Top 5 Matte Nail Polishes This Year – Check Out These Ultra Stylish Manicures

Here’s How To Create Beautiful Matte Nail Designs
When I think of a nice manicure, my mind immediately sees well-maintained, shiny nails. After all, isn’t that why we all use top coats? But even though I absolutely love that look, sometimes I just need something different. Something edgier yet still sophisticated.
Bring on the matte nail finish. This polish is completely devoid of shine, seeming to suck the light inwards. Stylish, unusual and definitely eye catching, matte is here to stay.
But there are a couple of tips to make the best of this softly chic look.
- Matte polish tends to chip faster than gloss varieties, and longer tips are more likely to get knocked quicker. Trimming your nails with nail files at or below the tips of your fingers with make your mani last longer!
- On its own, a matte topcoat isn’t the most durable way to rock this trend. It tends to wear off after a day or so. For the longest-lasting look, use a polish and a topcoat in the same finish.
- Matte polishes dry almost immediately, so they don’t have time to settle down into a silk smooth finish. Apply one coat, then wait for it to dry completely before you add more layers to get a smooth, opaque look.
- Finish off your mani with one brush of polish across the tip of your nail. It creates a neater look and helps to prevent chipping.
Always eager to get in on the super cool matte action, I’m off to test out the best matte polishes.
1) Beetles Matte and High Gloss Polish Set
What Makes It Great
This is an excellent idea – a set of polishes that contains both high gloss and a beautiful rich matte. Available in a whole range of colors, I really like that you can have either depending on how you feel. Both polishes went on well, and lasted easily into three weeks, with the matte keeping its light-absorbing qualities perfectly.
Where It Could Be Improved
Although advertised as low odor, there is a definite polish whiff with both these bottles.
This is a quality set of polishes, providing the best of both worlds - matte and gloss, for whichever mood takes you.
Beetles Matte Top Coat and High Gloss Top Coat Base Coat Set - No Wipe top Coat, Shine Finish and...
- Beetles No Wipe Gel Top Matte Top Coat: Long lasting for 21+ days. Flexible top coat avoids nicks, chips and smudges. Beautiful Matte finish. NOTE: With gel nail polish, please always apply thin layer each time! Too much coat or gel on the skin might cause burning feeling when cure under UV/LED lamp. Please clean gel around nails prior curing as well! Try lower wattage lamp if you were sensitive to heat.
2) OPI Matte Gel Polish
What Makes It Great
OPI’s clear matte top coat turns any color into a matte polish, so has an infinite variety of uses, for example, stenciling matte onto gloss for an unusual textured look. This goes on smoothly with a nice flow, and lasted nearly three weeks before I noticed the first, very tiny chip.
Where It Could Be Improved
It took several soaks to remove every trace of this top coat, but I can live with that.
Ideal for turning any color polish a gorgeous soft matte and as a top coat, it’s durable and strong.
OPI Nail Polish and Nail Lacquer Top Coat, Matte Finish Nail Polish Top Coat, 0.5 Fl Oz
- SEALS IN COLOR to prevent scratches and chipping Awards: Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards 2015
- ADD A LITTLE EDGE to your manicure with a smooth matte finish with OPI's Top Coat
- Looks great over darker OPI NAIL POLISH shades like Lincoln Park After Dark, to lighter shades like Alpine Snow
3) Beetles Matte Gel Polish
What Makes It Great
This matte top coat comes in a decent sized bottle, and although Beetles claim it’s tough enough with just one coat, I went for my usual two, and it worked perfectly. Durable and seemingly scuff resistant, it remained pristine for over two weeks.
Where It Could Be Improved
Whether it’s because I used two coats, this gel polish remained stubbornly stuck in place until it finally gave up and dissolved.
If you’re looking for a chic and tough matte topcoat, this is a great addition to anyone’s manicure kit.
Beetles Gel No Wipe Matte Top Coat - Soak Off UV LED Gel Nail Polish Matte Finish and Long Lasting...
- Beetles Matte Top Coat Gel No Wipe: Long lasting for 21+ days. Requires drying under UV or LED Lamp. Cure times vary per lighting system. If you experience any problems using this product, please contact us directly. We guarantee a fast replacement or refund service!
4) Sally Hanson Matte Top Coat
What Makes It Great
This polish is mean, mysterious and gorgeously matte. It flowed beautifully, covering my nail in a silken sheet of satiny smoothness. With industrial-strength tenacity, it kept its flawless good looks for over three weeks, and I only had to remove it then due to nail growth.
Where It Could Be Improved
The acetone aroma is quite strong when you first open the bottle, but after a few moments, it fades to a comfortable level.
For a superior on-trend edginess that’s ultra hard-wearing, this gloriously matte top coat is perfect.
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Lacquer, Matte Top Coat, 0.5 Fl. Oz.
- THE SALON LOOK: Get the salon look at home with Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Lacquer
- NUMBER 1 SELLING GEL LIKE POLISH IN THE US: The only truly 2-step gel hybrid manicure with no UV/LED light needed
5) Lavender Violets Gloss and Matte Top Coat Set
What Makes It Great
This set allows you to mix matte with glossy top coats to produce some really stunning effects, and having both bottles in one set, gives you versatility in your colors – every polish looks different depending on the top coat’s finish. On my nails, with everyday wear and tear, it remained chip and peel free for ten days.
Where It Could Be Improved
If you try and use this polish with gel, the effect isn’t as smooth as it could be, and with a matte finish, it needs to be smooth, so I recommend avoiding a gel base coat.
Odorless, free from the 'big 3' and producing an ultra stylish matte finish, this is an awesome polish to have in your mani kitbox.
No Wipe Gel-Nail-Polish-Base-Top-Coat Shiny and Matte Top Gel Long Lasting 12ml F807
- VERSATILITY N AFFORDABLE: The package set of base and top coat (matte & shiny) is available to use with all UV gel polishes and powders; which is a great budget gel polish kit.
- TOP CHOICE FOR SALON N HOME USE: Getting both matte and high gloss top coats, which is the perfect reason to do the nail art. You can do some incredible nail design when you use glossy and matte top coats on the same nail.
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