Nicole by OPI New Texture Coat Polishes

Heyyy folks :) I have four new Nicole by OPI texture coat (crackle/shatter) polishes to show you. They are Quartz, Aquamarine, Amethyst, and Opal Texture.

Here they are, in order as stated above, over a white cream polish. Quartz is a metallic silvery lilac.  Aquamarine is a medium blue glitter. Amethyst is a medium purple glitter. Opal is a opalescent glitter, shining pinky purple.

Below is the polishes over a black cream, same order.

The coolest way I've seen glitter crackles used is in a glitter/jelly sandwich. The Swatchaholic did a version the other day that is way fun and unexpected. You can get these wherever Nicole by OPI polishes are sold for $7.99.

Products provided for review.

OPI The Amazing Spider-man Collection

Yay! New OPI collection, woot woot! This one is inspired by the new movie The Amazing Spider-man, which comes out this summer. The collection has six shades and a new color of "shatter" special effect topcoat.

 First up is My Boyfriend Scales Walls, a color OPI describes as "cityscape white". I guess that means dingy and slightly grey? Wa, wa, wa ;) I actually like this color, it's not a stark white and it's got a pretty decent formula for such a light cream. This is three coats.

 

The shatter topcoat is called Shatter the Scales, it's a dark slightly blueish forest green with silver shimmer. It dries matte but I put a shiny topcoat on to beef up the hawtness.

This is Just Spotted the Lizard is described as a "reptilian yellow-green". I see it as a Chanel Peridot dupe haha. It's metallic gold with green duochrome and a blue tinge on the edges. This is two coats.

This hot and spicy orange is Call Me Gwen-Ever. It's a muted less bright orange than we've been seeing trending lately. It has coral undertones, which is delightfully different. This is two coats.

Into the Night is a shimmery metallic midnight blue. It's not really a cobalt and not really a navy, it's like a combination of those two. I didn't love this one, it's pretty but nothing too exciting. The brushstrokes were present, but not really a problem. Two coats.

This is Number One Nemesis, another Chanel dupe (Graphite this time). Foily with glitter, green tinged nickel pewter. I like it as much as I do the other dupe I showed you the other day, Smoky Feather. This is two coats.

And the token pink, Your Web or Mine. This one I didn't expect to like, but I ended up enjoying a lot. It's a frosty rose pink. Brush strokes are gonna happen when you have a frost, it's just their nature. However, these are manageable. I feel a little "grandma" wearing this but like I said, I do like it. This is two coats.

I think this collection is a win, save the blue that just doesn't work for me. I am not really into comic books, or Spider-man in particular, (am I the only one who didn't know the name was hyphenated?) but that never stopped me from partaking in some awesome colors. You should be able to pick these up in stores around May for $8.50 each. What do you think of these pretties? Are you planning on seeing The Amazing Spider-man?

Products provided for review.

OPI Nicki Minaj Collection

Hey kittens, how is your week going? I have something delightful to show you today, OPI and Nicki Minaj have collaborated to produce 6 stunning nail colors. I don't know much about Nicki but I do enjoy most of her music and I think she's creative as hell. Here are the swatches!

First off is Pink Friday, which is also the name of Miss Minaj's latest album. This is a cotton candy light pink cream. Very girly and wearable. This formula was a little sheer and streaky so I used three coats.

Next is Did It On 'Em, a freaking fab color. I tend to gravitate towards brights and this is nicely bright but not blinding. The green is very yellow toned. Close to but not a dupe for Who the Shrek Are You from 2010's Shrek Forever After collection. I would say in between Shrek and Fiercely Fiona. I used three coats for this.

Another gorgeous color, Fly. Teal-ish turquoise cream. Bright and fun, but not terribly unique. Very pigmented. I used two coats here. Wearing this color makes me happy!

Here is Metallic 4 Life, it has a black base with lots of silver glitter in three sizes, small squares, small hex's and large hex's. It was thicker and more goopey than I expected but still workable. This is three coats. Next time I wear it I'll layer it over a black cream I think. I am LIVING for this polish, so fierce.

Save Me is a glitter-gasm! It's mainly itty bitty silver glitter pieces, and there are lots of holo & blue bar glitter dispersed within a clear base. I expected this one to be more blue toned from the promo images. It's ok on it's own, if you were out in the sun all day! I doubt I'd wear this on it's own, better for layering or gradients. This is three thick coats. Bar glitter can be tricky so take care with application.

And the crowning glory, Nicki's shatter called Super Bass Shatter. It's probably my favorite song of hers and it's now my favorite shade of shatter. Gorgeous dark plum with teeny-tiny pink shimmer. La la love!

Super Bass Shatter over Pink Friday, using a swirl application

Super Bass Shatter over Did It On 'Em, using standard application

Super Bass Shatter over Fly, using horizontal application

Super Bass Shatter over Metallic 4 Life, using thick standard application

Super Bass Shatter over Save Me, using thin standard application

Hope you liked these :) See ya next time!

Products provided for review.

OPI - Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Sneak Peek!

Let’s Shatter Breast Cancer!

OPI Announces New Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer to Support Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

OPI launches the limited edition Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in its promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever. The 2011 Pink of Hearts edition will follow in the footsteps of its namesake 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Nail Lacquers in raising awareness of breast cancer for the fifth year in a row, during the months of September and October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Unlike previous shade incarnations, this year’s Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer marks the debut of fan-favorite Shatter coat in OPI’s first pink shade.

