Industry authorities give us their answers on beauty, style, and more.

All That Jazz
Manicurist-to-the-stars and vocalist Deborah Lippmann talks about about summer nail trends, her passion for music, and the secrets to getting a celebworthy finish.
By Marissa Kristal

What inspired you to launch your own product line, Lippmann Collection, in 1999?
After doing lots of fashion shoots and runway shows, I became well-known for my talents throughout the industry. Editors were calling me to comment on beauty trends, and I was being quoted in magazines all the time. I had already begun to make my own products, but my supplies would run out quickly because people on sets would always take them home. So my friends suggested that I market my own product line, and I started toying with the idea. The problem was, I had always wanted to be a singer, so it was a big struggle for me to put that dream aside for another one. Fortunately, when we got to the point of choosing color names, the music influence became a perfect fit. I wasn’t interested in being a typical brand with color names like pinks, greens, and reds; for me, naming the shades after songs was the obvious choice. At the same time, I was scared of combining my day job with my music, which was still very precious to me. But it turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done marketing-wise—an emotional decision that worked.

And you recently unveiled Nightingale–a collection of jazz standards and original recordings. When did you first develop a passion for music?
When I was four years old, my mother took me to see The Music Man, I fell in love, and she made me a majorettes costume I wore until it fell apart. Through high school, theatre was my passion, and in college, I studied musical theatre with an emphasis in opera. After earning a bachelor of arts in vocal performance, I attended cosmetology school, specializing in manicure/pedicure, and I became really involved with jazz. Soon after, I moved to New York to pursue my music, and the rest is history.

Your client list includes some of Hollywood’s biggest names, like Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cher. How do those jobs differ from standard non-celebrity manicures? 
When you’re doing hands-on jobs for A-list celebrities, you usually stay where they stay and eat where they eat—the best hotels, the best restaurants. It’s part of the lifestyle, and you get to experience it.

You’ve created several polish shades in conjunction with your celebrity clients. How does that process work?
The celebrities I work with are very involved in the process. The initial idea almost always comes from a particular shade or mood they’re trying to convey but haven’t yet found out in the world. They provide me with the details of their idea, then I come up with a concept based on that. From there, we work together to tweak the color and the finish, going back and forth until we settle on something we both truly love. We all see colors so differently, so it's a lot of fun, and what we end up with is a truly unique creation. So far, we’ve created Sarah Smile with Sarah Jessica Parker, No More Drama with Mary J. Blige, Hit Me With Your Best Shot with Pat Benatar, Believe with Cher, Just Walk Away Renée with Renée Zellweger, and Whatever Lola Wants with Kelly Ripa.

What new nail shades and trends can we expect to see this summer?
The hottest hues for nails this summer are light pink and lavender; for toes, it’s colors that really pop, like hot pinks and corals. At Lippmann Collection, we’ve launched three beautiful new shades—I Dreamed You, a starry opalescent; My Romance, a hanky-panky pink; and Pop Life, a punch-drunk pink.

What are your tips for getting a flawless finish? 
Never, ever polish your nails without using a basecoat because your manicure won’t last and the pigment in the polish can stain your nails. At the same time, make sure your nails are thoroughly dry before you apply your basecoat. To remove polish quickly and prevent cuticle staining, especially if it’s a really dark shade, soak 10 fingernail-size pieces of cotton in a nail-polish remover, like Lippmann Collection’s The Stripper, and press the pieces onto each nail with some pressure. Then, with a larger piece of cotton placed on top, pull the small cotton pieces forward, and the color will come right off.

Photo credits (headshot): Cartright Photography

Celebrity nail guru Deborah Lippmann.

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