There’s been glitter, neon, polish strips and even magnetic. Nail trends are constantly changing and keeping us on our toes to help hands and feet look their best. One trend, matte finish keeps popping up as an alternative to the flashier nail designs but this time they’re back with a twist: texture.
A matte finish is flat and non-glossy. Shiny black polish will look as smooth and clean as a chalkboard and even glitter polishes can look toned-down. Even though some brands carry specific matte colors, the best bang for your buck can be found in purchasing a matte top coat that can be applied to any nail polish. Valley compiled a few tips to help you nail this trend down:
1. Polish your nails like you normally would. Apply two even coats and let them dry completely. Letting them dry completely is especially important because matte top coats tend to show smudges and missed spots more than glossy top coats.
2. Decide on what design you want. For stripes or other straight-line designs, use nail guides or medical tape to mark off the width of the stripes. Polka dots or other cutout shapes like cheetah print can be done with stencils. Get creative! We especially love a matte nail with a glossy French tip.
3. Put the stencil or design tool to the nail. Apply a first coat of the matte coat and let it completely dry.
4. Apply another coat of the matte finish. Remove nail stencils and let nails completely dry.
Matte top coats take a little longer to dry than glossy top coats so you want to give your nails one to two hours for them to completely dry, but at least 20 minutes before any activity.
Where can you get the matte look? It’s best to go to a beauty supply store that has a wide variety of brands, like Ulta or Sephora. Most matte finishes start at $10, which is more than glossy top coats. But you’ll be a sophisticated lady and stand out with your new, modern matte nails.
Photo by Siru Wen
