OPI Matte Collection Review, Swatches & Comparisons
Posted on June 8, 2009
 When I got my hands on the new OPI Matte nail polishes, I immediately started swatching them on my fingers. This was my first time using a true matte polish and all I could say was, “Wow, that’s MATTE alright!” I’ve never seen anything like these before. Think about dipping your fingers in flat wall paint and that’s the look we’re talking about here fanatics. Not at all like the satin-esque finish I got from using Orly Nails For Males top coat for my matte & glossy nail art experiment. It’s like the black hole of nail polish, no light lives here.
I’ve got swatches, a full review and comparison shots for you after the jump! |
 Every bottle of OPI Matte comes with a little tag that explains the nature of the formula, rules regarding application and suggestions on how to wear it (i.e. matte nail w/glossy tip).
It states that you should NOT use a base coat, top coat, drying drops or hand lotion. According to OPI, “because of the different formulation of the OPI Matte Nail Lacquers, it is best to wear it without a base coat and to stay away from lotions to get the best, most fabulous matte look possible.”
My theory… hand lotion will affect the finish, making it more satin looking and a base coat affects the application (streaking, unevenness, etc).
Application – This formula dries FAST. Like lightening fast so you must work quickly and meticulously. Any hesitation in your brush stroke will show as will any imperfections in your nail bed, like ridges. The polish is thick and highly pigmented but because of the difficulty in getting it smooth, I needed to do three coats of each shade. |
 Wear – I experimented with the no base coat rule when I did my five day wear test. I buffed then prepped my nails using Seche Prep to make sure they were free of any oils. I applied CND Stickey base coat to three nails (thumb, middle, pinkie) and left the other two bare. I noticed that the formula didn’t flow as nicely over the nails coated with Stickey.
By the following day I already had two chips on my index and ring fingers, by day five, well you can see the disaster they were. Going out to dinner with nails like this was, um “fun.” The boyfriend just shakes his head at this point. Meanwhile, the nails with base coat showed normal tip wear, nothing drastic.
While OPI doesn’t suggest using base coat, I highly recommend it for two reasons: 1. So you don’t feel like you wasted your money on a polish that only lasts two days. 2. To avoid staining. The dark colors do stain! It may mean trickier application but it’s worth it for longer wear. Now let’s move on to the colors |
Alpine Snow Matte is the polish version of painting Wite-Out to your nails. It’s chalky and blindingly bright.
Even though original Alpine Snow is used as a french tip shade, next to the matte version it looks almost off white. Now because Orly Matte has a tinge of color to it, it altered the color of Alpine Snow making it more creamy.
Gargantuan Green Grape Matte is also very chalky and as much as I love a green, I’m not in love with this. It reminds me of a faded dried out pressed leaf. Unfortunately I don’t own the original version (I know, I know sacrilege) so I can’t compare them for you.
As much as I’m not a pink girl La Paz-itively Hot Matte is my favorite polish in the collection. It’s the shimmer in it that gets me, making the finish a bit more satin than the rest.
As you can see La Paz Matte is NOTHING like the original. La Paz is a hot pink but the matte version is more rosey and deeper in hue. Both colors are actually more vibrant in person but my camera just can’t capture that.
I showed you You Don’t Know Jacques Matte in my second matte/glossy nail art experiment but here it is on its own. Is it just me or does it look like I rubbed dirt on my nails? I don’t hate the color but the finish just isn’t doing it for me. It doesn’t have the same uniqueness as the original (below).
Lincoln Park After Dark Matte is the same almost black plum that the world has come to know and love. In most light it looks pretty black, in natural/sunlight you can see the purple undertones. It’s warmer than a flat black just like it’s shiny finish sister.
Now after seeing La Paz Matte I had high hopes for Russian Navy Matte, expecting that same slightly satin, shimmer-filled finish. But that’s not what we got. Instead it’s a lifeless blue-black hue.
In this case, I much prefer the satin version using Orly Matte.
The OPI Matte collection officially goes on sale in July and can be found online at our fave e-tailers and in professional salons like Regis, ULTA, Trade Secret, JCPenney.
