Oh, which mint green did you wear? And which bright red did you decide to rock?
I’m glad that you enjoy my blog. Thanks for visiting and leaving me a comment, too!
Hi Mary,
I loved reading your story and all the comments! I’m a guy in my 20s and I have a very supportive girlfriend when it comes to wearing nail polish. She was skeptical at first when I asked her to paint my toes red, but she has been getting used more to the idea of me wearing some color on my nails. I don’t blame her, after all it is unusual.
We recently bought my first own polish, a dark purple. I have worn it on my toes, even in public to the beach and out in the city, and I haven’t had any negative comments! Someone at the beach complimented me on my polish, which is a great confirmation.
I have also worn the dark purple on my fingers a few times while going clubbing, it really boosts my party mood. 🙂 Someone was giving out promotional shower gels for women, but when she saw us she said ‘I’m sure you guys would like two bottles rather than one’. Which shows the nails are considered feminine, but why would that matter?
I think soon I’ll dare to wear it on my fingers on a regular day as well, like when going to class (I’m in college) or when visiting family or friends.
Thank you very much for all your posts, I think I speak for all polished men when I say your supportive stories and comments make us feel more comfortable in what we do. Keep it up!
Aaron
Forgot my comment, Mary? 😛
Hey Aaron!
Aww, don’t think that I forgot about your comment! (I read all the comments that are posted.) Back in the summer, my admin was having a bit of a hiccup, and maybe your message fell through the cracks. I apologize for that, but please know that it wasn’t intentional. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, so that I can reply now.
As for you wearing nail polish, I don’t find it to be unusual at all! I believe that anyone should be allowed to enjoy the power and joy of colour, whether it’s in the form of lacquer or a t-shirt. 🙂
I’m THRILLED that not only were you confident to sport something you love in public, but that you received reassurance and compliments from strangers. I wish that more people would be so open-minded.
P.S. I need to paint my male friends’ nails again. Seems like forever since I did it last, and I miss it. Their nails are nice, large canvases, compared to my tiny nails!
Mary, yesterday I was going to the salon for my regular pedicure, before I left I asked my wife if she would object to my getting a manicure too. She asked if I would get polish too? Well yes, and she said if that’s what I wanted to go ahead. Well, you should have seen me in the salon getting my nails painted bright red (opi dutch tulips), all ten of them. I loved it , everybody wanted to see them and they all loved them. One lady said ” you’re awesome” real treat for me and a really cool experience. Even my wife said they were really pretty when I got home.
Hey Jimbo!
I love that you shared this because it shows how people are becoming more open-minded to the idea of men wearing nail polish. YES! 🙂
Makes me so happy to hear about people who realize that polish is just about colour and self-expression. It doesn’t need to be tied to gender! Anyone can enjoy a great manicure and/or pedicure!
I’m proud of you that you didn’t go the “safe” route and worry about what people might think. You stayed true to yourself and went with a bright red. Kudos to you!
I first painted my toenails red in 2004 at age 19. I held off on the desire to do this for 11 years. Some discipline, right? Well, I decided one day, “It is time to paint those toenails.” I only go with red. Red toenails are sexy on a woman especially if she has nice nail beds. As a guy I’m lucky to have nice nail beds. So my journey back to painted toenails began in September 2015. I walked into a nail salon an hour before closing and two cute Vietnamese sisters were happy to see me. One painted my toenails and the other watched. No resistance on the part of these ladies in painting a man’s toenails. Not every Asian nail tech is going to frown. The ladies I know have a big smile when I walk in. The second pedicure I went for I asked for red color. The nail tech said, “Everybody get color. Men get color.” I think she asks everyone if they want color. She didn’t want me to leave until I said “yes.” I’m in my 30s and this lady in her 40s is beautiful and kind. She closes the nail salon so I can have my privacy. I go in around 7:15 and exit at 7:45. When you get a pedicure, get color. You don’t get a reduced price for turning down color. Red is the color of love. What do you think? Unpainted toenails look sad. Warning: nail polish is more addicting than alcohol and cigarettes which I’ve never done.
Hey Michael!
Hehe, yes, 11 years is some hell of restraint – whoa!
That’s super kind of her to give you that kind of privacy. She rolled out the red carpet for you…hehe, and the red nail polish!
Yes, red is the colour of love and lust. Such a classic?
