Reviewing the new Daydream Apothecary Neon Paint

In this article I want you to learn how and why to use the newest chalk paint line to hit the market. As the first Neon chalk paint, there are some tips and tricks that will help you get the absolute most from these striking neon paints from Daydream Apothecary.

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I choose my DIY brands based on a variety of considerations, but the color line is always the most crucial. I mean, what does it matter if the paint is fantastic if the line doesn't come in a variety of dynamic colors.

"Basic", meaning mass-manufactured paint with color schemes that are designed to appeal to the widest margin of DIYers.

My job, as "Tanglewood Sue, DIY Diva", is to make sure I am providing what general stores do not. I am here for the lovers of color, the maximalist designer, and for artists alike.

Well, I initially chose Debi's Design Diary Chalk and Clay Paint and then Miss Lillian's No Wax Chock Paint. I sell both lines, instead of just one, because their colors & properties are so different. If you want to learn more about the distinctions between chalk-paint and clay-paint, make sure you visit my blog about comparing the two.

For the past few years, I've been looking for a brand that combines the attributes clay-based-paint with the properties of a chalk base, and, for the love of all that is holy, comes in PURPLE!

I wanted clay paint's incredible ability to stick and blend, but in colors that appealed to my maximalist style. Hot Pink, Purple, Yellow-green etc...

I remember watching Anissa layer colors on her creations and even resorting to neon spray paint to achieve the wild appearance she was going for. Of course I was all for using whatever worked, but now that she had her neons created as genuine furniture paints, I was psyched and I ordered the collection to try out for my shop Tanglewood Works.

There are distinct qualities that I use to compare and contrast different kinds of furniture paints when I am choosing a new brand to represent through my shop Tanglewood Works.

Well, I checked this one off my list pretty darn fast! I can say with quite some assurity that this was the first line of NEON chalk paint colors to hit our market and they had just the colors I was looking for. Neon Pink( AKA La La Love Ya), Neon Red( AKA Mom's Night Out) Neon Yellow ( AKA Soul full of Sunshine), Neon Orange ( AKA Sundance), Neon Blue ( AKA Four Boys Blue), and of course, Neon Purple( AKA Hot Damn Violet)!

While I personally enjoy thick paint with lots of coverage, Neons, by their nature, can't have the same level of base as other paints. The specific characteristics that cause them to glow in the dark also prevent them from being quite as thick as standard chalk paint. Neon paints are more translucent in their nature but their luminosity factor far outweighed needing to have a basecoat or having to apply an additional coat for total coverage.

Neons by Day Dream Apothecary ARE highly pigmented but due to the neon paint properties as mentioned above, they work best over a top coat of bright white. Lucky for us, Team Daydream already accounted for this and has provided us with the brightest white chalk paint on the market today, Ground Control White. Use this as your base and your neons will pop like champagne on New Year's.

Again-Both! What sold me on Debi's Design Diary paint was that it was the only one on the market to allow the reconstitution of the paint (even after it had dried) with just a spritz of water. NO other paint did that, and for those of us who use a lot of layers and take days or weeks to create a look, this quality is a game-changer. The first thing I tested in Daydream Apothecary was this quality. If you could have only seen the happy dance I did when it reconstituted! It was like a miracle baby! Not only did it become blendable again when wet, but it also works perfectly with DIY paint. Oh, and yes, It dry distresses too but always wear a mask. Any paint dust is not good to breathe, even if it's NO VOC.

I mean, can you get any brighter than a neon collection? Yeah no, but let's go a little further on this. Natasha and Becka, or as I like to call them the "Daydreamers", are going with a completely different approach to their color line. They are partnering with actual Furniture Artists to curate sophisticated color palettes. They have already released the Coastal Collection by Worn to Whimsey and every few months we should have a new collection to dream out. So yes, there may be a farmhouse collection, but their colors are not relegated to only muted tones as is the case with so many other chalkpaint brands.

This paint is No VOC

There is nothing you can't order online and have shipped right to you, so wherever you are in the USA or even the UK you have access to this paint. There are also new brick-and-mortar retailers popping up all over so just check here to find your closest shop selling Daydream Apothecary Neon Paint. I sell the full line right here: www.tanglewoodworks.com, and I'm right outside of DC if you want to come on by and see for yourself.

*I'm only comparing this paint to other artisan brands that are, well crafted and highly pigmented paints such as Debis Design Diary, Miss Lillian's No Wax Chock Paint, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint , Wise Owl, and even DixieBelle which I no longer sell. In other words, I'm not comparing prices to a Walmart knock off (which I may do a whole blog on later) So, yes, the prices of this paint are within range of all other Chalk Paint Brands and at the time of this blog (2022) that range for good paint is:

• a sample for 11.00-13.00
• a pint for 20.00-25.00 and
• a quart for 35.00-42.00

In my experience, if you use Ground Control, you should be able to get full coverage with between 2-3 coats of your preferred neon. This is only for the Neon paints. I'm not including the traditional chalk paints in the Daydream Apothecary line.

Yes. Because Daydream Apothecary Neon Paint allows you to reconstitute it with water, it does need to be properly sealed when you are all done. Use your favorite. I'm a wax girl so that's what I use.

• As long as you keep in mind that, due to the clay qualities, this paint will darken slightly once the topcoat is applied. Not as much as DIY paint but more than Miss Lillian's where the paint requires no topcoat. The only time this may be an issue is if you are doing a smooth blend that may not look as smooth once the topcoats vary the colors at differing rates. My trick for this is to spritz with water while I paint to make sure I see what will happen when the topcoat is applied.

This is where the paint brand exceeded expectations. How retailers are treated by paint companies matters a great deal. Do they pay attention to the time and effort that goes into creating the brand community, or do they simply see us as a cog in the machine?

Why should you care? Because happy and well-supported businesses have the energy and creativity to extend their assistance and support to you on your painting adventure. They don't need to play price games to compete with amazon retailers or get stuck with inventory because the parent company is clearing their own backstock. Or worse yet, they are not making you a pawn in their own brand battles by limiting what you are allowed to sell in your own store. I have experienced ALL of these which makes me very careful who I join forces with.

What I enjoy about this "DreamTeam" is that they are creative individuals. They understand that regardless of who owns the paint or brush, we must use the finest quality for the job! If you witness an artist using only one manufacturer or line, I'm going to say it: they're a commercial, not a fair and balanced instructor.

Follow me if you want the facts, and I'll tell you everything I know and more than you could ever imagine.

Heck yes it does! Now I know you may not decorate your house with black lights on a regular basis but I gotta tell you that this added quality has been super fun to play with. You do need a black light to activate the neons. Good thing or your dresser may keep you up at night! I received the paints just in time to go crazy with some neon paint poured pumpkins and then I tried them out on my (now kinda famous) Ghost dresses.

As you can see, I don't accept new companies unless they meet a lot of the criteria on my checklist. Because Daydream Apothecary "Neons by Anissa" checks off all of my requirements, I'm happy to be a retailer.

If you have more questions about this Daydream Apothecary Neon Paints, please comment below and I will surely add my answer to this list.

Disclaimer: I am a current retailer and content creator for Daydream Apothecary Paint and therefore do receive compensation for products purchased and media submitted.

This post however is not a sponsored post. I am not in any way being compensated for it, nor was I asked to create this post. The views expressed are mine and mine alone :)