Red nails have always intrigued me—namely because the red nails were always on the fingers of a well-put-together woman with perfectly laid hair, a perfume that lingered, and an heir of confidence orbiting them. Oh, and they usually drove a luxury car. I assume this is why we're all discussing the "red nail theory," a hot topic on TikTok thanks to GirlBossTown discovering that wearing red nail polish was responsible for an uptick in male attention. The #redtheory hashtag has 100 million views and counting. So, let's take a further look into this anecdotal theory.
What Is the Red Nail Theory?
For starters, the color red is a primary color. And it's associated with passion, warmth, and sexuality, as well as danger, violence, and aggression. However, in pop culture and beauty, the color red is typically about owning your sexuality, confidence, and boldness. We think this could explain why women tend to receive more romantic attention when adorning their lips and hands with the fiery hue.
In addition to more romantic attention, there is chatter about how wearing red nails means more money in the bank. For example, a TikTok user noted that Rihanna has always worn red nails and is now a billionaire. Ok, so there is no clear-cut evidence that red nails can give you billionaire status. However, there is some color psychology about wearing red in the workplace and beyond.
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You will often see women in politics and high-powered positions opt for red suits, dresses, and separates, as red can convey confidence without saying a word. So, with this mini-deep dive into the red nail theory, we definitely think there's something there. From red lips to nails, exuding confidence seems to be the throughline, and we love to see it.
If you're ready to wear your confidence on your sleeves (or nails, in this case), below are a few of our favorite nail colors.
The Best Red Nail Polishes To Tap Into the Red Nail Theory
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xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
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Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
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