Archive for the 'Matte' Category
 Just when I thought I was having all my matte needs met, along comes the Mind.Body.Spirit collection from SpaRitual. I have been longing for the purple from this set ever since I first spotted it on the SpaRitual rep at Cosmoprof in Vegas. It’s a big ball of fabulous. The collection includes:
Put your Mind at ease with matte champagne
Give your Body an edgy boost with matte black
Let your Spirit soar to new levels with matte purple
Check them out after the jump! |
As we’ve discussed in the past, matte polishes are not long lasting. They’re like the temporary tattoo of nails. Lotion, water, base and top coat will all affect its wear and finish.
In spite of those issues, I think SpaRitual got it right with this collection. The formula is very smooth and easy to work with. Those of you that have feared the unforgiving nature of matte polishes will have better luck with these. The consistency isn’t as thick as other polishes giving you the ability to even it out.
Added Bonus: the dark colors don’t stain when worn sans base coat. Score!
Mind is honestly not my cup of tea. On my hands this shimmery pinkish nude makes my nails look dead. I thought I was looking at a corpse’s hand. The yellow base in my hand’s skin tone just didn’t play well with the hue. However, if you’ve been wanting to try matte but are disappointed by the lack of light colored options, this is definitely a work safe version.
Body surprised me because it isn’t an empty, lifeless black. It dries to a more satin finish that reminds me of BBQ briquettes. Comparing it to Orly Matte Vinyl, I can’t tell them apart except for the formula differences. I feel Body applies better.
Spirit is a total love at first sight situation. I couldn’t wait to wear it this past weekend, it’s just so gorgeous. The finish is somewhat unique in that Spirit falls somewhere between Mind and Body in that it isn’t a shimmer yet it isn’t totally flat. There’s a graininess to it that prevents it from falling flat.
The SpaRitual Mind.Body.Spirit Collection will be available starting October 2009 for $10/each at salons and spas such as Spa Halekulani, Canyon Ranch, and the Mandarin Oriental or online at SkinStore.com and AveYou.com.
Who’s loving the SpaRitual matte polishes? Who prefers to just use a matte top coat? Will a certain color of matte polish cause you to give in? Have you been looking for a light version like Mind? Share with the group!
 I’ve got another matte top coat to add to your shopping list. Matte Magic is China Glaze‘s entry into the matte nail trend for Fall and they really hit it out of the park. When I originally did my matte top coat review a few readers asked about the Men’s Matte Top Coat from China Glaze. As I said then, that product isn’t intended to be worn over polish but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something in the works. Ta da… Matte Magic.
Check it out along with my Dorothy Who? Matte look after the jump! |
Now I don’t have any info to back this up but if I was a betting woman, I’d place all my chips on Matte Magic, Essie’s MAY and RBL’s Matte Top Coat being manufactured by the same company. There’s no other explanation for how they all look IDENTICAL in the bottle and on the nail. All three are the most mattifying top coats I’ve used. If you’re looking for a truly flat finish, they’re your girls!
Since I used OPI No Room For The Blues in my other matte post, I wore it under Matte Magic as well to make it easy to compare. If there are any differences in Matte Magic versus the other brands it’s that this one applies more even and I’ll assume that’s due to the brush.
Thanks to a reader suggestion, I slapped a coat of Matte Magic over my Dorothy Who? manicure before removing. It looks like crushed sapphires trapped behind frosted glass. LOVE!
China Glaze Matte Magic is rolling out to Sally Beauty Supply stores now and will launch everywhere else China Glaze is carried October 5th. The bottle is .325 oz and retails for $6.50.
I have one more matte top coat to show you but in the meantime, which one is your fave so far? Will you be stalking your Sally’s for a bottle of Matte Magic? Is it just me or do you want it even more because it’s mini-sized? Everything is more adorable miniaturized, no?
 Because Matte is the New Black! Orly’s tagline for the new Matte Couture collection totally nails the trend, no pun intended. Everywhere I look in the polish world, there is a new matte collection or top coat to check out. If there’s a brand that hasn’t embraced matte yet, I’ll bet they will soon.
