BEAUTY: PRETTY PASTEL POLISH

Hi MBG readers! It's Rachel from Life Unsweetened here today to talk every girl's favorite topic- nail polish. It's time to change out the dark, moody shades that were in for winter and welcome the pretty pastels for spring. To me, spring means it's more socially acceptable to start wearing cheerful, feminine colors and patterns, and my nails and toes are no exception. Here are my tips for pulling off the pastel nail trend.

1. Keep your nails short. Long talons may look great on Lana Del Rey, but the average woman can't always pull them off (especially when you spend 8 hours a day typing on a computer, like me!) You want to let the color shine here, not your nails, so keep them short, clean and shaped.

2. Apply a white nail polish as a base coat.For light shades, this white base coat will help the color show up better. Tip: this also works for neon nail polishes as well. With light shades, I find that I have to apply 3-4 coats for the color to really show up, which stinks. The layers always end up getting too thick and bubbly, so the white base coat really helps prevent this.

 3.Don't be afraid of color. Pastel doesn't just mean a light pink- why not try a cool orange or light yellow? The days of matching your nails to your outfit are so over, so take a risk!

Deborah Lippman Creme Nail Lacquer in "Spring Buds" | Formula X The Cut in "Alive" | Essie Nail Polish in "Bikini So Teeny" | OPI Classic Nail Lacquer in "Lucky Lucky Lavender"  Illamasqua Nail Varnish in "Blow"

-post by rachel