mani monday: pretty vacant

Wearing nail polish might not be the most punk thing you can do, but historically it's certainly been used as a method of rebellion. Think back to all those times in middle school you covered your fingers in the blackest of black lacquer. Or all those band boys you had crushes on who rocked chipped polish because, let's face it, being a little gender-bending is really punk.

So it's not all that strange to see an entire collection inspired by the movement. Meet Deborah Lippmann's latest line, the Punk Rock Collection. The series of three lacquers, all named after famous '70s anthems, have a gritty, matte, textured finish rather than the usual glossy when they dry. The end result is a little scuzzy, a little matte, and really, really cool. So I Wanna Be Sedated is taxi cab yellow, Pretty Vacant is a ghostly gray, and I Fought The Law is a navy with just the subtlest hint of sparkle (think of it like a stud-accented belt, but for your fingers).

Of course, in the spirit of the do-it-yourself music movement, we think this is the perfect collection to break the rules with, whether that's by applying a few studs, letting it chip, or just applying it to your guitar pick-wielding hand. Because rules? They're totally meant to be broken.

REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

$19 each at lippmanncollection.com.