We Take You Behind the Closed Doors of Nail Polish Naming

Posted by November 17, 2011 7:28 pm

Deborah Lippmann founder of the Deborah Lippmann Collection

When I was getting ready to launch my brand, figuring out how to name the shades, I considered the products that I personally buy.  For me, as a [...]

Deborah Lippmann founder of the Deborah Lippmann Collection

When I was getting ready to launch my brand, figuring out how to name the shades, I considered the products that I personally buy.  For me, as a consumer, I'm super visual but I also found that the name of a shade could make or break whether I bought a product or not.   If the name didn't match my perception of the shade, I would get confused and wouldn't buy it.  I decided to name my shades after song titles because I'm a jazz singer and so passionate about music, and I felt strongly that the names should evoke a feeling rather than a specific shade because we all see color differently.  Whether you know the song or not, the names are just fun!


When naming shades I reference a lot of jazz music on my playlist, we reference our favorite songs, we play around on iTunes to see what people are listening to.  Bitches Brew is a deep mulberry with a [...]

When naming shades I reference a lot of jazz music on my playlist, we reference our favorite songs, we play around on iTunes to see what people are listening to.  Bitches Brew is a deep mulberry with a tiny bit of shimmer which was named after an iconic Miles Davis song and in some areas of the country, they won't sell it, it's too risqué.  It's been an interesting learning process seeing what works and what doesn't when it comes to naming a shade.  Although a lot more is acceptable today than it was 10 or 15 years ago.

Brainstorming is a lot of fun at our office.  Sometimes we'll pop open a bottle of wine, and get four or five people around computers looking on iTunes.  We'll also review customer suggestions – so many people will email us song titles for potential colors.  While we do have an ongoing list of songs, the color always comes before the name.

Essie Weingarten founder of essie

I think about a moment, or something that inspires me, like the colors I see on a summer vacation. Sometimes it's an irreverent play on words, a funny story or theme... [...]

Essie Weingarten founder of essie

I think about a moment, or something that inspires me, like the colors I see on a summer vacation. Sometimes it's an irreverent play on words, a funny story or theme... Ultimately, the colors have to be right, and the names have to be memorable.

I have creative people help suggest names, and some of them are really good!  But in the end, I decide. A name has to be witty and fun. It has to have personality, and it has to resonate with what I [...]
I have creative people help suggest names, and some of them are really good!  But in the end, I decide. A name has to be witty and fun. It has to have personality, and it has to resonate with what I know women want. I find it so rewarding. It gives everyone something to talk about! I'm inspired everywhere I go – walking down the street or along the beach, sitting in the dentist's office – I am ALWAYS looking at the world and searching for that one little thing that can be inspiration for my next collection. When you really look around you, you see color everywhere.  I just take it all in and the creative juices flow from there. It's the most fun part of my job.

Suzi Weiss Fischmann Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI

There are a group of six people, including myself, who go behind closed doors for 6-8 hours to brainstorm and decide upon new names for the [...]

Suzi Weiss Fischmann Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI

There are a group of six people, including myself, who go behind closed doors for 6-8 hours to brainstorm and decide upon new names for the lacquers. For destination-based collections, which are launched twice a year, the group will play upon unique, interesting, or noteworthy elements from the country or city in question to come up with literally hundreds of names for consideration.

OPI lacquer names are special; women are always turning over OPI bottles to see which names catch their attention. When picking between two hues, a woman might choose the one with the name that appeals [...]
OPI lacquer names are special; women are always turning over OPI bottles to see which names catch their attention. When picking between two hues, a woman might choose the one with the name that appeals most, whether it makes her laugh, or reminds her of a special time in her life. Other names allow women to travel with OPI to places they might only ever imagine, calling to mind exotic locations that leave women feeling confident and sexy.
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It’s everyones’ first instinct. As you are standing there before a wall of nail colors – each one only a shade apart- all we can think to do is reach towards a color that speaks to us and turn it upside down. Whether or not the name speaks to us; however, is what determines if it gets to go on our fingernails.

The name is such an important part of the whole manicure experience that we wanted to find out what comes first the color or the name? We asked some of the biggest names in the industry how their team brainstorms and selects the witty names on the bottom of each and every bottle of nail polish.




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