butter LONDON
Matte Top Coats – Let’s Compare
 Love it or hate it, Matte Nails are the big trend for Fall. With all the matte nail polish collections coming out, it will be a hard style to ignore. If you’re not ready to jump in feet first, why not try a matte top coat instead? Using them to mattify any polish in your arsenal makes it a more versatile and budget friendly way to embrace the look. Give your tried and true shades an update with a new finish.
From flat to satin there are a plethora of choices in the non-glossy top coat realm and I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to. Check out the results after the jump! |
First things first. There are certain things you give up in using a matte top coat.
Essie Matte About You ($10, essie.com) and Rescue Beauty Lounge Matte Top Coat ($18, RescueBeauty.com) are the most mattifying top coats I’ve come across. If you desire that truly flat finish this is your best option. The cloudiness does lighten the shade a touch but not significantly. Here’s my problem with that. They showed butter London’s Nail Foundation ($18, butterLondon.com) as an example yet they neglected to explain that only ridge filling base coats dry matte. Using your clear or tacky base coats won’t achieve that look. Overly opaque or shimmery ridge fillers won’t get it done either. Nonie Creme of butter London used her Nail Foundation over Yummy Mummy backstage at Alexander Wang to matte down the shine and in this instance using a base coat totally worked. She even sent me a pic from her iPhone to share with you (above). However when I used it over my test shade, OPI No Room For The Blues, it didn’t turn out as well. The nude pigmentation in the base changed the color drastically. If you don’t mind that, it’s a simple mattifying solution but I still prefer a matte top coat.
Nubar V For Men Matte Finish Nail Protector ($8.99, ByNubar.com) comes in a close 2nd to Essie and RBL in terms matte-ness and I love that it’s more forgiving in terms of application. It applies smooth and even every time.
Now for those wanting a satin style nail, the next three options are ideal. They take down the gloss giving a more buffed look. Orly Matte Top Coat is actually discontinued but still available on Head2ToeBeauty.com for $4.95 so get it while supplies last.
Orly Nails for Males ($6.99, SallyBeauty.com) performs similarly to the Matte Top Coat in spite of its dark appearance.
Finally, Barielle’s Matte-inee Top Coat will be launching soon on Barielle.com.
I received quite a few questions regarding InStyle’s June issue. One of the tips in the Summer beauty section was about matte nails. They suggested using “your base coat as a top coat to remove the shine from your lacquer.” 
So did this clear up a lot of your questions reagarding matte top coats? Which do you prefer… matte top coats or matte polish? Or do you wish this whole matte thing would just go away already? Sound off Fanatics!
butter London Fall/Winter 2009 Fashionista’s Favourites Sneak Peek
 OK so you remember that ah-mazing green from butter London that I spotted backstage at the Vena Cava show during New York Fashion Week? At the time, it seemed like forever until we’d get the chance to wear it. Well, the launch date is getting closer and closer and I have a preview of British Racing Green and the rest of the Fall 2009 butter London collection.
Nonie Creme, butter London Creative Director: Nails will be a huge part of your F/W wardrobe this year. Interesting nail colours with specific “personalities” will give you an opportunity to reinvent the many black, grey, and neutral outfits on offer. I designed a broad spectrum of colours for the Fall/Winter 2009 Fashionista’s Favourites. |
British Racing Green – The international motor racing colour of Great Britain. This green used to be the standard paint colour on all Formula One racecars in the days before sponsorship.
Dark, “hunter green” that was the backstage darling when used at the F/W 2009 shows.
Minger – British street slang for an ugly person. “Did you see that face? What a minger!”
An edgy burnt orange like the one featured on the Philip Lim and Prada catwalks. This shade “ups” the fashion factor of any outfit.
Scoundrel – An unprincipled, dishonorable person, villain, or scamp. Your ex-boyfriend, your builder, and your boss rolled into one.
A medium tone purplish-mauve that can appear darker or lighter depending on what clothing you are wearing.
Pearly Queen – A Pearly Queen is a woman dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons.
A winter white with an added pearl sheen for softness and depth, making it beautifully wearable.
Rosie Lee – Cockney Rhyming slang for a cup of tea. “Put the kettle on Love, I fancy a Rosie Lee.”
A parade of pale pink glitter that will lift your spirits AND your outfit.
I won’t have actual samples to show you for a bit but according to Nonie, we should expect new packaging with this collection. Hmm, I wonder what it will look like. The bottle of Thames I have from over two years ago was square with a thin rounded cap, then came the flat wide bottles & caps.
Any predictions on how the shape will change? Which colors tickle your fancy? Share!
