no shine

I know – it looks like I’m doing some lame rapper impersonation but what I’m really trying to do is show you my nails which are coloured with OPI’s new Matte range.

OPI have turned six best-selling shades into a matte version – Lincoln After Dark (the dark blue on my nails), Alpine Snow (crisp white), Russian Navy (dark blue), You don’t Know Jacques (Taupe), La Pazitively Hot (hot pink), and Guargantuan Green Grape (the green I’m wearing).

check the funny hand position!!!

I’ve been dying to try Matte nails for months since reading about them online, so I was pretty excited to get these. But that excitement was, sadly, very short lived. I tried the Lincoln After Dark first, I LOVE a blue-black. Love it. But…. after they dried… I wasn’t loving the matte (incidentally as it dries it looks quite obvious and freaky – not sure what it is that does that effect but my guess is alcohol – these colours smell quite strongly).

The thing about the matte colour, I realised as I looked at my shine-free nails, is that it does the opposite to what I usually want when I polish my nails – shine and colour. It dulls them. It reminds me of high school and doodling during Math class. It looks like I’ve painted my nails with vivid. It looks odd. I desperately want to coat them with a top coat to get a reflection happening but that would completely and utterly defeat the purpose.

So OPI matte, I’m sorry but you’re not for me.

Some people love it. I spied NZ Girl editor Ramaera Patterson wearing the matte Lincoln Park After Dark and she said she loves it (she did admit that it took a bit to get used to). And on her hands it looked fine. But on mine? Just not quite right. I think…

However, just because I haven’t leaped at the matte trend, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. I say GIVE IT A GO. They’re only $24.90. Go halves with your bestie one of you might like it.

Don’t wear it with base or top coat and do be aware that it doesn’t last as long as other OPI polishes (I had a solid day and a half before chipping).

Have you tried the matte? What did you think?

Tamsin xo