Ron King: Is Gray the New Black?

by The Style King/Ron King on Monday, August 30th, 2010

Ron King has worked as a hairstylist, transforming people’s appearances, for more than 20 years. With a growing celebrity clientele, King travels the world taking inspiration from different cultures and countries. Along the way, he has developed his own “easy wear” style philosophy which plays up a woman’s natural hair texture and pairs it with natural-looking makeup that’s easy to apply. This mantra led him to launch a signature line of cosmetics for women who want to look pulled together but who are are short on time. King has worked with some of the most respected names in the industry, including L’Oreal Professional, Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo and Rick Wellman.

There’s been something underfoot with manicure colors this summer…. The boring neutrals and vampy, dark purple/black shades of nail lacquer we saw last year have gone the way of square-shaped nails, and all but disappeared from the hands of discerning fashionistas the world over.

In their place? A new shade called “greige,” a combination of gray and beige, as the name implies, that is totally chic and acts as its own kind of neutral. Less dated and expected than creams and pale pinks, but not as drastic as the sultry dark shades we’ve also been seeing, it’s nearly the perfect nail polish color. The shade looks great on most skin tones and with a variety of looks (just look at the celebs sporting the nail polish shade, from Karen O to Megan Fox, for evidence)… It adds sophistication to a more edgy ensemble and makes the classic shapes and colors we’ve seen on the runways for Fall 2010 more fun and trendy. It’s also an inexpensive way to perk up your style and update older looks.

I suggest wearing this nail color again on a shortish, rounded nail and make sure your nails are well-groomed! The grayish beige tends to look sloppy on unkempt nails. The color has been popular since last spring, but is becoming more mainstream presently (for those who fear the trend is a bit risque for them). I recommend trying Chanel’s nail color #505 or Revlon’s Steel Etto for a more affordable option.