Nail painting came back in vogue in the 1980s and has been extremely popular since then. The French manicure style was created in Paris in 1976 by Jeff Pink, the founder of the Los Angeles-based cosmetic company ORLY. Then again in the 1970s, the natural look was back in fashion and preferred by many women, but only for a short time.

Reds and pinks were used on the nail bed while avoiding the area around the cuticles. In 1925, the lunar manicure (today known as the half-moon manicure) was seen everywhere. Soon after that, it was available in a variety of different colors. Not long after, in 1907, the first liquid nail polish was invented, although it was colorless. Before then, women had short, almond-shaped nails and often used oils for additional shine or tint. Sitts' niece invented a nail-care line for women of any social class, eventually reaching United States salons. Before this invention, people used acid, a metal rod, and scissors to shape and trim nails. Sitts, a European podiatrist, who adapted a dental tool for manicure purposes. In the early 1800s, the modern manicure developed with the invention of the orange stick, a thin wooden stick with one pointy end, usually made from orange wood. French King Louis XVI, who ruled from 1774 until his deposition in 1792, always had his nails taken care of using these sets. In 1770, the first fancy gold and silver manicure sets were created. Incas decorated their nails by painting eagles on them. The first actual record of nail art was from the short-lived Inca Empire (1438-1533)s one of the largest empires in South America. A lot of these above did not use nail art as it is widely known today, only stained, dyed, or dusted the fingernails and toenails.

Many photos show the empress with 6-inch-long gold guards protecting her long nails. Empress Dowager Cixi of China, who ruled from 1835 to 1908, was known for her outrageous nails. Servants performed personal chores for the royals so their nails did not break or become damaged. Sometimes, these nails were protected by gold- and jewel-encrusted nail guards. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was known for extremely long nails. During the Zhou Dynasty, 600 BC, royalty used this simple nail polish with gold and silver dust on their nails to show their social status. Colors ranged from pink to red, depending on the mix of the ingredients.

Chinese dipped their nails in this mixture for several hours or left it on to dry. It was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and gum arabic. Around the same time, in 3000 BC, the first nail polish originated in ancient China. As in ancient Egypt, nail color indicated one's status, black for noblemen and green for the common man. To prepare for war, warriors of Babylon spent hours having their nails prepared, hair curled, and other similar beauty treatments.

In Babylonia, 3200 BC, men, not women, painted their nails with black and green kohl, an ancient cosmetic. Women of the lower class wore pastel and neutral shades, while the upper classes wore deep, bright shades. In ancient Egypt, from 5000 to 3000 BC, women would dye their nails with henna to indicate social status and seductiveness. The exact origin of nail treatments is unclear since it appears to have originated in different parts of the world around the same time. A wall painting from 2330 BC found in a tomb shows people with painted nails.

Cute nails one color