ManGlaze Nail Colour – review and photos
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Unleash Your Inner Rockstar with ManGlaze!
photos: we heart this
Within the first few moments of looking at ManGlaze polishes, I will admit that the girly girl in me was a wee bit intimidated. First of all, the name of the brand is ManGlaze, which may or may not teeter your mind toward the gutter (it did for me, just saying!)
Plus, the bold colors and rocking graphics are far removed from the standard pink and pretty packaging of most nail polishes. This line of matte polishes and top coats was indeed made with men in mind. But that shouldn’t stop female beauty fanatics like us from getting a hold of this really cool line of nail lacquers.
See what I mean? Nail Colour: Matte is Murder
ManGlaze, the original matte nail polish, was created in 2007 by Marc Paez at Magma and the line was launched at a hardcore punk festival in Yokohama, Japan. And considering the artwork on the bottles, I’d say that launch scene is quite fitting!
This unique line will can help fulfill your rock star fantasies (we all need to try a black matte polish at least once in our lives) AND satisfy your urge to play beauty scientist.
Here’s the lowdown on the polishes the review team got their hands on…
The Nail Colours:
Matte is Murder ($6.66) – this is a fierce matte black with subtle sheen to it (as seen above).
Mayonnaise ($13.13) – a white creme matte that won’t turn yellow on you. I’ve never tried white nail polish before but this is really pretty and also leaves a perfect canvas for glitter and nail art.
Mayonnaise
Fuggen Ugly ($6.66) – a perfect gunmetal matte grey with shimmer that will make fashionistas everywhere swoon with delight.
Fuggen Ugly
(Black, white or Grey not for you? Matte Pink, has just been added to the Man Glaze collection!)
Additionally, the line contains two matte Top Coats:
Matte-Astrophe ($13.13) – described as “the worst thing to happen to glossy nail polish” which is not only humorous but true! This is a great matte top coat that will successfully de-gloss your tips.
Hot Mess ($13.13) – I’ve seen glitter polishes and top coats galore, but a mattifying top coat with glitter is new to me and makes for a very interesting look! I layered this over Mayonnaise and my nails looked like they came from outer space.
Hot Mess
Now for the really fun part! For those of you who love to mix your own nail polish colors, you might want to stock up on their Franken Juggs ($1.38). These empty jars have wide mouths (best idea ever) so you don’t make a mess while mixing your nail polishes. They also come with a brush and two metal mixing balls.
photo: Mandabear for we heart this
My experiment above right: Essie Mint Candy Apple combined with Sephora OPI Go My Own Way, with added glitter polishes; China Glaze Snow Globe and China Glaze Nova.
Pros:
• Bold, matte colors that can be worn by either sex.
• Made in the USA, cruelty-free and big 3 free (does not contain Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde or Toluene).
• Very easy to apply and dries fast.
Cons:
• This is an all-matte line, so it may not be for everyone (but you can always add a glossy top coat!)
• The darker shades may not be too original for some who already own matte polishes from other companies.
So if you’re tired of the same old mani and pedi shades, pick up a few bottles of Man Glaze and take a walk on the wild side (via a detour down the matte alley!) You can purchase ManGlaze online at their website or check them out in person at your local Urban Outfitters.
we heartsters and testers, who’s ready to rock out with Man Glaze Nail Colour?
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I love the names of the colors, and the fact that the polishes cost $6.66 and $13.13 – now that’s hardcore! I really do like a matte polish every once in awhile, so the matte top coats have my full attention. Great post, @mandabear !
I’ve heard of the Mayonnaise a few times around the bloggosphere, great to see a review of it from someone I trust. Also, I had no idea these are carried at Urban Outfitters, very happy to find that out! Great post!
Excuse me while my inner 13 year old boy comes out, but… Manglaze… Mayonnaise… the label graphics… *gigglesnort*
Phew, now that I’ve gotten that out, hah! I NEED Matte is Murder and Fuggen Ugly. Need, need, need! Sure, I look like a girly girl some times, but I’ve had a punk heart from way back. Urban Outfitters, here I come! Thanks for the info and awesome review @Mandabear !
These are super fun looking and way cool colors and names.. I am really cracking up over Fuggen Ugly..why not call one “two bagger”? LOL..if they do,I want credit and money for the idea. Great review @Mandabear
Oh, I’ve been waiting for this review! I have been loving these polishes ever since I got them, and they are my FIRST mattes. Can you believe it? I always had this misconception that matte = boring. So not the case!
