OPI Texas Collection Spring 2011 Swatches and Review

This year's spring nail polish collection from OPI is Texas-themed. I've never been to Texas but I have a lot of Texan friends... I wonder what they'd have to say about these shades? Any Texans want to weigh in on them?

There are twelve shades as usual, and they are:


Austin-tatious Turquoise. You know, this looks like such an amazing color in the bottle and it looks pretty great in the picture... But it's actually a freaking nightmare. The color is great- a sheer turquoise glass fleck shimmer with subtle pink duochrome... But the formula! Oh, the formula. It's sheer and watery, a combination that can only spell disaster. What you're seeing here is SIX COATS. Six watery, runny, goopy coats. The color is dustier and less vibrant in real life. If you want something similar (glass fleck duochrome turquoise) without the weird formula, try Nicole by OPI Iceberg Lotus.

EDIT: I've been receiving reports from people who own this color, and a few of them say that their bottle isn't watery and sheer like mine. However, the majority of people I've heard from say they have watery bottles like mine. It seems like there are multiple batches of this color floating around.



Don't Mess With OPI. Nice dusty medium green. I like the muted quality of this, it's not your standard green creme. It's like if OPI Jade Is The New Black and Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit had a baby.


It's Totally Fort Worth It. Very, very hard to capture the finish of this color. It's not just a plain silver shimmer, it has tiny pink-red sparkles! You can see some of those elusive sparkles in the middle of the bottle on this picture. It would be my favorite color of the collection if it weren't for the sheer, watery formula. This is four coats.


I Vant To Be A-Lone Star. I'm not understanding the name of this. I get the "Lone Star" part, but 'vant'? Is that like a Green Acres reference or something? Wait, did Green Acres even take place in Texas? Eh... guess it doesn't matter. The color is nice. Light greyed-out blue with silvery shimmer. Tranquil and serene. Reminds me of another ancient discontinued OPI... drawing a blank on the name.


San Tan-tonio. Light milky brown creme. Surprisingly flattering on my cool skintone. Makes me think of suede.


Suzi Loves Cowboys. I used flash on this color because it looked too black in natural light. The flash shows the base color and how it looks in sunlight. It looks about two shades darker in dim light. It's just a dark chocolate brown creme, nothing too exciting... But very unusual for spring!

Now for the surprise: the jellies sorbets.

Big Hair, Big Nails. A red coral, or a light cherry sorbet.


Do You Think I'm Tex-y? A deep beet pink/purple sorbet.


Guy Meets Gal-veston. A medium orange coral sorbet.


Houston, We Have A Purple. Haha, my favorite name out of all of them! This is a deep magenta borderline purple sorbet.


Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em. An awesome saturated pink sorbet. My picture doesn't do it justice, you have to try it out! (Fixed my typo, oops!)


Y'all Come Back, Ya Hear? A medium orange sorbet.

Now, OPI is really pushing this "sorbet" finish pretty hard lately. They describe it as a completely new finish. It's a semi-sheer or translucent wash of color which has the effect of looking like hard candy or popsicles... If you've been into polish for a while, this should sound familiar, because it's what we polish junkies know as a "jelly" finish. Jelly polishes have been around for a long time, but they're not very common. Despite the whole "It's not a jelly, it's a sorbet, it's brand new!" thing, OPI does this finish really well.

I mean, just look at them, they're beautiful. You may not be able to pick up on the jelly effect of the finish from my pictures, but the finish is really spectacular. It's not so sheer that it looks clear, and it's just translucent enough to look soft and squishy. The colors they chose are vibrant and candy-like and they're perfectly suited for the jelly/sorbet finish.

Initially, I did not have high hopes for the sorbets. They all looked like boring colors and I thought they would be too sheer. And, as usual, my mind changed once I actually put them on my nails. They're lovely. I did three coats of all and I think they're perfect.

