Frolic Towards Fluorescence With The Maybelline Bleached Neons by Color Show Nail Lacquer Collection

Whatever the calendar might say, summer has been slow to arrive this year, with many in the Northeast still grappling with tempestuous weather changes — as in, 57 degrees one day and 80 degrees the next! Needless to say, breaking out the full-fledged neon trappings — fluorescent handbags, Day Glow nail lacquers, and phosphorescent jewelry — has probably felt a bit premature.  And, almost as if there were seasoned meteorologists (and maybe even thoroughly accurate fortune tellers) in their ranks, the team at Maybelline New York served up a lively Color Show collection that’s perfect for easing into summer.

The Limited Edition Bleached Neons by Color Show collection consists of seven creamy nail lacquer shades, each retailing for $3.99, that fall between the vivid pastel category and the bright neon range, pushing the boundaries of the former while still proving more muted and restrained than the latter. Imagine taking your brightest pair of skinny jeans and bleaching them a few shades and — presto! — that’s the effect we have here (assuming, of course, you did a uniform bleaching job and not some botched experiment!).

The Bleached Neons collection incorporates the following shades: Bleached in Peach, Citrus Collide, Coral Heat, Day Glow Teal, Lime Accent, Pink Punch, and Ultra Violet.

Though the collection was designed to be available only in May, many of these shades started popping up in drugstores near me only a few weeks ago so, if you act fast, you might be able to catch them within the next week or two before they are pulled from all shelves.

Below, check out swatches of three shades from the collection: Bleached in Peach, Day Glow Teal, and Citrus Collide.

BLEACHED IN PEACH

This shade is simply delightful! It doesn’t have the traditional pink-ish tint of a creamy, timid, dainty peach color so that it feels more like a fluorescent orange that’s been whitened over and over again, making the “bleached” motif all the more fitting. It reminds me of the surf-inspired, heavily distressed, burnout tees we see during the summer, which is perhaps one of the reasons why I’m jonesin’ for it.

That said, because it’s a lighter shade, you’ll need 3-4 coats to ensure full coverage. In my experience, the nail lacquer formula is thick so you’ll want to make sure every coat is nice and dry before adding another layer — otherwise, a gooey mess can ensue. That  said, with the proper care, you’ll have a perky mani in no time!

DAY GLOW TEAL

This is one of the only colors in the collection that truly feels summery, as opposed to being more of a transitional shade. Though billed as a teal shade, I’d venture to describe it as more of a cyan blue mixed with turquoise, then whitened a bit to give it the “bleached” effect. Granted, it doesn’t contain any fluorescent pigments, but it’s still decidedly vibrant and the aquatic quality of the blue shade makes it feel incredibly beach-y. It’s also more opaque than many of the lighter shades, requiring only two coats to deliver full coverage. Love it? Me too.

CITRUS COLLIDE

I’d describe the Citrus Collide shade as a pastel yellow with a punk attitude. Imagine mixing a glass of Limoncello with milk and the color created might look a bit like this (the drink, on the other hand, would likely be vile). Similarly, it recalls a lemon meringue confection but that whitened quality doesn’t make it any more dainty and saccharine — instead, it makes the color feel a bit defiant. If there’s a power pastel in the bunch, this one would be it.

So what do you think? Are you curious about the Bleached Neons collection?