In the wake of the darker holiday season a welcome trend falls into our hands, quite literally: neon. Straight from the 1980s and already ushering us well into the summer, these hot hues not only give that usual “pop” of color but can be a look all on its own.
This Fashionista knows her neons well — not only does she append the bright style onto her neutral palette, but perhaps in one of the best indecisive moments, wears two shades at once. She keeps it chic, though, by keeping to a similar palette and wearing a red-orange on one hand and a more yellow tone on the other. She highlights the vivid tones with gilded, delicately colorful accessories.
Take cues from this Fashionista the next time you can’t decide between two shades and cop her style by trying on OPI’s Atomic Orange and The It Color, or if you’re for deeper jewel tones, go for essie’s Neon Collection. Sadly, you can’t have it all — going overboard with a different color for each digit can end up more bizarre than ingenious.
Strong colored lacquer can be tricky especially when you’re doing your own nails, so keep these few tips in mind to get those vibrant talons in tip-top shape: keep all your tools in easy reach, especially cotton buds and polish remover. Start by buffing (the smoother surface is a neat base for lacquer to go on), never go beyond two coats to avoid peeling, and always end with a top coat.
A secret to adding your own flair to this trend is to subtract, add, or even multiply. To tone down the loudest shades, go matte — essie’s Matte About You produces the flattest finish in the market. To add a little pizzazz, go for a sparkle top coat like China Glaze Snowglobe. If you prefer “more is more” then texturize and try nail art, but for those D.I.Y. Fashionistas, the shatter top coat of recent fame would serve as a perfectly choppy crust. There are a lot more ways you can get creative and experiment with dramatic nails, but any which way you make it, neon nails are always a bright idea.