Emerald City

Unorthodox nail colors have a tendency to go quickly from shock inducing to ubiquitous. Remember the first time you saw Chanel Vamp? Now green is poised to become the new It color. “Green has a very Ralph Lauren-by-the-fireside feel to it,” says Nonie Creme, cofounder of nail polish line Butter London, who created a shade called British Racing Green. “Because it’s anchored in preppiness, it’s not so scary.”

From left: Green nail polishes from Dashing Diva, OPI, Hard Candy, Illamasqua, Rescue Beauty Lounge and Barielle, artistically crafted at left.

Among the season’s offerings are emerald (Illamasqua’s Rampage) and bright olive (Barielle’s Polished Princess). Most take their cue from the great outdoors. There’s the grassy tone of Enchanted Forest by Orly; the black-green that characterizes CND’s Oilslick, Cosmic Ray by Np2 and Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow by OPI; and a pine hue, which shows up in Dashing Diva’s Grand Central Station and two different polishes named Envy (one by Hard Candy, the other by Zoya).

Rescue Beauty Lounge owner Ji Baek, who formulated a muted stem shade, Orbis Non Sufficit, for fall, loves the trend. “Green is very sophisticated while also having a soft touch,” she says, adding that it has the benefit of operating like a neutral. “It goes with everything!”

Styled by Kris Jensen for Mark Edward Inc. Nail polish bottles: George Chinsee