Bucking Black Nail Polish For Its Total Opposite
Once you get past Natasha Poly’s expertly crafted cat eye, pale lip, perfect skin, and those killer, killer earrings, the discerning observer notices something else on i-D magazine’s October cover girl: Hello, white nail polish. A stroke of genius from manicurist extraordinaire Marian Newman, the color goes beyond the sheer simplicity of once ubiquitous “ballet slipper” pinks for something that’s a bit more edgy, albeit equally classic. According to Butter London creative director Nonie Creme, the color—or the achromatic, as the case may be—is a must for this season and reflects the pared-down, somber feel of the Fall collections. “If you want to dabble in the trend without going full-on ‘Liquid Paper,’ pick a medium white, a china or an ivory,” Creme advises. “Two coats of a medium-opacity white is not as over-the-top as the Pantoney-looking versions,” she continues, adding that if you’re not ready for a total whiteout, a pale dove gray is a nice way to transition into the trend.
Try it: Butter London Cream Tea, part of the Fashionista’s Favourites Fall 2008 collection, $45, www.butterlondon.com
Photo: Emma Summerton for i-D Magazine, October 2008
White nail polish is so plain and ordinary that it is weird which makes it interesting. I love doing nail art and plastering the most bizarre mosaics on my nails, but I sometimes just want to do one solid color. If I do pink, it seems too girly and plain. If I do black, I feel too gothic and depressed. When I do plain white, it still makes me just as happy as if my nails were covered in sequence and glitter. It is such a pure, clean color that you can’t mess with. It is similar to black eyeliner or a little black dress, in that it’s a necessity in every girls beauty secrets. You can never go wrong when dawning lids heavily layers in black liner. You can never go wrong when sporting a little black dress to any event. And you can never go wrong when flashing a clean coat of white nail polish!