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An Inside Look at Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘Perfect Red’ Holiday Manicure, According to Her Longtime Personal Assistant

An Inside Look at Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘Perfect Red’ Holiday Manicure, According to Her Longtime Personal Assistant featured image
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Timelessly elegant, there is no end date for Elizabeth Taylor’s decade-spanning beauty. While much has been documented on the icon’s jewelry, makeup and fragrances, getting that “just-right” manicure was also part of her regular routine, according to those who knew her best. A meticulous historian of all-things Taylor, Tim Mendelson, co-trustee, House of Taylor and Elizabeth’s longtime personal assistant recently shared some of the star’s more closely kept nail secrets—including a special holiday manicure shade she created with her manicurist.

Color of Choice

Mendelson says that most of the time, Taylor wore a pale pink color on her nails. “At holiday time, she often switched to red nails and worked with her manicurist to mix a bunch of shades to create what she called ‘the perfect red,’ which was a warm fire-engine red.”

Shape Shift

Taylor wore her nails different lengths, depending on the time and her mood, Mendelson says, but usually on the shorter side. “They were always natural—she never wore acrylics. Her shape was referred to as an oval square. Elizabeth wore a version of the French tip with more of a creamy white, than a stark white.” Since Taylor traveled often, Mendelson says the French manicure didn’t chip as easily or show as much as her nails grew out, “so it was practical, as well as stylish.”

Brand Loyal

There were two go-to brands Taylor relied on: Revlon and L’Oréal. Luckily for us, both brands are still available today.

Home Base

Taylor’s nails were always done at home. “Starting in 1984, Kate Rose, who was working at José Eber’s salon, did her manicures and they worked together exclusively for the rest of her life,” says Mendelson. “Kate was well known as ‘the best in town’ and was trained initially as a Juliette Marglen manicurist.”

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