Changes

You know... I've been thinking. It might be time for me to take this blog in a new direction.

I really love makeup and nail polish, and normally I love blogging about it, but I've been feeling so uninspired as of late. Not because I've stopped loving makeup, but because I have a new love...

Pennies. I'm totally into pennies right now. Even though I rarely use them, I have a pretty big collection going. It seems like every time I go to the store to buy something, I end up coming home with a few. So, from now on, I'm going to start reviewing pennies from my collection!



Here's one of the oldest ones in my collection. It's from 1967 and it's still good as new! Pennies last forever. They don't go bad. They might start to get dirty after a while, but you can just clean them off with a little metal polish. Look at that deep copper color. I miss the old formula.




These are some more old ones; from the 1970's collection. It's long discontinued, but you might still be able to find some old dusty ones in stores that have older stock in their registers. This 1972 one has some weird green stuff on it... But it's still worth one cent just like a normal one.



This one it a mystery. I don't know what collection it's from. The label is all messed up and I can't read the year. Might have been from 1986?



Check this out. These are all the same penny from 1993, but they're each different colors! The original was bright, shiny copper, but the others are more brown and not as shiny. Some quality control! I can't believe they expect me to buy that "the formula hasn't changed" story. The colors are obviously different, they should bring back the original! I bet it's going for a lot on eBay, too. Ugh.


This is a newer one... It looks a lot like some of the older ones I have. It's a little shinier, but it's so similar. I seem to have a lot of dupes in my collection. Most of these just aren't unique! Somehow I keep collecting more even though I know I have something similar already.



In 2009, they changed the back label a bit. On the left is the 2009 label and on the right is the regular one. Everything else is the same. I don't know if it's limited edition or not, I haven't seen very many of them. But look how shiny it is! The copper is a few shades lighter than most of the other ones in my collection.

Those old formula pennies stink! I never noticed it until I got a brand new one, but once you compare them you can totally tell the difference. They smell like dirty old metal. The new ones still have that weird coppery metal smell, but not as strong as the old ones.

I'm pretty sure you can only get these in the United States. They have copper coins in other countries, but the designs are different, so they're not quite the same. I know there are places where you can swap your currency for American pennies, so it shouldn't be too hard to swap for some.

Man, I just really love pennies. Pennies are the BEST.

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Deborah Lippmann Spring 2011 Swatches and Review

This year's spring shades from Lippmann are soft and subdued.


Naked. This is a soft, milky neutral beige. You could call it nude, fleshy... Naked, really. It's almost my perfect 'Mannequin Hands' shade, but it's just a touch too tan. It can be worn sheer, but I think it looks best opaque like I'm wearing it here (three coats).

And the star in this spring duo....

Glitter In The Air. What can I even say about this color? I'm totally in love. Yes, I am in love with a sheer polish. It's true. I would have never expected this. Let me describe it. It's a milky, cloudy, gentle baby blue jelly. Very sheer. Sprinkled throughout the blue jelly base are shiny bits of large and small pink and blue glitter. It's not a dense glitter and you won't have full coverage with it, but that's the beauty of it. It reminds me of cotton candy and cupcake sprinkles and magic. It's just so romantic and dreamy looking. I'm wearing three coats and it's really sheer. It looks even better at four thin coats but I didn't get a picture of that. If you prefer a more opaque look (or just hate visible nail line), you can easily layer it over pastel blue or a white creme.

The formula on these was decent. They both start out sheer and can be layered for more coverage. With the texture of the formula on these polishes, it's best to wait a minute or so in between coats so that you don't get that goopiness that some sheer polishes can get when applying. Drying time was a little long, but not horrible.

Naked is nice, but Glitter In The Air is magical. It's a fantasy polish. Sheer polishes, especially sheer glitters, aren't something I usually like, but this one is different. It looks squishy and soft, like candy and marshmallows. And... unicorns!!

(These were sent to me for review.)

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China Glaze Island Escape Collection Summer 2011 Swatches and Review

Another 2011 summer collection! I know, I'm not even done with the spring collections... But these were just so pretty and sparkly looking, I had to try them on... China Glaze Island Escape!


108 Degrees. A glorious glass fleck, the way only China Glaze can do them. The base of the color is a warmer magenta jelly while the glass fleck shimmer is a cooler toned pink and violet duochrome with a little hint of gold. Definitely brings back memories of their old glass fleck polishes... Doesn't this seem like a cousin to the classic China Glaze It's 5 o'clock Somewhere?



