We Tried Cirque Colors' Matcha Nail Polish & It's Our New Go-To Green
Looking for a little nail inspo to beat the winter blues? Green is often associated with springtime, but there's no reason you can't wear a verdant mani any time of year. In addition to representing prosperity and success, green is becoming ever-trendier in fashion. Shades like acid green and emerald have been trending heavily in recent months, and we can't think of a better way to sport them than on your nails.
You may have seen mint, jade, and pistachio nails before, but what about matcha? That's right: You can now rock the same shade as your favorite green tea latte with Cirque Colors' Matcha, a galvanizing release from the American beauty company. Cirque Colors, launched in 2012 by founder Annie Pham, offers a unique assortment of hand-blended lacquers with a serious eye for detail. Nail art enthusiasts are buzzing over the brand thanks to its killer pigmentation and foolproof formulas, so we put this grassy polish to the test and discovered one of our favorite new polishes in the process.
First impressions of Cirque Colors' Matcha
Our first task was tracking down Cirque Colors' enchanting shade. Matcha retails for $12.50 for 11 ml of polish and is available at beauty boutiques across the globe, though we sourced ours directly from the company's website. Once we received the polish, we couldn't help but admire its packaging. First and foremost, it's worth noting that the beauty brand is both cruelty-free and focused on supporting sustainability. As such, our purchase arrived in a humble paper envelope sans plastic. "While it may not be not be the prettiest, we think preserving mother earth is worth it," Cirque Colors explains on its website. From there, we unpackaged the polish, which came wrapped in a sturdy cardboard box with a picture window revealing its delightfully chartreuse contents.
Immediately after twisting off Matcha's cap, we fell in love. The polish is a pleasing green hue that calls to mind fresh matcha powder. In addition to its stunning color, we were stunned by how smooth and self-leveling Matcha's formula is. As you paint each coat, it blends beautifully and evenly — both on natural and press-on nails. Cirque's polish has a creamy, luxurious consistency and dries to a glossy finish, giving the lush green lacquer even more visual appeal. Ultimately, it's a very forgiving polish with gorgeous pigmentation, creating a satisfying experience for nail fans of any skill level.
Matcha is an absolute must
With our nails freshly painted, we took an even closer look at Matcha's performance. The polish dries quite quickly, which is commendable considering we applied two to three generous coats. We noticed minimal, if any, fingerprints or smudging when we tapped the polish prematurely, and no bubbles formed. If you're nervous about the idea of wearing a new nail color, allow us to reassure you: Matcha is a flattering, cheerful shade that we could see looking stunning on any skin tone. Lastly, we've got to give Cirque Colors props for its stellar formulation. Like many yellow shades, paler greens can be difficult to achieve full opacity with, but Matcha surpassed expectations in all of our tests.
It's clear that Cirque Colors puts a lot of love into its products, and we can wholeheartedly say that Matcha was one of the finest lacquers we've ever tested. If we could change anything about it, we would love to see it available in a gel-based formula as well. While we're pleased with the original, it's such a gorgeous color that it would be amazing to extend its life even further. At the end of the day, if you're looking for an it-girl nail color to set you apart from the rest — and even match your favorite beverage — don't hesitate to give Matcha a try.