For Nail Tech's who worked through the 80's

[e_lucy]

God, this is the BEST thread ! I loved those colour changing lipsticks but you couldnt get the blummin stuff off and if you had chapped lips you had bright pink dried skin for ages !! hee hee

Thanks Geeg for your great answers to the questions, im a bit addicted to this thread so ill be back later to see if anyone else has added anything ... oh and FABULOUS photos, ill post a picture of me so you can see im a walking talking 80s exhibit in 2006 !! x

 

[Cathie!]

1. What were the fashions for enhancements then? The clothes were outrageous... were the nails? Was nail art about?

I started in the nail business and opened my first salon back in the 80's. Where I lived, near Leeds in the North of the UK, nail enhancements were almost unheard of. A handful of girls were offering this service. I was one of the first to do so, but not THE first. The public who were daring enough to want any art of any kind, usually bought nail jewelery in Gold or silver.

2. The 80's was a depression, if I'm not mistaken - were there alot of 4. customers requiring nails, meaning Joe Public... or was it mainly people who had money to spare?

It was indeed the depression. There were tonnes of women who wanted their nails done, and certainly form all walks of life form rich to poor. Having your nail done was considered a small indulgence that gave maximum pleasure and therefore well worth it. I charged 35.00 for a full set then!! And was fully booked and opening my 2nd salon in 6 months.

3. What has REALLY changed in the Nail Industry since this decade?

To me what has changed is the amount of innovation in SOME product lines. No longer is it necessary to be so unkind to the nail plate in order for products to last when using some products. It is one of the reasons I can never understand why so many still use outdated pants products when it isn't necessary.

4. 80's fashion has made a big come back... what was different about nails offered then, to now?

Would you believe that most of my customers didn't want anyone to know they were having their nails done? We worked behind closed voile curtains so no one could see who was in the shop!! MY customers wanted their nails to look natural so their friends couldn't tell! I have based my whole career on doing nails that look natural. These days so many of the nails look blatantly UGLY & FAKE and some want it that way ... fortunately not most.

5. I should imagine the products have improved... which companies were training nail techs then?

The 2 biggest companies then are still the 2 biggest companies now ... the Creative Nail Design and, OPI .

6. Was Creative around then?

Creative is the oldest and still the best established Nail company in the world. Established in 1979 by Dr. Stewart Nordstrom who came up with something really different then (the first ever cross linked L&P) and they still have the most innovative products today.

What an insight into the industry...and something to aspire to....with the voile curtains lol...we have a similar thing but it's not so kitsch...you know it too me ages to get what you are describing ! We have frosted windows and it does the same job...not everyone wants to be sat in the window having their nails done!

 

[Lily]

I was born in 75 so the 80's are very vague to me........
What i do remember is

Batwing tops.......back again and i own afew now

Peddle pushers......yep them too

White shoes......ooops

Plastic earings and matching bracelets.......

permed hair

shoulder pads

ADAM ANT .......phwooooooooaaaaaar..........i also had..........a frilly adam ant shirt

Dont really remember much about nails and beauty as i was abit young....

Amanda

 

[CadenceAlex]

I was born in 75 so the 80's are very vague to me........
What i do remember is

Batwing tops.......back again and i own afew now

Peddle pushers......yep them too

White shoes......ooops

Plastic earings and matching bracelets.......

permed hair

shoulder pads

ADAM ANT .......phwooooooooaaaaaar..........i also had..........a frilly adam ant shirt

Dont really remember much about nails and beauty as i was abit young....

Amanda

<~~~ sings 'Stand and Deliverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr'

 

[Lily]

Your money or your.......life

Prince Charming..........prince charming.......ridicule is??????

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Your money or your.......life

Prince Charming..........prince charming.......ridicule is??????

nothing to be scared of!

 

[mum]

I opened my nail salon with Kay Dodd in the '80's!!! My family and the 'mums up at the school' (we both had kids at infant/junior school then) were full of "well that won't work! Who wants to get their nails done??".

The salon we opened is still there and doing great business after all this time. Me and Kay found some great products at tiny nails show in Earls Court after being one of the first salons to take on Jessica when Susan Gerrard and her husband started to import the brand. The professional brand we found was CND and we loved it because of the packaging!!???

We took on Jessica and CND (and that was before Designer Nails! The distributor was The London School of Manicuring and Nail Technology owned by the Osiah's)

Time moved on and, would you believe!!!, the very first Designer Nails 'Boot Camp' was held at our salon In Hertford. We loved it!!!

Kay continued with CND and Designer Nails in the salon and I moved on to different things because I always wanted to keep finding out more and more.

There is so much more but, the 80's was the start for me and it was one of the best moves I ever made. When I look at the old pics I wonder how we made it but we provided a service that was obviously what was needed.

Look at the industry now!!!! "So there" (or words to that effect) to the 'mums up at the school'! Both me and Kay made it work for us.

 

[Jeni Giles]

I was in highschool, very hip I might add, and worked in my mothers salon cleaning brushes and manicuring her rollerset ladies. If any one had nails they were for a special event and usually some god awful shade of pink...funeral parlor pink...my grandmother still wears it!!

