Matte Polish - Top Coat

Special Effects Pt. 3 

I got on board the matte express about a year ago with china glaze.
It's just so different and modern; I really wish more people were brave enough to break the mould...
It never made much sense to me to re-purchase all my favourite shades with a matte finish (I'd end up with over a hundred polishes) so I just kept a couple of top coats instead.
I've always loved the glossy moon and tip contrast with matte polish, particularly with dark colours. Here I have on two coats of OPI's I brake for manicures and one coat of matte bout you.

I attempted to do a French manicure tip with OPI's clear shiny top coat, but found it to be too thick with not enough shine. I've been told I need to start using Seche Vite; maybe it's time I conformed.

Essie - matte about you is up to par, but doesn't quite dull the shine as much as the china glaze one used to, which is a shame.

Here I'm wearing a couple of coats of YSL Noir Primitif  + M.A.Y

Before you decide that the matte look is right for you, you need to be aware of a few things:

You need to be good at painting your nails. I don't mean, you've painted your nails before so obviously you understand the concept of nail polish and application - I mean really good. Any streaks, bumps, ridges will be extremely apparent under a matte top coat. You can't always mask it with a sloppy thick extra coat.
Secondly, matte doesn't provide any protection from chips, so not the best choice for an extended period such as holidays; or if you have small pets that tend to like giving you a manicure of their own:

One of my many rats - Gunmetal

Really make sure you've thoroughly prepped your nails prior to application. That means iron/buff the plate and dehydrate.