💅 Nail Polish emoji

February 28, 2018

What does Nail Polish emoji mean?

Aside from tagging nail- and beauty-related images online, the nail polish emoji can serve as a tone marker indicating sass, fanciness, nonchalance, or self-confidence across a variety of digital contexts.

Where does 💅 Nail Polish emoji come from?

While officially known as the nail polish emoji, it is sometimes called the nail paint, nail painting, nail care, beauty, or manicure emoji.

Beyond its literal meaning, the image evokes a sense of regal aloofness. In March 2014, Alexander Abad-Santos and Allie Jones wrote in The Atlantic that the nail polish emoji was “the Beyonce of emojis,” and can mean “anything from shutting haters down to a sense of accomplishment; a swift ‘I don’t care’ to a spa day.”

Adam Sternbergh observed in New York Magazine in November, 2014 that the nail polish emoji had begun to mean “I’m not bothered” or “Haters gonna hate.”

The sassy sense of the nail polish emoji had indeed become so popular that BuzzFeed declared 2014 “the year of the nail care emoji” in a year-end roundup of the “most nail care emoji moments” of the past year.

Examples of 💅 Nail Polish emoji

Who uses 💅 Nail Polish emoji?

On social media, many use the nail polish emoji to highlight an impressive manicure or fancy outfit. Others, drawing on a popular association between manicures and pampering, use the nail polish emoji to signal a relaxing day off, self-care, or feeling beautiful.

Since at least 2014, though, the nail polish emoji has been used as an emotional tone marker to communicate sass, indifference, or poise in text.

NOTE

This is not meant to be a formal definition of 💅 Nail Polish emoji like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of 💅 Nail Polish emoji that will help our users expand their word mastery.