Haha, I neglect my toenails. *Cringe* I need to change that since I take way better care of painting my fingernails.
Mary, thank you for the kind words. Hopefully I can marry a woman that insists I always have red toenails. It’s unfortunate when someone assumes if a man paints his toenails, he’s gay and he wears women’s clothing. Not true. I had a massage therapist that knew of my shaved legs and red toenails. She said to me, “Do you get pedicures? You have nice soft feet.” It wasn’t the soft feet necessarily, it was the polish! And then she was talking to me later about what kind of woman I’d want to marry! What a cool chick at Massage Envy. Unfortunately she isn’t there anymore.
But I have another massage therapist that I can tell from her life’s attitude she’s not shocked by painted toenails. Plus massage therapists can’t say anything about these life choices. I thought of this last thought before I forget. If I marry someday my wife will have red toenails almost all the time. Here’s how. I’d massage her feet a few times a week, but I’d do a much better job when her toenails are painted red and unchipped or worn! Eventually I’ll get busted and ask, “Honey, why do you massage better when my toes are red?” I’d say, “Red motivates me like no other color.”
In our lifetimes, it will eventually be acceptable for men to have red toenails. With men going into salons for pedicures, it’s only a matter of time before these guys take the plunge and get color. Do you have a boyfriend or husband that paints his toenails?
Hey Michael!
I can already see lots of gender stereotypes being challenged, which makes me so happy.
The day that more men feel comfortable wearing polish is definitely going to be within our lifetime. We are living in the age of self-expression, so I think society is becoming more open-minded to some things, especially when it’s something as harmless as nail polish.
I can picture you and your future wife painting each others’ nails. Talk about a fun date night!
Aside from fellow nail enthusiasts who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing through the beauty community, I don’t know any other males in my non-blogging life who wear nail polish, unfortunately. However, I have painted guys’ nails for fun, but they’re never brave enough to wear it in public…yet! 😉
Hi
I posted three years ago and reported that I got pushback at some salons when asking for color.
That was then.
I’m so much more comfortable wearing color on toes now though I stick to mostly grays and silvers. I have a large collection of grays and silvers of every type. Love BB Couture. Can’t wait for summer so I can do flip flops and so forth. I no longer care who sees it.
I’ve discovered several places where they’re happy to do color–they see me and they know what I want. It’s all good—and I tip well and that helps I’m sure.
Have started to sometimes try my fingernails but that’s still somewhat outside my comfort zone.
One thing I had to get through was my wife’s negative reaction. She knew I did color on toes and she really didn’t like it even though she was really the only one who saw it. This winter we were at a neighbor’s party and after a few drinks, to my enormous surprise, the host, (a guy’s guy for sure), after a few drinks took off his shoes to show off his painted toes. We traded tips on which nail places we like. Wife has said nothing since that nite.
Last Saturday I saw a guy about 50 at Lowes. Bright blue toes. He got the thumbs up.
Life is good.
jim
Hey Jim!
You have no idea how ecstatic I am to hear that you are now feeling very confident about donning nail polish. 🙂 I believe that anyone should feel great when wearing polish. It transcends gender. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment and letting me know!
Hello Mary , really like reading all these messages. Glad I’m not the only guy into polish. Been into doing my nails for a long time, mostly toes but have done my fingers several times too. Have had acrylics put on several times. I love them but have only worm them for 3 or 4 days at a time. Wish I could wear them all the time. My wife disnt mind me doing my toes, there polished all the time. We do each others alot and also go get pedicures. I mostly hey darker colors but have pretty much tried them all including french. Like to get shellac on my toes also, it looks really good and lays a long time. Only bad part is is harder to change. Lol
Hey Scott!
Glad that you’re enjoying this post and the replies that many readers have left. It’s so interesting hearing a male’s perspective on nail polish. I hope that it opens up people’s eyes that lacquer isn’t just for women. It’s for anyone who loves colour!
Oh wow – you had acrylics? You went all out! How were your nails after you removed them? Were they still healthy?
Shellac would be a fantastic option on your toes, as your pedicure would last for several weeks straight. That’s something I’d want to try because oddly enough, my pedicures never last long, whereas my manicures can wear like iron!
Hmm. That is odd, Mary, that your toe polish doesn’t last very long vs your manicure. My wife rarely paints her fingernails for exactly that reason. So I guess you’re lucky in that regard. You get to paint your toes a different color that much more often!
