A matte finish in Inky Navy: the same shade reads darker and more solid without gloss on top of it.
3 bottles: Inky Navy, Powder Sky and Midnight Navy. Inky Navy against Powder Sky is a hard contrast, so the motif reads from across a room, and any wobble in the line reads with it. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
On a stiletto the nail narrows the whole way, so the pattern reads as tapering with it, which is worth allowing for before the first stroke.
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How to paint Inky Navy Matte nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Inky Navy. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
- 2 Two thin coats of Inky Navy, 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 Inky Navy Matte
Is Inky Navy 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 Inky Navy Matte?
3 bottles: Inky Navy (crème), Powder Sky (sheer) and Midnight Navy (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Inky Navy Matte work on short nails?
Stiletto needs length, because the point is most of the shape. On a short nail it files down to something closer to almond, and the design still reads, just less sharply.
How many coats does Inky Navy Matte need?
More than you would expect. Powder Sky 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.