I can hear many of you, channeling Elle Woods, saying, “whoever said matte is the new black is SERIOUSLY disturbed, ” but I’m starting to believe in matte’s staying power. As much as we hear that it’s a fad, a blip, a small moment in nail culture I can’t help but wonder if that’s just a wish rather than a prediction.
Check out what Orly is bringing to the matte table after the jump! |
Unlike other matte polish collections, Orly is the first brand to suggest using a base coat under the lacquers. I tried these on bare and base coated nails and the application over both was relatively smooth. Granted mattes are still unforgiving if your technique is uneven but I found this formula to be thinner and easier to work with than the OPI or Zoya mattes. Also, these shades are extremely pigmented so you barely need two coats.
FYI – A reader asked on Twitter if applying a matte top coat over matte polishes would extend their wear. I tested Nubar’s matte top coat over their Modern Matte polish and had major chipping after one day. A great suggestion but unfortunately not a solution.
Blue Suede isn’t a true matte and I LOVE that. I was expecting flat, lifeless wall paint a la OPI Russian Navy Matte but instead I was treated to a lovely dusty hue with a suede-like finish as the name suggests.
As I applied Purple Velvet I started to pick up on the theme. This shade has a slight hint of shimmer giving it a (say it with me kids) VELVET finish. This one lies on the red-grape side of the purple spectrum but I’m digging it anyway.
Matte Vinyl is definitely the most matte shade in the bunch. Looking at it, I can’t help but think of that chalkboard spray paint I’ve seen used on old episodes of Trading Spaces. It’s a bit too much for me but I think with a glossy tip I’d be all over it. Want to see what I mean? Check out a modified matte manicure on my friend Sara from Bit By the Beauty Bug.
The Orly Matte Couture collection launches in September. The polishes retail for $7.50/ea and can be purchased online at OrlyBeauty.com and our fave etailers (see sidebar) and in stores like Sally Beauty and ULTA.
What do we think? Are you liking the different finishes on these? Which colors struck your fancy? Am I slowly breaking down the matte haters? Let’s here it!
 Love it or hate it, Matte Nails are the big trend for Fall. With all the matte nail polish collections coming out, it will be a hard style to ignore. If you’re not ready to jump in feet first, why not try a matte top coat instead? Using them to mattify any polish in your arsenal makes it a more versatile and budget friendly way to embrace the look. Give your tried and true shades an update with a new finish.
From flat to satin there are a plethora of choices in the non-glossy top coat realm and I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to. Check out the results after the jump! |
First things first. There are certain things you give up in using a matte top coat.
- These are not fast drying products so you have to be willing to put in the time to get the look.
- The more matte the top coat, the more unforgiving it is. Brush strokes or unevenness can plague you if your application isn’t perfect. As with all new things, practice, practice, practice.
- Matte top coats absorb oil and water as you go about your daily routine so the finish will become more satin over time.
Essie Matte About You ($10, essie.com) and Rescue Beauty Lounge Matte Top Coat ($18, RescueBeauty.com) are the most mattifying top coats I’ve come across. If you desire that truly flat finish this is your best option. The cloudiness does lighten the shade a touch but not significantly.
Nubar V For Men Matte Finish Nail Protector ($8.99, ByNubar.com) comes in a close 2nd to Essie and RBL in terms matte-ness and I love that it’s more forgiving in terms of application. It applies smooth and even every time.
Now for those wanting a satin style nail, the next three options are ideal. They take down the gloss giving a more buffed look. Orly Matte Top Coat is actually discontinued but still available on Head2ToeBeauty.com for $4.95 so get it while supplies last.
Orly Nails for Males ($6.99, SallyBeauty.com) performs similarly to the Matte Top Coat in spite of its dark appearance.
Finally, Barielle’s Matte-inee Top Coat will be launching soon on Barielle.com.
I received quite a few questions regarding InStyle’s June issue. One of the tips in the Summer beauty section was about matte nails. They suggested using “your base coat as a top coat to remove the shine from your lacquer.”
Here’s my problem with that. They showed
="font-weight: bold;">butter London’s Nail Foundation
($18, butterLondon.com) as an example yet they neglected to explain that only ridge filling base coats dry matte. Using your clear or tacky base coats won’t achieve that look. Overly opaque or shimmery ridge fillers won’t get it done either.