Blue Iguana. Another gorgeous glass fleck. This one is a medium/borderline light blue jelly base with a turquoise blue glass fleck and a tiny hint of purple duochrome. The duochrome is really more like a purple reflection- the polish looks blue, but when there's a reflection on the shiny surface, it's purple. Again, reminiscent of those great old China Glaze glass flecks like Drinkin' My Blues Away and Martini Pedicure.


Cha Cha Cha. A bright, glowy, yellow toned apple green and gold duochrome shimmer. Wow... Another flashback! Don't you think this is in the spirit of China Glaze Moonpool? Sure, it's brighter and less olivey, but still has such a similar theme. It's less frosty, so that's good.



Electric Pineapple. A yellow-green creme. I think this is my least favorite of the collection. It's not a bad color, but it looks bland next to all the other shades. It's really similar in color to Zoya Mitzi- it's about a shade lighter and not matte finish, but the shades are similar.



Papaya Punch. I might like this one even more than the glass flecks! It's a medium bright orange creme. It's not a neon and it's not too bright, it still has a little bit of softness to it. It reminds me of the fake cheese powder in boxed macaroni and cheese. I've said the same thing about Color Club Explosive... this is less yellow than that and not as bright.


Senorita Bonita. A red-toned purple with awesome pink shimmer. This was really hard to capture... that pink shimmer doesn't want to show up in pictures! But it's so so so pretty. Might need to enlarge the picture to see it. I think it shows up on my ring finger pretty well in this picture. The shimmer isn't glass fleck like the other colors, it's actually tiny little broken flakes of red-pink foil. Not chunky or glittery at all. Smooth. This color has a lot of depth and even a small amount of gold duochrome on the shimmer flakes. You have to see this one in person.


The formula on these was okay. They're a bit thicker than I expected. They didn't apply as evenly as some of the more recent China Glaze shades, but they weren't particularly troublesome. I might thin mine. Opacity was varied, but good. The cremes and Cha Cha Cha were good in two coats, but I thought the others looked best with three. I'm wearing three coats in all these pictures. No topcoat, either- see how shiny they dry without topcoat? Drying time was good as well.

You know what I like about this collection? It has echoes of past shades. And not random ones, either... Good ones. Ones that we all love and covet. It's like China Glaze is giving a nod to their longtime fans by including memories of some of their best discontinued shades in this collection. There are no direct copies or re-releases, but the similarity is obvious. Love them for that.

Overall, small but strong collection. The colors are WAY better in real life than they were in the promo pictures. The only weak point to me is Electric Pineapple because it doesn't have the same oomph as the rest of the shades. It's just kinda... meh. But the rest get two thumbs up from me, especially Papaya Punch. Love the sparkle and depth of the glass flecks, the flaky shimmer in Senorita Bonita and the brightness of the collection as a whole.

(These were sent to me for review.)

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Zoya Summertime Collection Summer 2011 Swatches and Review

Here's part two of the big Zoya summer collection. It's called Summertime and it's six creme shades.


Areej. This one's a deep pink / fuchsia creme. Very smooth and creamy looking, slight muted quality to it.


Breezi. A teal-blue shade. More blue than teal, but has a definite teal tone to it on the nails. My picture makes it seem brighter than it is; in real life it has a soft dustiness/murkiness to it that just doesn't come across in my picture.


Kieko. A red-purple creme. Much more red toned in real life, more of a berry than a true purple. Think Jessica Feather Boa from the Burlesque collection to give you an idea of the shade, it's similar to that but with a little more blue to it.


Mira. A medium purple creme. Again, my picture makes this purple pull too blue toned, it's much more red toned in real life. It's actually really similar to those China Glaze Grape Pop / Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas type purple cremes that came out in the past few years. It's just a touch lighter and warmer toned, but still very similar.



Sooki. Bright cherry red creme. This is my favorite of the collection. It is loud and obnoxious and AWESOME. It's one of those flashy bright reds that you can see from a mile away. It seems to have a less dense creme finish, like it's almost a jelly, but not quite squishy enough looking. Very hot.


Tamsen. My second favorite in the collection! Can you believe it? A collection with two purples and a blue and my favorite colors are the red cremes... But I'm totally serious. This is a great red. I took two pictures to try to convey the warm orange tone that's in this compared to the coolness of Sooki. This is like a brick red, or even a red-orange. It's muted and a bit dusty looking like some of the other shades in this set. This one changes in different lighting, too... In artificial light it looks more pure red to me, but in sunlight it looks almost entirely orange. Really like the warmth and softness of this particular red.

The formula on these was great. Smooth and consistent, not too thick or thin and no difference in formula across the whole set. Opacity was great, too. They only needed two coats, but I did three just to see how it looked. These do not suffer from the extremely long dry time that the Sunshine shades have, these have a normal/average dry time.

