OPI Shatter » Addicted to All Things Pretty

@NickiMinaj by OPI Collection Pictures, Review and Swatches

Jan 262012

Nicki Minaj for OPI Fly

Nicki Minaj for OPI Metallic For Life

Nicki Minaj for OPI Pink Friday

Nicki Minaj for OPI Save Me

Nicki Minaj for OPI Did It On Em

Nicki Minaj for OPI Super Bass Shatter

Time flew! It was only in October that this was just a rumored collection making its waves across the ‘net, and now it’s finally here. The 6-piece limited edition Nicki Minaj by OPI might be one of the most anticipated polish collections we’ve ever seen, and I’m sure it’s only a sign of things to come when it comes to celebrity ventures. I almost feel that I’ve had such high expectations for this collection that it would be nearly impossible for them to be reach. But it came pretty darn close. The formulas were great (for the most part) but a couple colors fell short. I think this collection could have been done a tad early in Nicki’s career considering she’s releasing a second album that’s slated to be released mid to late Spring. A lot of the names are plays off her first album “Pink Friday”.

Fly – an aquatic turquoise green that wears like a crème but have characteristics of a jelly

Metallic For Life – jelly black base with small and large silver hex glitter. It took 3 coats because of the jelly base but the color is gorgeous. Your best bet is to use a thin coat of crème black before applying this color.

Pink Friday – bubblegum pink crème. The pigmentation was great but the formula was applying evenly and it required 3 coats.

Save Me – clear base packed with small tarnished sliver glitter and blue, pink, and aqua green holographic bar glitter. The idea was there. We can tell from the promo photos that was released that the concept was truly there but it fell short. I initially thought I could wear this one alone but I’ll have to pair it with other colors.

Did It on Em – crème chartreuse with yellow tones. If you missed OPI Shrek Forever After Collection a couple years back you’ll want to grab this one, but if you already have it you may want to save you coins.

Super Bass Shatter – deep shimmer violet shatter. Apply shatters over dry nail color in one coat, using one stroke.

Available: These are popping up (and going fast) at Ulta right now! Also try Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, and Trade Secret.

Price: $8.50 ($9.95 CAN) suggested retail for each

Rating: A-

Disclaimer: This product was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on http://www.addictedtoallthingspretty.com and from Krissy (aka Krissy90220) remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

Limited Edition OPI Nail Lacquer Pink Shater Review and Swatches for #BCA

Oct 152011

OPI “Pink Shatter” (Pink of Hearts 2011) is a bright pink shatter decorative topper with a frost finish. As mush as I love to support a good cause, this polish left me underwhelmed. While this shade a pink is nice, it just wasn’t pigmented enough to be a single-coat topper. As with all shatter/ crackle toppers you can only add one thin layer, if I was able to layer “Pink Shatter” to build the color I think it would have been great but it just doesn’t work for me in the formula. Due to the sheerness of the color, I’m not sure if you’ll have the same amount of versatility as with other shatters; on combined with colors like purple, yellow, or red it may fall short. But it does look cool on black .

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. OPIwill 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.

Nicole by OPI Texture (Shatter) Coat 6-piece Collection Giveaway

Jun 152011

Giveaway information

Rules:

All entries must be submitted by Friday, July 1st, 2011 by 11:59 pm PST. This contest is open to all subscribers as pursuant to your local state/country’s laws. Shipping to Canada has been stopped in the US because of the strike, so as of now this giveaway is closed to Canada unless the workers go back to work and end the strike. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified via e-mail. The winner will have 24 hours to respond for prompt delivery of your gift. This post will be updated with the winner once the winner is confirmed.

Gift:

(1) 6-piece collection of Nicole by OPI Texture Coat (shatter) Nail Topcoats

How to enter:

Leave a comment on this entry telling me your favorite shatter/ nail color combination.
Bonus entries: Use the “Retweet” button at the top of this post for an additional entry or “Like” us on Facebook.

