The Beauty Bug finally decided to take a chance with matte polish…and opposites have never been more attractive together.

Check out The Beauty Bug’s new Lincoln Park After Dark matte manicure with a touch of shine added to the tips for a bit more drama.

When news of the mattes hit the polish world, The Beauty Bug wasn’t all too drawn to this new muted look. No base coat and no top coat with a lackluster finish? No thanks. However, while She’s never been one for a French manicure, She did like this adaptation of it. Striking, isn’t it?

As The Beauty Bug learned, matte nails are a bit more high maintenance than just your regular manicure (Her manicurist recommended that She wear gloves in the shower). This isn’t a manicure you want to get at your local, corner quickie nail salon. Be sure to go to a manicurist who has worked with mattes before. The Beauty Bug’s manicurist, who was familiar with the matte line, took nearly 15 minutes just to polish Her nails as the formula seemed to be a bit temperamental and messy. The first coat went on rather streakily, and took a few minutes to dry down to the no shine finish.  After the second coat completed The Beauty Bug looked down and Her nails and thought…how dull.

The finishing touch of the shiny tips made all the difference.  Another upside to the matte manicure? It takes almost no time to dry. The Beauty Bug was out of the salon after only sitting under the dryer for 3 minutes.

Will The Beauty Bug “matte” again? Right now, She’s undecided. Her commitment to matte is dependent on how it wears. While it’s not recommended to use base coat with the matte colors, Her manicurist did.  She claimed that it would make the manicure last longer.

To matte or not to matte again…that reminds to be “sheen.”

Described as a “deliciously dark black-red”, Black Cherry Chutney is a vampish red with a hint of shimmer. The color is true to its form in most lights, but takes on a purplish tone at certain angles. See color swatches below.

For other swatches, check out this Flickr photo, and of course, check out the queen of polish herself, Miss All Lacquered Up.

Black Cherry Chutney/Dark Cherry Pulp is The Beauty Bug’s new favorite nail polish shade – a title that had recently been held by Lincoln Park After Dark.

So, what’s been going on in the beauty world?

• Everyone has put in their 2 cents about the fashions and faces on the Emmy Red Carpet. The Beauty Bug has had enough of the Emmys (and of Ugly Betty for that matter – The Beauty Bug Boyfriend and The Beauty Bug were just discussing if people actually watch it), and it was clear who the hits and misses were. The trends were red lips and side up-do’s. The Beauty Bug just has one question which She will direct at the Office’s Jenna Fischer – WHY?
• Spa Week is approaching – October 15-21 – and it’s time to make your appointment. It takes place in several cities and participating spas offer various treatments for $50.
• While everyone is buzzing about Russian Navy, The Beauty Bug is buzzing about Midnight in Moscow – a charcoal shade with the slightest hint of ruby glimmer. It’s a sheer color, which prompted the Beauty Bug’s manicurist to say “I do 3 coats” – and she was right, three coats did the trick and improved its staying power. It’s a bit darker and less red than the picture portrays – and that hint of maroon shimmer will perk up your nails this fall!

And if it wasn’t Malaga Wine, it was Chanel’s Vamp that graced our finger nails. Back then, Vamp was our Black Satin. We were obsessed with Vamp – it was always on our minds. The Beauty Bug distinctively remembers one Friday – She and Vamp were at the local movie theater. It was a more serious movie, so the crowd was quiet. There was a close up of the female leads finger nails and Vamp excited blurted out “I think it’s Vamp! – definitely loud enough for the whole theater to hear. For some odd reason, The Beauty Bug compares it to the scene in Dirty Dancing when Baby’s mother exclaims, “I think she gets this from me!” Vamp was just innocently calling it as she saw it…..

Read about her switch from MAC to Chanel….

I’ve been using MAC since middle school. I loved it! Plus, I’ve have always had a small acne problem and MAC was amazing at covering up my problem areas. However, for years my mother harassed me about having a makeup line around my face and would always tell me my makeup never matched my skin tone. She said my makeup looked caked on. Soon, she had my father agreeing with her. They thought the MAC studio makeup was made for the people in front of a camera. And of course, because she’s my mother, I ignored her and thought she was just plain wrong.

About 2 years ago I started a new job as an event planner in New York City. In this business, it is important to look your best especially at high profile events. About a month into my new job, one of my co-workers approached me about my makeup and made the same comments my parents had been making for years! She said she wanted to help. She had only known me about a month when she made these comments, so I realized my parents may have been right. And that day, after over 10 years of exclusive MAC use, we went to the Chanel counter and I was a changed woman.

I quickly learned about Chanels oil free line!! That day I bought Chanel Double Perfection Compact Intensity 4, and a powder blush in Cedar Rose. For the days that I feel like I need more coverage, I use Chanel Teint Fluide Universel Multi-Vitamin Natural Make-Up with SPF 15 before I apply the powder. That evens out my skin tone. When I don’t use the tint, I always apply an oil-free moisturizer before the powder.

Soon after I started using these products, my acne improved. It did not disappear, but it improved. No miracles here girls, sorry! Also, my face did not get as oily by the end of day. Best part is, I feel like I don’t have any make up on and the shades match my skin tone perfectly. I am now complimented on my complexion, and more importantly, my mother is pleased. Most people don’t even know I have make-up on – they always comment on my natural look.

I have to say a big thank you to my co-worker. Without her, I would still be walking around with a makeup line and an unnatural look! Now I am obsessed with Chanel. Sorry Beauty Bug! We’ll always have Vamp!

While everyone is sitting patiently by their phones waiting for their local Chanel counter to call and say that their bottle of Black Satin has finally arrived, the trends are changing! According to Beauty and the Blog, the new trend as seen on the Spring 2007 runways is pewter nails and sparkly makeup – like the one pictured above, it’s called DS Shimmer, from the OPI Designer Series. So go stock up on the all the pewter colors out there before we have another Black Satin situation on our hands.