Stilletto shape was popular, but the nails were very flat, very little arch and very long. Bright colors were popular among the highschool girls and lee press on nails were the rage. (I was spoiled and had acess to the good stuff..came in trade for cleaning up around the salon)

Parachute pants, leggings, loose sweaters or torn sweat shirts over 3 or 4 tank tops, dangly earrings and big hair!! I had a perfect "mall bang" it projected quite nicely about 6 or 7 inches straight up with the ends ever so slightly bent back, the sides were just as wide and had I gotten a good breeze I probably could have sailed cross country.

Nail art was hand painted, a design with in a design, faces and bold geometric shapes. The same kind of things we are seeing done with colored acrylic now.

I'm excited to see what the future brings, especially because I work in it everyday!

 

[nailzoo]

aaaaaaah the 80's, I had my hair dyed jet black, straightened and a lop sided bob (the human league)
Most acrylic nails looked like 2" mini surfboards with bling added, except for those using just tips, dust and glue, they popped off every 2nd day and the client just stuck em back on, monomer stunk to high heaven and OPI came in glass bottles that looked like it was part of a chemistry set.
Many wouldnt sell you product unless you trained with them (or threatened to sue them), thats how I got my start (but thats another story and still viable today)
Tips were very cloudy & thick, some even came with a few holes drilled in the well area so you could stick them on with acrylic (the holes were so the excess acrylic could ooze through the top)
OPI was quite big in Aus back then and Creative supplied and had salons in a department store chain, (thats where i found my first decent tips) well the department store idea all kinda went pear shaped (and broke) ...not Creative, just the people running the whole thing .........and in 88 we had our innaugural competitions. Celebrities came in to judge and the mega star of the show (besides the local celebrities or course) was Jan Bragula (Jan Arnold now. The winner of the aptly named (Creative section) was to appear on television the next morning..... ( I won). Next morning Jan Arnold & I had to get up at 5am and do the first ever television inteview about fingernails, the host of the show was quite ignorant but Jan placated them quite well (as i tried to melt into the chair) I was showing off the first ever 3D nail art in Aus, the compere thought it would look great as a brooch (which i sent her the nail, made into a brooch 3 weeks later). Funny thing is, as Jan and I were being interviewed, the compere sat on her hands or had her arms folded..... I still have all the tapes and inteviews from back then too !!!!
I think the reason I am the way that I am today is because of the 80's, nails looked so damn ugly & fake, i thought "someone has to try and make em look natural" and ever since thats all i've tried to do.
To be quite honest (and get of the 80's subject) the 90's were the best for natural looking nails, then early to mid 90's really white powder made a big comback and (i feel) spoilt it all. We were custom blending sculptures to match the color of the naural nail (the real color of a real natural nail) , not this white fake stuff.
There are so many years between then & now, but each of them are individual stories and deserve their own spotlight.

 

[avivajoy]

Does anyone remember the lipsticks that chaged colour with the heat on your lips?

It looked green but went pink on your lips! I remember my mum wearing it and me always asking to have some on!!

YES!! I had a few, they were really nasty!

 

[shellielou46]

i passed my nail exam in 1989,ihad big big big curly hair,everyone wanted plain nails,long and rounded,and brightly coloured here in northampton!!
loved the 80s wicked songs, loohing back, ra ra skirts and puffball skirts were a no no for me!!!!!!!!

xshelliex

 

[jnail]

Hi there

What a nostalgia trip..... Dallas - Dynasty - " Lillie pounding down like a machine" & Country Practice... [RIP Doris xox]...Mwah Fatso.

Big Hair! Big Nails!. & fashion that should never be revived! [unless for a charity bash lol....]
Bling was the thing!
Rammone Becca Decals - Gold or Silver. Gold or Silver Nails - usually on the pinkie-Nail studs-Handpainted-Playboy bunny was a BIG Favorite.[still is] Diamontes ,foiling, striping tape & feathers
As mentioned, coloured acrylic's & gel's are now being utillized as an option for nail art.
Carl from the Nailzoo [hi] had become a recognised name to Aussie techs with WoW Factor Nails & Salon. Airbrushing comes to mind also?
I remember your competition win & TV appearance.reminds me of the perm I had with fru fru fringe..Unbelievable.So funny now! cringgge

Shaz Nail Products & Perma Nail were available,[cringgge again], not long after [88?] OPI was being distributed in Australia.I switched to Creative in 1992 as I travelled back & forth from the country to the city where it was all happening. Company reps called almost once a day & new things were comming in all the time.Some good .... Some not so good.
Nail Myths & Mysteries were created. Fact from Fiction now presides with most techs. Consumer education is still a major concern ie: NNS salons.

The nails were long [as Sam1 mentioned] 2 tips stuck together & overlayed with one colour,pink - later natural & clear powders became available.
French Polish - Hand painted & not really that popular as alot of the nails & finishing treatments were yet to be UV friendly, yellowing therefore a colour was applied.

