I relinquish most things punky, edgy, and rocker-chic (with the exception of studs, to which I am hopelessly attracted) to Karen O types, and with that the new beauty trend that is matte nail polish.

By no means am I "prissy" or necessarily polished, but I just cannot fathom the appeal of looking like I've dipped my fingers neatly into a bucket of flat paint, especially in colors that resemble clay or concrete.

Murky colors, which are iffy to begin with, are usually salvaged by the coating of shiny lacquer, but in matte they are hopeless--a trend that should have stayed on the runway in the same way that Spring 2010's menswear denim corsets now should.

In full disclosure, I should admit that I've never actually tried matte polish, if only because looking at photographs of the polish in action evokes a reaction quite like that of rakes against the chalkboard... But if I'm going to a Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert perhaps I'll consider dressing up my nails like Ms. O does here. 

And for those curious about the color she's wearing or daring enough to try it, it is Flatte Black by KO Knock Out, $19 at KOKnockOut.com.