I Used Only Bright Nail Polish Colors For 8 Weeks, and It Was a Serious Mood Booster

Prior to this very long and unexpected time at home, I rarely painted my nails on my own. I actually recently pared down my personal collection of nail polish that I started back in middle school to just include a few neutral colors for emergency situations. It's not that I don't like having my nails done, it's just I had relied on weekly or bi-weekly salon manicures to keep my nails covered in a fresh coat of nail polish [1].

Even at the salon, with a whole wall of nail polish shades to choose from, I always stuck with two colors: a light, nude pink in the spring and summer [2] and deep red in the fall and winter. It didn't really experiment with my nails or try out new trends like super buzzy neon manicure [3]; I liked to keep it simple.

But then COVID-19 happened and my nail routine completely shifted. Not only was I breaking out my at-home nail kit [4] on a weekly basis (if not more), I also found myself gravitating toward the brighter nail polish colors. You see, there is psychological proof that certain colors can boost your mood [5], promote relaxation, and help you feel more uplifted and happy. That's exactly what my weekly DIY [6] manicure became: a mood-boosting self-care activity.

Keep scrolling to see two months worth of bright and sunny at-home manicures.