Lady Gaga's Vanity Fair Manicure

When I saw the September 2010 issue of Vanity Fair I went gaga over Lady Gaga's manicure. She's wearing a shade of gray-beige nailpolish ("greige," as it's now called).
I've always been a fan of taupes and muted pinks (bubble gum pinks aren't that appealing to me) so this gray with a just a hint of rosiness really captivated me.
This shade has been in style for a little while. A few examples: OPI's Tickle My France-y (a kind of putty pink) and You Don't Know Jacques (a deeper, brown-gray), and Chanel's limited edition shade, Particuliere #505 (a slightly grayer shade than OPI's France-y) all collected a lot of buzz as of late.
But, back to Gaga: I looked in the magazine and it turns out Deborah Lippmann, one of the most famous manicurists out there, did Lady Gaga's nails for the cover shoot, and used her own line's Waking Up In Vegas. One mystery solved. (Visit www.deborahlippmann.com for more). On the site, it's described as a "putty-liscious gray" creme color, and it's selling for $16. It's a perfect match for Gaga's cover look, with her gray-blonde wig and all the cool, pale jewelry, clothing and makeup she is wearing.
However, if you're into the Gaga look for a fraction of the price, there is another option.
I was just in CVS (one of my regular haunts, I have to confess) and found a new (to me) display by Milani Cosmetics. There are several "Bare" shades but the Bare to Wear #823 caught my eye. Compared to the Vanity Fair cover, it's not an exact match but it's pretty close. I splurged and now I'm enjoying my bargain version (for $4.49!). (Visit www.milanicosmetics.com to check out the nail shades available.)
As a slight aside, if these "greige" shades are too gray or too beige for you, one of this fall's hottest forecast trends for nails is a smokier purple. Fashion magazines are pushing the ascension of this color, and Chanel's Paradoxal #509 is being predicted to be the next hot thing. (It's a greyish-purple shade that looks more gray or more purple, depending on the light and who's wearing it.) Google "Chanel" and Paradoxal" and you'll see countless pictures of women showing off their up-to-the-moment manicures.