And wow, do matte polishes dry fast?! These are a god send when you are in a hurry.
So, I’ll get the polish that didn’t work for me out of the way first; Mayonnaise. I found it to be really chalky and a bit streaky even with 3 coats. Plus I just couldn’t get past that it had a kind of Pamela Anderson manicure look to me (that Baywatch kind of tan skin/white nails look). I’m going to try @mandabear‘s suggestion of layering it.
Now on to the love! I think my favorite is Fuggen Ugly which is anything but. The multicolor shimmer in this is beautiful. It’s the kind of color that you put on and just can’t stop staring at your fingers. It’s this matte pool of gorgeousness.
Same goes for Matte is Murder. Best thing about it for me is that matte black is SO MUCH more wearable that gloss black. It’s way more understated then glossy black, taking a bit of the goth edge away and adding sophistication. But still absolutely kick ass.
Hot Mess blows me away. It’s a total oxymoron, matte glitter? Huh?! But like the matte black of Matte is Murder, matte glitter is more sophisticated than gloss glitter. It’s subtle, adult glitter. Who knew that existed?
Very impressed with ManGlaze. Thanks for such a good introduction to matte. 4 stars from me!
I am so excited about these! The matte colors look so cool and I’ve never used them before. I definitely will be trying a few out! I wonder how they would look on toes?
I tried Mayonnaise and Matte is Murder. I had the same problem with Mayonnaise as @Stef For the life of me I couldn’t get Mayo to give me a solid white. Which is sad since a matte solid white would be awesome. I ended up using it as a layering coat underneath China Glaze Crushed Candy Crackle and it looked pretty cool.
I love the name Matte is Murder, and matte blacks are my favorite. I feel I can usually get a good solid black with mattes that I can’t with glossy ones.
Fuggen Ugly and Hot Mess look awesome though, and I’d love to see the matte pink in person!
I would give the ManGlaze line 4 stars, but Mayonnaise itself would only get a 3 star rating from me.
Squee – I am flipping out over the Matte is Murder polish – love it. Who would have guessed a matte black could look so good?! And the name (a nod to the Smiths) only makes it better.
I love that Mayonnaise color–I am just afraid I would look too Real Housewives of Miami with all white nails…
I think my favorite from the pics is the Fuggen Ugly color. I’ve never tried matte polish, but these do look fun. Love the names!
I was lucky enough to test out Hot Mess (matte silver glitter topcoat) and Matte-astrophe (clear matte topcoat). I love the packaging–the edgy artwork is fitting for the brand.
Hot Mess is AMAZING. You can apply 2 coats and get decent coverage, and 3 coats for disco-ball greatness. It dries SO QUICKLY too! Yeah, $13 is a bit spendy. But it’s THAT AWESOME. It’s definitely one of my all-time favorite polishes.
I wasn’t in love with Matte-astrophe topcoat. It also dried quickly, but unfortunately, didn’t work as well as I’d thought. While the website for ManGlaze does state that some polishes will make the topcoat “shatter”, the shatter effect was usually a single crack line down the middle of the polish, no matter how thick or thin I applied the topcoat. It just looked like I’d messed up my polish. A second coat of Matte-tastrophe didn’t cover the crack–it just “shattered” in the same place. I also tried different polishes underneath the topcoat, both high end and inexpensive polishes, and couldn’t find a combo that wouldn’t get the shatter effect. Especially for $13, not awesome.
I also received a Franken-jug (empty mixing jar) and love it! I might have to order more so I can mix up some fun polish colors…)
I give it 4/5 stars overall–I’d average five stars for Hot Mess and the Franken-jug, and stars for Matte-astrophe.
Awesome post, @mandabear!
What’s not to love about ManGlaze? I mean, seriously. Awesome polishes, hilarious names and hardcore packaging!
I received Mayonnaise, Hot Mess and a Franken Jugg for review and I could not be happier.
Mayonnaise is exactly how @mandabear described it. It’s a great white that I found not streaky at all (that’s usually the problem with white cremes, right).
Hot Mess is so sparkly and fun, and it looks ah-maze-ing layered over Mayonnaise. White hot!
