Column: Leather nail polish, latest cosmetic trend, infiltrates local stores

I remember writing about leather being a major upcoming trend I liked back in May, but now I am wondering if cosmetic companies are taking their products one step too far.

Leather nail polish, which comes in liquid form and dries into a leather-type finish, has hit stores in Bloomington — well, at Target specifically.

The polish could best be described as a matte finish with subtle bits of glitter to make the color look slightly uneven — much like natural leather.

At first I thought it was an innovative idea. I knew some major cosmetic brands were starting to adopt this idea — Maybelline, China Glaze and Nails Inc. being a few.

However, my excitement for the product immediately dissipated after I tried a color on.
What appeared to be a good idea looked incredibly awkward.

I don’t mean to be graphic, but several negative thoughts went through my head while I looked at my freshly painted fingers.

One, leather is cowhide — in other words, skin.

So when I am looking at this skin-like finish, and then the actual skin on my fingers, I was a bit disturbed.

Seeing fingers painted like skin seemed odd, especially since mine were painted with a red polish.

It literally looked like I had ripped my nails off and stained the skin red.

So this is where my second thought came in.

There was also a nude leather color. Maybe that one will look more natural, I thought.
 
Wrong. It looked too natural, as if I had no nails.
But here is the product’s saving grace, at least for me. If the polish had been black, I think it would have been better.

The color, or lack of color, was the problem.

If I had tried on a basic black leather polish, which I know companies sell, I think it would look less weird.

Aside from that, I still think the trend isn’t fully
developed.

For me, the main problem was the fact that the “leather” looked too pristine. Too close to my own actual skin finish.

If they come out with another line of polish that features a more distressed look, I will give it a shot and reconvene my thoughts.

­— audperki@indiana.edu