I’ve been painting my toes for about 6 years now. Like a poster said, once you see them in cool colors, when they’re not painted they just don’t look all that nice.
To all the guys who get pushback from their significant others, I’ve come to the conclusion that one has to be happy doing what they like to do. At first my wife wasn’t crazy about me polishing. She still doesn’t care for it, but does accept it as she’s seen the world didn’t end, or that we weren’t shunned from humanity for it. I am careful however on where and whom I show to. Sometimes it’s just not appropriate. Like wearing a tuxedo to a Nascar race. 🙂 Or flip flops to a black tie affair. Some family members are VERY strict and judgemental about gender stereotypes. And there’s no reason for me to cause more problems than it’s worth. That would also create friction with my wife as it’s her side of the family. But in my case, I just continued to do what makes me happy. She got over it. I think she realized how angry she’d be if I was trying to control and shame her into not doing something she liked or wanted to do. It also opens the door to have a much more honest communication in lots more areas of the relationship. That’s a good thing too. Hope you’re well!
Hey Mark!
Yes, I’m the odd one out, it seems. Usually, nail polish lasts longer for others on their toenails than their fingernails, but it’s the exact opposite for me! I think it has something to do with the nail chemistry. Not sure, but, in this case, I like being odd. Hehe! 😉 I’d rather have fingernail polish last longer than on my toenails.
Great analogy of wearing a tuxedo to a Nascar race. Thank you so much for sharing your polishing experience with readers, especially male readers who may be curious about experimenting with nail polish. I think that genuine self expression is very important, and colour is a fun way to do it!
Great post Mary! I love all the positive comments. And i think it’s great you still respond to all the comments after all this time.
I treated my wife to a couples pedicure a couple of years ago for Valentine’s and it soon became a regular thing. One time, just as a funny, I had my toes painted while she was getting a mani. OPI’s Dark Side of the Mood. She did not find it that funny but I thought it looked great. I had only previously painted my toes as a boy because I was curious about it but never did it regularly.
Since that time things slowly changed and she eventually painted them for me (very sexy!) and they have been painted ever since. My personal collection of polish is around 20 colors now. I chose to have plain toes a couple of weeks ago because I was going to be at church camp and since I’m not making a “statement” with it I didn’t want it to be a distraction for the kids at camp. Her comment? “Your toes look much better painted”. Isn’t that cool? Anyway, back home from camp and we had a spa day at our regular nail spa and right now wife, daughter and I all are wearing patriotic 4th of July toes.
Mary,
Tuesday I got the most beautiful manicure. My nails were sort of short, and I thought they would look short and stubby, but the very talented lady made them look longer and painted them dark purple. Wow, they are awesome! I,m so proud of them I don’t know what to do. Even my wife, who doesnt like my polish , said they looked wonderful. I haven’t stopped smiling in two days.
Jimbo
Hey Jimbo!
Thank you for sharing this with me. Isn’t it wonderful how awesome a good manicure can make a person feel? 🙂 I’m happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying rocking a new shade!
Mary, Yesterday I went to the busiest salon in town for a pedicure and manicure. They put me in the first station right in front of the door so everyone coming in was looking right at me. I got opi strawberry margarita ( hot pink) all around. What a thrill! She left me there for both services and a very long drying time. What’s really cool is that I didn’t feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. It was a good day!
Hi Mary,
It has been many years since I posted on your site about guys wearing nail polish. I live in Southern California and have been wearing OPI Big Apple Red on my toes for years.I know I am stuck in a color rut, but I have tried a lot of colors and I really love having red toenails. I usually wear women’s open toe sandals because guy’s sandals are so ugly and I always have a professional pedicure. I get a lot of compliments from women on my pedicures and polish and am told that I have toes like a girl which I consider to be a compliment because I am a feminine guy.
In recent years there have been articles in men’s magazines such as GQ and Esquire regarding guys wearing colored nail polish and many other magazines and online groups advocating the same. if you have not seen these articles, you can google “men wearing nail polish” and the magazine name and google will find them. I am wondering if due to the new popularity of guys wearing nail polish, if you have been able to paint the nails of more of your guy friends. Maybe you could do another update on your site here about guys wearing nail polish.
Take Care,
Jamie