Alli’s Favs: OPI Big Hair…Big Nails February 18, 2012
Posted by Alli in Alli's Favs, OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI
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Admittedly OPI’s Spring 2011 Texas collection was not my favorite. I’m not a fan of Texas really, and the colors were not all that exciting. But finally after hearing Katie go on about how much she loved Too Hot Pink To Hold ‘Em I finally picked up this polish. After all…there is nothing I love more than nails and big hair!
OPI describes Big Hair…Big Nails as a rosy pageant peach. Well, ok…but I would describe it as a pink leaning coral. The color is absolutely gorgeous.
This is, of course, one of OPI’s “sorbet” finish polishes. That’s just a fancy word for a jelly. Due to this 3 coats is required to get an (almost) opaque color. The finish of this polish is incredibly shiny.
Why OPI Big Hair…Big Nails is a favorite: The color. And the name is a bonus. I spent all of last Spring and Summer being completely obsessed with everything coral. I have worn this polish so much yet I still love it. And really, who doesn’t love big hair!?
Two down, 87 to go!
Perfect Pair: OPI Sapphire in the Snow & Avon Violetta Sparkle February 16, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Avon, Nail Polish, OPI
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When I first tried out Avon Violetta Sparkle I fell in love with the gorgeous gold flakey glitter but wasn’t overly thrilled with the formula. It was a tad on the thin side so I thought it might make a good top coat. I was right!
I used one coat of Violetta Sparkle over 2 coats of OPI Sapphire in the Snow. I really love the way it turned out. And this is definitely a better way to use Violetta Sparkle.
As always, there is a macro shot below the jump!
Perfect Pair: OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! & China Glaze Pelican Gray February 13, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: China Glaze, Nail Polish, OPI
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While OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! is a gorgeous color I was somewhat disappointed in the formula. It was quite thin. But then I realized that maybe I could not only use Rotterdam on its own but also as a top coat.
To test Rotterdam as a top coat I used 2 coats of China Glaze Pelican Gray as a base and topped it with just one coat of Rotterdam. I just LOVE the way it turned out! Just enough of the gray came through to make Rotterdam a bit more dusty.
It’s going to be fun to experiment with Rotterdam. I want to try it over a darker polish next.
Make sure to check out the macro shot below the jump!
OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where? February 11, 2012
Posted by Alli in OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI
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I won’t lie…when I was in Amsterdam I definitely took a stroll through the red light district. It is arguably the most famous red light district in the world…I had to go see it! To say the least it was an interesting experience. So clearly I needed to get the nail polish from the OPI’s Holland collection named after the district. That logic completely makes sense, right?
Red Lights Ahead….Where? would have fit perfectly in my Warm Weather Reds post from last summer. OPI describes this polish as a “coral-packed red”. I suppose that is one way to put it. This is an orange leaning red that is borderline coral. It is quite the gorgeous color.
Application of this polish was amazing! I Don’t Give a Rotterdam from this collection was a bit on the thin side so I was a bit concerned, but to my surprise this polish is almost a one coater. The formula is fabulous. I used two coats despite being a habitual three coater.
Overall I do love this polish but it is not particularly unique. I have been coral crazy since I purchased butter LONDON Macbeth so I have quite a few in my collection to compare this too. I’ll try to do a comparison post in the near future.
Perfect Pair: OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! & deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale February 10, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: deborah lippmann, Nail Polish, OPI
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Ever since I purchased deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect polish to use under it. I just don’t love it on its own. So instead of taking off OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! I decided to try to layer Today Was a Fairytale over it. I quite like the way it turned out.
I topped 3 coats of OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! with one coat of deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale. Today Was a Fairytale did add quite a bit more gray to I Don’t Give a Rotterdam which I liked.
Today Was a Fairytale is growing on me. I was definitely disappointed with it originally but it has proven to be quite versatile.
Make sure to check out the macro shot below the jump!
OPI Sapphire in the Snow February 9, 2012
Posted by Alli in OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI
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This is a polish I always forget about! But when I was putting polishes in my DIY nail polish rack I saw it and just couldn’t stop thinking about it so I finally decided I just needed to wear it. Sapphire in the Snow is my one and only polish from OPI’s 2009 Holiday Wishes collection. I just wasn’t really a fan. But I am glad I picked up this color.
