Who’s afraid of the man-icure? Whether it’s guyliner or manscara, where cosmetics are concerned, you can bet we’ll invent some new word to use to appeal to men who would otherwise be frightened of it. And, thanks to the carpets full of gents sporting painted nails in recent months, Esquire has deemed 2020 to be “the year of the menicure” (the accepted new epithet). But would you follow in the footsteps of Mr Steve Tyler, Lil Nas X and Messrs Pete Davidson and Ansel Elgort, who are all often seen wearing polish? Hey, now that nail salons are back open for business, this might just be your chance.

Nail polish on men, of course, is not that new at all. In 3500 BC, Babylonian warriors would colour their nails with minerals to prepare for battle. More recently, in the 1970s and 1980s, the rock ‘n’ roll scene embraced painted fingernails, usually black chipped nail varnish à la Mr Lou Reed. But even though men in entertainment have a long history of using nail polish as an accessory and as a bold fashion statement (see Mr David Bowie, Mr Harry Styles and the A$AP clan) it is not, shall we say, de rigueur. However, as unisex fashion and beauty standards continue to expand, social media accounts such as @boysinpolish pop up and brands such as Celine use it in their shows and campaigns, men wearing nail polish is fast becoming normalised. Indeed, in the future, we might all be doing it. Until then, though, here are the men who have led – and continue to lead – the way.

A$AP Rocky looks great in anything, so leave it to the rapper to make a bit of nail art look cooler than ever. In this Gucci-heavy ensemble, A$AP rocks a neutral, beige palette with a Disney x Gucci bag, making it the perfect outfit to show off the graphic eyeballs he has emblazoned on his index fingernails.

The OG icon in breaking gender norms with his clothes, the late Mr David Bowie was an avid varnish-wearer in a couple of his famous phases. In his last performances as his character Ziggy Stardust in The 1980 Floor Show, Mr Bowie matched his crisp white suit to pearly white-nude nails (which in turn match the cigarette he’s holding), looking wonderfully dapper and letting his flame-red hair and smudged eyeliner steal the show.

A frequent polish-wearer, you’ll often spot Mr Harry Styles rocking a complementary nail colour to his outfits. From a summery coral-coloured manicure in his “Watermelon Sugar” music video, to one of his most famous looks, the 2019 camp-themed Met Gala, where he paired an all-black Gucci ensemble with a dark teal on some nails and turquoise on the rest, and almost as many rings as his fingers. He also made a statement with a single pearl earring, but that’s another story.

Never one to shy away from a trend, the NBA fashion icon Mr Dennis Rodman – famous for frequently matching his nails to his hair colour and wearing flamboyant fits to his games and events – is pictured here showing off his metallic teal fingertips. We’d be remiss not to mention the rest of his look – a loose satin metallic shirt, a chain necklace and, of course, sunglasses at night, as only a boundary-breaking superstar NBA player has the right to do.

We’re always excited to see what Bad Bunny wears next. The Puerto Rican singer and rapper, famous for his variegated and unisex style, has made a personal brand out of statement manicures, and isn’t afraid to rock long and pointy neon acrylics. Here, the glasses and the holographic coat, with a neon lime-green ensemble underneath to complement his hair and nails, all of which coheres to create a look worthy of a futuristic Disney villain. Just watch he doesn’t have your eye out.