“We are continuing to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the hopes of increasing breast cancer awareness, while inspiring and empowering women. The organization’s dedication to this cause is unwavering,” remarks Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director. “OPI is proud to join with Susan G. Komen for the fifth consecutive year to offer Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts. By launching our first-ever Pink Shatter coat, we hope this exciting new textured hue will generate lots of awareness for this cause.”

Each bottle of Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts has a special pink-ribbon tag and pink cap wrap to call attention to breast cancer awareness. OPI will also be making its annual donation of $25,000 to Komen for the Cure. Pink Shatter coat contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and it also features OPI’s exclusive ProWide™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

The limited edition Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts will be available throughout the months of September and October 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is now the world’s largest breast cancer organization and the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer with more than $1.9 billion invested to date. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Products provided for review.

Silver & Turquoise Shatter Mani

Happy Friday kids! This is one of my favorite shatter manicures that I have done so far. The China Glaze creamy turquoise shatter Crushed Candy reminded me of a familiar classic shade of theirs, For Audrey, so I put them together and they are basically dupes! How smart of ChG to do such a popular color in a shatter huh? So I knew that I had a similar base color as the OPI Silver Shatter too, in China Glaze Cheers to You so I threw them all together and did every other finger in a switched color combo. Observe...

What do you think? In these photos I prefer the base of For Audrey with the Silver Shatter on top (index and ring fingers), but in real life the prettier combo in my opinion is the base of Cheers to You and the crackle of Crushed Candy (middle and pinky fingers). It pops more or something. Maybe because the metallic shatter shines so much you can't see the base turquoise as well? Either way it was a fun mani and I'm glad I tried it out! Have you tried any especially cute shatter combos that I should try?

Some of the products shown were provided for review.

OPI Navy, Turquoise, and Blue Shatter Topcoats

OPI has had mega success with the shatter trend that we've seen all over the country and abroad. This time they have brought us some new colors, this time in hues of blue.

Navy Shatter is a winner in my book, dark but still blue toned and beautiful layered on top of a pretty glitter like this one, Sakura Glow by Color Club. I love how you can see the glitter peek through.

Turquoise Shatter is shimmery and cracks less than Navy or Black Shatters but still does the job. It's lovely and very head turning. Here I've put it over Color Club's Strawberry Sherbet. I also did a mani for my sister Megan over OPI Mermaid's Tears which turned out rather lovely.

Blue Shatter is also shimmery and cracks a little less than Navy and a little more than Turquoise. The shimmer must do something to the formula eh? I like this but it's not my favorite of the shatters. I think I like the crème formula of the shatters the best. Here I've shown it over China Glaze How About a Tumble.

What do you think about these new sky tinted shatters?

Products provided for review.

OPI Brights: Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Collection

OPI put out a Pirates of the Caribbean collection for their Brights set this year in anticipation of the new movies, On Stranger Tides. The collection includes six dusty crèmes that evoke the murky waters and misty hues of the ocean and the mermaids in the movies. Also special in the collection is a new shatter, silver.

Stranger Tides, namesake of the collection, is a somber sage crème. I freaking love this color. Absolutely perfect, this looks like moss at the bottom of a tide pool. Great formula, opaque in two coats.

Planks a Lot is a fab dusty purple crème. I am not the biggest purple lover, though I know a lot of you are. This one works for me because it's not super vivid, sometimes a nice subdued color is just what the Captain (he he) ordered. Two coats.

I love Steady as She Rose. Not only does it appear to be possibly the most perfect light rosey pink ever but it reminds me of one of my favorite songs, Steady as she Goes by The Raconteurs. (I love me some Jack White!) Basically I can't believe how pigmented and opaque it is in two coats!

Mermaid's Tears is a bright yet dusty seafoam jade green crème. I know this isn't a terribly unique color but it performs remarkably well. Beautiful wouldn't you say? And who can resist that gorgeous moniker, I wonder if a Mermaid's Tears really are jade?

Skull & Glossbones is a fabulous murky beige grey crème. Glossbone is an absolutely perfect name for this polish, it totally looks like a shiny bone! I adore these types of non-traditional polish shades, they call to me. Another amazing shade that looks fabulous in two coats, was not expecting that!

Sparrow me the Drama is a medium pink crème, semi bright and vibrant but with a dusty cast. I love how they stuck 'Sparrow' me in the name, trés OPI haha, wouldn't expect anything else of course. This rose shade is so beautiful and perfect for spring, not too in your face, just sweet and pretty. I used three coats here.

And of course, we have Silver Shatter! This is by far my favorite shatter so far. From any one that I've tried. From ANY brand. It is seriously ga ga gorgeous! Just look at the rich blingy texture and shine you get! Plus it's relatively easy to apply, no headaches, just wait til your lacquer is totally dry, apply a semi-thick coat and voila cracks appear! I opted for the regular straight application over Planks a Lot here.

I have to say that this collection is a-mah-zing! I really think OPI hit this one out of the park. I've heard some complaints that these colors don't seem like they coincide with the "Pirates" theme very well but I think they do wonderfully. The old times that the Pirate movies are set in have beautiful clothing that are in colors like these, the water and sky of the Caribbean look much like these dusty hues, and the mythical mermaids that are featured in the film tie into these colors beautifully. The silver shatter also reminds me of the era, with the buckles and embellishments on the militaria of the time and the actual crackle lends itself beautifully to looking like driftwood or an old creaky ship. I love the texture it creates! I hope you enjoyed this review and that you like these colors. They should be in stores and online soon, early May I believe is the release date!

Products provided for review.