Sapphire in the Snow is a deep purple creme with heavy blue undertones. The color is really quite gorgeous but in low light it does look almost black.
Application was fabulous. Two coats were more than enough for an opaque color.
Sometimes I feel so guilty because I have all this gorgeous polish but am constantly using and buying newly released polish and forget about what I already have! I definitely need to dig into my stash more often
OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! February 8, 2012
Posted by Alli in OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI
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Today is kind of an awesome day. Not only does Carolina play Duke tonight….but it’s the official release date of OPI’s Spring 2012 Holland collection! Yay!!!
Ok, anyways, that was awkward. But it’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about an OPI collection! The last time I was this excited was way back when the Swiss collection was released for Fall 2010. Due to this I was more or less foaming at the mouth when I went to Ulta this morning not long after they opened. One of the sales associates was in the process of putting up the display when I walked in. I snatched up I Don’t Give a Rotterdam along with Red Lights Ahead….Where? off the half assembled display. I figured that would hold me over at least a few days….
OPI describes I Don’t Give a Rotterdam as a “sassy steel-blue shimmer”. I don’t know about sassy but this is a grayed out light blue with gold shimmer. Totally gorgeous! Which pretty much also describes Rotterdam. Make sure to check out the shimmer in the macro shot below the jump.
The formula was a bit thin, but well worth it. I used 3 coats and was happy with the coverage.
This polish does remind me a bit of Essie Smooth Sailing and butter LONDON Victoriana. Neither are anywhere near dupes but are in the blue family with similar shimmer.
Is anyone else as excited about this collection as I am? Realistically this will not eclipse France as my all time favorite OPI collection, but it is nice to be crazy excited about nail polish again
Perfect Pair: Essie Go Overboard & OPI Yodel Me On My Cell January 24, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Essie, Nail Polish, OPI
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I’m totally in love with Essie Go Overboard. It’s just a perfect yes it’s still winter but I’m dying for spring polish. Anyways, I’ve been wearing it alot lately so I was looking for a way to spice it up. Thanks to my handy dandy new nail polish rack all my OPI polishes were on display. I spotted OPI Yodel Me On My Cell and thought it would be the perfect polish to add some sparkle to Go Overboard!
I used 2 coats of Go Overboard and 1 coat of Yodel. I quite like the way it turned out. Yodel didn’t change the color much but it added just the right amount of sparkle.
Check out the macro shot below the jump!
OPI Metallic 4 Life January 23, 2012
Posted by Alli in OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, Nicki Minaj, OPI
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I won’t lie….I was pretty excited when I heard Nicki Minaj was collabing with OPI on a collection. While I’m not a huge fan of her music, I love finding out what she’s going to wear next (and I do have a serious obsession with Super Bass). So when I spotted the Nicki Minaj display at Beauty Brands I wanted to try at least one polish.
Metallic 4 Life has multi sized silver glitter suspended in a charcoal gray jelly base. I don’t really get the name on this one. It’s obviously a reference to Nicki Minaj’s song “Moment 4 Life” but this polish isn’t metallic! Anyway, I kind of hate this polish. In order to wear it alone, at least 4 coats are required. And it chips like CRAZY.
I have used this as a top coat once over Essie Smokin’ Hot. That is definitely the way with this polish, but I still didn’t love the way this polish looked. I will continue to try this as a top coat to see if I find a combination I like. But, for now, if I want a black polish with silver glitter I will stick with Orly Goth.
More swatches below the jump.
Perfect Pair: Orly Fowl Play & OPI Light My Sapphire January 15, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI, Orly
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It’s no secret that I’ve been completely in love with Orly Fowl Play since it was released. I love it on its own, but I love it even more layered! I last tried it over OPI Lincoln Park at Midnight, but this time I wanted a slightly darker manicure, so I tried it over OPI Light My Sapphire. The results were fabulous!
Light My Sapphire is an almost black polish with a good bit of sparkle. I used 2 coats of Light My Sapphire and topped it with just one coat of Fowl Play. Light My Sapphire darkened up Fowl Play nicely but the entire manicure still maintained the sparkle I really do like from Light My Sapphire. Overall it was quite a successful mani.
Next I think I’ll try Fowl Play over a dark blue or navy polish. Could be a disaster but that’s what is so fun about experimenting with nail polish!
As usual, there is a macro shot below the jump.



