Review (5/5): "Cashemir" had me worried, but this is very matte
I got this free with another product, not like "free with a review", just a normal amazon promotion. And since it was free, I didn't pay too much attention to the label. When I got it and saw "cashemir matte" I was immediately worried this would be that in-between matte and gloss that people sometimes refer to as a cashmere finish. But this is matte. If you've used gelish matte top coat (which is NOT matte, despite the name), this is better. As with any matte nail finish of any kind, you do have to maintain it. Rub an alcohol wipe or just alcohol on a paper towel over your nails once every few days (or every day if you're OCD like me) and they'll look perfectly matte again. People like to blame the matte finish for the dull look it gets, but you just need to maintain it properly. Will definitely buy this again when I run out!
EDIT: that review was made after only trying it on one nail. After using it on more nails, I'm even more impressed. This is more matte than beetles, I can't wait to see how it compares to my normal matte top coat. This might become my matte top coat regardless of what base I'm using
EDIT #2: after wearing this a few days, and still wearing beetles on the nails that didn't need touch-ups, I've noticed this one does get duller more quickly than beetles. But when they're both perfectly clean, this one is more matte. I don't think it deserves a star deducted because I never even would have known if I didn't have two different matte top coats on, but it is a trade off. Do you want just okay matte that stays matte, or really matte that looks dull faster/has to be maintained more frequently? It's up to you. Still haven't tried it against my normal matte top coat, but I'll update when I have
EDIT #3: after trying against my normal matte top coat (kupa gelfinity) I'm unsure which I like better. This one, as I mentioned before does get dull more quickly, but the kupa matte has almost the opposite problem? It's so matte it's almost like a chalkboard finish, and things like to stick to it? Making it look sort of uneven. Right after applying, I would say they're both equally, phenomenally matte. I suppose I'll just use this one with rubber base coats and the kupa with my regular base coats so I can go through them at a similar pace. The price is virtually the same (though as of right now, you can still get this one free with a rubber base coat—which is a product I'm also very impressed with). Regardless of anything else, I will definitely buy this again!