You know how you look back at your old yearbook photos, and you're like, "Um, who is this grubby little person?" That's kind of how people seem to be feeling about nail art right now.
But, as we shall demonstrate below, the practice of drawing designs onto the toughened keratin growing out of your fingers has been on a rollercoaster of coolness and un-coolness for thousands of years.
Settle in—you're about to get a history lesson.
You should also check out:
46 Pro Nail Tips You've Never Heard Before
21 Things You Absolutely Must Know About Painting Your Nails
I'm Chelsea Peng, the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. On my tombstone, I would like a GIF of me that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, I'm into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard I have to go lie down.
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