The Matte Nail Polish Trend: Our Take & How to Rock It
When I think of a nice manicure, my mind immediately jumps to well-maintained, shiny nails. After all, isn’t that why we all use top coats? But even though I absolutely love that look, sometimes I just need something different. Something edgier. Darker.
On the complete other side of the spectrum is matte nail polish. Exactly what it sounds like, matte finish means a polish that’s completely devoid of shine.
Matte nails have been trendy for a new seasons now – ever since king of cool Alexander Wang sent matte nails down his Fall 2010 runway, the trend has been everywhere, including the runways at DKNY, L.A.M.B., and Catherine Malandrino.
Many runway beauty trends are extreme (to say the least), but I think this one is definitely doable! If you guys are curious about matte nails, read on for my top tips on getting the look!
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How to Get Matte Nails – The Products:
If you want your nails to be matte, you have two options:
The first is to buy special matte nail polish. Instead of a slightly shiny finish, these polishes claim to dry completely matte. Zoya has a collection out, as do OPI, NYX and Orly. I personally haven’t tried these, and depending on the brand, reviews are pretty mixed.
Your other, more cost-friendly option is to buy a matte top coat. There are a ton of these on the market at different price points, but I think the best one out there for the price is Essie’s Matte About You ($4.35 at Amazon). Unlike other formulas, this one completely mattifies polish without changing its color.
Applying a Matte Top Coat:
The application of a matte top coat is a little different than a normal top coat, and takes a little more work to get right.
While a shiny top coat can camouflage most application mistakes, a matte top coat does the opposite – it will magnify any unevenness, streaks, or other issues on your nail. Furthermore, it takes a long time to dry – I’d say it takes 20 minutes until you’re OK to drive or read, but a full hour or two until your nails are completely hard. Also, something I dislike about Essie’s Matte About You (or perhaps matte top coats in general) is that it offers absolutely no protection against chips.
