Questions about Matte Nail Polish Answered by Zoya

In the past few weeks, many people have asked us either why they cannot use a base coat or top coat with the Zoya MatteVelvet, or if we will have a Matte Base or Top Coat in the near future. We decided to make this post to help explain and answer these questions.

First, what makes mattes different than regular nail polish?
To achieve a matte look and maintain pigment density, the film properties of the nail polish must be adjusted. The result of this adjustment is a film that is less flexible, or essentially more brittle and prone to breakage. The benefit of this film property is that it lets the polish dry at a much faster rate than a traditional polish.If you apply a matte polish to a base coat (matte or non matte) that has not fully dried, what occurs is that the polish and the basecoat dry at completely different rates causing problems shrinking, rigidness and a goopy (best description we could find) mess that may take all day to dry.

Can you use a base coat at all with matte polish?
The answer is yes and here’s how. Clean the nail plate thoroughly to remove all oil, dirt and residue. Apply your favorite base coat (obviously we would love for you to use Zoya Anchor or GetEven) and wait until the basecoat is thoroughly dry (do not use any drying products). Once the basecoat is thoroughly dry, apply your matte polish. This may add an extra day of wear to your matte’s but do not expect the regular Zoya Nail Polish wear that you are used to. For great matte polish application tips, please read advise on Scrangie’s blog.

Now we come to the topcoat issue. Obviously a glossy topcoat will turn any matte polish glossy, so there. What about a matte top coat?
The problem with matte topcoats is that they discolor the polish that they are applied over. Yes they even discolor matte nail polish. The best way to describe the effect is think of applying a piece of scotch tape over your nail polish. A matte topcoat will diminish the richness and depth that matte nail polish tries to create, and simply distort the color when applied over regular nail polish (this becomes more noticeable as you apply it over darker shades and mettalics). Obviously a matte topcoat is a good idea to try and see if you like the matte direction, but it will not achieve a true matte look that a matte polish offers, and will distort the color of anything you apply it over including distorting the color of matte polish.

See Zoya MatteVelvet here!