2009 seems like so long ago, as I was penning a piece about how “matte is the new black”.
So long in fact that the anti-gloss nail look has come full circle and is back on trend. Yes, salon fanatics, matte is back. Excited?!
You can pick up the new generation of mattes — which are mostly top coats this time around, versus color polishes — at shops like Sephora, which is carrying celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi’s JINsoon Matte Maker. Or ask your local salon for a manicure, hold the gloss — there are tons of salon options, including NSI’s new Polish Pro Matte Top Coat, which is especially nice since it works with gel-polish and so lasts longer.
Looking back, the most amazing thing about matte is it ushered in an era of texture in nail color. Matte evolved to suede, which evolved to 3-D textures like caviar and velvet, which are still hugely popular today.
One word of caution from my 2009 self: Matte polishes generally don’t wear as long as traditional glossy polishes so tread carefully. But we’re not sure how long this edgy style will remain popular, so wear it while you can!
Photography by Vu Ong
Do you still have your matte polishes from 2009? Tell us in the comments!
