The face is covered with a mask, Korean women spend money on nails

Lipsticks and cosmetics gradually give way to colorful nails when Korean girls can still show off their nails while everyone wears masks to cover their faces.
“Hands are the thing on my body that I look at most often during the day. So I feel very satisfied when my fingertips look pretty,” Yoon Chae Hyun (24 years old) from Siheung, Gyeonggi Province told. Korea Joongang Daily.

Wearing face masks, Korean girls now invest in elaborate nails, nail polish, manicure with detailed drawings. Despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on most industries, many nail salons are still doing well, with a sharp increase in revenue. From being unpopular, Korean girls are now willing to spend tens to hundreds of thousands of won for a nail job. Photo: Stock. Pleasure during quarantine “Since I started working from home, I spend a lot of time painting my nails, trying on colors and drawings that I have never done before,” said Kim Gyu Ri (22 years old) from Daejeon. Lee Ji Eun, 23, from North Gyeongsang, said, “Whenever I look at my pretty nails, I feel so beautiful and well-groomed.” Lee has a hobby of doing his own nails and spends an average of 300,000 won ($270) on essentials every month. Yoon Chae Hyun used to be a regular customer of nail salons, but recently she started making her own to save money. “It will be cheaper on its own in the long run. I can add as many details as I want without worrying about spending extra money,” she said. A set of gel polish usually costs 20,000-50,000 won at Seoul nail salons. Photo: KoreaBoo. “But for those who can afford it, going to work is still worth the experience. Talking to the workers is quite relaxing, they are professionals after all,” she added. Nail art products at home, serving girls who like to tinker by themselves are equally expensive. Nail polish sales at popular Korean beauty stores such as Olive Young and Lalavla both increased by 30-40% last year. “Investing in nail art is like spending money to buy clothes” Nail salons are ubiquitous on the streets of Korea today, but this beauty demand and service only really took off about 10 years ago. According to the Korea Statistical Information Service, the number of nail salons has increased from 10,382 stores in 2016 to 16,464 stores in 2020. “The concept of beautifying nails didn’t exist until the early 2000s. The first nail salon in Korea opened in Itaewon in 1988, but mainly caters to foreign customers,” said Cho A Ra, a nail technician. Professional since 2002, used to be a nail artist for the group Wonder Girls, said. The original nail salons in Korea only used regular nail polish, which peeled off easily and needed frequent repainting. The rise of gel polish, which lasts longer, started gaining popularity after 2012, and is currently the most popular. By 2018, with the promotion of K-pop girl groups like Mamamoo, the trend of adding fake nails is so popular. Korean gel polish is not only popular in kimchi but also in other Asian countries. Photo: Insider. According to Cho A Ra, nail art is not just for beauty. Gel polish provides a protective layer to the nails, preventing them from biting or breaking. “Recently, I see more and more elementary and middle school children being taken by their parents to get their nails done for this purpose,” she said. But before being recognized, she faced many objections about her work. “Many people think that these colorful nails are untidy, only for indecent girls, working as a hostess in a bar. Even my mother did not dare to tell her friends about her daughter’s work, until she was proud of me working with the Wonder Girls.” On the other hand, spending tens of thousands of won on 10 fingers initially shocked many people. Gel polish at nail salons in Seoul ranges from 20,000-50,000 won for simple, one-color coats. The price just keeps getting higher when painting other textures, adding decorative details, especially since crystal nailing is so popular. “A client of mine spent 320,000 won for a manicure. While this may seem absurd to some people because our nails are only a small part of our body, investing in a manicure is like splurging on clothes.” “At the end of the day, you are the one who looks at your own nails the most. Beautiful nails bring self-satisfaction,” said Cho.