BEAUTY

STORMY WEATHER

At last night’s Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama had some fierce competition—the dress, the shoes, the pipes and those nails. But, exactly, what color was that polish?

by Jane Larkworthy

blog-michelle-obama-nail-polishes-dnc.jpg

At last night’s Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama had some fierce competition—the dress, the shoes, the pipes and those nails.

But, exactly, what color was that polish?

“It’s blue gray or purple gray,” says New York manicurist and nail salon owner Jin Soon Choi, whose own line launched this month (no blue gray or purple gray, sadly). “[That kind of shade] looks different on all skin tones. “

While the betting pool seems to be fairly down the middle between OPI’s I Don’t Give a Rotterdam and Essie’s Merino, we’d like to be extra bi-partisan and throw in a few other contenders—some gray, someblue-gray, some purple-gray—as possibilities:

“This is the perfect example of what I’ve been preaching for years, which is that nails can give an amazing element to every outfit,” says founder and owner of Rescue Beauty Lounge Ji Baek, whose own Stormy (above, right) fits the bill. “Michelle could have played it safe with a sheer pink, typical of what you’d think a politician’s wife would wear, but she’s never been cookie cutter. She really went for it last night. We’ve come a long way.” And so has gray.

Obama: Getty Images