One Polish Project: Look #1

Welcome to One Polish Project! In this series, I’m going to show you how to take 1 nail polish and TRANSFORM it into 5 different looks!

Are you ready? Let’s get into it!

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Products used or similar in One Polish Project can be found in my Amazon Storefront.

The First Look

The first look in One Polish Project is… matte nails!

This super simple trick is highly underrated in my opinion. It works for anything – regular basic one color polish? BOOM! Transformed. Glitter polish? Transformed. Nail art? Transformed. Get my drift?

What is a matte top coat?

A matte top coat is a top coat that mattifies the glossy nail polish underneath. Most nail polish is glossy by default, and while some people might think matte gives the polish a dull look, I think it can elevate it. It can also alter the shade slightly, and that’s the whole purpose of this series – small changes to what you already have!

Which matte top coat should I use?

In the video above I used Big Matte Topcoat by Sally Hansen. You can purchase that here (please note: this is an affiliate link). Another one I use regularly is OPI’s Matte Top Coat. Again, you can buy that here (affiliate link).

Are there any downfalls to using a matte top coat?

Matte top coats can sometimes get chunky white ‘chalk’ pieces in them. Sometimes you can’t tell because the bottles themselves are frosted or the pieces are so small. Unfortunately you probably won’t know until the top coat dries. But, I’ve given them a good shake and sometimes they go away (or maybe just sink to the bottom!).

Also, sometimes they just don’t work. Or, they might work on one nail and not others. Why? Not a clue. I assume it’s something to do with chemistry and you’ll need to ask someone a lot smarter than me!!

How does it look?

Here is the glossy look first:

Followed by the matte look:

As you can see, there’s a slight speckle of the chalky stuff on my index finger. But we aren’t about perfection around here. We are about keeping it real! So I left it in the picture and the video. Does it ruin the manicure? No, only I knew it was there. No one is looking that closely at your nails! And if they are, then you might be able to tell them something cool you learnt about matte top coats!!

Stay tuned for Look #2 (or if you’re impatient, check it out on my YouTube channel or Instagram!).