I know you’ve weighed in on the matte look but what do you think about OPI’s version? Will you be running out to buy them?
When I got my hands on the new OPI Matte nail polishes, I immediately started swatching them on my fingers. This was my first time using a true matte polish and all I could say was, “Wow, that’s MATTE alright!” I’ve never seen anything like these before. Think about dipping your fingers in flat wall paint and that’s the look we’re talking about here fanatics. Not at all like the satin-esque finish I got from using Orly Nails For Males top coat for my matte & glossy nail art experiment. It’s like the black hole of nail polish, no light lives here.
Every bottle of OPI Matte comes with a little tag that explains the nature of the formula, rules regarding application and suggestions on how to wear it (i.e. matte nail w/glossy tip).
Wear – I experimented with the no base coat rule when I did my five day wear test. I buffed then prepped my nails using Seche Prep to make sure they were free of any oils. I applied CND Stickey base coat to three nails (thumb, middle, pinkie) and left the other two bare. I noticed that the formula didn’t flow as nicely over the nails coated with Stickey.
Even though original Alpine Snow is used as a french tip shade, next to the matte version it looks almost off white. Now because Orly Matte has a tinge of color to it, it altered the color of Alpine Snow making it more creamy.
Gargantuan Green Grape Matte is also very chalky and as much as I love a green, I’m not in love with this. It reminds me of a faded dried out pressed leaf. Unfortunately I don’t own the original version (I know, I know sacrilege) so I can’t compare them for you.
As much as I’m not a pink girl La Paz-itively Hot Matte is my favorite polish in the collection. It’s the shimmer in it that gets me, making the finish a bit more satin than the rest.
As you can see La Paz Matte is NOTHING like the original. La Paz is a hot pink but the matte version is more rosey and deeper in hue. Both colors are actually more vibrant in person but my camera just can’t capture that.
I showed you You Don’t Know Jacques Matte in my second matte/glossy nail art experiment but here it is on its own. Is it just me or does it look like I rubbed dirt on my nails? I don’t hate the color but the finish just isn’t doing it for me. It doesn’t have the same uniqueness as the original (below).
Lincoln Park After Dark Matte is the same almost black plum that the world has come to know and love. In most light it looks pretty black, in natural/sunlight you can see the purple undertones. It’s warmer than a flat black just like it’s shiny finish sister.
Now after seeing La Paz Matte I had high hopes for Russian Navy Matte, expecting that same slightly satin, shimmer-filled finish. But that’s not what we got. Instead it’s a lifeless blue-black hue.
In this case, I much prefer the satin version using Orly Matte.
I love these!!! I'm definitely getting La Paz, Alpine Snow, GGG, and Russian Navy!!
But then, I love the matte look, it works for me. I have 4 KO polishes and love them.
Got to say that I'm quite disappointed. Especiallly shimmery shades are very dull and flat, I can't see the shimmery texture at all. Opi should examine their Manglaze better.
I kind of like You Don't know Jaques – and Alpine snow could be an excellent base color for sheers!
I actually like it. I have work matte colors before and love the way they look on my nails. I am def going to buy
I don't know. After seeing Zoya's Matte Velvet collection I don't even know if I'll buy OPI's version. OPI just looks boring while Zoya is stunning. There is not a single shade there that makes me say, WOW!
Now my only wish is that Zoya was doing more than 3 shades.
It just looks like acrylic paint in my opinion… not at all like nail polish. probably just as "long" lasting as acrylic paints too
Saw the OPI Matte collection on sale at my local Empire Beauty Supply here in San Diego.
It's on the streets – in some places
The color card was ermm… interesting.
when do they officially go on sale?
I really want to get the La Paz version in Matte. Not quite sure how I feel about the others.
how about the essie matte about you finisher ( it hink it works like a top coat?)? or the zoya matte collection (they have 3 matte shades)?
Anna Banana – I posted a review of the Zoya Mattes and will post about the Orly version as soon as I get them. I have the Essie top coat and will be reviewing it very very soon.
