My New Wintertime Obsession: Matte Plum Nails!

So I've had this mattifying top coat from Hard Candy for quite a few months now and I've never had the courage to use it until just recently. I was always scared that I couldn't pull of the new trend but I just really wanted a change. Even a change as small as this made me happy, to be honest!

Despite my doubts, I loooove the matte nail trend! It's so chic and modern. Not to say that the normal glossy nail isn't chic, too. But this is just so...different! 

In the picture, you'll see my deep plum nails with the Hard Candy "Matte-ly in Love" topcoat. Because of the quality of the topcoat, you can almost see a bit of sheen at the tips of my nails. In real life, the nails look perfectly matte. Although, not as perfect as when I first did my nails.

The topcoat was $4.00 plus tax. I purchased mine at Walmart since that is the only place I know of that sells Hard Candy products. I've heard that it is very comparable to the Essie mattifying topcoat in "Matte About You" but I do not own it nor do I know where to get it (since I haven't seen it in stores).

When I applied the topcoat, it dried very fast with (obviously) a matte finish. To the touch, it almost felt like a chalk board. That is the best way I can describe it, haha. Since doing my nails I have showered, washed dishes, and pretty much anything having to do with water OR using my fingers/nails. It's been almost 24 hours and still no chipping BUT I've noticed that it isn't quite as matte as it used to be, which is unfortunate. No where on the packaging did it claim to last long but I didn't expect the matte effect to wear off so quickly. 

As of now, they feel very smooth and only have a but of a sheet at the tips. Still, for the most part, matte. 

The nail color I'm wearing is Essie "Smokin' Hot" nail polish. A gorgeous grey-toned plum color, and perfect for winter time. I couldn't really picture any other color than this one to look so well matte. The color is beautiful and, as I expected, it was the perfect color to be mattified. 

The Essie nail polish was about $8.00 plus tax. Sold at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, Ulta, Khol's, etc.

Overall, despite the fact that the topcoat was rather cheap, I still really love this trend. My nails are still very chic looking and I'm obsessed! I can't wait to try more colors and make them matte!

Until next time, lovelies!

xoxo, Selina