Overall, I can't say I think this is a super exciting collection. I do like the shades, but I feel like I've seen them all too many times before- medium pink creme, purple-berry, dusty teal, medium warm purple, red creme... Nothing really unique or new. Sooki and Tamsen really stand out to me. The vivid brightness of Sooki and the warm rustiness of Tamsen make them very visually appealing compared to the muted pinks and purples in this set. Breezi is a really nice interesting shade, too, but it doesn't excite me the way Tamsen and Sooki do.

Nice formula, though!

(These were sent to me for review.)

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Upcoming OPI Collections for 2011

You've probably seen these press releases, but I want to post them here for reference:





OPI Launches Bestselling Shatter Coat in Three Blue-Hued Shades

OPI expands its Shatter line with the addition of three new trendsetting shades: Blue, Navy and Turquoise. With nautical hues of cobalt, indigo and sapphire, these blues provide the perfect look for summer nails in one simple step. Inspired by graffiti art, Shatter leaves behind a crackled, two-texture finish when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Shatter from matte to glossy in seconds.

“Black Shatter was received with great fanfare, showing that women are looking for new ways to express themselves and are excited to try different textures on their nails,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “By adding a variety of colors to the line, there are more options for every woman, whether she is looking for a funky aquamarine or elegant deep blue. Unlike traditional nail art which can be complicated and difficult to replicate, Shatter is easy to use and allows everyone to experiment with this new trend.”

In addition to the original Black Shatter, the line also features the Shatter coat in White, Red and Silver. All Shatter retail displays now feature Quick Response (QR) code, a two-dimensional barcode readable by smart phones and mobile phones with cameras and Internet capability. A quick scan of the display’s QR code will directly link to a demonstrational video – making application foolproof.

All Shatter products contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.




Blue Shatter







Turquoise Shatter




Navy Shatter




Blue Shatter, Navy Shatter, and Turquoise Shatter will be available beginning May 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 Shatter coat.

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




Serena Williams Serves Up Four New Shades for OPI Glam Slam! Collection

OPI captures Serena Williams’ winning spirit with four additions to the Glam Slam! collection, including two new shades of the fashionable, must-have Shatter – Red and White. Launching in conjunction with the French Open, Glam Slam! France celebrates with two duo-packs for four unbeatable looks.

The first Lacquer set includes:

Spark de Triomphe (a monumentally marvelous silver glitter), paired with


White Shatter. Once applied over completely dried Nail Lacquer, Shatter begins to crackle, leaving behind a two-texture pattern on each nail. The second Lacquer set features:




Rally Pretty Pink (rise to the occasion with this shimmering sunset-pink), paired with

Red Shatter.





“We are very excited to continue working with tennis superstar Serena Williams to launch the next Glam Slam! shades,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “France is a country with a rich history in fashion and setting trends. These four new color options are ideal for showcasing your own personal style, à la Serena, whether worn alone or overlaid with Shatter for instant nail art.”

“Whether I’m on or off the court, style is important,” explains Serena Williams. “In addition to watching the runways for the latest trends, I think it’s important to add my own unique elements. With the new White and Red Shatter, I can customize my nails for a high-fashion take on the classically elegant silver and sunset shades in the Glam Slam! France collection.”

Serena Williams has received the World Number One in singles ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association on five separate occasions, along with being listed as sixth on the all-time greatest champions list. Additionally, she has won two Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and has earned 27 Grand Slam titles to date. Serena is the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman in history to do so.

New shades in the Glam Slam! collection will be introduced to coincide with each of the four major tournaments, beginning with the Australian Open in January 2011, followed by launches in May 2011 for the French Open, June 2011 for Wimbledon and August 2011 for the US Open. As with all OPI Nail Lacquers, the Glam Slam! collection contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Glam Slam! France will be available beginning May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack.

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





Nice Stems! by OPI Revamps Nails with Vibrant Pink Hues for Summer 2011

Stop and see the flowers with summer’s Nice Stems! by OPI, a limited edition collection featuring four new nail lacquers in stunning shades of pink. With whimsical names based on their floral inspirations, these vibrant, flirty colors range from pale, frosty pink to rich fuchsia. Nice Stems! offers fingers and toes a perfectly pink shade for all of summer’s looks.

“These vibrant, feminine hues complement 60’s ladylike fashions, 70’s glam looks, and bold color-blocking, which are the season’s staples,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The Nice Stems! collection also offers an interesting contrast and feminine accent to the punk and biker looks on the runways.”

Nice Stems! by OPI shades include:




Play the Peonies

We’d put our money on this lovely soft-pink.







Come to Poppy
Surrender to shine with this shimmering coral-pink.







