Brand: Deborah Lippmann (probably 1999 Launch)

When celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann first launched her eponymous nail polish line in 1999, it was called Lippmann Collection and the polish was Nail Color. Today, the product is Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer, and the bottle has stayed pretty much the same apart from a matte black cap versus the old mirrored silver cap.

To be honest, I’ve never thought that Ms. Lippmann’s polish formula, old or new, warranted the higher-than-average price tag. You’re basically paying for a fancy bottle (and it is a very nice bottle!) and a brand name, right? The catch is, of course, that the colors released by this brand are almost always so well-executed and on trend! I see Deborah Lippmann polish as a less expensive Chanel polish: reasonable formula, luxe packaging, higher price, and exceptional colors.

This week’s Throwback Thursday swatch is Weekend In New England (named, as most Lippmann shades are, for a song: in this case, Barry Manilow’s 1976 hit—and Captain Jack Harkness covered it in 2007!), a rosy mauve with fine lavender shimmer that gives it a frosty sheen. It’s not terribly in-fashion at the moment, but I’m pretty sure it was when it was released back around 1999.

Of course, to me, this color conjures up nothing about a weekend in New England! Maybe Barry Manilow wore a lot of mauve?

This mauve has cool-toned silver sugarplum notes, but its base is a slightly warm woodrose, and this makes for an overall neutral, versatile mauve. Those who dislike a frosty finish will not be in love with it, but the frostiness is actually quite minimal: you won’t get any serious streaks.

The formula definitely used to be a two-coater; I suspect I’ve added a bit of nail polish thinner over the years, and I found two thin coats to be not quite enough to cover up some bald spots. It still applies very smoothly, however, so if you like this one and happen to find an old bottle somewhere—it’s discontinued—don’t hesitate to pick it up.

By the way, you can tell this is an older formula, because it’s most definitely not “7-Free”! There’s toluene, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and camphor in this nail polish.

[Deborah] Lippmann Collection Nail Colour was 0.5 US fl oz / 15 mL. The polish was made in the USA. (Today, Deborah Lippmann’s polishes are 7-Free.) The brand is cruelty-free.

Lippmann Enterprises, LLC is based in New York, NY, USA. It was founded in 1999.