Deborah Lippman is among the most sought-after nail artists in the beauty biz, coming up with spectacular manicures for the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Penelope Cruz along with runway nail looks for Rodarte and Narciso Rodriguez. Here, the nail guru spills her the trends she's loving this season.
1. The Nude Nail: "I think a nude nail feels fresh right now. The nude beige nail has been making its way into fashion for a while. I’ve been doing nude nails season after season because the gives the illusion of the skin continuing, it really lengthens your finger and it feels modern. Light pink polish will never go away, but we’re shifting to warmer, foundation-inspired hues because who doesn't love the idea of never ending skin? Skin has become so important to our culture. We’re always after that glowy, dewy, gorgeous skin. Anti-aging and protecting skin is so important, and it translates down to our hands. Beige is chic because it looks polished, but it's subtle."
2. The Rounded Nail: "For nail shape, I like a glamorous, womanly almond shape nail with a little more length. It's elongated and feminine."
3. Deep Gray Hues: "I like a deep gray for fall, like the shade that I created with Narciso Rodriguez, 'Stormy Weather.' It's a shade that is the ultimate deep granite crème. It was a really organic collaboration from start to finish, and we came up with this gorgeous, sophisticated, perfect granite gray that was completely unique. The moment I knew we had something was when all of the supermodels backstage were trying to grab the bottle and put it in their purse. You know it’s a hit when the models want it because they never want to get their nails done, so it’s a sign!
4. New Color: "We’ll also see a lot of green like 'Billionaire,' my moody take on hunter green, shimmering rust shades like 'Brick House' and gold, especially as we go into the holidays. Gold can be gorgeous in all different textures and finishes -- I love everything from a bold glitter like 'Boom Boom Pow' to modern, micro fine shimmer metallics like 'Nefertiti.' I always also love lots of red for fall, red will be everywhere. My favorite is a deep berry red crème. Just don’t ever match your red to your clothes. Be seen wearing a strong color as much as possible. It’s not the season to be playing it safe."
5. Layering Shades: "You can also layer shades to create a fun, custom look. Layer color under shimmer and the sky is the limit! If you want a spattered look, take a color like my 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,' which is a graphite gunmetal shade, and then layer 'I Love the Night Life' on top. Another great combination is a dark sexy red like 'Single Ladies,' topped with 'Do Ya Think I’m Sexy' -- it’s super cool and funky with a little more edge. The fun thing about layering is that you’re creating your own color. Let your creativity come out -- you can’t make a mistake!
6. Dynamic Mani/Pedi Combos: "This season I love a stronger look on the nails and a lighter shade on the toes, like the look that I created for the Spring 2012 Rodarte show. I added large graphite and silver glitter to 'Lady Sings the Blues' for nails, and applied 'Fashion,' an opaque taupe shade, on toes. The combination is the perfect complement to every outfit."