To use this product, start with Base Coat Plus, followed by two coats of any Nicole by OPI nail lacquer. Let the lacquer dry completely before applying Texture Coat. Complete the manicure with Top Coat Plus for a high-shine finish.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality, with products featuring the Perfect Stroke brush for streak-free, even coverage. Texture Coat will be available July 2011 for $7.99 each at ULTA, Target, Meijer, Harmon, Wegmans, Sears, and H-E-B. Texture Coat will be available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart and Loblaw.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPIand become a Facebook fan!

China Glaze Crackle Metals Review and Swatches | Part 2: Dark Base

Jun 042011

Platinum Pieces – Silver metallic crackle/ shatter. This is stunning over black polish! My biggest fear with silver metallic crackle polish is that it will look messy or blotchy and this was neither.

Rating: A+

Latticed Lavender – Lavender metallic crackle/ shatter. The crackle effect on this one was good, not the greatest but not too bad either. I like it over black better than the lighter shade that was used in the first swatches. I do wish it was a little deeper in color since it doesn’t look too far off from Haute Metal.

Rating: A

Haute Metal – Dusty rose pink metallic crackle/ shatter. Another gorgeous shade! This was my favorite combination. Something about the sweet pink with the black lacquer is just so “don’t let the cute face fool you”.

Rating: A+

Cracked Medallion – Golden bronze metallic crackle/ shatter. I love this one! Now one of two things happened here; I didn’t swirl the bottle long enough to mix the polish or somethings wrong with the formula. In my first swatches the un-blended silver/ gold colors wasn’t noticeable.

Rating: C

Tarnished Gold – Mid-tone gold metallic crackle/ shatter. No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you—Tarnished Gold looks very close to Cracked Medallion. You definitely won’t need to buy both shades if you only plan on wearing it over a dark color like black. The black really deepens the color.

Rating: A+

Oxidized Aqua – Dusty blue metallic crackle/ shatter. I really like this shade—no issues here. It looks great on both light and dark colors.

Rating: A+

Availability: Ulta, Sally’s Beauty, and select salons and beauty supply stores June/ July

Price: Unknown as of right now. I’ve personally seen China Glaze Crackle Glaze shades go for $5-7.

Overall Rating as a Collection: A

…Just when I was tired of the crackle/ shatter polish trend China Glaze gives us something to look forward to. The issue wasn’t the trend itself but lack of creativity when it comes to colors and finishes. Because of the softness of the colors it seemed like this would have made for a great spring release but it’s never too late. Platinum Pieces is one of the more dupe-able shades but they did a great job with the color creation for the other colors. Just like I stated in my first China Glaze Crackle post, its times like this I wish china Glaze had a wider and thicker brush because it would make the application easier. The trick with cracked polish is applying it in the amount of passes as possible without doing over the same section. A wider and thicker brush would make this a walk in the park. The crackle effect is dependent upon the thickness of that single coat; too thick and you’ll have huge cracks, normal and you’ll perfect cracks, and too thin and you’ll have a million tiny cracks. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, just a matter of preference.

Click here to see part 1 of this review

China Glaze Crackle Metals Review and Swatches | Part 1: Light Base

Jun 032011

Platinum Pieces – Silver metallic crackle/ shatter. This one didn’t crack as much as I wanted. I’ll do a comparison of OPI Silver Shatter but I can look at it and tell that Platinum Pieces is much litter in color.

Latticed Lavender – Lavender metallic crackle/ shatter. The crackle effect on this one was good, not the greatest but not too bad either.

Haute Metal – Dusty rose pink metallic crackle/ shatter. I like the crackle effect on this one but it would have been a lot better had I did a thicker coat.

Cracked Medallion – Golden bronze metallic crackle/ shatter. I love this one! Perfect crackle and I know it’ll pop better on a darker base color.