The item I’m most excited to have in my possession is the Franken Jugg. What an insanely awesome concept, right? A bottle with a huge mouth, complete with brush and silver balls. I’ve been wanting to “franken” my own polish for years, and now I have absolutely no excuse. The only problem is, now that I have this fancy franken equipment, I’m scared to start mixing because I have one shot to get it right and create the perfect franken polish. Please don’t hate me, wht, for not using my beloved Franken Jugg yet! I stare at it daily, fantasizing about what I will create, but fear of failure stops me in my tracks.
I can’t give ManGlaze anything less than five stars for their innovative products, awesome names and cool packaging. ManGlaze rocks!
PS: LOVE your franken, @mandabear. It’s gorgeous and you’re totally inspiring me to stop being afraid and just do it! Sheesh I’m a wimp.
you can do it Gianna! I had the same doubts as you and it was easy peasy :)
whew, I can finally check in here after a long day :) thanks for the lovely comments, I had so much fun reviewing this line.
I think this brand brings out the edgy girl in all of us. They, too, are my first matte polishes. I have matte top coats but think is a new thing for me. I must also express a bit more how much I had fun playing with the Franken Juggs! They make mixing nail polishes SO much fun. I would have never thought that I’d ever be able to mix my own nail color. it always seemed messy but these jars are genius.
I don’t really reach for the matte look as often but I will be giving this line a 5 for being super cool, edgy and fun…and also delivering great polish (Matte is Murder for the win!). I do wish there was a bit more of a selection, but that might just be the crazy nail polish loving girl talking here. :)
Great post @mandabear ! I am in love with these polishes and the funky names!
First, I need to comment, yet again, on @Stef‘s incredible mani pics! Jeez! Could they be anymore perfect!? Has this woman ever had a scraggly cuticle in her life? Second, I need to find these poilshes asap! I have never tried matte and Matte is Murder looks ideal for me. And what a great idea to mix polishes in a neat little jar! Love it.
I think these look sooo cool! And I’m as girly, sissy, boring-pink and red as they come with my polishes! I adore the pics of Matte is Murder and Fuggen Ugly. I might actually try these…I’m really curious to know about the Franken pots. Does the company sell the ingredients to make your own too or are they just for mixing polishes you already have? Really good idea either way.
@mandabear, great write up, I have to say I REALLY, really love Manglaze nailpolishes. I’ve been searching for a good matte nailpolish so when I got Fuggen Ugly and Matte is Murder, I was really excited. I didn’t even realize they had a matte pink so that’s definitely going on my to buy list! I’m curious to try out Matte-astrophe….. And I actually really like the not so feminine packaging. But I tend to go towards edgy-girly things, and edgy glitter nailpolish is about off beat as you can get :)
AHHH!!! I was in the wilds of Oklahoma last week and had super spotty internet service, so I wasn’t able to comment on Manglaze. Which is a dang shame because I ADORE this product!!!
I was never into the whole matte polish thing. I thought it was strange and trendy. So when I got my Manglaze polishes, I was a bit skeptical. (all of the colors reviewed AND my own Franken bottle! I was one of the lucky ones.)
It only took an application of Matte is Murder for me to fall in love. The intial application is a true matte and looks edgy and interesting. But as the color wears, it gets a bit of a plastic look that I like even more! It reminds me of the packaging for Nars, matte but kind of squidgy.
I did have some streaking issues with Mayo, but it is perfect as a canvas for glitter or nail art, like @mandabear said. The glittery Hot Mess is fun, but my favorite is FuggenUgly. It is anything but, with a subtle shimmer that makes your nails look very chic and interesting! I am a nail polish nut and I wore this for a week and a half straight, if that tells you anything.
I had very few issues with chipping, but when I did get chips, it made me feel like a bit of a rock star. :-) I even tried these on my husband and they looked kinda hot! Matte is Murder and a bit of eyeliner and he’d be the emo kid of my dreams.
Honestly, I think Matte-Astrophe is the best product; it turns any polish into your own ManGlaze hybrid. I applied it to a deep navy blue and it was AMAZING. I’ve been layering it over most of my polishes ever since I got it, it’s nearly half empty and I got it in March!
5 BIG stars from me. Sure, the colors are limited, but all you need is a bottle of Matte-Astrophe and you have the ability to revamp you polish collection!
Woahhhhh I must have these!!!!!
totally in to Murder.