I like the way my tires look after running my car through one of the better drive-through car washes. They look nice and black, but not shiny at all. And it lasts, at least until the next rain. However, all the tire dressings I've seen on store shelves promise the shiny "wet look".
What's a good, cheap dressing that will last and won't give the shiny look? As I said in the title, I'm willing to mix up something if it'll work and give the results I'm looking for.
I don't know about a homemade mix (I used to use dubbin but that is probably too shiny for you) but I know Black Magic does have a matte black tire spray. There are some reviews with pictures out there if you google it.
Another option is to just clean the tires really well. I use Simple Green (diluted) to clean my wheels and, while I'm down there, I scrub the tires down. I find that that gives me a sharp looking wheel + tire combination without that greasy shine (aka "wet look") that you mention.
