Glow in the dark

The other day, while catching up with the Birchbox blog*, I came across a call for bloggers to write about combining neutrals with pops of neon (or neon with pops of neutral). While I realize that for me, this concept is known as “Tuesday,” it’s not something everyone is so quick to embrace. But the beauty of this trend is that it’s an easy–and cheap!–way to freshen up your existing classics and look trendy without looking like you’re trying too hard.

My love of neon makeup has been documented before, and, yes, neon pink lipstick is an easy way to rock this trend. But nail polish is an easier and low-maintenance way for most of us to embrace this trend. Essie had a fantastic neon collection a few summers ago and Color Club has a great one this year. I’ve been rocking a neon pedicure with metallic flip flops for the last few summers, but a neon manicure with matte topcoat is a great permanent accessory.

Unfortunately for me, the neon manicure has been verboten for the last seven months. I’ve been stuck in a uniform of jeans, a navy blazer, and neutral makeup. Fortunately, this ban does not extend to my footwear, and I’ve been rocking my Cole Haan Britt booties for the last few months. The fluorescent yellow laces are the perfect pop of color for an otherwise basic outfit. And the fantastic thing is, there are neutral laces I can swap out, which make them the perfect neutral to pair with…

…the neon green pants I plan to swap out for the everyday blue ones. I’m all over the bright jeans trend and I can’t think of a better color than festival green. I think they’ll look great with my tan booties and navy blazer. And, yes, maybe even bright pink lips!

*I’ve told you about Birchbox, right? It’s an amazing subscription service where, for $10/month, you get a box full of beauty samples picked just for you. It’s fantastic. You need it.