François Nars is fluent in gray.

He does many colors well, but for me, none so hit the mark than his charcoals, mint-steels (like new shadow Euphrate) and my favorite–purple-gray hybrids. This is an elusive shade; so rare as to practically be a Crayola fugitive. I once argued with my freshman year college roommate Marcia about a perfectly purple-gray purse I bought at the Gap in Kenmore Square (the source of all my duds I donned that year, alas) about its exact color provenance. I maintained it was gray, she swore it was purple. We ended up calling the store that night to settle the argument. (It was gray.) I gra(y)vitate toward the hues that are grayt and unexpected.

My manicure with Nars Nail Polish in Galathee.

My favorite grayt shade of late? The new hue Galathee, from the NARS Fall 2013 Color Collection, which is vaguely neon, brightly creamy and boasts a lit-from-within violet-gray pigment. It’s so grayt, it’s actually graaaaayyyyt.

Nars Nail Polish in Galathee ($19) will be available at narscosmetics.com on July 15. What’s on your nails? Do you appreciate a grayt color?

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