Bambina - Fake nails for girly Japanese 3-year-olds

Written by: Michael Keferl on May 18, 2007 at 2:32 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION |

At the beginning of the year we posted about a cosmetic parlor for young girls, so we weren’t taken too off-guard when we heard that there are now professional-grade fake nails for children, specifically 3-7 year olds! Before you jump the gun and say that it’s “over-sexualizing” young girls, please keep in mind that in Japan these things are cute, and they simply don’t see it that way. Besides, I’ve seen blush for babies to give them that rosy-red-cheek look.

We stopped by Body International Co. today and had a nice talk with the CEO, Nakamura-san about the nails, called Bambina. They’re just a small part of Body International’s extensive “One Touch Nail” series. She explained that Bambina are becoming much more popular recently, especially because of the good press they’ve been getting. They’re made of the same stuff (ABS plastic) and stylish design that adult nails are made of, but…err…smaller. They’re also reusable many times by applying a special coating under the nail and letting it dry. At ¥4725 ($40) per set, this is important. The next step is just getting the kids to not lose them after ten minutes.

Nakamura-san made it clear from the beginning that the Bambina nails are not toys or for playtime, but the real deal. Her customers include children of celebrities, style-minded kids (moms?), and even a cute little girl in Korea who couldn’t transfer the money and instead sent ¥10,000 cash in the mail to get them for her trip to Hawaii. Seriously.

If you’re wondering why they chose 3 and 7 for their nail size ages, it’s actually quite simple. Every November is Shichi-go-san (七五三, meaning 7-5-3), when all three and seven year-old girls (five is only for boys) dress up in kimono, go to the local Shinto shrine, and have tons of pictures taken. Bambinas are simply another way to accessorize traditional garb with modern idea (another trend in itself).

Nakamura-san also had a couple more surprises for us, with single thumb and pinky nails for men, and a set of Superman-branded nails for girls who love the Man of Steel. What, no Catwoman?

Interested in getting some Bambina for your own cute 3-7 year old? Contact us!
Check out Bambina

Tags: Children, cosmetics, Fashion, Girls
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS