Fictionary: Graycist

Fictionary is a column showcasing beauty-related words that don’t exist, but should.

The Le Metier de Beaute Jet Set Resort Collection

In the sage words of Joan Rivers, can we talk?

Tell me if you’ve experienced this. I’m not ashamed to admit I usually hit up a cheap Asian nail salon–my favorite sells manis for $5 and pedis for $10. Can you EVEN? I love that the nail techs couldn’t care less regarding the shade I choose. I can rock black, purple neon, WHATEVER. Read on…


But sometimes I’m in the market for a more luxe experience and enjoy a manicure at real, brick and mortar salon where the nail techs are typically fellow Russians, though they were born in Mother Russia. And I’ve learned that my fellow Ruskies and I have something in common: We adore telling others what beauty product shades to wear.

My favorite Russian nail techs (Flora at Rita Hazan and Luda at John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman) BOTH like to play an integral role in helping me choose my nail shade–and they have a LOT of opinions about grey nail polish. Specifically–they hate it–to the point of being Graycist. I’ve been rebuffed every time I’ve tried to get them to gloss my digits with a little Essie Chinchilly or Le Metier de Beaute Tres Taupe. “It’s not pretty,” they insist. “Try this one,” they say, painting a test nail with a vibrant red or pink. They simply cannot take pride in their work when they’re lacquering up a gal with a grey polish. And I respect that. So Luda at John Barrett Salon chose for me a fierce red-pink from the Le Metier De Beaute Jet Set Resort Collection for 2012 called ShocKEN Pink and we were both delighted with the glossy results.

Tell me: Have you endured Graycism in a nail salon?

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