Mattese Elite Matte Smoke

Nope, it's not a dupe of Diamond Cosmetics Matte Smoke. That I can tell. The Diamond one's finish seems a bit more matte and lighter, if I recall correctly.

I've been a huge fan of Mattese polishes, even before they started releasing Color Club dupes (they are manufactured by the same parent company, Forsythe). And since I adore Color Club polishes, I suppose I'm still a huge fan of Mattese. Except they're only readily available Ricky's NYC beauty supply chain and over double the cost of regular Color Club polishes. I'm not sure what the deal is with the "Mattese Elite" line though.

Mattese Elite, as far as I can tell, consists of less interesting colors than the old Mattese line and are not Color Club dupes. But I like greys and I was curious as to how this brand would interpret "matte". The answer is: satin... and not a particularly matte-y satin. It's the sort of finish you get with neons, pre-topcoat.

Mattese Elite Matte Smoke

Excuse the miserable frazzle! This photo was taken right when I had just got back from my Psychonomics/Thanksgiving travel and my cuticles had been sorely neglected during that time. Anyway, this is two coats: it didn't dry particularly quickly for a "matte" (because it's not a true matte) and it was even pretty shiny for a "satin". It's a pleasant color, a dark grey creme. Not special but easy to apply. Two coats.

Like this? Click below to let us know!