Nonie Creme of butter London used her Nail Foundation over Yummy Mummy backstage at Alexander Wang to matte down the shine and in this instance using a base coat totally worked. She even sent me a pic from her iPhone to share with you (above).
However when I used it over my test shade, OPI No Room For The Blues, it didn’t turn out as well. The nude pigmentation in the base changed the color drastically. If you don’t mind that, it’s a simple mattifying solution but I still prefer a matte top coat.
So did this clear up a lot of your questions reagarding matte top coats? Which do you prefer… matte top coats or matte polish? Or do you wish this whole matte thing would just go away already? Sound off Fanatics!
 If the amazing Ji Baek, founder of Rescue Beauty Lounge, asked you to create your dream polish what would you do? After picking yourself up off the floor of course. All fainting aside, that was the honor/privilege/challenge bestowed upon myself and fellow nail bloggers Polish Addict and Scrangie. If I do say so myself, we rose to the occassion contributing to one knockout of a Fall collection.
We didn’t set out to create a matched set but my purple, Steph’s green and Scrangie’s sparkling mix of the two is a green & purple lovers delight. Check them out along with Rescue’s new Matte Top Coat after the jump! |
Now that Steph is back to posting and has had a chance to reveal her creation, I can show you my swatches of the set. As per usual, the consistency and pigmentation of all three shades live up to Rescue’s amazing reputation. I know of no other cremes that are so spot on in application, coverage and finish. It’s unreal!
You’ve seen Mismas before but a reader commented that my original image didn’t do the color any favors so here is take two. Seriously you guys I NEVER wear polishes more than once. With as many as I have it doesn’t make sense. But I have had Mismas on my toes or fingers for pretty much the entire summer, I love it that much. I wanted the perfect purple creme and now I have it. Ji, I love you for creating her. She’s simply spectacular!
Sun
Here’s my girl with Ji’s new
Matte Top Coat. The formula is milky in appearance and is one of the most mattifying top coats I’ve tried. It gives a frosted glass look and the milkiness lightens the hue ever so slightly.
When I heard
Steph from
Polish Addict was creating a grayed green creme, I knew without even seeing it that
Orbis Non Sufficit and I would be lifelong friends. It’s just dusty enough to stand out among every other green I own.
Sun
I think I like it even better as a
Matte. What about you? One word of caution with matte top coats. They are very unforgiving in regards to imperfections so use just a few quick, even strokes for a smooth finish.
Images really don’t do
Scrangie justice. You have to see the blue-green shimmer in person to truly appreciate it. According to Scrangie, the inspiration was a beetle wing. The bluish-purple base is filled with iridescent shimmer and glitter to create one blingtastic polish.
Sun
Of all three polishes in this collection I think Scrangie makes the best
Matte. Maybe it’s just me but I prefer to mattify shimmer/glitter polishes. It’s like you’re freezing the sparkle in time or something.
The Blogger created
Fall 2009 collection from
Rescue Beauty Lounge is available for
Pre-Order NOW and will ship very, very soon. The polishes and Matte Top Coat retail for
$18/ea. If you don’t want to miss out on any of these colors, I suggest you order as soon as possible as the polishes are limited edition.
Click the links to go directly to the order screens for each shade: Mismas, Orbis Non Sufficit, Scrangie and the Matte Top Coat.
So what do you think Fanatics?? How did we do? Which polishes do you plan to order? Will these be your first RBLs or just additions to your growing stash?
Just when I thought I was having all my matte needs met, along comes the Mind.Body.Spirit collection from SpaRitual. I have been longing for the purple from this set ever since I first spotted it on the SpaRitual rep at Cosmoprof in Vegas. It’s a big ball of fabulous. The collection includes:
Body surprised me because it isn’t an empty, lifeless black. It dries to a more satin finish that reminds me of BBQ briquettes. Comparing it to Orly Matte Vinyl, I can’t tell them apart except for the formula differences. I feel Body applies better.
Spirit is a total love at first sight situation. I couldn’t wait to wear it this past weekend, it’s just so gorgeous. The finish is somewhat unique in that Spirit falls somewhere between Mind and Body in that it isn’t a shimmer yet it isn’t totally flat. There’s a graininess to it that prevents it from falling flat.
