OPI - Lincoln Park After Dark Suede

After the disaster that was We'll Always Have Paris Suede, I was a little wary of trying Lincoln Park After Dark.  What if it, too, didn't work?  How can I trust my man with my fried ice-cream if his OPI bins are as dodgy as a week old curry sitting in the back of the fridge?

I needn't have worried.  This is SUBLIME.

I'm so glad this turned out better.  You don't know how hard it is to find good fried ice-cream in this city.  Jump it to see glossy goodness.

OPI - We'll Always Have Paris Suede

Ahhh, God bless caca swatches. They keep me grounded and stop me from getting cocky.

This week's caca swatch is proudly brought to you by the oil like substance that seems to have invaded my bottle of OPI's We'll Always Have Paris Suede.

I noticed as soon as I started swatching that the milk wasn't clean with this formula.  The oil seemed to have separated the lacquer.

That made it near impossible to apply evenly or cleanly because the lacquer literally sloshed around the nail.

It also resulted in the lacquer drying as a gloss, rather than a suede.  I tried to mattify if by applying Essie's Matte About You and the colour literally slid off the nail.  DISASTER.

Something was definitely wrong with this formula. Maybe I should stop buying OPIs from dusty bins but, like my addiction to buying fried ice-cream from unhygienic street hawkers, I'm not sure I can ever stop.

At least the colour is pretty!

OPI - Russian Navy Suede

Firstly, I need to apologise to you guys for the upcoming week.  As some of you know, my aunt was hit by a car on Friday and is in hospital with a fractured skull and amnesia.  As a result, my already jam packed schedule of full time work, two children and two blogsites,  has now had daily visits to hospital and, as my aunt's power of attorney, dealing with all her paperwork added into the mix.

So please accept my apologies if I don't respond to comments quickly.  I will still post everyday and, if I get a moment, might throw in a little smack talk. I'm sure I will catch up eventually but, at the moment, something has to give and the comments seem the most logical.  I will still approve all comments quickly, but I won't be able to respond for a few days.

Here is the glorious OPI Russian Navy Suede.  Just, just, just, phenomenal.  One coat, dries in seconds, looks amazing.  It will highlight any nail imperfections you might have.  I have a scratch on my pinky and the lacquer shows it off to perfection!

  And, for those of you who always want more, I have the gloss version after the jump.

OPI - You Don't Know Jacques Suede

I know I am way behind on the whole OPI Suede thing but I live in Australia.  I'm not sure of the correlation but just accept that argument on face value.  Let's move on!

 

You Don't Know Jacques Suede is stunning. The colour (pretty unique in my collection) and finish (grainy and industrial-esque) is just.... *homer drool*.

My only qualm, and this is not a new revelation, is the wear.  Within a day, it's chipping like a woodchuck.  I can't find any way of extending it so it's definitely a lacquer where you wear it for a day or two maximum and then start all over again.

For this colour, that drama is worth it. Perhaps.

Kazemlu - Pretty in (Random) Pink Collection - Part II

If you've missed it, here is Part I of the fabulous Kazemlu 'Pretty in (Random) Pink' Collection.

Once again, I can't thank Kaz and Em enough for these. They make me happy.

What I'm not happy about, however, is Em hogging all the Cadbury Creme Egg Twisters. I don't want to exaggerate the seriousness of this situation, but Hitler invaded Poland for less.

Jump to see the awesomesauce....

OPI - Summer Flutter 2010

I was so excited when I saw OPI's Summer Flutter 2010 Collection.  I immediately snapped up all four without a moment's hesitation.

Did they live up to expectations?  You'll have to click on the jump to find out but, in one word, 'OMGHELLSYEAH'.

OPI - Sweet Pink - **Japanese Exclusive**

Apologies for the banner picture being in Japanese but this is a Japanese collection, after all!  If any of my Japanese readers are able to translate, please paste the English in the comments.

Thanks to lovely YGN reader, Emma Joy, I was able to get my hands on OPI's Sweet Pink Collection which, from what I understand, is a Japanese exclusive. How exotic!

I had high hopes for this collection.  In the bottle, each one of these looks amazing.  Good enough to eat.

In reality, this collection is a mix of the good and not so good for me.  One lacquer just does not fulfill its potential (you'll see why after the jump).  One goes on completely differently to how it looks in the bottle.  And then there are two that are adorably squee.  All are sheer-ish and need around 3-4 coats.

