pretty pastels, particularly cotton candy pink, fresh mint and buttercup yellow, are a staple on my fingers. so delicate and whimsical, especially when adorned with an extra flourish of matching glitter, like here and here.

and just as there are days when all i want is soft and serene, at times you just need to really up the ante, no? i’ve done it before. and I’m doing it again. it’s neon week! oh the possibilities of neon. so many options. do you want to go with the hottest of hot pinks? channel your inner traffic cone (we all have one of those within right?) with garish orange?

neon nails can instantly punch up any outfit. just like a slick of red lipstick, the small in size but high in impact colour pop can transform a drab black ensemble into unexpected fun. or better yet, for those attention seekers among us, you can do as i did and clash your neon with more neon. you’ll be a walking disco ball, and what’s wrong with that on a tuesday afternoon in the office, i ask?

i’ve given most of the neon rainbow my attention at one time or another (the american apparel range is a particular favourite) but i was strolling through boots the other day, stocking up on my fifth bottle of nail polish remover this year and minding my own business, when the barry m stand caught my eye, filled up high with some neon shades i hadn’t noticed in their collection before. in particular, this acid yellow shade. ‘hot damn’, i thought, ‘my hands need that’.

it took three (thin, as always) coats to really get a good opaque going, and i actually added a fourth layer, simply to see how bright i could really get it. neon addict, coming through.

i adore this colour. it’s ridiculously fun. (the bf may have described the shade as hyper-puke though. pffft. men.) if acid yellow is a little much for you, my other neon favourite is hot pink, this one is fabulous.

one word of warning: wait until you have some level of a tan before trying this look. acid yellow is tricky at the best of times, and paired with caspar white fingers, i fear the aforementioned male’s observation of looking sickly may be accurate. this is a great one for the beach – wear with a white bikini and golden glow.

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