Best products from r/malepolish

I've been testing out the various products marketed towards men. The more I explore this Sub though, the more I think these 'male' products should really just be sold as a regular product for all people who want a less shiny finish.

I like wearing clear shiny nail polish, but when I'm at work I don't want to draw too much attention to my nails since I work in a primarily male dominated industry (construction). My boss actually wears clear shiny polish, he's a pretty masculine straight guy too, but I don't think I'm confident enough to wear clear shiny nail polish all the time... yet.

I've tried the following clear, matte/semi-matte products. If you find a glossy pink/pearl tint as mentioned in your main comment, you could use one of the following products over top to remove the 'glossy' finish.

OPI Nail Envy Matte - This is the most natural looking product I've tried. This product isn't even marketed towards men, but it's probably the product that most men who want to wear some sort of subtle polish should consider before trying anything else. OPI Nail Envy Matte looks like you've buffed your nails perfectly but isn't too shiny, no one would really notice you're wearing this, but you will definitely notice how nice your nails look.

Orly Nails For Males - This is also quite natural, but a touch shinier than OPI Nail Envy Matte. If you apply this product as recommended (two coats) people might notice you're wearing something as it makes your nails look really perfect. I actually really like the way this product makes my nails look, but I wouldn't wear it on the construction site.

Essie Man-E-Cure - This is sort of natural, but shinier than Orly Nails For Males. This product makes your nails look really nice, it's more shiny than it is matte and people will definitely notice you're wearing nail polish.

Hope this helps!

So i've been adding alittle something to my clear polish lately. Sometimes its some sparse holo glitter, or like this it's a very subtle single layer of a pearly polish. it looks maybe a smidge lighter than natural. but when the light hits it, it shines back a cool blue, doesn't really come out very well in pictures, but it's there :D (it's called Butter London - Hen Party)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019WBCGY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1

Anyways i had it on all of last week and either noone noticed, or they just didnt say anything, but this Saturday I ran up to the grocery store to fill in a couple ingredients for a recipe, and the bag girl noticed, as she was handing me my bags she said "i love your nails". it caught me off guard for a moment, but i quickly said thanks and scurried off. After i got in the car and paused for a moment I felt good about it... Maybe next time i'll wear flip flops and let my brightly colored toes shine

Have you seen David’s rings from Schitt’s Creek? I really like his style. If you like that, you could look at packs of stacking rings to try on multiple fingers if you know the size you need.

At a jewelry shop they can help you find the ring size of your fingers, make sure to make a note of it on your phone or somewhere easy to find later. I believe you can also measure them with string and a ruler. Then you can shop around for a deal. Berricle and Etsy are good places to look. Wait for Berricle to have a crazy sale or it isn’t as worth the prices, it’s gold and silver set with primarily cubic zirconia or very simple in design. Maybe if you order something for your wife at the same time she will be more enthusiastic.

We ordered my husband’s wedding band from King Will off of amazon. If the band is thicker it helps to go up a half size since your finger naturally swells and subsided during the day and a thicker band restricts more surface area.

I hope your wife comes around more. Maybe you could try sheer jelly style polishes for a subtle change?

Looks good, nice colors!

Couple of tips, if you don'd mind: Try using a q-tip or something similar dipped in nail polish remover to clean up bits that make it off the edge of the nail. Plus, since it looks like your little toe curls under like mine does, toe separators (e.g., https://www.amazon.com/Separators-Flexible-Silicone-Spacers-Pedicure/dp/B0787M8X3X/ (just an arbitrary one on Amazon, no idea if that particular one is good, you should be able to find them at local stores) ) can help keep down smudging while they dry.

Not sure if it's still relevant, but if you can't find a matte topcoat at your store, this one is on Amazon and it's very cheap: http://www.amazon.com/Sally-Hansen-Treatment-Matte-41055/dp/B00HFTXXIU

I use it almost every time I do my nails and it's perfect. Dries super fast, goes on easily, and you generally only need one coat.

Twinkled T Kolinsky Professional Nail Cleaning Brush Sizes 2, 6, or 12 (2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FORVS5E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1lOJDbMWX1GW0

That’s a lifesaver and acetone safe
Also don’t be afraid to not leave a gap at the cuticle line but a good pair of cuticle sissors and sally Hansen instant cuticle remover is worth picking up and cheap as well!!

Enso Rings Classic Legend Silicone Ring - A Silicone Ring Made in The USA - an Ultra Comfortable, Breathable, and Safe Silicone Ring - Men's and Women's Silicone Wedding Ring (Unicorn, 8) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GDV8HZ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_F21mDb4ZQHS2B

If you have the space. Nail polish racks like those are pretty inexpensive. Here's the one we just bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GBCPM6I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_gft5ybV5R79XF

I love using UNT's "Ready for Takeoff", it's a peel off base coat, so you can easily remove the nail polish any time without having to clean with acetone. If you're worried about having it on at work, I'd recommend using the peel off base under the polish so that you can just pop it off before work.

That said, if your concern is ridicule - just tell them. A girl wanted to paint your nails. As long as you're confident, it's their problem if someone else's nails offend them.

You could always hang it on the wall. Sorry for the shit link, I'm on mobile.

https://www.amazon.com/Dazone-Mounted-Organizer-Bottles-Essential/dp/B00WHR7ON0/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=nail+polish+racks+for+the+wall&qid=1569727059&s=gateway&sprefix=Nail+polish+rack&sr=8-7

I've been wearing polish around my friends but this will be the first time wearing to school and work. I used to always use peel off base coat but this time I used Gel base coat. Also I'm wearing a matte gray on my right hand because I wanted to go with something more conservative (pic is of another nail art I did unrelated lol but if you want the link it's holo gel polish https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7R3U1L/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 highly recommended) It's too much effort getting out the camera and uploading a pic for just matte gray so have this nice nail art instead.

Also my nail polish Instagram is @maledoesnails because I have no shame plugging it and post new nails about once every 3 days on it.

It was a test run for some polish I thought would be cute but way too thing. I figured if I could put an opaque base layer down with a similar color I wouldn't need 4+ coats. For the base I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Mint Sprint #440. For the top coat with the speckles I used Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots in Drops of Jade #55.

Mint Sprint: http://www.amazon.com/Sally-Hansen-Insta-Dri-Color-Sprint/dp/B004G7XZTG

Drops of Jade: http://www.maybelline.com/Products/Nail-Makeup/Nail-Color/Color-Show-Nail-Lacquer-PolkaDots-Collection.aspx

Get something like this to stick them on, don't use glue if it's just for a couple days: https://www.amazon.com/Nailene-Ultra-Adhesive-Tabs-Pack/dp/B007WS1GQA

Yes! I always measure the "sticker" before. I use this tool to make little dents to find my the right shape to cut out. If you need any more tips, PM me!

amazon