I love perusing nail art blogs. So many people have such great ideas for unique manicures that it’s not hard to get inspired. But somehow I always end up going basic on my own nails. Not boring, per se, but I almost always start with a neutral base. To me it’s like having bright walls in my bedroom — I get tired of looking at it really fast and just want it to calm down. My toenails are different (I love bright, summery colors on my toes!), but lately I’ve been experimenting with sweet twists on neutral nails, so I can still have fun without looking overwhelming. 


Those are my latest, above. That’s Deborah Lipmann “Fashion” for the base and American Apparel “Office” for the tips. They’re my favorite together lately, but I want to branch out. Recently I’ve tried a few different ways of incorporating color, like the ones above and the half-moon manicure, but I’m eager to try some of these other unique ways to dress up neutral nails.

 

For a special occasion, I think certain kinds of “nail jewelry” are really understated and classy.


I also have always had a tough time warming up to glitter because I feel like it’s hard to make it look sophisticated. But a perfect speckling of gold over a rich tan can look super classy.

I’m very eager to give this a try: mixing neon with neutral. American Apparel’s polishes have always surprised me at their quality, so I might try theirs.

Check out the rest of my dressed-up neutral inspiration in the gallery!

What’s your favorite way to dress up neutral nails?

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