OPI released their annual Brights collection in May and I finally had some free time to swatch each color to get this post up. The collection at first sight has some great shades in it with a good range of finishes - creme jellies, shimmer, and glitter. Sometimes a collection will come out with amazing formulas that apply perfectly with one coat (like OPI's 2014 Nordic Collection), however this collection is not one of them. You will need AT LEAST 2 good coats to get decent opacity out of each shade, with the exception of On Pinks and Needles because it is a glitter. Keep reading for swatches and more detailed descriptions of each shade (descriptions in italics come straight from OPI).
- Hotter than You Pink (repromoted from Neons 2014): Just when you think pink can't get any hotter, there's this! This hot pink reminds me of Barbie pink. It has a slight blue pearl finish when you look closely but it's not noticeable on the nails.
- Can't hear Myself Pink!: No, I can't turn down this shimmery, metallic pink. This medium bright pink contains tiny metallic silver shimmer and has a thin formula which applies very sheer with one coat and needs three coats to erase visible nail lines.
- Down to the Core-al (repromoted from Neons 2014): The beauty of this brilliant coral goes beyond skin deep. I would consider this shade a true coral with a frosty finish.
- Life Gave Me Lemons (repromoted from Neons 2014): This citrusy lemon-lime hits the spot every time! This shade is a creamy yellow that sometimes looks more green indoors. Be careful with application because this one can be very streaky. I can usually get away with applying coats without letting them dry in between but I have to be patient with this one.
- I Sea You Wear OPI: Look who's loving waves of shimmering metallic blue. This electric blue contains metallic aqua shimmer and has a similar finish as Can't Hear Myself Pink. It's crazy how different this looks going from 1 to 2 coats. When clients pick this one out they say "Oh, I don't think I like this. It's too sheer!" but the second coat usually changes their minds. I think it looks even better with 3 coats. The sheerness of the first coat makes this a good polish to layer on top of others.
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| One coat on top of My Car Has Navy-gation |
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| One coat on top of Life Gave Me Lemons |
- The Berry Thought of You: I think, therefore I wear... this delicious berry. This is one of my favorites in the collection! It is a bright berry fuchsia with a nice creme finish. It seems like more of a fall color but is on trend with a lot of red carpet looks this summer.
- My Car has Navy-gation: I would re-route my whole day for this gorgeous navy blue! This shade is a rich, bright navy creme. It applies a little darker than it appears in the bottle. (I had to really adjust the exposure to show how it looks in real life.)
- I STOP for Red: This red is so hot, it's got to be illegal! This shade is a very orangey red. It has a jelly formula and needs three coats to hide nail lines.
- On Pinks & Needles: Can't wait to wear this splashy hot-pink glitter! This glitter has a clear base with multi-sized hexagonal glitter flakes in it. The biggest flakes don't like to lay flat so try to keep it off the curves of the nail. (Shown on Life Gave Me Lemons and The Berry Thought of You.)
It might just be me, but I really think this collection could have gone brighter and bolder in the application department. Quite a few of the shades apply sheer and streaky with the first coat. I wish the formulas were more of a true creme finish that applied evenly with one coat (Is that too much to ask for?). The repromoted colors from OPI Neons 2014 Collection came with a 'Neon Base Coat' (AKA white polish) that makes the color brighter and bolder which is what I can do with this collection but why add an extra step when they should be bright and opaque on its own? Rant over.
I still think the shades in this collection are perfect for summer and worth the extra work. My personal favorites (colors that I would actually wear) are My Car Has Navy-gation, The Berry Thought of You, and I STOP for Red. Actually, let's be honest... I would probably wear all of them except On Pinks and Needles because I don't personally like non-metallic glitters. Let me know in the comments which shades are your favorites!
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