Essie Prime & Pop: The Nail Primer You Need to Brighten Your Neon Polish

Real talk: Neon nail polish is to summer as bulky sweaters are to winter. It’s just what you do—or wear, rather. As soon as the temperature starts to spike, we ditch our spring staple jewel-toned lacquers in favor of bright magentas, fuchsias, and jades—it’s cathartic, in a way. But any seasoned nail guru will tell you that neon hues, especially when exposed to the sun, can quickly fade and lose their essence. What’s the point of wearing neon nail color if it’s not nearly blinding the person next to you? 

In all seriousness, such a bold, statement shade deserves to “pop,” and—at the very least—stay neon. An easy hack to intensify neon pigment is to apply a white base coat onto the nails first. But not all whites are created equal; some are too thick and some are too runny. To avoid having a mini nail conundrum on your hands, reach for a formulation that’s neither of the two. Meet Essie Primer & Pop. 

ESSIE PRIME & POP 

Essie’s new 2016 neon collection features a palette of vivid, eye-catching pigments. Bright, dazzling, electrifying—these adjectives don’t even do the palette justice. So, what better way to highlight (see what we did there?) the new hues than with this primer and base coat duo that increases the color vibrancy of neon nail polish! 

When you’re ready to use, apply 1-2 coats of Prime & Pop onto your nail beds. Follow up with your favorite shade from Essie’s 2016 neon collection (If you love bright pink, go for Off the Wall), and top it all off with a sweep of high gloss top coat. Voila—you’re ready for the beach!

Essie Prime & Pop, $9