The formula on this collection is varied. The sorbet/jelly shades are nearly perfect, only a little on the thick side. The other six shades are watery, runny and sheer. I had a really hard time applying them with Austin-tatious Turquoise being the most difficult and I Vant To Be A-Lone Star being the easiest. The brushes were inconsistent and uneven in shape, size and smoothness. Some were rough, a few were normal. I am used to OPI having a very consistent and reliable formula, this collection is hopefully just a fluke.

I'm torn on my opinion of the collection overall. I had written off the sorbets before I even tried them and they ended up being my favorite part. They're very spring/summer appropriate predictable colors, but the sorbet finish makes them wonderful.

The other shades seem too random. There doesn't seem to be one cohesive theme within the color range. You've got brown, green, sparkly turquoise, silver.... They just don't mesh well. And they're a little bit sleepy, I have to admit. Though, I've realized that OPI's spring collections have been very sleepy for the past few years and the summer collection is the exciting one.

Also, the names are starting to be a little too ridiculous. Some are cute, but others get dangerously close to Misa-level cheese and length. I did really love "Houston, We Have A Purple."... I'm still giggling about that one!

So, overall, the new sorbet polishes are definitely worth trying on if you get the chance. If you've never tried a jelly finish polish before, you'll probably be delightfully surprised. People with longer nails may have issues with visible nail line, but if that doesn't bother you, you'll probably love them. The inconsistent, watery formula on the rest of the colors turns me off to them a bit, but Don't Mess With OPI and It's Totally Fort Worth It are worth the frustration.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Nicole by OPI Liquid Metals for Spring 2011

Here's Nicole by OPI's latest: A set of four super-sparkly foils. Technically these came out late last year, but they're part of 2011's spring colors. These feature the new Nicole Perfect Stroke brush, which is similar to OPI's ProWide brush, just rounder and flatter.



It Starts With Me. This is a silver-based peach toned foil. It's not quite pure gold, not quite taupe.


Miss Independent. A pink toned foil. Again, it has a silver base with a pale pink-purple overtone. This one is pretty unique, I can't think of another foil quite like this.



Rich In Spirit. An aqua-blue foil. In certain lights it seems like it has a greenish tinge to it, in other lights it looks pure sky blue.



The Next CEO. A good neutral gold foil with a little bit of a beige tone.

The formula on these is good. Very smooth, not thick, not runny. Good coverage, I only needed two coats on all of these. Drying time is very fast. The new Perfect Stroke brush was much nicer in these than it was in the One Less Lonely Girl collection; none of the brushes in this set were crooked or defective in any way. Smooth, easy application and a nice glossy finish even without topcoat.

These foils are extremely shiny and sparkly. While the colors themselves aren't terribly bold or exciting, the finish is amazing. They're like a cross between a true foil like Zoya Trixie, a chrome like China Glaze Millennium and a glass fleck sparkle. They are both reflective and sparkly/shimmery/borderline glittery and that's what makes these stand out. They aren't as dense of a foil as, say, Orly's Foil FX collection, but they're twice as sparkly.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Deborah Lippmann Holiday 2010 Shades - Boom Boom Pow and Today Was A Fairy Tale

I know that I'm a little late posting these as it's now a few weeks into the new year, but there's nothing that requires one to love these only during Winter...

Deborah Lippmann has once again created some magnificent glitter shades. I'm loving this. A high end brand who appreciates the glitter.


Boom Boom Pow. This one is said to contain real 24 karat gold. It has large gold hex glitter and some tiny delicate gold sparkles in a clear base. I'm betting that the 24k gold is those little glimmers of gold in the base. While this polish would be great for layering, I personally prefer it when worn alone, like this. Very magical looking.



