I’m the first admit that I am the biggest cheapskate when it comes to make up and beauty. I’d much prefer to mix up food colouring or eye shadow as lipstick rather than splurge and actually buy the shade I want, so it’s only natural that I would find a way around buying the Chanel matte nail polish that’s virtually impossible to find in Australia. This afternoon, I experimented with two different ways tor create matte nails, they were quick and easy and I’ll definitely try it again. I think the steam was the easiest and nicest in the end though.
L: Katy Komaromi R: Tumblr
TYPE ONE: STEAM
I have been desperate to try this technique on my nails for a while, but considering I am so clumsy I can hurt myself sitting on the lounge, I thought I should give this one a miss. Today though, I worked up the courage to attempt it, and I am proud to say, there were no accidents and I did not burn myself. If I had though, it definitely would have been worth it.
What you need:
Step One:
Paint your nails like you normally would. For this tutorial, I used a deep, dark Alex Perry nail polish. It worked perfectly because it had no shine or glitter, and almost ended up looking black. Any colour would work though.
Step Two:
After you have painted your nails, carefully fill a bowl with boiling water.
Step Three:
Hold your fingers over the bowl of steam water. Move your hands around and rotate to ensure that all fingers come into contact with the steam. Your finger nails need to still be wet for this step. Make sure you do not hold your hand too close to the water, and move your hand regularly to prevent any burns.
And you’re done…
TYPE TWO: POWDER
This was the first tutorial I attempted, I don’t think it worked as well as the first, but I think that was probably my fault. In this tutorial, I used a Sportsgirl black nail polish that was nearly empty and was supposed to have added shine and glitter, so it’s no wonder that they did not turn out entirely matte. Using powder is a very simple way to get matte nails though, it halves the drying time and is safer.
What you will need:
For this tutorial, you will need some form of powder. I used baking powder and it worked pretty well, but baby powder and corn starch will also work. You also will need some nail polish and a brush. The brush will not be damaged, so any brush will do.
Step One:
The first step is to paint your nails.
Step Two:
While your nails are still wet, brush powder over your nails and leave it on for about a minute.
Step Three:
Run it over your nails, removing the powder. If you have left it on too long and it has dried into your polish, dip the brush in water and then try brushing it of again.
And you’re done!
If you want to make the powder tutorial easier and aren’t too worried about dedicating a bottle of nail polish entirely to matte, make a funnel using paper, and pour the powder into the nail polish bottle. Put the lid back on and shake to mix through the powder. Then just apply your nail polish like normal. I didn’t want to ruin my nail polish so I didn’t want to ruin any of my colours, but if you try this one, let me know! I’d love to hear how it works.
