The History of Nail Art

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History For Hot Girls

Natalie and Michelle

14 episodes

6 days ago

A podcast focused on deep dives into the history of people, events, items and ideas traditionally considered feminine. History as told by hot girls, for hot girls.

History

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All content for History For Hot Girls is the property of Natalie and Michelle and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

A podcast focused on deep dives into the history of people, events, items and ideas traditionally considered feminine. History as told by hot girls, for hot girls.

History

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The History of Nail Art

History For Hot Girls

40 minutes 11 seconds

2 months ago

The History of Nail Art

Hey there, history lovers! Join us this week as we trace the long history of nail art. From the royal courts of Ancient China to the refugee camps of the Vietnam War, we discuss how nails became symbols of beauty, status, and self-expression across cultures and centuries.

SHOW NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

Apologies if I (Natalie) sound particularly nasally during some parts of this episode - this was filmed after I recovered from a horrendous 5-week long bout of some mystery illness.

Help us continue spilling the tea on history’s hottest people, events, items and ideas by supporting our show and following us on your fave podcast platforms and socials!

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REFERENCES:Fetto, Funmi. “From Ancient Egypt to Cardi B: A Cultural History of the Manicure.” The Guardian, 27 Jan. 2021, www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jan/27/from-ancient-egypt-to-cardi-b-a-cultural-history-of-the-manicure.

Morris, Regan. “How Tippi Hedren Made Vietnamese Refugees into Nail Salon Magnates.” BBC News, 2 May 2015, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343.

“Nail Art.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 24 Feb. 2025, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nail-art.

Nail Salon XR. “Nailed It Full Documentary with Viet Subtitles.” YouTube, 25 Mar. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_OcNYT_sDk. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

“Nail Salons and Vietnamese Refugees: Finding Sanctuary in an Unexpected Place.” Si.edu, 28 Feb. 2024, americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/finding-sanctuary-unexpected-place?utm_source=si.edu&. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

Rancier, Isabelle. “The Illustrated History of Nail Art.”

Refinery29.com, Refinery29, 21 Jan. 2012, www.refinery29.com/en-us/the-illustrated-history-of-nail-art.

Scofield, Rebecca. “Nailed It: Producing and Consuming in Tokyo’s Nail Industry.” Streetnotes, vol. 20, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5070/s5201011885. Accessed 17 July 2021.

Shapiro, Suzanne E. Nails : The Story of the Modern Manicure. Munich ; New York, Prestel, 2014.

Sicardi, Arabelle. “Welcome to the Golden Age of Nail Art.”

Harper’s BAZAAR, 1 Aug. 2023, www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/nails/a44380670/nail-art-history/.

Tsatalis, John P., et al. “Speaking with Your Hands—the History of the Manicure.” JAMA Dermatology, vol. 154, no. 5, 1 May 2018, p. 595, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.0303.

Vietnamese Heritage Museum. “Ms. Tippi Hedren - the Godmother of the Vietnamese Nail Industry.” Vietnamese Heritage Museum, vietnamesemuseum.org/details/ms-tippi-hedren/.

Willett, Julie A. ““Hands across the Table”: A Short History of the Manicurist in the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 17, no. 3, 2005, pp. 59–80, https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2005.0038.

Thank you so much for listening! See you on the next one xoxox