[Trendzilla] The Sparkles Fly in Deborah Lippman's Nail Polish Line

The Sparkles Fly

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More About

• Deborah Lippmann
• Mariah Carey
• Birthdays

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The boyfriend just told me that my manicure looks like a kindergarten craft project exploded all over my nails. And I’m okay with that.

Though you probably won’t see it coming down the runways any time soon, glitter nail polish is actually back in style—and not just on the nails of 11-year-olds.

“Manicurist to the stars” Deborah Lippmann may be single-handedly responsible. Lippmann, who was “discovered” by an Allure beauty editor in New York, started out as an editorial manicurist, working on photo shoots and eventually the nails of celebrities. Then, in 1989, she created a signature silver shade for Mariah Carey, and so started her career as a nail-polish manufacturer.

Lippmann’s shades of nail lacquer, which are available at high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, stand out from many other brands for their unique colors and textures. While most companies seem to be focusing on both matte and flat coloring, Lippmann’s line features tons of iridescent, glittered and metallic shimmers.

Though the concept of nail trends in general is still pretty foreign (and/or pretty funny) to many, Lippmann is really leading the way: Her most popular shades include Don’t Tell Mama (a mood-ring blue/green, almost-black hue), Ruby Red Slippers (a glimmering jewel red with matching specks of glitter mixed in, resulting in a crushed-ruby look) and Super Star (copper-glitter-flecked rich brown). But my absolute favorite has to be a polish created in celebration of Lippmann’s 10-year anniversary as a brand, Happy Birthday, which features different colors and sizes of glitter floating in a clear lacquer. It’s awesome on top of a neutral shade or even by itself—hence the glitter-explosion comment.

The bad news: Deborah Lippmann nail polish will set you back anywhere from $16 to $18. The worse news: They’re also pretty much sold out everywhere, both online and in stores. The better news? Orange County still hasn’t quite caught onto the craze yet—the Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza has a select range of colors available, including the insanely sought-after Happy Birthday.

But if you’re not so certain about plunking down that much for glittery polish, Happy Birthday can be easily created on your own. Empty out half a bottle of clear nail lacquer and funnel in your choice of sparkles. Lippmann’s features a cornucopia of colors and sizes, though I’d suggest sticking to the fine glitter. Shake it up, and you’ve got your own DIY, less-than-$5 bottle.

Though if you remember anything about being 11 years old, you’ll also know that glitter is the worst to remove. The trick: Take cotton pads, soak them in polish remover and keep them on top of your nailbeds for a few seconds.

And be prepared for the kindergarten-craft-corner snark.

vchang@ocweekly.com