Check them out after the jump!  All photos are taken in diffused light.

OPI - Meet me on the Star Ferry

 Diffused Light

With Flash

The other lacquer I bought from the Hong Kong Collection is Meet Me on the Star Ferry.

This is a beautiful mauve-pink with gold and other glitter running through it.  For me, this is a pretty unique lacquer.  I don't think I have another lacquer quite like it.

Formula wise, because this is a frost, it's a little streaky.  I actually think this adds to the lacquer and makes it interesting but if you're one of those people who likes a flawless finish, this is not the colour for you.  This took just two coats to get to opaque and is super shiny.

What do you guys think?  Are you going to meet me on the Star Ferry or are you going to stand me up? ;-P

OPI - Jade is the New Black

 Diffused Light

I'm probably the only person out there that was not overly thrilled with the OPI Hong Kong Collection.  It was ok but it didn't make me drop my trousers (metaphorically speaking) like, say, the Alice in Wonderland Collection.

So, despite all my natural instincts to purchase the whole collection for the sake of symmetry, I ended up only buying two.  And I'm happy with that decision because the two that I did end up purchasing are beautiful and definite keepers.

One of the colours I purchased is Jade is the New Black.

I can see why everyone loves this colour.  It's an amazing green with hints of a blue undertone.

Formula-wise, this is OPI at its best.  Smooth, creamy, the Pro-Wide brush makes application a dream (this did not require any cleanup whatsoever - quite a feat given that I apply lacquer like a painter on the Titanic) and it's opaque in two coats.

You know, sometimes, in trying other lacquers, I forget just how good OPI can be.  This reminded me of why, for many years, all I bought was OPI.  I may have to start yet another illicit love affair with this brand.

OPI - Brisbane Bronze

Brisbane Bronze is from the OPI Australia Collection.

From memory, the Australia Collection was OPI's first foray into 3-free territory (someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this).  Perhaps because OPI was still refining the formula, I found some colours to to be either a hit or a terrible hideous miss.

Brisbane Bronze is one of the hits.  A big hit.

The formula on this is spectacular.  Two coats and you're done.  It goes on perfectly, dries quickly, dries to a high shine and... well, the colour is stunning.

This picture shows the complexity of this colour to perfection.  On the index and middle finger you see how this looks in natural light, with the gold peeking through.  On the ring and little finger, you get a darker, altogether more sophisticated colour.

What do you guys think? What colours did you like from the Australia Collection?

Hey There, Wait A Minute Mr Postman - OPI Sweet Pink Collection

I recently received an email from a lovely reader, Emmajoy, who was hoping I could get her some Bloom polishes.

I did and, in return, Emmajoy sent me the OPI Sweet Pink Collection which, from my understanding, was a Japanese exclusive.

Definitely click on the picture because it's only up close that you can see the lovely subtle shimmer in the bottles.

All of these are lovely.  But it's Pink Caramel, which is the last lacquer on the right, which has really caught my eye.  It's a light brown with shimmer throughout.  It almost looks like a duochrome in the bottle.  Can't wait to try these!

OPI - Mad as a Hatter - Take II

I had a conversation with a manicurist friend that went along these lines:

Friend: So I saw that Mad as a Hatter swatch.  Freaking disaster.

Me: I know!  Couldn't believe how bad that turned out.  Lemon formula.

Friend:  Pffft!  No such thing as a lemon formula.  Just a lemon manicurist.

Me: What?  Lesbian?  What does that have to do with anything?

Friend: Huh?  Lesbian?  Oh god, you're dumb.  LEMON MANICURIST.  Not lesbian manicurist.  You really are dumb sometimes.

Anyway, the upshot of that conversation was that I decided to give this lacquer another try, with some advice from said manicurist friend.  She advised me to, as opposed to just dipping the brush in and out, swirl the brush around in the bottle before applying a coat.

Bingo!  I now see what you were all talking about with this lacquer.  It's magical and wonderous.

Don't you love happy endings?

OPI - Alice in Wonderland

I mentioned that my fifth lacquer was going to be a surprise.  Well, it's not so much a fifth lacquer as much as it's four lacquers!

Today, I've got swatches of the OPI's Alice in Wonderland collection.

There has been so much hype about this collection (and about the upcoming Tim Burton film) that, when I saw this advertised on Transdesign, I quickly snapped it up.

