China Glaze Short & Sassy coated with Essie Matte About You

Congratulations, Liz, on your birthday and on officially becoming Dr. Lin as of April 2010!

This blog entry is dedicated to you, since you’ve asked for a review on Essie’s matte topcoat, Matte About You. I hope this makes up for the fact that I still haven’t bought you a bday card because I’ve been so distracted with classes. I still haven’t even purchased all my textbooks, so I hope you realize… it’s not because of you, it’s because of me.

Here is China Glaze Short & Sassy without any topcoat.

Here is China Glaze with one coat of Essie Matte About You

Sorry about the messy edges. I was trying to be creative but it turned out woefully sloppy with the white base coat sticking out like a sore thumb underneath. I really should stop making excuses and just buy a clear base coat already. I’ve been wearing it this way anyway because I figure it doesn’t look too bad when it’s not viewed so close up and maybe nobody will notice if I keep my fingers busy. Plus, I’m too lazy to start over. Just getting the tape on right was a pain in the bung-hole. If anyone tries to get a closer look, I could poke them in the eye and that should distract ‘em good, yea!

My biggest apprehension about matte nail polish is how well they withstand lotions and creams. Back in the late 90s, Maybelline had come out with a line of matte nail polishes that pretty much lost all the matte-ness with one application of lotion. I was so disappointed because I thought matte nail polish was the coolest idea ever. Not that it says anything about how style-forward I was back in the day. I put real chopsticks in my hair. It looked really bad.

Anyway, I noticed that it did get a bit shinier; it certainly looks that way in the above photo, where it seems unable to diffuse direct light. However, in the next photo, you can see how it compares to non-matte:

Not bad, huh?

The formula is a bit runny but thick enough that one coat is all you need. However, you have to be cautious of applying the layer evenly because it solidifies really fast and slightly prone to uneven build-up. I don’t want to say “dries” because at its initial solid state, it is still rather malleable to the touch and easily scrapes. Anyway, you don’t have to be so cautious that it sets you on edge but you’ll want to try to keep it to one even layer.

Shortly after placing an order for Matte About You for $10, I found a matte topcoat by ORLY at Sally’s for a mere $6.50. I shook my fist and grunted, “Angreeeee” but being a caveman didn’t save me any of the money I had already spent. Strangely enough, ORLY has labeled their topcoat as being “for men”. Like that could possibly keep us out! C’mon ladies!!! Let’s get ‘em!

BTW has anyone tried the ORLY or China Glaze brands of matte topcoats?

I seriously need to clean up my cuticles

Update
This is day 4 and already the nail polish has considerably chipped at the tips. The matte finish also regains a lot of shine after about two days of touching lotions, creams and body oils. If you plan on going for a matte look for a while, count on touching up your nail polish a lot more frequently.

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