Neon nail polish!!!

Ok, it may be September already, but I figured I had some unfinished business with my summer related posts (namely in the nail polish department), that I shouldn't delay for any longer!

So, yep, this post will be about neon nail polish. But why neon, you may ask? And why now?

Well, as this summer has sadly come to its end, I realised that it's another summer in a row that neon nail polish was a huge trend in my country! Greek ladies definitely go all out as soon as its sandal season, with neon corals and neon pinks being the most favourable.
Now, I don't know exactly why this seems to be going on for a few years now. It could be that neon colours make the skin appear more tanned (I mean, hello, if your eyes are blinded, you will naturally think everything else is darker) or they 're just chosen for the "wow" factor, but whatever the case may be, it's surely a great idea for a post!




So, here are a few neons in my collection:




1. GT Cosmetics No. 4. This is by a greek "drugstore" brand (I know that Color Club makes a similar shade if you 're looking for a dupe) that makes affordable neons. No. 4 is a basic neon coral, that's very hot for the summer months. Swatch is after 3 coats and could probably use a fourth - don't worry about drying time, each coat needs about 5 to 7 min to dry completely. What would be worth mentioning is that this dries to a weird semi-matte finish, not matte like most neons. It is however very fluorescent, so I 'd gladly overlook its minor flaws.




2. Essie Perky Purple. This was by far the hardest to photograph out of the bunch. In real life it's not as warm as on the nails, neither as cool as it appears in the bottle, it's somewhere inbetween. What I like about this is that it's a subtle neon, meaning it won't hurt your eyes and that you can wear it on other occasions (besides the...beach?) too. 3 coats, drying time was a few minutes for each coat, dries matte. And, oh yeah, it's limited edition (Essie Summer '09).




3. Essie Punchy Pink. Another LE (from that same collection), Punchy Pink is the hottest neon pink you can come across! I just love this one, and coming from someone that doesn't usually like pink nail polish, that must say something! 3 quick coats, same as Perky Purple.




4. Barry M Neon Green. Now, don't be fooled by its name, this one is not a neon in technical terms. It's shimmery for one. It also dries to an almost glossy finish. And ok, it is an obnoxiously bright green, but it's not really that fluorescent. However, being a Barry M nail polish, it's a pleasure to apply and lasts many days.


So, what do you think of neon nail polish?
Any tricks for neon photography on a non slr camera?

And, is there a beauty trend in your country/town that has escaped the beauty blogging community? :)