Nailed It

October! You are here and I’m grateful. This month brings much excitement (Paris! Frieze! Supper club!) it’s leaving me exhilarated. Not to mention, it finally means I’m switching into reds for nails and am just tickled to see the color returning to my fingertips.

Nails are such a personal reflection on your style, non? In my more neo-traditionalist ways, I follow trends while staying true to my more classic tastes. You won’t find blue on these fingers again — I made that mistake years ago, wearing a bright aqua (anyone remember Essie’s Turquoise and Caicos?? It was SO COOL back then) to my brother’s graduation from college. Naturally, I chose a monumental family occasion. I wound up hating it – with photo evidence – and my mother was horrified. I think about it every time I think about purchasing the latest too vibrant hue and it stays on the shelf.

My toes remain a consistent red throughout the year, though the shades may vary. For my hands, I gravitate towards darks in the winter, a neutral palette in the spring, and summer I go au naturale, keeping them shiny and buffed (they need to breathe! give them the summer off). But this — this is my favorite time. Everyone is back from chasing the summer sun and you can paint your nails (and the town!) red. A devout NARS supporter, I tend to go for Jungle Red, Torre del Oro or Chinatown, shown above. Jin Soon also makes a gorgeous version called Coquette, and at holiday time, I love Butter London’s vibrant Come to Bed Red (and the name! cheeky).

Now how to make the most of your mani? Buy your own bottles for easy touch ups at home. Keyboards make it terribly challenging to make the manicure last these days and ask for three coats at the salon. Yes, three! I read it somewhere a few years ago and thought it was just brilliant. Be patient. That extra coat seals the deal, and with your own polish you won’t need to worry about any dilution in the paint itself. And did you know that it actually takes 12 hours for your nails to set? Then you should run your fingers under cool water as the last coat of armor. I usually go to the salon in the afternoons, so when I wake up the next morning it’s one of the first things I do. There you have it!

Ps – I’m utterly addicted to Cherry Bombe and have been pouring over the pages since picking up this issue at McNally Jackson last month in New York. I’ve loved Christina Tosi since the start of cereal milk ice cream at Momofuku, and as you may suspect, the mag supports strong, real women. This edition is all about pet projects, and chasing that side hustle really does make you feel more fulfilled (and reading the stories have reinvigorated me with mine). x