OPI La-Pazitively Hot Matte

Choo Choooooo!!! Guess who is hopping on the matte nail trend train? Yeppers -- me! I have to admit that when I first saw these polishes, I was not a fan. I like my polish full of sparkle and glitter. The thought of wearing matte polish totally turned me off. But, at my nail supply place this weekend, I saw that they got in the new OPI Matte collection, so I decided to pick up two and try them. I got this one as well as Russian Navy Matte (will be reviewed at a later date).

I took a bunch of pictures, both indoor and outdoors. I had a really hard time photographing these, so this was as close as I could get.

OPI La-Pazitively Hot Matte
(indoors, with flash)






(outdoors, natural lighting)




I usually don't like bright pinks, but this one really POPS! I love it! It is matte, but I also noticed a little bit of sparkle in there, especially when I was in sunlight. I think this particular color is not as matte-looking as darker colors are. Here are some tips regarding matte polish:

• The instructions that came with the polish said to not wear base coat or top coat with the polish. I wore it with a non-shiny base coat, because I did not want my nails to stain. As you can see, my mani still came out perfectly, and the "matte-ness" was not sacrificed at the expense of a base coat. However, you definitely don't want to wear a top coat with these - it defeats the purpose!
• Matte polish really adheres to your nails and it really magnifies any nail imperfections (bumps, scratches, etc.). Prior to applying the polish, I buffed all my nails to give them a nice, clean, scuff-free surface.
• This polish dries lightning-fast! Do not let how shiny the polish looks in the bottle fool you! When you first put it on, it will look shiny coming off the brush, but two seconds after you stroke it on, you can see it already starting to dry. Use quick, thin, even strokes and try not to go over the same area over and over again. It will cause the polish to streak and look uneven. I used two coats for my mani.
  
• Instructions also said to not wear lotion on your hands. Again, I can see why, because it would cause the polish to look shiny instead of flat. But, I am a lotion and cuticle cream fanatic, and the thought of a few days without either killed me. So, I wore them anyway. At first, the finish of my polish did look a little shinier, but after the lotion/cream dried, the polish was back to looking matte.
  
• Matte polish does not wear as long as non-matte polish. It will start to flake and chip off, and in chunks, after a day or two. I only wore mine for two days, and experienced faster-then-normal tipwear, but it was not hugely different from non-matte polishes.
• Removal was not as hard as I thought. I was expecting some nail staining, but thanks to the base coat, I got none. I took it off quite easily with some regular polish remover.

I will have to try out a few more colors before I conclude if I'm a matte fan or not. I am pretty sure the beautiful color of this one is what made me a fan. My expectations for Russian Navy are not nearly as high.