Oh No! Day Glo!

Style forecasters are predicting the rise of Nu-Rave as one of the key trends this year, and with that comes a whole slew of new lifestyle choices to make - forgive me if I'm a bit jaded and sarcastic about this because not only do I remember the luminous attire hysteria of the 1980's, I'm also more than old enough to remember rave the first time round.

High street clothes shops have all appropriated the look favoured by London's nu-wave-of-rave scenesters, and we can 'look forward' to seeing those clothes in the shops very soon. It's already started happening in accessories - I got myself a pair of neon lightning bolt earrings a month or so ago. I know, I'm such a sucker.

But by the looks of things this is one that's going to run, musically at the very least (fluorescent clothes are REALLY hard to pull off, not to mention deeply unflattering) with NME Indie Rave Tour selling out here in approx 3 seconds flat.

That's all by the by though - how is a fashionable gal about town to pull this look off without looking like a member of Fuzzbox? By being highly selective about what you buy, is what I reckon, and by wearing a lot of black with it. I doubt I'll go much further than the previously mentioned earrings and maybe some fluoro-leopard print, if it's about. Possibly a little bag, or two...maybe a belt...

You could also work it into your makeup - fear not readers, I'm definitely not advocating luminous lipstick to compliment your neon cheeks. But where it would work well is on the eyes - in particular with liner and shadow, and on the nails. MAC, Smashbox and Red Earth are all fab for screamingly bright, highly pigmented eye shadow colours that can look fantastic when used in sharp, clean applications - as liner, for example. Barry M will also oblige for cheap brights in their Dazzle Dust range and they're bang on trend with their range of Neon Nail Paints and Neon Kohl Pencils too. Stargazer, a company who specialise in cheap and cheerful makeup for goths n' club kids, have an entire range devoted to neon, but this might be best left until fancy dress party time. In fact actually, yes. Please do leave this till dress up time.

Lancome and MAC do coloured mascaras which might appeal if you're not brave enough to embrace full on colour anywhere else (and who could blame you?). Lancome's L'Extreme mascara comes in violet and blue shades, and MAC Pro Lash Colour comes in blue and green.