Butter London Fashionista’s Favourites
 Happy Friday Fanatics! I hope you’re gearing up for a fun weekend and 4th of July celebration (for US readers). Today I have the butter London Spring/Summer Fashionista’s Favourites to show you. It’s a lineup of five new colors, four cremes and one metallic, created by high fashion manicurist and Creative Director Nonie Creme. Take a peek after the jump! |
As I’ve come to expect from bL’s 3 Free formula, the consistency is on the medium-to-thick side yet the polishes apply very smooth and even, with one noted exception (Muggins). The lacquer dries fast and glossy and even though pulling off the outer square cap can be a struggle, it does make application much easier using just the round inner cap.
You saw Artful Dodger on me when I discussed Miley Cyrus’ nails. It’s my favorite shade in the collection and it’s been sitting on my desk for a few weeks now so I can stare at it while I work. It’s just such a happy color, a shade I’d LOVE to see in the sky if these darn rainclouds would ever vacate the CLE. So I’ll continue to stare at Artful Dodger and wait for some much needed sun.
The Old Bill is a warm old gold metallic. You know how I feel about the issues metallics bring to the party but guess what?? The Old Bill isn’t plagued by them. There’s no streaking, no monster brush strokes, no weird pooling or anything. It applies like a freakin’ dream in two thin coats. LOVE IT!!
Muggins is my problem child of the bunch. I’m already leery of pale purples but this one applied terribly. After three streaky coats I gave up. I tried with this one but for a color I know won’t work with my skin tone, it wasn’t worth it. I even added top coat to try and even it out and it STILL looked lumpy. PASS!
Cheeky Chops is perfect for the whole yellow trend that’s happening. It’s a vibrant banana pudding type shade. Bright but not neon, buttery but not pastel. Pretty dead on perfect if you ask me.
Blowing Raspberries doesn’t really blow my hair back, no pun intended. It’s a rich berry red creme not overly unusual. Though what did impress me was the application and pigmentation. It’s almost a one coater and so damn smooth. I’d call it a goof-proof red.
The butter London Fashionista’s Favourites are currently on sale through butterLondon.com or Beauty.com. Individual polishes retail for $14 or you can buy the entire set for $45 (bl) or $50 (Beauty.com).
So what do we think fanatics? Who’s got big plans for the 4th? Or just fun plans in general?
AND DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY CHANEL GIVEAWAY THAT ENDS TONIGHT!
Get The Look – Miley Cyrus’ Nails at the MTV Movie Awards
 While everyone else has been praising and critiquing the beauty and fashion looks from last week’s MTV Movie Awards, I focused on the nails, natch. One of the nail standouts of the night was Miley Cyrus. Personally, I’m not a fan but that’s here nor there. She’s a pretty girl, a paparazzi princess, a tween sensation and obviously a nail fanatic.
I couldn’t help but notice Miley’s gorg teal nails and I loved how they paired with her beige dress. Like I said a few weeks back, I’m loving the whole neutral clothing with bright pops of nail color that’s happening this summer. Bold tips are your best (and cheapest) accessory. Fortunately I was privy to a little celeb nail gossip regarding this look so if you wondering what she wore read on! |
Of course the keen-eyed Tamar who writes for MTV’s Buzzworthy Blog was dead on when she suggested Artful Dodger to get Miley’s look. Good call Tamar! Artful Dodger is a creamy teal blue that looks much more blue in person than it does in the pics of Miley. Flash and direct sunlight seem to be a nail photographer’s worst enemies. Anywho, the formula glides on the nail with ease, is highly pigmented and dries in a snap to a glossy finish. Note: Thanks to a reader, my past complaints about the polish cap are resolved. I just didn’t pull hard enough to know that it slides off. Oops! Thoughts? Did you love the nude dress/teal polish look? Are you on board for Artful Dodger regardless of Miley wearing it?
Nonie Creme of butter London dropped me a quick line to share that Miley was rocking the brand’s Artful Dodger hue on the Movie Awards red carpet. Apparently Miley is a fan of the the 3Free formulation and fashion forward color palette.
So after hearing of Miley’s affinity for butter London, I spotted this pic of her at a charity event and wondered if this too was a bL shade. Though taking the lighting into consideration, I can’t tell if she’s wearing Aston or Fash Pack. What’s your guess?
Artful Dodger retails for $14 and is available online at butterlondon.com and beauty.com
Celebrate Earth Day with Butter London
 butter London‘s Turn In Your Toxins campaign is back for Earth Day 2009 but in a whole new way.
The first 500 people to log onto the butter London website on Earth Day, April 22nd, will win a bottle of 3 Free butter London lacquer to replace the toxic polish in your arsenal. Unlike last year where you had to live near a bL location to participate, we’re all eligible. [Edited to add: The giveaway begins at 8am PST/11am EST] |
Though even if you miss out on winning a free bottle of polish, you can still join in on the Turn In Your Toxins fun by taking advantage of their special Earth Day promotion. Pick your own 5-pack for only $40 (a $30 savings).
Lisa N.
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