She’s the premier manicurist for anyone who’s anyone in fashion and entertainment, holding hands with not one but five Oscar® winners—including Kate, Reese, Meryl, and Lupita—on the night they won their awards. She’s color-collaborated with such bold-faced names as Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah Smile), Pat Benatar (Hit Me With Your Best Shot), Kelly Ripa (Whatever Lola Wants), and Renée Zellweger (Just Walk Away Renee). But nail doyenne Deborah Lippmann’s first love was actually music. “After graduating with a music degree, I started my career as a jazz singer but realized I needed to pay the bills,” she says. “I went to cosmetology school and decided to specialize in nails, which allowed me to sit during the day and stand in heels, singing, at night. And I’ve had some truly magical moments along the way.” —Jennifer Henderson
Her beauty history: “As a kid, I had overly curly hair and desperately wanted it to be straight. To flatten my hair, my mom would roll it with lemonade cans, but they were too heavy, so she switched to the inner tubes of paper-towel rolls. Then, my sweet father took me to a salon to have it professionally straightened … and they burned off part of my hair.”
Her true colors: “I felt strongly that our nail-polish names should evoke a feeling rather than a specific shade because we all see color differently. With my brand, I’ve managed to incorporate the other important aspect of my life (music) by naming my polishes after songs. Brainstorming is highly entertaining at our office.”
Her work ethic: “I learn from everyone I meet.”
Her highlight: “I’ve been blessed in my work as a manicurist to hold hands with at least five women on the day they won their Oscars. Holding hands with people on such a momentous day is very intimate, and any time I am lucky enough to do it, I consider it a highlight.”
Her siren song: “Creating music is a part of me. I couldn’t be prouder of the three albums I’ve made to date: Nightingale, Vinyl, and Deck the Halls. When I was first in New York, Martha Stewart asked me to produce her television Christmas special, and this past year, I sang backup for Leann Rimes at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting.”
Her success: “I don’t know where I’d be without the people who’ve mentored me over the years. Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown were two women I met while working at Frédéric Fekkai who inspired me to launch my brand when I was first starting out.”
Her must-haves: “Sometimes I do no makeup with lots of moisture and lip balm. Other times it’s all about my brows—which I do myself—and L’Oréal Voluminous Volume Building Mascara paired with a nude or red lip. My favorite brands right now include Surratt Beauty, Kevyn Aucoin, and Charlotte Tilbury, whose Filmstar Bronze & Glow highlighter is amazing.”
Her maxims: “Pay lots of attention to detail. Be the best of the best in your field. Go with your gut. Get as many mentors as you can. Face the things you don’t want to or don’t feel good about. Be true to yourself and be willing to listen.”
Her inspiration: “It goes along with the trends, what I see around me, music I’m listening to, people I’m with. It comes from working on the runway with fashion designers, like creating the colors for Narciso Rodriguez’s collection. Inspiration is always very personal for me.”
Her future: “It’s a great time to focus on wellness as people continue to understand what they put in and on their bodies. It’s my hope that we continue to innovate and educate clients on hand, nail, and foot health. That’s the cornerstone on which I founded my company.”