An interesting discussion has been simmering on NB and on the blogs for a little while (but it hasn't yet totally exploded): do bloggers get free polishes, how often do they get them and are they paid to review them (or to push specific companies)?
There are seven of us here on Polish or Perish and I can't speak for the other six but this is a discussion that I have had with most of them: do we accept free polishes? (As far as I know, nobody here has been offered actual cash for our obsessive little hobby.)
I personally have no problem accepting freebies but I am very uncomfortable with not telling our readers about it: in my opinion, you guys have the right to know whether you should be reading my review with an extra skeptical eye and critical mind. I try my best to give an honest review but psychology -- and, you know, life --has taught us again and again that bias can exist unconsciously.
Like I said, I can't speak for the other P or P bloggers although I think most would agree with this action: if I've gotten something for free, I will say so. If there are more "details" that might influence my opinion, such as a commission or a continuing offer to receive more polishes or, like, a free cotton ball, I will say so. I will review as honestly as I can but I'm nowhere near an impossibly objective person and so I warn you guys when I may be unconsciously preferring a polish simply because of their company's preferential treatment towards me. Deal? :)
Which brings me to today's swatches! Diamond Cosmetics sent me these for free to review a couple of weeks back: Mattes!
I'm beginning to think that the matte trend is more of a textured-finished trend: matte, satin, glitter, suede as opposed to smooth and glossy.
The new Diamond Cosmetics line of polishes are not what I would consider "matte"; they are closer to "satin". I predict that people are going to choose not to like these as much as they would have otherwise because they were expecting a gritty, light-absorbing matte (like most polishes labelled "matte"). Disappointment is not a good feeling.
ALL that being said, I think these are decent polishes in their own right and they certainly are worth their inexpensive pricetag.
Diamond Cosmetics Matte Black
These mattes are much closer in finish to the finish that Orly Matte Top gives to polishes (and what I imagine their current matte line looks like). I've been calling this finish "satin" -- because of an old Orly line -- but when I put this on, the first thought that occurred to me was that they look like pleather pants. It is rather pleather-like! Smooth, tight-fitting with a soft, diffuse sheen. If it weren't for the finish, it'd be a basic black creme and would probably look very harsh and chalky if it were a truer matte. So kudos for the pleather finish. ;) A one-coater.
Diamond Cosmetics Matte Smoke
Grey. The color reminds me of a dolphin or shark's skin. I wore this as my NOTD for a day and it held up very well save for a couple of indentations when I absentmindedly nibbled on the tip of one of my nails within half an hour of applying it. Two coats. No chipping or tipwear, unlike most matte polishes. It won't pink in the can either.
(Extra credit will be granted to whomever can tell me the origin of the reference without going to Google. Super extra credit if you can tell me where I heard this reference first.)
Diamond Cosmetics Matte Mulberry
Fun color! What color are mulberries anyway? The way these dry resembles the way neons dry down but the finish is more reflective somehow.
Diamond Cosmetics Matte Burgundy
This one was a pain to apply (the rest were pretty easy). It doesn't go on as evenly as the rest so even though all these fingers are two coats, my index and pinky look like they got one more coat than the fingers in between. Still, a nice wine red that didn't get all over my fingertips when I took it off. I really appreciate a polish that doesn't make me curse (in dismay) when I take it off. (I curse in joy as well so I had to specify.)
You will need a good ridgefilling basecoat (if you have rougher nails) because they do show flaws more than regular polishes, but they do not cling like matte polishes. You can work more slowly since they dry slower than mattes, giving you more time to correct manicurial (not a word) mistakes. They also last longer than a lot of mattes, the finish being famously chip-prone.
I think the texture is nifty and I've been saying so since comparing the effects of Orly Matte Top to Essie Matte About You and Nubar V for Men: it's not matte, it's different from matte, but that doesn't mean it's not good on its own merits. All that being said, if you want a mattiemattematte polish, these aren't the polishes for you. If you want pleather nails, they're pretty great for $2 each.
