How to Pick the Perfect Manicure Shade by City: A Guide to Fashion Week and Beyond Inline
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Photo: Courtesy of Sephora2/12Tenoverten
A classic shade of red from RGB is currently in heavy rotation at Tenoverten, but the salon’s own sheer nude, Houston, is what co-owner Nadine Abramcyk calls “the perfect canvas for the wide range of looks worn by New York women throughout the shows.”
RGB Red, $18; dermstore.com
Tenoverten Houston Nail Polish, $18; sephora.com
Photo: Courtesy of JINsoon3/12JINsoon
At this downtown salon, an overwhelming number of manicures will be painted in Nostalgia, a rosy beige nude, and the soon-to-be-released Tila, a moody green. Says Choi, “That juxtaposition of colors is representative of New York’s stylish but varied fashion set.”
JINSoon Epidote Nail Polish, $18; jinsoon.com
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Photo: Courtesy of Boots5/12WAH Nails
“When Londoners want to feel fashion, they go crazy for a super chic mink color called Expensive Taste from our in-house range,” says WAH Nails founder Sharmadean Reid. But high-impact neon pinks and yellows never fall out of favor with her local clients.
WAH London Peel Slowly and See Nail Polish, $14; boots.com
Photo: Courtesy of cowshed.com6/12Cowshed at Shoreditch House
Across their international salons, Cowshed has seen a sort of detox: Short, squared-off shapes replace fashion’s recent fixation on extra-long nail beds, and clients ask for pared-down nudes like Cheeky’s In the Buff, and smart, inky colors like the company’s Vamp It Up.
Cheeky Vamp It Up Nail Polish, $11; cowshed.com
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Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom8/12Violette
“The spring shows were all about the seventies, so shades of nude, like Tom Ford’s Naked, are the most popular right now,” says Violette owner and makeup artist Helena Komarova. “But we’re also seeing a lot of interest in varied shades of warm brown like cashmere, cacao, and coffee”—requests she answers with Essie’s Comfy In Cashmere, Chocolate Cakes, or Partner In Crime.
Essie Comfy in Cashmere Nail Polish, $9; nordstrom.com
Photo: Courtesy of drugstore.com9/12Bahama Mama
Milan may be Europe’s design capital, but its local It girls go for classic manicure colors with lasting power like CND Vinylux's Dark Dahlia or deep Bordeaux. Of refraining from nail art, Bahama Mama owner Gaia Venuti issues the following verdict: “A manicure should only be done in one color—with the rare exception for special occasions, like the birth of a first child.”
Maybelline Color Nail Polish, $4; drugstore.com
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11/12Manucurist
According to Lebrat, Parisian women are as likely to be found wearing bold shades of red as they are whispering nudes on their hands. A favorite? Manucurist’s Skin Beige Natural N°3, which “illuminates the nail with an iridescent, almost imperceptible veil.”
Manucurist Skin Beige Natural N°3 Nail Polish, $21; shopcade.com
12/12ColorForever
Whether you’re a model, an editor, or a stylist, a coat of taupe on short nails will “avoid any faux pas,” come early March, says ColorFever salon’s Alexandra Falba. For a more major nail statement, nothing beats the elegance of a high-shine layering of OPI’s Black Onyx.
OPI Black Onyx Nail Polish, $10; ulta.com
