The Truth About Nail Polish For Men

Vogue compiled a gallery of male celebrities who made nail polish a key component of their aesthetic. The list includes the likes of Bowie and Cobain alongside a new generation of stars who are replicating the trend years later. The latter group is comprised of the likes of Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, A$AP Rocky, Troye Sivan, Bad Bunny and Machine Gun Kelly.

Many of the artists have commented on the growing trend. "I feel like men should be able to do nail art without feeling feminine," A$AP Rocky told Vogue in 2019. 

Bad Bunny, known for rocking colorful polish and adventurous nail shapes, shared a similar sentiment. "I'm not telling people, 'Hey, paint your nails or color your hair, do this or do that,'" he told Paper Magazine. "I'm simply saying, do what makes you happy, and to never limit yourself."

These famous men are likely to push the trend even further. Publications such as The Cut speculated that Harry Styles' recently announced beauty line will include nail polishes. YouTuber Joey Graceffa attributed his own nail polish line with helping to de-stigmatize the trend of men painting their nails. ""I think me wearing nail polish in general, has inspired a lot of other boys to wear it," he told Allure before hypothesizing that the release of his line further cut back on men's hesitation.