For me, this collection is what I'm calling 'Three Hits and One (freaking, absolutely horrific, nail train wreck) Miss'.  You'll see why after the jump!

OPI - Black Cherry Chutney

Come on ladies, you didn't think I would neglect OPI did you?

Black Cherry Chutney is from OPI's India Collection. I must admit, being Indian myself (well, part anyway), I fell in love with, and bought, alot of the colours in this collection, but Black Cherry Chutney is the one I am constantly reaching for.

It's definitely my go-to dark and vampy cherry hue.

This is a beautiful formula. It's thick, pigmented (although you will still need two coats to get to bottle colour) and, thanks once again to the Pro-Wide brush, extraordinarily easy to apply.

And just take a look at that sheen! Like so many recent OPI lacquers, I don't feel the need (although I still do, for longevity) for a topcoat.

Even though it is very dark, I still find it a really versatile colour. I can wear this easily at work (so long as my manicure is tidy and reasonable conservative), and wear it on a girls' night out.

I think this is a great colour for Halloween, don't you think. Evil Angel, I just know you're so with me on this colour!

You've Got Duped - Saucy Red Polish vs O'Hare and Nails Look Great

I mentioned earlier today that I thought Eyeko's Saucy Red Polish could be a dupe for OPI's O'Hare and Nails Look Great?

Here they are, side by side.

Now, the lighting is different so you're going to have to trust my eye witness account when I say that, if I were to interchange these on my nails (Eyeko on one nail and OPI on the next), you would not be able to tell them apart.

However, whilst the colour is a perfect replica, I should mention that the lacquer itself is not. Application is also more problematic with the Eyeko versus the smooth gloriousness of OPI's Pro Wide brush and creamy formulation.

Nonetheless, if you want the OPI look, without the OPI price, then Saucy Red is a dupe for the ages.

OPI - Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow

No. 2 in my All Time Favourite Lacquers is another OPI.

Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow is from OPI's Espana Collection. I don't know about you guys, but I found the Espana Collection particularly uninspiring. I felt that OPI had just repackaged a few old colours, hoping that none of us would notice.

The only colour that leapt out at me from the collection, and the only one I bought, was Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow.

Application of this OPI is, unlike most OPIs that apply like a dream, tricky. The first coat goes on like dirty green tea. Grainy and streaky. The second coat takes some of the edge off the streaky, but there are still bald spots here and there. Third coat and I have bottle colour and no bald spots.

The effort, however, to get this opaque is so worth it. I absolutely adore this green. At first glance, it looks black, but, on closer inspection, the green shines through. It's like looking at a plush forest canopy.

The shine on this is amazing. The swatch here is, once again, sans topcat. OPI really have excelled in their finishes of late. This hue is no exception.

And, despite being a green, which normally isn't work safe for me, I wear this for work quite regularly. It has a je ne sais quoi elegance about it that works in the 9 to 5.

So, ladies, what do you think of my No. 2? Do you have Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow and if so, do you love it as much as I do? Or is there another dark green that you adore, like NARS Zulu.

OPI - O'Hare And Nails Look Great

Many years ago, I used to be all about OPI. I think, at one stage, I had around 100 bottles of OPI, 5 Chanels, and 1 very sad and unloved Helena Rubenstein. I was an unrepetant OPI Snob.

Since then, I've discovered the joys of different polishes, and have expanded my arsenal to include every brand you can imagine. But OPI still holds a dear place in my heart. The colours are amazing and I think the Pro-Wide brushes are sent from Nail Heaven.

Coming in at No. 4 of my All Time Favourite Lacquers is OPI's O'Hare And Nails Look Great, from the Chicago Collection.

This is a no fooling, take no prisoners, red. It's like a fire engine that has been lit on fire itself.

The first reason why I love this colour, is the way it applies. The swatch on the left is one coat. Yes, one coat. Part of the reason why I only need coat is the Pro-Wide brush that makes application a breeze and distributes the lacquer evenly. But a big part of the ease is the polish itself. It's thick without being gloopy, and just seems to know where to go when it's on the nail.

Another reason why I love this is the shine. Not only is this swatch one coat. It's also without a top coat. Which makes this colour a one-coat and you're out the door kind of colour.

But the biggest reason why I love this is the colour. Many reds are either orangey reds or blue reds. This is one red that doesn't seem lean either way. It's just..... red. Hot red.

I'm sure many of you have hot reds that you adore. What's your favourite red? Or do you have too many to count?