1. YSL Nail Polishes Are Not Three-Free

Probably not amongst the most fascinating facts about nail polish brands but hey, it’s useful and we just love useful, don’t we, girls? YSL evidently isn’t into the whole “let’s reformulate our polishes, maybe make them a tad less deadly” kind of thing, which definitely has its highs and its lows. The good news is that you’re still getting the very same product you used to pinch when mom wasn’t looking and the bad… Well, let’s just say there’s a reason nail polish manufacturers were urged to drop certain chemicals.

2. OPI Used to Produce Dental Supplies

O.P.I. actually stands for Odontorium Products Inc. and, as shocking as it may sound, nail polish-making had not been their first business choice. Not until they realized they already had all it takes to come up with what would later become known as their Traditional Acrylic System, that is! Things have been working out more than well for OPI since then but, hey, that is a well-known fact.

3. Essie Sold Her Polishes Door to Door

If somebody told you door to door sales in Vegas are a perfect way to launch a new brand, you’d probably laugh it off and refuse to pay for such a silly piece of advice. But that’s exactly how Essie launched her line of nail polishes and it worked like a charm. Direct sales in a glitz and glam area with so many performers had been a way to go in a pre-Internet era, which only serves to prove that even the most brightly lit roads need to be paved by hard-working, creative individuals.

4. Every Zoya Polish is Named after a Woman

And not just any woman, mind you, a historically important one! Company’s founder, Zoya Reyzis, a classical pianist by education and a huge fan of art and culture (by choice, I guess) did this on purpose in order to help educate her customers in things she believes too important to be neglected.

5. Cutex is One of the First Nail Polish Producing Companies

We have the automobile industry and car varnish to thank for the colorful bottles of nail polish available at every counter nowadays. But somebody had to blow the whistle and that’s exactly where Cutex came in! And speaking about whistle blowing – can you believe that happened way back in 1917, almost one hundred years ago? I’ve always thought Revlon was one of the first companies to start producing nail polish, but Wikipedia claims they came second, offering their first bottles of nail polish in 1932.

6. Nail Polish Made Revlon Famous

Speaking about Revlon, can you imagine launching a new company during the Great Depression? Guess women DO tend to take better care of their nails during financially challenging times! The rise of the Charles Revson Company, aka Revlon, in this period was based solely on nail trends. Furthermore, it wasn't until much later that they decided to up their game and start offering other types of cosmetics.

7. Men-Only Polishes Have Been around for Quite Some Time

From Becks and Prince Harry to Seal and Johnny Depp – you don’t have to be an '80s rock start to wear a manly manicure nowadays. But if you thought ManGlaze was one the first to start producing men-only polishes, you’re up for a big surprise – Hard Candy did this way back in 1997! Their Candy Man collection is the first example of men-only collections I could find, which is kind of lame, considering how the history of nail polish lists both men and women painting their nails since ancient times.

Well, that’s all for now, lovelies! But if you know of a fun nail polish fact, please, feel free to share! The history of nail polish is so much fun, isn’t it?