Essie's The Neon Collection: not for your average wallflower

Back in first grade, colored cosmetics were my thing. Nothing was better than bright nail polish (hot pink highlighter was an excellent substitute) and bright blue/teal eyeliner. Which is why this summer's trends give me a major sense of deja-vu.

Among the numerous new bright nail polish collections, Essie's The Neon Collection caught my eye in Duane Reade the other day, and I couldn't resist picking up Shorty Pants ("light up the night electric yellow") and Bermuda Shorts ("high-voltage violet").

Shorty Pants ($8.00) is definitely the brightest yellow I've ever seen in a nail polish. I'm a little disappointed because without good lighting, it kind of resembles a bland banana yellow. That aside, it's still a little too bright for everyday, but I can definitely see myself rocking this on my fingernails at a party or at the beach. For those of you that are bright-shy, try this on your toes!

Bermuda Shorts ($8.00) is a regular purple. While it's plenty bright, I feel like it's too dark to be a summer nail color. I'd rather wear it in the fall.

Here's what the polishes look like in the bottle:

Shorty Pants


Bermuda Shorts

As with all things Essie, both Shorty Pants and Bermuda Shorts are great quality polishes. (Unfortunately, when I last checked Essie wasn't 3-free yet. C'mon, get on that!) I always finish up my manicures with Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat ($10.00 at Amazon.com) - fast drying, brilliant shine.