Tarnished Gold – Mid-tone gold metallic crackle/ shatter. It’s very dainty for some reason. I think I went too thin on this one

Oxidized Aqua – Dusty blue metallic crackle/ shatter. I really like this shade…something in my wishes it was a little deeper in color but it’s still beautiful.

Availability: Ulta, Sally’s Beauty, and select salons and beauty supply stores.

Price: Unknown as of right now. I’ve personally seen China Glaze Crackle Glaze shades go for $5-7.

Rating: Pending, it’ll be posted when part 2 of this review is completed in 24 hours. Instead of using a light base I’m going to swatch them using a dark color, quite possibly black.

Click here for Part 2; dark base color

Nicole by OPI Introduces Texture Coat (Shatter Polish) | Preview

May 252011

Nicole by OPI announces the launch of Texture Coat, a line of graffiti-style nail art products inspired by OPI’s bestselling Shatter. Available in six chic shades – Gold, Silver, Red, White, Turquoise and Black – Texture Coat offers a simple way to create unique, unpredictable patterns on nails with a quick, at-home application.

“Fans of Nicole by OPI are fun, fashion-forward women who love experimenting with trends and using nail lacquer as a form of self-expression,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Texture Coat offers an easy way to create your own completely customized nail art. Whether you choose pastels, darks, glitters, shimmers, or sheers to pair with Texture Coat, the endless options will accessorize every look.”

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

Please feel free to comment!

3 New Blue Shatter Polishes from OPI | Swatches and Review

Apr 222011

OPI Blue Navy and Turquoise Shatter

Blue Shatter – Cool toned blue shimmer with hints of purple
Navy Shatter – Navy blue cream
Turquoise Shatter – Turquoise blue shimmer

OPI Blue Shatter

OPI Navy Shatter

OPI Turquoise Shatter

I know these aren’t very exciting alone but hoooonnneeeeyyyy just wait until you see the combinations I have planned for you guys. I’ve been running color combinations through my mind non-stop. Just to name a few; white with Blue Shatter, pale taupe with Navy Shatter, and gray with Turquoise shatter. I already know Navy Shatter is going to be my new BFF for fall after seeing previews of OPI “Touring America” Collection. I didn’t have any issues…with the formula and the shatter effect was exactly like the other OPI Shatter colors. I can’t say that these blues are absolutely unique and mind-blowing but they are nice. I would have loved to see some really unique shades of blue like periwinkle, cobalt, or even Cambridge.

Side note: I applied these over a clear base coat. As with most (if not all) shatter polish you can’t apply them over bare nails.

Availability: May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA.

Price: $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail each

Rating: A

OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam France Collection Review Swatches

Apr 212011

Very random but every time I read “Glam Slam” I start singing “Glamorous” by Fergie. I can’t help it! The song is now stuck in my head. Moving along…tennis super star and manicurist Serena Williams teamed with OPI to bring us another set of limited edition colors for the “Glam Slam!” collection. “Glam Slam! France” is the second set of colors for the 3-part series of collections, all in conjunction with her tennis tournaments this year.

OPI Spark De Triomphe

OPI White Shatter

Spark De Triomphe – A clear base packed with stunning small and chunky sized silver glitter with gold hues; think of worn white gold. This color can easily be worn as a topper or alone. I used 2 coats but for the ultimate effect go with 3 coats.
White Shatter – The conjoining white cream shatter paired with “Spark De Triomphe”. As much as I love this polish, it takes away from the gorgeousness of “Spark De Triomphe”, but it is still nice together for a glammed up night on the town or an event. I would definitely pair them with all the shades from the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection.
Rally Pretty Pink – This color is a must-have! My camera couldn’t pick up all of its awesomeness. I wouldn’t call it pink. It’s a jelly pinkish plum base with gold iridescent shimmer. I plan on wearing this one to a very special wedding this summer.
Red Shatter – The conjoining red cream shatter paired with Rally Pretty Pink. This formula wasn’t problematic but the color itself was lacking seriously in the pigment department. It could be that the formula is too fresh so I’ll revisit it in a week. OPI doesn’t have a history of being inconsistent. What’s truly baffling to me is that they would pair red with Rally Pretty Pink. It just seems so off.

