“It is important to harmonize makeup and manicure.” expert tips for nail polish and lipstick matching

Sensory organs, elements of language, vector of emotions… Our hands and mouth say a lot about us, and their appearance reflects the way we reveal ourselves to the world. For large-scale events, they are even at the heart of the concerns of beauty professionals. “Whether it’s a fashion shoot or a celebrity red carpet look, it’s always important to coordinate makeup and manicures to convey the overall intent. That’s how we decide where to focus,” explains OPI manicure expert Alexandra Falba.

So, which nails or lips should you pay attention to? “It all depends on the message we want to convey and the personality of each person. We choose our focal point by playing to its strengths. For example, someone who wears a lot of makeup can go for a neutral nail polish color that calms everything down, so she can change lipstick every day without clashing with her nails,” continues the specialist. “Conversely, some people wear the same makeup every day, like a matte lip or sheer gloss. In this case, we instead focus on the nail, which then plays the role of a fashion accessory.”

The “I” rule

Once you find the “intent”, there are many ways to combine colors. “It doesn’t matter if it’s an opposition or a system,” he continues, “but the essential rule is harmonization.” If you are wearing a cool-toned lipstick, such as fuchsia, the color of the nail polish should also be a cool shade, such as gray, black, or white. And to assure. “That way, you’ll never run the risk of making a mistake.”

In turn, make-up artist Leslie Dumay offers a riskier alternative to the brave. “We can rely on complementary colors if we like to have fun and experiment with makeup. For example, mix blue and orange, yellow and purple, even red and green,” he advises. Stick to safety or dare to be fancy? Both sides unleash passions in the beauty industry.

Quiet idyll

“Whether on social media or on red carpets, the trend quiet luxury make-up is everywhere,” says famous make-up artist Oreli Payen. And for good reason. “This style adapts to a wide audience because it works with several types of colors and very iconic shades,” adds Alexandra Falba, who affirms the dominance of this aesthetic of “understated luxury” to the end. It combines “a whole palette of nude and transparent shades that go well with jewelry,” she describes, noting that “it’s usually done on short, very neat nails. Because even before the choice of color, it is a manicure with hygiene and hand care. It was also the top beauty look at the Golden Globes last January. From Elizabeth Debicki to Margot Robbie, including Julia Garner, Jennifer Lawrence and Hunter Schafer, they’ve all paired their raw beige nails with their bare glossy or matte lips.

For Leslie Dumeix, the unbeatable change of the moment is what Gen Z calls the look glazed donuts (meaning “doughnut frosting”), popularized by model Hailey Bieber. OPI just released a new nail polish shade named after this trend. “The base color remains completely natural, but we add powder with mirror-effect accents on top,” she explains, suggesting she replicate the look of frozen lip donuts with iridescent gloss.

The style quiet luxury can also be interpreted in its more complex version with more or less dark shades of brown or red,” continues Alexandra Falba. The idea is to get your nails done but delicately and elegantly, in a Parisian way. Aurelie Payen, who is used to working behind the scenes of Hollywood red carpets, has noticed a mass of shades of brown, brown, garnet red, purple and black on the fingers of stars in recent months. A perfect match, according to him. “Pair one of these nail polish colors, with a beautiful lacquer finish, with a rosewood lipstick,” she suggests.

Monogamy

For those who are afraid of going fake, “tone with tone always works,” assures makeup artist Leslie Dumais. As proof, Selena Gomez elegantly paired her burgundy nails and lipstick in the same color at the recent Emmy Awards as Rihanna turned up the heat in the latest campaign for her Fenty × Savage underwear brand in a candy pink combo. Natalie Portman, for her part, caused a sensation at the Governors Awards with her bright red lips and matching manicure.

“This combination of red remains a safe bet,” he admits, but for those who are more loyal to monochrome to allow themselves a breath of madness and stand out for the evening, the expert suggests trying it. viral on social media, and which we recently saw again on actress Zendaya during Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris. Just ‘line your mouth with a two-toned lip liner over red lipstick. Then lower the line with your finger from the outside to the inside of the mouth. Finally, apply your lipstick in the center with a thin brush,” she says.

Flirt with nail art

Along with this minimalist aesthetic, we see a trend mob woman (“mafioso’s wife”). Amassing hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, this beauty is getting rave reviews more is more inspired by fictional characters such as Sharon Stone in Casino, Martin Scorsese or Carmela Soprano and Adriana La Serva in The Sopranos. Highlighting this edgy look. A mouth lined with brown pencil or pigment-laden lipsticks. But also extremely long and square nails (often fake), sometimes decorated with animal motifs. “In 2024, there are no more limitations in nail art. However, it is not necessary to make very extravagant designs on your nails, you can put the cursor on each one at your level,” reassures Alexandra Falba, who suggests, for example: draw a simple vertical line or do a colorful French manicure, the shade of which changes from one finger to another. What is being done a lot at the moment is creating different patterns on each nail.

Actress Isabella Rossellini already succumbed to it at the Lancôme × InStyle evening in January, showing off three nails painted in bright red to match her lipstick, as well as two fingers on each hand adorned with leopard print, like her jacket.

No offense to the good taste police, today “everything” is allowed, say our experts. “You can go all out, very colorful makeup with very elaborate nails or a 100% bare look. Everything just depends on how we accept ourselves in society,” Oreli Payen sums up. The only fatal mistake would be “wearing makeup or lipstick that doesn’t feel like you,” concludes Alexandra Falba.