“What’s On Your Nails?” with Julia Allison

What’s On Your Nails? is a series focusing on my fellow beauty bloggers and industry insiders, their favorite nail polish and other hot nail topics. For this week’s What’s On Your Nails? I got in touch with web celebrity Julia Allison from Nonsociety. Last fall I discovered Julia’s penchant for funky nail colors and her fridge full of nail polish (and nothing else!). Being that she’s on camera for like 90% of her life which requires perfectly polished digits, I had to reach out and get the deets on her manicure routine. If you aren’t familiar with Julia or her website, a quick web search will bring up more than you ever wanted to know. Of course, with such fast fame comes scrutiny and a LOT of hater-ade. Say what you will about her but she’s an educated woman that knows how to play the game and make people take notice. I was actually hoping to catch Julia backstage at Fashion Week since NonSociety’s coverage was massive but I only got a glimpse of Mary running to a show as I was heading out of the tents. There’s always next season. So read on to learn more about Julia, her taste in nail color (she’s SO on my wavelength) and of course, what’s on her nails.

Introduce yourself to the ALU readers. Tell us a little about you and your blog.
Julia’s official bio:
New York Magazine named the 27-year-old “the most famous young journalist in the city,” The New York Observer called her a “cross between Paris Hilton and Ayn Rand,” and her August 2008 WIRED cover outsold every other issue in the last decade, save three. Since 2006, she’s made over 400 on-air tv appearances, including CNN, MSNBC, Vh1, E!, Fox, CBS, and NBC. The former Editor-at-Large for Star magazine, she’s currently a columnist for Time Out New York, and has written for Cosmopolitan, Maxim, New York magazine, The Huffington Post, Men’s Health and others.

The co-founder of NonSociety, which garners over 800,000 visitors every month, she also co-hosts and exec produces the popular internet chat show, TMI Weekly, with Next New Networks. She’s been hired to speak to companies like A&E, Unilever, Microsoft, and MIT’s Sloan School on new media and innovative marketing strategies, and is a frequent panelist at conferences, where she relishes the copious use of nametags.

She graduated from Georgetown in 2004 with a degree in political science, and was the youngest legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill during the 107th Congress. Her father is still waiting for her to get a “real job” with health insurance.

What is your favorite nail polish?
Essie’s Ballet Slippers. There simply is no nail polish more classic.

What is on your tips and toes right now?
OPI’s Vodka & Caviar on my tips, and some medium pink shade (I don’t usually do medium pink, but I thought I’d mix it up a bit) on my toes.

Do you consider nail polish a beauty necessity or accessory? Why?
I am never, ever without polish. Ever. I’m happy to give up dinners out, but I won’t go without a manicure & pedicure. Don’t judge! I can do my own, but here in NY, it’s so cheap and fast and perfect, I never do …

How many bottles of nail polish do you own?
About ten – and they’re all stored in my fridge! They’re pretty much the ONLY thing in my fridge, hahah.

How often do you change your nail polish?
I get a manicure every two weeks, but if I had more cash/time, I’d do a polish change every week. Hell, every two days! haha

Do you have a favorite nail treatment you think my readers should know about? Why is it so fab?
Ask my manicurist! I do wear silk tips, and I love them.

What do you think will be the big nail trend for spring?
There’s a dark sparkly purple color at Chanel that will be huge – yes, dark purple for spring! – I’m also really into fun, bright, different colors on your tips (not toes, so much. I tend to stick to red there) – like yellow, green, blue, etc. [Editor’s note: She’s talking about Chanel Vendetta]

What nail trend do you wish would go away?
Probably decals … but I’m very non-judgmental about polish. I just like it when women take the time to actually polish their nails! I think there’s nothing sexier than a perfect manicure.

What is the biggest nail faux pas that women make?
Leaving their nails unkept, dirty and bare. Bleh!!

I hear you Julia, there’s no excuse for dirty nails unless you work with your hands and they make products for that. And I just love that you’re all about a yellow nail. Thanks for sharing the polish love with the ALU Fanatics Julia. And readers, make sure you check out NonSociety to follow Julia’s lifecast and see what nail color she’s wearing next.