I'll wear bolder colors on my toes, but not my fingernails. I'll rock a blue, green or bright pink on my eyes any day of the week, but I'm drawn to wearing 'safe' neutral or sheer shades on my nails. I always feel like it doesn't look right. Weird, huh? Anyone able to break out of the 'safe' mode?
Start with one digit, usually called the accent finger. Most girls do the ring finger. Make all of your other shades the safe color (for me that's nude or close to it). I find a bright accent finger to be a great way to get around strong dress codes at work. If you have a crazy glitter or hologram polish you can shift your finger around as you type and go, "Ooh shiny." Definitely worked for me when I took my first dive into vampy and black nail polish.
If you like your purple nail polish (Zoya Suri is a great choice) try a blue equivalent.
I would start with a medium gray. Then maybe move on to army green. Your still in "neutral" territory, so it should feel pretty safe. Keep working up.
Christine's idea of the accent finger is a good one too.
I had the same problem as you-- tons of bright, fun colors that I wouldn't wear. I broke this habit by reaching into my polish box randomly and painting my nails whatever color I grabbed first. There's no rhyme or reason to my polish collection so the odds were I'd pull a color that I'd never worn on my fingers. You'd be surprised how great a bold color can look on your fingers if you just go for it!
Being able to justify something can make you more comfortable with it. Match your toenails and your fingernails, and the reason "Well, they match my toes," might make you less inclined to cringe at wearing a bright color on your fingers. Eventually, you may realize how much you like it, and won't need a reason anymore.
Please do not fear! You will LOVE it! It's the most liberating and creative way to express yourself on a very temporary level! Challenge yourself to do it for one day at a time. That way you know it's coming off at the end of the day and then go from there. And if you have a ton of colors in the same family, reds, pinks, purples, do a gradient of colors across one hand. Similar colors but each a little different! It's fun. Take pics of what you do! We want to see
I started by matching my toes and nails, and then putting a "tone down" on my nails. Like a thin opal color or something, so that it looked a little less intimidating. Eventually I just started leaving it off. (:
The big problem I had when breaking out if my comfort zone was that i would always catch my nails out of the corner of my eye and freak over the color. The accent finger is a great idea and I used it too. However I started with rings that caught my eye the same way and worked my way up.
You just need to find a nail polish that you absolutely adore! I used to be all about the more subdued colours, but now my faves are the darkest and the strongest shades.
Maybe you could try adding colourful glitter to your safe colour as a small step outside the box? Even just as an accent nail, it might excite you about wearing different things. I know glitter makes me happy whenever I wear it.
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Sep 11, 2012
Nichole H.
I'll wear bolder colors on my toes, but not my fingernails. I'll rock a blue, green or bright pink on my eyes any day of the week, but I'm drawn to wearing 'safe' neutral or sheer shades on my nails. I always feel like it doesn't look right. Weird, huh? Anyone able to break out of the 'safe' mode?
Sep 11, 2012
Amber Does Nails x.
like Nike says "Just do it!"
...It's not a tattoo.
Try starting with the purples, everyone can find a good purple!
Sep 11, 2012
Nichole H.
I know, but I'll be self conscious. LOL!! I actually have Zoya's Suri (purple) coming in the mail. Maybe I'll give it a go.
Sep 11, 2012
Christine L.
Start with one digit, usually called the accent finger. Most girls do the ring finger. Make all of your other shades the safe color (for me that's nude or close to it). I find a bright accent finger to be a great way to get around strong dress codes at work. If you have a crazy glitter or hologram polish you can shift your finger around as you type and go, "Ooh shiny." Definitely worked for me when I took my first dive into vampy and black nail polish.
If you like your purple nail polish (Zoya Suri is a great choice) try a blue equivalent.
Sep 11, 2012
Kelly G.
I would start with a medium gray. Then maybe move on to army green. Your still in "neutral" territory, so it should feel pretty safe. Keep working up.
Christine's idea of the accent finger is a good one too.
Sep 12, 2012
Courtney B.
I had the same problem as you-- tons of bright, fun colors that I wouldn't wear. I broke this habit by reaching into my polish box randomly and painting my nails whatever color I grabbed first. There's no rhyme or reason to my polish collection so the odds were I'd pull a color that I'd never worn on my fingers. You'd be surprised how great a bold color can look on your fingers if you just go for it!
Sep 12, 2012
Kasey C.
Being able to justify something can make you more comfortable with it. Match your toenails and your fingernails, and the reason "Well, they match my toes," might make you less inclined to cringe at wearing a bright color on your fingers. Eventually, you may realize how much you like it, and won't need a reason anymore.
Sep 12, 2012
Nichole H.
Thanks ladies!!
Sep 12, 2012
Christina G.
Please do not fear! You will LOVE it! It's the most liberating and creative way to express yourself on a very temporary level! Challenge yourself to do it for one day at a time. That way you know it's coming off at the end of the day and then go from there. And if you have a ton of colors in the same family, reds, pinks, purples, do a gradient of colors across one hand. Similar colors but each a little different! It's fun. Take pics of what you do! We want to see
Sep 15, 2012
Katelynn D.
I started by matching my toes and nails, and then putting a "tone down" on my nails. Like a thin opal color or something, so that it looked a little less intimidating. Eventually I just started leaving it off. (:
Sep 28, 2012
Amanda M.
The big problem I had when breaking out if my comfort zone was that i would always catch my nails out of the corner of my eye and freak over the color. The accent finger is a great idea and I used it too. However I started with rings that caught my eye the same way and worked my way up.
Sep 28, 2012
Dylan P.
You just need to find a nail polish that you absolutely adore! I used to be all about the more subdued colours, but now my faves are the darkest and the strongest shades.
Maybe you could try adding colourful glitter to your safe colour as a small step outside the box? Even just as an accent nail, it might excite you about wearing different things. I know glitter makes me happy whenever I wear it.