Have you ever picked up a gorgeous shade of dark nail polish, like navy or purple, only to discover that the hue just looks black on your nails? There’s nothing more disappointing than this, yet it’s hard to get the color to shine through with many dark shades.

One way to remedy this is by painting on the thinnest coats you possibly can. Thick layers of polish won’t let any light through, so nothing will be able to illuminate the sparks of color. After painting on a base coat, like Lippmann Collection – Turn Back Time Rejuvenating Base Coat, paint on two very thin shades of polish. If it’s streaky, add one more sparse coat before you finish with top coat.

If that doesn’t work, you might have to pick shades that won’t turn dark and murky on your nails. Although it can be tough to ditch your favorites, Nail Color has a variety of rich shades that still stay true to their colors when painted on. You won’t have to worry about going too dark ever again.