When my mom decided to paint her toenails a shade of light green a few months ago, I was horrified—this was no Mint Candy Apple by Essie. I tried to stop her but before I knew it, the pedicurist was painting this horrible, sickly color on her toenails. It was so bad that my sister and I called her “Swamp Toes.” Even more shocking than my mom’s deviation from a classic red or pink was that she wasn’t the only woman painting her piggies green. Ever since models sported green nail polish on the Chanel runway this past fall, millions of women have been green with envy about copying what has since become a trend. Although the shade that my mom wore still reminds me of Frankenstein’s creature, green nail polish has since grown on me. In fact, just last week I painted my nails Essie’s Going Incognito (yes, that’s the reference in the title), which is a dark, forest green, and I received nothing but compliments on the color!
If green nails intimidate you but you still want a bold look this season, nix the shine. First, I must make it clear that I have always loved the glossy finish of freshly painted nails: In my opinion, the glossier the better. Yet, I have fallen for matte nails. This trend became an instant hit when it debuted this past fall, and nail-polish brands such as OPI and Zoya have since created lines of matte polishes.
Even though many colored matte polishes are available, I swear by Essie’s Matte About You topcoat. When you paint it over even the glossiest nails, that matte sheen instantly appears. With this lacquer, you can have matte nails of any color! I painted my nails the glittery DS Reflection by OPI today, and one light coat of Matte About You not only softened the glitter but also completely eliminated the gloss. The best part about this top coat is that it takes only 30 seconds to dry! I think I might be in nail-polish heaven.
I’m not the only one who loves this trend, though. Of 78 college-aged women polled, 50% have seen and/or heard about this trend, and 62% of those who have seen it, like it. Moreover, 42% of those who like the trend prefer it to glossy polish. According to Maddy Corson, a freshman at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, “Matte polish is the perfect nail accessory for girly-girls with an edge.” With this positive feedback, matte nail polish is definitely something that you should try this season. The best thing about such trendy nail polish is that you can make it either a subtle or bold part of your outfit, it’s fairly inexpensive, and you can change it at any time.
So, the next time you think about reaching for your bottle of China Glaze Innocence (again), ask yourself: “Can I sacrifice a few days of my usual sheer-pink nails to try this new color?” I invite you to have fun exploring these new trends and, as OPI might say, I will be Pink-ing of You along the way.