Be a Dahlia Won’t You?
Give the gift of fabulous fuchsia—to yourself!




I Lily Love You
Fall head over heels with this light pink sparkle.

“Using different micas and glitters can give lacquer a 3-dimensional look,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “I Lily Love You is a glitter coat that can be layered over any of the other three shades to add a bright sparkle; or, it can be worn on its own for a subtle tint of pink with strands of glitter.”

The Nice Stems! Nail Lacquers by OPI contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited edition Nice Stems! collection will be available beginning June 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!








OPI Launches Touring America Collection for Fall/Winter 2011

OPI hits the open road with a new take on classic style in the Touring America Collection for Fall/Winter 2011. Inspired by Americana and cities with rich cultural heritage, the collection’s twelve shades offer comfortable glamour and wearable elegance for nails and toes.

“My recent road trip across the country sparked the creation of the Touring America Collection,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Autumn is a time for reinvention, and these shades revive classic, iconic colors for fall, from cool heather, khaki and chocolate to warm rose, peach and red.”

The season’s go-to shades of taupe and pearl grey appear in variations from dark to light – A-taupe the Space Needle, Get in the Expresso Lane, French Quarter for Your Thoughts, and Suzi Takes the Wheel. Lush urban neutrals in deep sapphire (Road House Blues), rich raisin (Honk If You Love OPI), chic olive (Uh-oh Roll Down the Window), and coffee brown (I Brake for Manicures) merge with iconic red (Color to Diner For), vivid rose (My Address is “Hollywood”), and luminous coral and orange (I Eat Mainely Lobster, Are We There Yet?) for an expansive color landscape.

“This collection will take women around the world on the ultimate tour across the USA, with stops in Baltimore, Clarksdale, Hollywood, Jackson Hole, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson,” explains Suzi. “Together, the locales that inspired Touring America make up a rich palette of color complementing trends from the runway, where we saw a mix of feminine details and dramatic menswear touches.”

Touring America includes the following shades:





Are We There Yet?

Don’t make me reach back there and take that perfect melon shade!




I Eat Mainely Lobster

We “clawed” through crowds to catch this coral for you.




My Address is "Hollywood"

We put this pretty rose-pink on the map.







Color to Diner For

I’ll take the rosy-red with a side of “awesome.”




Honk if You Love OPI

Don’t let this gorgeous dark grape pass you by.




Road House Blues

In this case…R&B stands for “Really Blue.”




Suzi Takes the Wheel

Buckle up—she’s not stopping until she gets to gray!




French Quarter for Your Thoughts

Want beads? Then show us your sexy gray nails!




Uh-oh Roll Down the Window

You’re gonna wanna pull over for this “unexpected” olive green.




A-taupe the Space Needle

You’ll climb to new heights with this creamy-rich taupe.




Get in the Expresso Lane

An amped-up dark brown that’ll never letcha down!




I Brake for Manicures

This gorgeous eggplant-plum has our full attention.

Touring America Nail Lacquer shades contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each includes OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

Touring America by OPI will be available August 3, 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!







Discover a Treasure Trove of Color with New BRIGHTS by OPI, Inspired by Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Create Waves with Silver Shatter!

OPI captures the bright colors and breathtaking escapades seen in Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with six limited-edition Nail Lacquers and a new Silver Shatter! Disney’s highly-anticipated fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise is directed by Rob Marshall and features an all-star cast, including Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.

To celebrate the new film, OPI launches its Spring 2011 BRIGHTS Collection, which features a groundbreaking new color addition in the Shatter coat formula– Silver. Inspired by graffiti art, this shade leaves behind a crackled, two-texture silver finish when painted over any dry OPI hue.

“OPI is thrilled to celebrate the latest film in this beloved series,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides lacquers were inspired by a world filled with mythical mermaids, gleaming treasure, and high-seas adventure. With shades ranging from sage and lavender to khaki gray and pastel pink, these colors are evocative of a warm, tropical setting, with a classic nautical influence.”

The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection includes:

Skull & Glossbones

Best light gray ever, no bones about it.

Mermaid’s Tears

Few have seen this magical green.

Steady as She Rose

This gorgeous pink is your final destination.

Planks a Lot

Dive into style with this lustworthy purple!

Sparrow Me the Drama

This cool, collected pink means business!

Stranger Tides

Explore this uncharted sea of sage.

Silver Shatter

A shimmering sea of silver with a two-texture finish.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-inspired Nail Lacquers by OPI contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited-edition Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection will be available beginning May 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 THE MOVIE

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

The screenplay for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” was written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, suggested by the novel by Tim Powers. The film opens in theaters on May 20, 2011, in Disney Digital 3D™.

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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.)

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