OPI Rally Pretty Pink

OPI Red Shatter

I’m pretty split down the middle on this collection; everything just seems to be all over the place. Spark De Triomphe and White Shatter work okay together but Rally Pretty Pink and Red Shatter is like a date that went horribly wrong together; the two are better off apart. I didn’t have any issues with the formula and only used 2 coats for the colors and 1 for the shatters. Another concern is that the colors will sold as duos. I’m hoping this will change by the time it hits stores. After seeing these I’m really curious to see what OPI and Serena Williams comes up with for the final Glam Slam collection.

Side note: has Serena been seen wearing any of the shades in her collections? She’s looking hotter than ever these days but haven’t noticed her wearing any of the shades.

Availability: May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA.

Price: $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail for each duo-pack.

Rating: B-

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Collection Review and Swatches

Apr 212011

Let the countdown begin now. Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides hits theaters on May ^20th,which means I’ll be having a Pirates of the Caribbean themed movie night to watch all the past films from the trilogy. Call me odd, but I can’t watch a new movie from a series without watching the entire series. I do the same thing with Harry Potter and Saw.

Even more exciting is the releases of OPI’s “Pirates of the Caribbean; On Stranger Tides” nail polish collection…because teaming up with Disney for the Shrek was only the beginning for movie buffs and lacquer lovers.

OPI Skull and Glossbones

OPI Planks A Lot

OPI Steady As She Rose

OPI Mermaid Tears

Skull & Glossbones– Dusty cream pale taupe gray. Admittedly, I love this color but it isn’t flattering on me. That won’t stop me from wearing it; it isn’t gawd awful by any means. It’s still a great nude.
Planks A Lot – Muted cream lilac. I’m not absolutely wowed by this shade but it could be because I have so many lilac nail colors. It’s flattering on all skin tones, I just can’t say that this color is truly unique.
Steady As She Rose – Muted pale rose pink cream with lilac tones. Ohhh how I love you. I actually looked at the bottle and said that! This color is super cute without being overly girlie and stark.
Mermaid’s Tears – Dusty mint green. The mint green trend isn’t vanishing anytime soon and me being the commissure of mint green nail colors has some good news; you need this color! If you love trying new colors but still like to be a little demure at the office this is the color for you.
Stranger Tides – Muted green taupe. Very unique for OPI. This color is so odd, but it works. I can sooo picture Tia Dalma wearing this color…chipped polish and all. Even more odd is that I found a photo of Naomie Harris wearing a dress similar to this shade *goose bumps*
Sparrow Me The Drama – Carnation pink cream. Your typical OPI everyday pink…this one could have been spared. It’s not bad, it’s just not exciting.
Silver Shatter – Shimmer metallic silver shatter. This shatter is great…just not for the colors in this collection; maybe on darker colors it’ll look better…but for this collection it isn’t translating well. I just don’t think this shade was properly executed. As cool as shatter polish is, the high amount of shimmer in this color makes it appear like it’s 5 year old nail polish.

OPI Stanger Tides

OPI Silver Shatter

Overall, this is my favorite OPI collection….EVER! OPI stepped out of their comfort box and gave us a collection that we can enjoy for years to come. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing some of our celebrity favorites adoring some of these colors. I’ll even go as far as to say that OPI may start a new trend with these dusty colors. Sometimes the stark vividness of some colors are just too much and I’m ready for a change. The formulas are smooth and I only used two coats for each color. How do you guys feel about this collection?

Availability: May 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA

Price: $8.50 ($10.95 CAN)

Rating: A

OPI Introduces 3 MORE New Shatters + Blue, Navy, and Turquoise Shatters

Mar 222011

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, 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!