A matte finish in Cocoa Cream: the same shade reads darker and more solid without gloss on top of it.
3 bottles: Cocoa Cream, Vanilla Cream and Chestnut. Cocoa Cream and Vanilla Cream sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on an oval, with walls that follow the finger and a tip rounded off, which flatters a short nail bed without needing much length and keeps the motif undistorted.
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How to paint Cocoa Cream Matte nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Cocoa Cream, curing each one.
- 2 Two thin coats of Cocoa Cream, cured, keeping the surface as level as you can — matte hides nothing.
- 3 Matte top coat, cured — and no cuticle oil over it, which spots the finish.
Questions about Cocoa Cream Matte
Is Cocoa Cream Matte hard to do at home?
Yes. There is no freehand work that has to be accurate. Budget about 30 minutes for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.
What polish do I need for Cocoa Cream Matte?
3 bottles: Cocoa Cream (crème), Vanilla Cream (sheer) and Chestnut (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Cocoa Cream Matte work on short nails?
Oval is one of the better shapes for a short nail: it lengthens the look of the bed without needing free edge to do it, so the design carries over unchanged.
How many coats does Cocoa Cream Matte need?
More than you would expect. Vanilla Cream is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.