Fitness was The Thing - [think Olivia Newton John - Let's Get Physical,leg warmers headbands, fluffy perms ,leotards] & the nails had to match the Gym wear!......Bright - Tight & Outta sight......From Addidas to Reboks.... Now Nike Air..lol..& the rest...Branding & Marketing was open for business.

Fluro colours were in.
Flo Jo was a household name,noticed the nails first,RIP Flo Jo.
P&R's label -Black Plum & Burnt Orange - [cant think of the beige colour name] were my most popular enamels with tamer clients & Fluro pink..couldn't get enough of it,you could use half to a full bottle on some of those nails!!!!
Computer's were comming into offices more & more & I couldn't imagine how some of those girls[now grown women] held a pen let alone type!

Music was from the sublime to the ridiculous..Flock of Seagulls omg!!! Punk Rock, Rojer Vaduris[spelling?] soooo much more.Takes ya back to some funny places.

Great thread xox Has brought back alot of good ol' memories & moments. A laugh & a grin as well. Reminding me of a journey I started a while ago now & still havnt finished yet.... Nails & all it embraces, the people, the challenge & rewards,


XX J XX

 

[River]

80's I'm a livin in the 80's

Come on Jac your turn now!

Pic is a bit dodgy as I had to take a photo of a photo!

Cathie,

I totally love your look ! You have a really cheeky face on the photo :hug:



Jac,

How skinny were you !! I am so envious :green:


River

 

[perthchik2002]

aaaaaaah the 80's, I had my hair dyed jet black, straightened and a lop sided bob (the human league)
Most acrylic nails looked like 2" mini surfboards with bling added, except for those using just tips, dust and glue, they popped off every 2nd day and the client just stuck em back on, monomer stunk to high heaven and OPI came in glass bottles that looked like it was part of a chemistry set.
Many wouldnt sell you product unless you trained with them (or threatened to sue them), thats how I got my start (but thats another story and still viable today)
Tips were very cloudy & thick, some even came with a few holes drilled in the well area so you could stick them on with acrylic (the holes were so the excess acrylic could ooze through the top)
OPI was quite big in Aus back then and Creative supplied and had salons in a department store chain, (thats where i found my first decent tips) well the department store idea all kinda went pear shaped (and broke) ...not Creative, just the people running the whole thing .........and in 88 we had our innaugural competitions. Celebrities came in to judge and the mega star of the show (besides the local celebrities or course) was Jan Bragula (Jan Arnold now. The winner of the aptly named (Creative section) was to appear on television the next morning..... ( I won). Next morning Jan Arnold & I had to get up at 5am and do the first ever television inteview about fingernails, the host of the show was quite ignorant but Jan placated them quite well (as i tried to melt into the chair) I was showing off the first ever 3D nail art in Aus, the compere thought it would look great as a brooch (which i sent her the nail, made into a brooch 3 weeks later). Funny thing is, as Jan and I were being interviewed, the compere sat on her hands or had her arms folded..... I still have all the tapes and inteviews from back then too !!!!
I think the reason I am the way that I am today is because of the 80's, nails looked so damn ugly & fake, i thought "someone has to try and make em look natural" and ever since thats all i've tried to do.
To be quite honest (and get of the 80's subject) the 90's were the best for natural looking nails, then early to mid 90's really white powder made a big comback and (i feel) spoilt it all. We were custom blending sculptures to match the color of the naural nail (the real color of a real natural nail) , not this white fake stuff.
There are so many years between then & now, but each of them are individual stories and deserve their own spotlight.

I remember coming to my first Beauty Expo in about 1989-1990 & being intrigued to see this guy who people kept talking about coz he was doing demo's in a singlet! Very impressed with........with the nails of course:o
I was probably still holding on to my perm & padded shoulder look! But I agree with Nailzoo, the nails were so thick & ugly & I never liked them either & tried to wage a one women war on spade nails here in Perth! And considering in those days it was "throw the product on, don't worry what it looks like & fix it with your 70 grit file!" this wasn't easy!!! :irked:

 

[japineiro]

I used to put on my grandma's lipstick like that. In the tube it was green and when you put it on it would start out pink but if you put more on it started to turn red. I was only aloud to use that lipstick and the translucent light pink nail polish. I was a little girl then, born in 1981, so I didn't get nail enhancements but I do remember my aunt having long fake nails that looked real (not the thick acrylic) then they were painted mostly reds and mauves and she would put about 2 or 3 thin metallic strip stickers diagonally. I also had a friend in second grade that used to glue on the red press-on nails in the sport length and then put rhinestones on them.

Haha...the nail polish pens. They did stink. I had a mauve one. I liked it then because it wasn't messy.

 

[melissaq]

I remember that time ....whew the liquid did stink way bad !! I seem to remember that the acrylics used to turn this nasty shade of yellow and everyones nails were super long and usually super thick......and they all had lots of art, rhinestones, dangles......rather tacky ......the more gaudy the better you thought they looked .....and only people who were ' affluent' usually went to salons to get them done .....and you were hidden god forbid you were not born with those god awful things! LOL oohhh and when you broke them.....:cry: man they hurt ....no give at all rather brittle.....so glad those days are over and we have allot more knowledge and better products !
Melissa