mani monday: jin soon x tibi

In this moment of over-the-top nail art, Jin Soon Choi is like a breath of fresh, clean, classic air. The New York-based nail artist is the go-to for celebs and in-the-know editors alike, with her three salon locations practically finger Mecca, all thanks to her no-frills approach to polish. Her ethos? It should be beautiful and elegant, not over-the-top.

So you know that any take on nail art by Choi is going to be good. And that's exactly what we get with her third Jin Soon polish collection. Born in the days leading up to Tibi's fall '13 fashion show, Choi came up with five gorgeous, rich jewel-tone shades for the models' fingers. But that wasn't all; to mix it up a bit, she created the ultimate matte top coat. Unlike other ones out there, this one imparts a brilliant texture rather than just a dull finish.

The end result is a product that's as much a top coat as a tool; Choi recommends playing with the matte finish, whether it's by applying it to just your tips, doing stripes across nails, or alternating between glossy and matte from nail to nail. It's not exactly rhinestone-encrusted or covered in semi-ironic smiley faces, but for those of us who can't show up to work with some ultra-kawaii talons (or would just prefer not to), Jin Soon's fall collection is a godsend.

Click here to shop the Jin Soon x Tibi collection.