Why is it that when you go into a hair salon for color, your stylist is expected to make recommendations based on his or her professional experience… but when you walk into a nail salon, they just say “pick your color” without offering any advice?


Sometimes it’s hard to know what color to choose. There’s what’s fashionable, what looks good with your skin tone… and apparently you’re supposed to go it alone. We’ll help!


Check out this excellent article about what nail colors are most flattering on different age groups. And Borghese’s website has an interactive nail polish selector which lets you choose your skin tone and match lacquers to it. Fun!

Let’s drill down into some of the season’s hot colors. Harper’s says metallics are big right now. Specifically, we like pewter (and so does InStyle), like Essie’s “Steel-ing the Scene”, OPI’s “Brand New Skates”, or Chanel’s “Kaleidoscope” (pictured).

Grays are big for fall too (we like “Recycle” by China Glaze), as are matte finishes… but frankly, the matte-on-gray has a messy look, like you were bored in detention and colored your nails in with a pencil.

The holidays are a great time for gems and sparklers on your tips and toes. Have a little fun with it! We love:

• Revlon has a shimmery champagne color called “Gold Get ‘Em” that works even on pale skin tones.
• Sally Hansen’s Diamond-Strength No-Chip line features a great glossy deep red for winter called “Honeymoon Red”, which is chip-resistant and long-lasting
• Chanel’s “Intermezzo” is a frosty pearly white with a hint of pink.
• OPI’s Holiday Wishes collection features “Smitten With Mittens”, a ruby-red that will add a pop of color to your little black party dress.

And of course the Savvy way to know exactly what will look good on your nails is to comparison-shop and try them on, just like you would a good pair of shoes. Don’t be afraid to grab a tester at the nail polish counter, and swipe a bit onto your own clean nail. Look at it in sunlight and interior lighting.

Then, when you’ve found your palette of nail faves for the season, bring your own polish bottle with you to the salon! You don’t have to worry that they won’t have “your” color, and plus you’ll always have the right bottle on hand at home for in-between-mani touch-ups.

And of course your hands are the canvas for your glam nails, so keep them in tip-top shape too with a daily hand lotion. Keep a travel-sized tube in your handbag, and a full size on the nightstand; slather it on right before you go to bed and let that moisture soak in overnight. We love Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream for daytime (available at Sephora) and Neutrogena’s Norwegian formula at night— it’s too heavy for daytime, you’ll just smear up your phone or keyboard (available at drugstores).

Pretty hands plus great nail color are an easy way to add some glam to your winter look, even if your holiday routine is less “dinner with royalty, drinks with celebs” and more “elementary school luncheon, HOA party.”