Today Was A Fairy Tale. Like Boom Boom Pow, this one also contains a fancy ingredient: Virgin Diamond Powder. What is Virgin Diamond Powder? Well, it's an abrasive made of micronized diamonds and it's used for polishing. Is there a benefit to having it in nail polish? Who knows. All I know is it's cool to say, oh, my nail polish has diamonds in it. Anyway, this shade is a sheer grey base with large and small silvery blue glitter. The base tints the glitter a bit and it has a cloudy sky sort of effect. Very pretty. Excellent for layering:


Deborah Lippmann Today Was A Fairytale (one coat) over Zoya Dove. See how the grey base tints the polish a little? It deepens the color and adds a slight blue hue. So pretty.



Deborah Lippmann Today Was A Fairytale (one coat) over Illamasqua Obsess. Over such a bright color like Obsess, it really changes. It deepens and mutes the base polish and it makes the glitter stand out more- more contrast between light and dark.


The formula on these was good. They're sheer glitters so they need at least three coats- I'm wearing three coats in these pictures. They're a little thick so you should wait a few minutes between coats if you can, it will help make a smoother application. Drying time is average and removal isn't too bad for a glitter.

Because of the fancy ingredients like real gold and diamond, these are more expensive than the average Lippmann polish; they're $20 each.

Do you have these? What do you think of them?

(These were sent to me for review.)

My GOSH Collection

Well, this is going to be a short and sweet post because I only own a few of these! They're not available in the United States; all of these are gifts from my kickass friends ♥


Blue Monday. And I still find it so hard to say what I need to say... But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me just how I should feel today....


Golden Dragon. Blue toned gold with green metallic shimmer! Not quite a foil, not quite a frost. Green with gold veins.


Gasoline. Purple and blue glass fleck duochrome shimmer. Amazing.



Holographic. Unbelievable. No wonder this is so popular, it's insane! Perfectly holographic silver. I've heard from a few people that this is reasonably similar to the coveted and discontinued Chanel Holographic.


Purple Heart. A really slick purple/green duochrome. Like a less colorful cousin to Nubar's Peacock Feathers shade or a less metallic gothy version of Zoya Ki.





Rainbow over Purple Heart. I didn't take a picture of Rainbow alone cause it's hard to get it to show up on a naked nail. When I posted about Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Nubar 2010 when they came out, everyone asked me if they were similar to GOSH Rainbow. I didn't have it and had never really seen it, so I had no idea. Now that I have it I can say yes, they're totally alike. Red/yellow/orange/gold/green opalescent flakes in a clear base. Amazing for layering.


I don't really care for the formula or the brushes on these, but the colors are fantastic. I mean, look at them! There's no denying that they're amazing! And how cool would it be if they took Holographic and made versions of it in every color of the rainbow? It's like the old Sally Hansen Magical Nail Makeup colors that I love so much. They should totally do more holo shades, they're obviously good at it.

Unrelated to nail polish, but GOSH also makes this incredible superfine holo glitter that can be layered or mixed into eyeshadow... I adore it. Why don't any American brands have something similar? I need more holo in my life... As much holo as one human can possible handle! I'd even wear this if Flake would lend it to me...

(I don't know who these pictures belong to- if they're yours, please let me know so I can credit you!)

Hey GOSH, if you're reading this, please make some more holographic polishes! You have the skills!

Illamasqua Nail Quills and Scorn Matte Finish Polish

Illamasqua's latest creation. Once again they've done something totally unique- you won't see these anywhere else! They're nail quills. A set of two matte black and chrome accessories for your thumbs, inspired by one of these:

They come in a ridiculous nice box. It's plain matte black with a shiny Illamasqua logo for contrast. It has a really sturdy suede-ish fabric lined sleeve that protects the matte black jewelry box containing the Quills. I know it's just packaging, but man, it's so fancy and expensive feeling!

With the outer portion on...


The inner box. It looks really light and grey here because of the lighting, but look how it picked up on the texture of the box. That's weird and kinda cool, I don't know how I managed that. The box feels like it's a smooth satin fabric but it also looks like cardboard... not sure which it actually is, but it's pretty.


Open the box...

