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From Nail Biter to Celebrity Manicurist This Entrepreneur Leaves Her Mark in Beauty, and Now Music
Photo courtesy Peter Lindbergh
By Kayee Ip and Christine Spiegel
Deborah Lippmann
“When you spend 30 minutes a week with a person, face to face, holding his or her hand, you tend to find things to talk about.”
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After college, Deborah Lippmann ( -Arizona State) worked side jobs while pursuing her music career. Along the way, one of those jobs introduced her to renowned make-up artist Bobbi Brown. Today, this multi-talented Phi has her own signature nail lacquer and treatment product line, and she just released her first studio album. The irony is Deborah used to be a serial nail biter. It wasn’t until she joined a traveling Las Vegas revue-like theater group during college that she received her first manicure at the request of the stage director. On graduation day, Deborah was getting a manicure and confided that she was uncertain about how she was going to pay rent after college. “My manicurist recommended cosmetology school,” says Deborah. “When I told my mom this was what I wanted, she said, ‘Over my dead body!’” Deborah and her mother joke about this today. “I even tried to waitress and bartend, but I am not talented in those areas,” says Deborah. Working as a manicurist became her “waitressing” job while pursuing a singing career. But a twist of fate turned this side job into a second career. Deborah had worked at Frédéric Fekkai Salon in New York City for less than one year when Bobbi Brown first sat down in her manicure chair. Bobbi’s make-up line consisted of only eight lipsticks carried in one store, but she already was well known within the fashion and beauty industry. When Bobbi told Allure magazine about Deborah’s impressively clean and thorough manicure style, Allure and other top publications began calling on Deborah for her nail expertise. Everything skyrocketed from there. Celebrities began to request Deborah as their manicurist. Years of working with famous clients led Deborah to create polishes for them, and thus was born the Lippmann Collection of nail lacquer and treatment products. Deborah’s list of celebrity loyalists grew to include Marla Maples, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mariah Carey, Martha Stewart, Cher and Renee Zellweger, but she kept sight of her first love – music. In fact,
music has been such a major influence in Deborah’s life that all nail colors in her signature line are named after memorable songs titles. The intent, she says, is to elicit a feeling or mood. For instance “Just Walk Away Renee,” a deep romantic black cherry color, was created in collaboration with Renee Zellweger. “Sarah Smile,” a sheer and sexy pink, was created with Sarah Jessica Parker. When asked what nail color Deborah envisions for Alpha Phi, she said, “If I were creating a nail lacquer for Alpha Phi it would have to be bordeaux with silver running through it, and I would call it ‘Alpha Phi Girl.’” Perhaps something to look forward to in the future? Keeping the Music Dream Alive Deborah says pursuing a singing career was difficult at times, especially when her natural shyness made performing in public a challenge. But she did not give up. Although Deborah kept her music career separate from her day job, she admits her celebrity contacts have boosted that career. For example, celebrity clients have gone to see her sing at local nightclubs. When Marla Maples and Martha Stewart discovered Deborah was a singer, they asked her to perform at private events. “When you spend 30 minutes a week with a person, face to face, holding his or her hand, you tend to find things to talk about,” Deborah says.
Deborah Lippmann’s love of music is evident in The Lippmann Collection’s nail color names, including “Constant Craving,” “Sarah Smile” and “Love Shack.”
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