Sunday, July 26, 2009

Matte Nail Polish- Zoya MatteVelvet Fall 2009
















It looked like a good idea at the time.

With formerly extreme nail polish colors like black, green and indigo becoming acceptable in polite company, came the demand for something cool and new. Enter matte nail polish. The new trend is a departure from the ultra shiny nails we're used to see. No more piling on layers of glossy top coats to maintain luster. In fact, the new matte nails require that you use neither base coat nor top coat. It goes on over clean and dry nails (it's best to use a polish remover before application, to make sure there's no trace of lotions or other greasy substances).

I got to play with Zoya MatteVelvet, a collection of three colors in the new finish. Posh is a shimmery deep red, Loredana is a shimmery gunmetal gray and Dovima is a velvety black shimmer. The new colors come in a frosted glass bottle that actually hides the shimmer. The polish is actually has a muted metallic glint and a fabric-like appearance, which is where the problem starts for me.

The polish goes on easily, dries down in seconds (amazing. I wish all nail polish worked like this) and is essentially fool proof. But while the color is pretty and it's interesting, my nails end up looking fuzzy, like something went wrong. It's just not something I enjoy. The matte polish looks best in dim lighting, which brings out the best in this finish. It actually looks lit from within. But in broad daylight, said fuzziness occurs. Add to that the longevity issue (the Zoya website is very honest and warns you about it. It's a special formula and is not supposed to last) that causes flaking and chipping within 24 hours, and this is just not for me. I simply don't like this trend.

I removed the polish after two days, but that's probably because I couldn't wait to start playing with Zoya Truth and Dare, the two special collections for fall 2009. Both have gorgeous, deep colors with a sturdy, glossy finish. Photos coming soon.

Zoya MatteVelvet collection for fall 2009 ($6 per bottle) is available from select salons and the company's website, artofbeauty.com. I received it as a PR freebie.

photos: mine. models: Peter (gray) and Buffy (white)

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