Meet the Pun-Loving Mani Queen Who Names OPI's Nail Polishes

So you're at your standing manicure appointment trying to decide between "You Don't Know Jacquesi" and "Lincoln Park After Dark," and you find yourself wondering: Who is the creative mind who comes up with these fantastically punny nail polish color names?

Mystery solved: It's Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, the co-founder and artistic director of OPI, who was kind enough to let us pick her brain.

Cosmo: So, how does the nail polish naming process work?

Suzi: I create all of the shades first. Soon after, six of us sit in a boardroom to come up with the clever names. Usually you can find us eating something unhealthy; it really gets our ideas flowing! If you notice, some of our polish names even take a play on food. "Suzi is Hungary Again" is one of the most popular. The idea for this name was me around 3pm asking around the office if any one has a good snack. Many of the names come from our life experiences—good and bad—and our travels.

Cosmo: Do you ever take suggestions?

Suzi: We don’t take suggestions outside the boardroom, but sometimes we invite someone on staff to sit in as a guest listener. I've found over the years that our guests have some of the best ideas!

Cosmo: What is your favorite polish name ever?

Suzi: I love polishes with names that tell a story. In 2006, we had the OPI Mexican collection color, and My Chihuahua Bites!—a bright orange polish that earned its name because the weekend before, I was bit by a chihuahua. Ouch! Not the best story, but a great name and polish certainly came out of it.

Cosmo: How do you decide on your colors?

Suzi: I always look to the fashion trends from Paris and Milan so I can see what fabrics and color schemes the top designers are using for the upcoming season. Then I try to envision what would look best in nail polish. Our themes run alongside what is current in pop culture. With the release of the new Disney movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, we created an OPI line with names from the movie alongside colors that best fit the characters. Two times a year we do our seasonal collection. I find the most inspiration for colors in countries I have visited.

Cosmo: You've done polish lines with Mariah Carey and Katy Perry—are there any celebs you're dying to work with in the future?

Suzi: I am so lucky because when it comes to celebrities; they love the brand. I don’t have to do much to approach them. The new celebrity OPI line is someone I have been wanting to work with forever, I can’t tell you who, but I know you will love them!  

Article by Danielle Adone at cosmopolitan.com

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images