HAVANA (AP) — Despite Cuba’s economic crisis, many women are embracing elaborate nail art as a bold fashion statement. Manicurists like Marisel Darias Valdés treat it as an art form, creating intricate designs that can take hours and cost up to $40 — more than triple the average monthly salary.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Manicurist Dayana Roche works on a client’s nails at her home-run nail salon in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Yalema Gonzalez, sporting long decorated nails, collects her sun-dried laundry from a clothesline, in La Gallega, Havana province, Cuba, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Mariam Camila Sosa strikes a pose to show off her freshly decorated fingernails, at a home-run nail salon in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Maite Hernandez gets into a taxi to go home after having her nails done at a home-run salon in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A manicurist works on a client’s nails as others wait at a home-run nail salon in Havana, Cuba, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Manicurist Marisel Darias Valdes works on a client’s nails in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Manicurist Marisel Darias Valdes works on a client’s nails at a salon she has set up in her home, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Mariam Camila Sosa places her hand under a UV lamp to speed dry her manicured nails at a home-run nail salon, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Yalema Gonzalez, wearing long, decorative nails, drinks her afternoon coffee at her home in La Gallega, Havana province, Cuba, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Maite Hernandez, donning long, decorated nails, takes her change from a vegetable vendor, in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Maite Hernandez takes a taxi home after having her nails done at a home-run nail salon in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
