Brand new this month from Nicole by OPI (the little sister to OPI available in drugstores and Walmart) are four new nail lacquer shades that are meant to go easily from day to night. This is my first time reviewing and swatching nail polishes…so bare with me on this one!  Let’s take a closer look!

The Packaging

All Nicole by OPI nail lacquers come in these interesting, curvy bottles.  I actually like the design because the flat face allows you to get a better glimpse of the contained color at first glance.  They stand well, and present well on a vanity, but they don’t always pack well with other brands because of its unique design.

One of my main reasons for loving OPI so much is their big, wide brush- I love how I can coat my claws in just 2-3 quick swipes, making it so much faster.  I find the small brush is a little harder to maneuver with my shaky hands…but I manage!

Nicole for OPI Nail Lacquers (New for 2012)

The Formula

Just like any nail polish brand, the formula varies slightly between colours as some are meant to be more sheer, some more opaque, some thick and some thin, etc. I’m a fan of this line because it is comparable to other salon quality brands (the price reflects it too though), and I’m usually satisfied with 2 coats of polish (sometimes three for a very thin, sheer color like Vio-let’s Talk About Red in this collection).

Drying time is average, and they layer really easily (by the time I’m finished doing one coat on all my fingers, they are ready for a second coat) and smoothly without being to sticky.

Nicole for OPI Nail Lacquers (New for 2012)

The Shades

This collection contains four shades of nail polish each containing 15mL / 0.5oz of product, in blue and purple shades.

A Lit-Teal Bit of Love

A gorgeous metallic blue- the “teal” in the name kind of throws me off a bit, because it’s not teal at all, but its definitely the most metallic and striking color! I used 2 coats.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Lit-Teal Bit Of Love

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Lit-Teal Bit Of Love

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Lit-Teal Bit Of Love

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Lit-Teal Bit Of Love

A Million Sparkles

A shimmering blue sparkle with rainbow glitter; a bit thicker than the other formulas but still easy to apply! I used 2 coats.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Million Sparkles

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Million Sparkles

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Million Sparkles

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Million Sparkles

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in A Million Sparkles

Shoot For The Maroon

I was so excited for this gorgeous burgundy shade that appeared to have an olive green duochrome in the bottle, but on the nails it was non-existent. Still a gorgeous shimmering maroon shade- but don’t count on the duo chrome! I used 2 coats.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Shoot For The Maroon

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Shoot For The Maroon

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Shoot For The Maroon

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Shoot For The Maroon

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Shoot For The Maroon

Vio-let’s Talk About Red

A light berry shade with a bit of shimmer; this one was a lot thinner and took 3 coats to get a nice opacity, which made it a bit more messy because it was so runny.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Vio-let's Talk About Red

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Vio-let's Talk About Red

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Vio-let's Talk About Red

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Vio-let's Talk About Red

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer in Vio-let's Talk About Red

Overall I really love the colours in this collection and I definitely think they can go from day to night, especially Shoot for the Maroon and A Lit-Teal Bit of Love!  Would have loved to see a nude or champagne shade, because I find those are the ultimate office-to-evening colours and timelessly classic. I’ll be sporting Shoot for the Maroon for the next few days on my tips!

Summary

• Price: $10.99 CDN
• Availability: Walmart and various drugstores (visit Nicole by OPI for more info)
• Overall: I like all the colours in this collection! I do think they go nicely from daytime to evening, however I would have liked to see a more neutral, fashion-forward shade in the collection.  Vio-Let’s Talk About Red took 3 coats to achieve the desired opacity, and it was a little runny (making it a bit messy) however all the others looked great with only 2 coats
• Rating: A