HAVANA — Cuban girls are embracing extravagant nail artwork with many keen to spend the cash to have extraordinarily lengthy and complicated nails regardless of the economic obstacles.
Whereas over-the-top nail designs have lengthy been frequent elsewhere, in Cuba they stand out as a result of most Cubans have little disposable income and procuring the elaborations isn’t simple.
A deepening financial disaster makes nearly each facet of life in Cuba difficult for the inhabitants; lengthy traces for buses, power outages and shortages are a part of on a regular basis life on the island.
For individuals who have mastered the work, whether or not from on-line video tutorials or visiting manicurists from different international locations, extravagant nails have change into an necessary supply of earnings in Cuba’s limited private economy.
Not too long ago, Cuban manicurist Marisel Darias Valdés spent almost six hours making use of and adorning the acrylic extensions for a consumer.
She arrange a nail salon at her dwelling in Havana, the place she shows the specialised, imported merchandise which might be costly and really tough to acquire within the metropolis.
The nails that Darias embellished for her consumer, Mariam Camila Sosa, have been at the very least an inch (2.5 centimeters) lengthy. Sosa selected the cartoon character Sponge Bob as a result of it’s her daughter’s favourite. The designs of the work and nail decorations are assorted and all handmade.
With this degree of element, Darias mentioned she couldn’t deal with greater than two shoppers per day.
“Earlier than it was a half-hour service,” she mentioned. “They have been desk manicures, pure paint and that’s it; now it’s all change into artwork, it’s not simply repair them and also you’re finished.”
“Cuban girls are very useless. They might lack meals, however their nails, hair, eyelashes, and toes all the time must be well-groomed,” Darias mentioned.
There is no such thing as a official determine on the variety of these specialised companies, however for the reason that pandemic, the small non-public areas have flourished, and a few have turned it into an artwork type.
Manicurists have additionally discovered to change into content material creators with refined social media accounts to advertise and promote their companies, benefiting from Cuba’s not-always-reliable connection to the internet.
Manicurist Dayana Roche showcases a few of her quite a few social media postings.
“It’s the basic software to draw the general public, the shoppers. And you need to create lots of content material (on social media) networks as a result of that’s the place everybody sees your work,” mentioned Roche.
It’s a approach of incomes a dwelling. Some are college graduates, however this job presents various to low wages in a troublesome financial situation.
Every consumer agrees with their manicurist on the price of the service, which may vary from $10 to $40. That’s some huge cash in a rustic the place a month-to-month state wage is round 5,000 Cuban pesos (about $13), though many households depend on remittances from family overseas and state subsidies.
The supplies are introduced into Cuba from the US or Panama by the manicurists themselves or family, or they’re purchased from resellers in Cuba. A small bottle {of professional} nail polish alone can price $15.
Miralys Maura Cruz and her sister go about their each day home chores with stunning agility regardless of their crystal-adorned 2-inch nails.
“With out my nails, I’m no person, I do know they aren’t low-cost, and nails are a luxurious, it’s my luxurious,” mentioned Cruz.