Wednesday 23 March 2011

Spotlight on: OPI

OPI
Where: USA
Started: 1981 by President & CEO George Schaeffer
Now: 2010: Coty Inc. recently acquired OPI
Known For: My Private Jet polish, Designer Series Holos, Awesome Glitters
Polish Info
Chemicals: No Formaldehyde. Since 2006, OPI has reformulated its entire line of Nail Lacquers, Nail Treatments, and Nail Hardeners to eliminate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and Toluene. 
Brush: Pro Wide Brush since around 2006, Thinner brush on older bottles, thin mini brush with mini polishes
current Pro Wide OPI Brush                          thin brush (before 2006)
minis thin brush 
Bottle Size: 15ml standard and 3.75ml minis
L-R Standard OPI Bottle, Designer Series Bottle, Suede Finish Bottle, Shatter Bottle, Mini Bottle

Coverage: Usually opaque in 2 coats with most polishes, some are sheerer
Average Wear Time: 3-5 days (not including suede finish)
Price: $5-$10, £8-£16
Where to buy: International: http://www.transdesign.comhttp://www.nailetc.com,  UK: http://www.lenawhite.co.ukhttp://www.lookfantastic.comhttp://www.qvcuk.com/, John Lewis, Fenwick, Sally's, Stock Shop,
My Favourites:
                                   Black Shatter                                                         Jade is The New Black 
                                   My Private Jet                                                   Standing Room Only (Silver) 
                               Bring On The Bling                                                       Teenage Dream 
To view a complete listing of OPI Swatches on this blog please visit
My Favourite Collections:
Other Products: 
OPI Nail Envy - a base coat nail treatment which is simply awesome if your nails are weak, chip easily or brittle, I use this on absolutely every manicure I ever do. There are a few different formulas out there which address different nail issues, I use original and love it!
RapiDry Top Coat - a pretty good top coat, doesn't dry as fast as Seche Vite, or quite as shiny, but a great alternative top coat, if you want big 3-free.
Drip Dry Drops - used in conjunction with RapiDry Top Coat this does speed up dry time.
                                 OPI Avoplex Oil - Brilliant treatment for 
cuticles, can apply on bare 
or polished nails to moisturise and nourish cuticles with added avocado oil. available in a polish bottle or as a handy pen size.
OPI Crystal Nail File - a great file which won't split your nails, and the added bonus of filing in any direction without causing damage.
Chip Skip - a quick stroke of this product will remove all the oils from your nail bed and ensure the polish adheres better to the nail.



Review
OPI is definitely one of the most famous nail polish brands out there, and the quality on most of their polishes is superb, the only gripe is that some of their best colours appear in limited edition collections they release throughout the year, usually 2/3 large collections of 12 polishes in one year, and several smaller themed collections, often sponsored by celebrities or movies. Their permanent line of 200+ polishes are usually the safer colours (Reds,pinks etc), so you'll have to search quite hard to find some of their older limited edition polishes. Wear time is usually great with this brand, except for the matte finish suede polishes which do unfortunately wear a little quicker without top coat. 
Most people are big fans of their pro-wide brush, my thin nail beds sometimes cause a bit of a struggle with application on the smaller fingers, so I tend to prefer their thinner brush polishes or even the minis, which I know some people hate. If you're a fan of puns, you will absolutely love the extensive range of crazy names OPI polishes have.


PROS: 
  • Lovely Themed Collections released throughout the year
  • Some of the best glitter polishes available
  • Usually Easy to get a hold of (baring older limited edition polishes)
  • Respond well to most top coats
  • Have some awesome holographic polishes that respond well to top coat in the Designer Series Range.
CONS:
  • Older limited edition ranges can be very hard to get a hold of
  • Different versions of the same polish (My Private Jet and Not Like The Movies)
  • New Designer Series polishes aren't as holographic as the older range
What I want to see more of:
More Linear holographic polishes, like the older Designer Series Polishes, More Duochrome Effect polishes, and as always more of these lovely glitter polishes they keep bringing out, they are simply awesome!


Ratings:
Colour Range: 8/10
Price: 7/10
Wear Time: 8/10
Brush: 8/10
Bottle: 9/10
Overall: 8/10 

5 comments:

  1. There's more than one version of Not Like the Movies? Do tell.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeh, this links explains all:
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150101909291739&set=o.118289031531592&theater

    (if you scroll down through the comments you can see OPI's explanation for the 2 versions.

    I'm just glad I managed to pick up the duochrome version :S

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have the earlier one... The one with green, purple/pinkish shade. And i'm talkin' about Not like the movies polish, hehe.. :'D

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad you got the first one Karzu, its definitely the better polish :D
    Diava
    X

    ReplyDelete