Two nail quills and a little double-sided card that has some info about the nail quills and Mike Pocock (the creator/designer of the Quills) on one side and the opposite side is printed with the signature Illamasqua wood nymph looking lady. One funny thing to note- there's a legal disclaimer on the card that says that Illamasqua isn't responsible for any damage caused while wearing the Quils...


When you pull up the little ribbon, this chamber is revealed. It holds the application instructions, a little tube of nail glue and four stick-on tabs. I love the design of this box. Secret storage for the less-glamorous items!

Some more shots of the quills in their case:



In case you're wondering just how exactly they're secured:

There's a little sticky tab underneath each quill. Probably not the most permanent solution for holding the quills, but you can always store them under the flap if the tabs lose their stickiness. Also note the construction of the quills from the underside. The rough black part feels like acrylic sealing in the edges of the chrome foil material. The bottom part is a smooth plastic like a nail tip or press-on nail (which is what these are). Each set of quills is handmade and unique and have their own little quirks and imperfections.

Now, these are slightly too big for my thumbs so they look a little 'off', but I just had to try them on. You might be able to file down the edges/sidewalls if they're too big, but I was afraid to... Didn't want to accidentally ruin them. I used the sticky tab with no glue.



So wicked looking. They're quite long and rather pointy so do take care when wearing these. They're a little flexible so that you don't do any major damage, but you could still poke yourself if you're not careful!


Application is extremely easy. For this very temporary application, I used only the adhesive tab. If you've never applied an adhesive tab, this is all you do: Prep the nail by wiping it with alcohol or acetone, peel the tab off of the paper sheet but leave the paper backing on. Place the sticky side of the tab onto your nail and smooth it down so that it lays flat with no wrinkles. Peel off the paper backing and press the nail quill onto the sticky part. Voila! Easy. But, keep in mind that adhesive tabs are not very strong and won't really last more than an evening.

The instructions recommend combining the tabs with the glue for a longer wear and to preserve the life of the Quills. It instructs you to apply the tabs like normal, but then apply a few drops of glue on the tabs before you apply the Quills. This is so you can remove the Quills without ruining them by soaking them off like you'd have to do if you use the glue alone.

To remove them when applied with tabs, you run your thumbs under warm water and just peel them off. It doesn't damage your nail at all because it's just sticky tape. For removal with glue plus tabs, you can do the same thing but you may need to clean the underside of the quill because there will be a little sticky residue left from the tabs.

Easy to apply, easy to remove. Looks awesome and will definitely make you stand out. The only downside I can think of is the price- they're £35, which is about $55 USD. They are quite limited and all handmade, a true collector's item, so they'd have to be a little on the pricey side, but I do think that £35 is quite steep. The info about them says that they're bespoke- which, as I understand it, implies custom made to your specifications, but I'm not entirely sure if/how that works with these. If they are all custom fit, that would definitely justify the price.

So, now you have pointy matte black and chrome thumbs, what do you do with the rest of your nails?

That's simple- Scorn nail polish. It's designed to compliment the quills- it has the same color and finish.

This is two coats of Scorn. It has amazing coverage and smooth, even formula. The finish isn't really a true matte- it has some shine to it. You know I'm all about the super chalky matte-mattes, so this isn't exactly my favorite finish, but it does match the Quills. It looks like leather to me, so that's cool. If you wanted to continue the matte black and chrome theme, you could put a little silver gem or stripe of foil nail art tape on each nail, too.


I think these are really crazy and I love them! They're a weird combination of beautiful/glamorous and intimidating/tough. They're delicate but at the same time they're knife-like dangerous! I was expecting a true stiletto shape, but they actually are quill-shaped, which also impresses me. If you want this look but can't afford the price tag, you could always go to a salon to get your thumbs done in black and silver acrylic stilettos, but they won't be quite the same and they won't be re-usable.

This would be a good gift for a nail fanatic who loves to be different and stand out. The box and packaging and presentation makes them very gift-able. Available only on Illamasqua.com and at the flagship store on Beak Street in London.

(These were sent to me for review.)