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Artsy Wednesday: Inspired by graffiti and OPI Matte Top Coat review and comparison

April 3, 2013 By Michelle 20 Comments

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.

I had a lot of problems getting inspired by this week’s theme of graffiti – I looked through hundreds of amazing examples of graffiti art, but I couldn’t work out how to translate the look onto my nails. Eventually I gave up and ended up with this design, which I matted using OPI’s newly released Matte Top Coat.


OPI came a bit late to the matte top coat scene, but as you’d expect from a company who released some of the most talked-about matte shades back in 2009, this doesn’t disappoint. Here’s a comparison of my long-standing favourite matte finish top coat, Rimmel Lycra Pro Mattifying Top Coat, with OPI’s new one. I painted Pretty Serious Tux on my nails (more on this gorgeous polish later!), let it dry overnight, then added the top coats. 

Some people have told me that I have a fluke bottle of the Rimmel top coat, and their results aren’t quite as good, so keep this in mind! 

Rimmel:
– more satiny, smooth-to-the-touch finish 
– doesn’t self-level, application is a bit tricky
– cheaper ($9.95 for 12 mL) 

OPI:
– rougher, duller finish
– self-levels, easier application
– more expensive ($19.95 for 15 mL) 

I prefer the OPI mainly because using the Rimmel version is a bit of a pain, especially as the bottle thickens up near the end (I frequently end up with ridges running down the length of my nails if I don’t apply it fast enough). The Rimmel is a bargain in Australia at retail prices though (especially when it’s on sale – it’s much harder to find discounted OPI!). 

Whichever one you choose, a matte top coat is one of the things I’d definitely recommend as one of the nail polish essentials – it’s a quick and easy way of changing up a manicure (plus you can choose to matte the whole thing, or just a French tip/dots/stripes/ruffian/whatever!), as well as making too-shiny glitters a bit more wearable.


Pretty Purple Polish – Maria’s Nail Art – Unnaked Nails – Nail & Polish – Beauty Gnome – An Accent Nail – Valiantly Varnished


This product was provided for review, which did not affect my opinion. For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


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Filed Under: Nail Art, Nails Tagged With: Artsy Wednesday, freehand, matte, nail art, nails, OPI, review

« Blue nails for Autism Awareness April
Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick review & swatches »

Comments

  1. Squeaky Q says

    April 3, 2013 at 11:39 pm

    I really like the graffiti print! Love the colours too 🙂

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 12:42 pm

      Thanks! It turned out a bit better than I thought it would, but the colours are still my favourite part 🙂

      Reply
  2. Catrine says

    April 3, 2013 at 11:41 pm

    this looks fab! i love the colour combo! and i’m loving the matte too… i have the essie matte about u but i’ve heard LOADS of positive reviews about the rimmel one xxx

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 12:44 pm

      Thanks! I think the Rimmel one can be hit and miss, but out of the drugstore brands it’s the best I’ve tried!

      Reply
  3. sweetaholic-beauty says

    April 3, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    I’m a fan of the Rimmel one, but I’d like to give the OPI one a go (as I have the same problem at the end of the Rimmel bottle!)
    I love the design of your mani though! Come do my nails? 😛
    xx

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      Haha thank you 🙂

      Reply
  4. Paint Those Piggies! says

    April 3, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    Really cool mani!

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 1:15 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. [email protected] Varnished says

    April 4, 2013 at 12:07 am

    I LOVE this! So cool. And I’m a sucker for matte top coats.

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 2:25 pm

      Me too, matte top coat is the first thing I’ve ever used up!

      Reply
  6. Marias Nail Art says

    April 4, 2013 at 12:34 am

    I like this design, it also gives me the feeling of some kind of artsy fabric…

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 3:53 pm

      Haha, I actually just realised where I got the colour inspiration from: http://www.leenwallpapers.com/images/gallery/Blink1821.jpg

      Completely subconscious!

      Reply
  7. Glowstars says

    April 4, 2013 at 12:45 am

    Love it!

    Reply
    • LabMuffin says

      April 4, 2013 at 3:55 pm

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  8. Moni says

    April 4, 2013 at 3:44 am

    Love it 🙂 especially with the matte. The colours shine nicely and the black is a good contrast.

    Greetings from Berlin!

    Moni
    my-fingertip-gallery.blogspot.com

    Reply
  9. Sandipa Sharma says

    April 4, 2013 at 8:47 am

    I like these! Your graffiti nails make mine look like butt! Lol

    Reply
  10. LittleMonsterx14 says

    April 4, 2013 at 10:19 am

    i love it!! great comparison!

    Reply
  11. Erica Jane says

    April 4, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    Absolutely amazing! I thought this was a stamp, it’s so perfect! I have to try to recreate this sometime. Emphasis on “try” lol!

    Reply
  12. Alanna - PrettyPurplePolish says

    April 9, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    This looks great! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Mike Belly says

    November 25, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    Hi Auther!
    You made my day. You put your great effort in it.

    Reply

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Michelle
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!

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