Here's a link to the Zoya Matte review:
http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2009/06/zoya-matte-velvet-review-and-swatches.html
Matte lips…LOVE! Matte Eye Shadow…LOVE! Matte nails…YECH, just plain UGLY in my opinion. Except of course for La Paz. Beautiful job on the post and swatches! Thank you for saving me time and money, I will NOT be sporting this trend! I do think the Zoya colours look more interesting but if they finish anything like the OPI..no thanks! Thanks again for the great post.
I have the La Paz matte. I actually bought it not realizing that it was matte! (No, I did not notice the big sticker and card that was attached… my bad.) I actually quite like the color, although the matte finish definitely took some getting used to. My first instinct was to slap on a top coat to make it shine! But I resisted and actually think it looks interesting.
A HUGE plus is that it dries super quick since there is no base and top coat. So even if it chips faster, it's a very quick fix. I actually the quick application makes it perfect for summer.
HONESTLY i LOVE this look. who cares if your polish chips it will regardless anyways. so ill risk it with a base coat and enjoy this new look! im all for it
I have to say, I normally do another coat of paint on my nails every second day. It's what you're meant to do anyway, so the chippage wouldn't be as bad as that. I do love the matte nail paints so much more.
I went crazy and bought GGG, LaPaz& LPAD. I have GGG on, and it almost looks like that minty green nail that's so popular. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I am DEF in love with it now. I love shimmer and glitter, but I adore this matte!
Could anyone tell me where I can find Matte nail polish in NYC? I've been looking all over and I can't seem to find it anywhere! Where do you ladies get your polish?
I feel like this look is very hit or miss… I absolutely love the pink one, the black one is alright. I also have the purple version that OPI made for Sephora which might be one of my favorite colors I own… but the rest are just kind of strange and blah looking.
i love these polishes. i've been searching for a true matte polish for years. i found a polish by knock out cosmetics a while back, but i can't justify the $22 price tag. i bought the lincoln park after dark a few days ago and have been loving it. i don't mind about the wear, i kind of like that worn in look. i also don't mind reapplying because it dries so fast. this is amazing, i absolutely love it.
@ Ellen for any hard to find cosmetics i always go to RICKYS in NYC they have the whole collection of opi matte.. I bought the russian navy. It’s more black than blue when applied and it looked like i was digging my fingers in tar. IM ADDICTED TO DARK COLORS but I think Mattes are best in pastel and bright colors making them more fun and edgy. I personally would stay away from the dark colors in matte…. the staff at ricky’s most of the time is willing to let you test the polishes on a piece of clear tape.
I just bought two OPI Matte Nail Polishes. Because it was a Buy 1 Get 1 Free which was an opportunity that I was not gonna miss. [: Anyway.. It was only for the Matte Collection. They currenyly only have 6 colors. Theres:
Alpine Snow Matte
Gargantuan Green Grape Matte
La Paz-itively Hot Matte
You Don’t Know Jacques Matte
Lincoln Park After Dark Matte
Russian Navy Matte
I bought Gargantuan Green Grape and Russian Navy.
I wanted to buy the Gargantuan Green Grape in the Regular OPI but I decided to try it out with Matte. The colors are kinda Chalky.. If you know what that is like. The feel to it is different since I’m used to smoothness from Top Coat and theres none on this one. But all in all I actually like it. Its different from what I would usually wear and I’m always up for a little change. I still prefer the Regular OPIs but I will wear this from time to time.
[...] desinler alta baz sürün diyorlar. 12- Opi’nin renklerini all lacqured up blogu sürmüş. Ismarlamadan önce görün derim. You don’t Know Jacques rengi, kanımca ortalığı [...]
Ya know, I tried these today–and I HATE them. Why would you want nails that look like that? Gimme shiny!
I just bought Russian Navy – before reading this – and I love it! I’m a nail polish diehard and think the different look it worth the short wear life. Quick dry makes it easy to fix too. After I painted the first two nails I wasn’t sure, but then got more polish on the wand and went super quick -nice and smooth! Will look to try La Paz next!!