I'll Have A Green Christmas....

It is no secret green is one of my favorite nail polish colors, so naturally I had to do something green for Christmas. I attempted some nail art for the first time in like 5 months... shameful, I know :( I have been loving plaid manis lately, so I attempted to freehand some bold Christmas plaid.

Polishes Used (all OPI):

Envy the Adventure

I'm Sooo Swamped

Christmas Gone Plaid

Alpine Snow

Never Have Too Mani Friends

Tinker, Thinker, Winker

And just for fun, here it is mattified with OPI matte topcoat.

 

Do you like it shiny or matte better? I think I actually prefer matte!

Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brought you all of the goodies you wanted!

Stay Sparkly,
A

Top 8 OPI Polishes of 2018

It is no secret that OPI has my heart. I have definitely drifted away from nail polish in general lately, but I have continued to purchase all OPI new releases, in fact Spring 2019 Tokyo Collection is already on the way to me. OPI had some major winners this year, and some fails... but I want to close the year with positivity, so here are my 8 top picks from the OPI collections released in 2018.

Tinker, Thinker, Winker (Holiday 2018)

Alpaca My Bags (Fall 2018)

Hopelessly Devoted to OPI (Summer 2018)

Was It All Just a Dream? (Summer 2018)

Teal Me More, Teal Me More (Summer 2018)

A Red-vival City (Spring 2018)

Tile Art to Warm Your Heart (Spring 2018)

Lisbon Wants Moor OPI (Spring 2018)

Also, all of these polishes are still available on PolishPick.com, and as I was checking stock on these I noticed they also have some of the Ulta and Sally Beauty exclusives from the Lisbon collection so that is awesome! If you pick up these or any other polishes from PolishPick.com let them know Sparkle & Polish sent you. They are finally on instagram, so give them a follow for all of your OPI needs. And they have the Tokyo collection for pre-sale already, shipping right around January 1... just sayin'.... ;)

My wish for OPI in 2019 is to pump out some more awesome greens, blues, and teals and maybe take a small break from these pinky/purpley/dusty polishes that filled the Peru collection... and might be filling the Tokyo collection too. And also, I hope OPI makes more holo polishes like Tinker, Thinker, Winker in some fun colors that aren't pink or purple... (Zoya has that covered, am I right?!)

What were your favorite polishes of 2018? What are your polish wishes for 2019?

Happy New Year!

Stay Sparkly,

A

OPI Holiday 2018 Collection Swatches and Comparisons

For Holiday 2018 OPI released a collection inspired by the upcoming movie "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms". This is an interesting bunch of polishes, some shades scream HOLIDAY to me while others don't exactly... This collection is made up of 12 polishes, and also includes 3 limited edition special glitter polishes. Grab a snack and something to drink, this is a long and very picture heavy post. These polishes are available now at approved OPI retailers, and I purchased mine for PolishPick.com.

Swatches

Black to Reality

From the promo pics I thought this would be another basic dark red creme... but I was pleasantly surprised to see a blackened red shimmer polish. This is a lit from within shade and I really like it. I'm generally not a shimmer fan, but I think this is exciting because OPI hasn't released a polish like this since like 2012. The formula on this was strange, it felt thick on the brush but not thick on the nail... if that makes sense... I did 2 thin coats for opacity and actually ended up wearing this as a full mani for almost a week with minimal tip wear and chipping. This was a surprise fav for me.

Ginger's Revenge

In the bottle it looks like a pretty basic berry toned deep red creme. And it is a pretty basic color, but it is a color that I adore. The formula was also really nice. I did 3 very thin coats for my desired opacity and look. Do you need this, no.. but if you like reds and vampy polishes then I think you would really like this one. I'm happy to own it.

Candied Kingdom

OPI describes this as a hot and spicy candy shade. I thought this was just another basic red creme, I didn't even notice there is shimmer in this polish until I started swatching. When dry, the pinky toned shimmer is barely noticeable... To me, OPI threw in this shimmer just so people like me couldn't cry DUPE when we saw this latest OPI red. Formula is super opaque, this is easily a one-coater... which is usually awesome but I think this is why the shimmer just doesn't work here. I also left my swatch without top coat so you can see how not smooth it dries :(

Dazzling Dew Drop

Yikes... shimmery yellow polish. I did 2 thin coats for opacity, the formula is really nice. This polish is very "holiday" in my opinion, but it is just not for me. Be careful with removing this one, the shimmery particles wanted to stick to my skin. This may be close to Oy Another Polish Joke, but I don't own that (or anything else close) to compare. 

Envy the Adventure

This is the polish I was most excited for from the promo pictures... and I do like it, but it doesn't wow me like I was hoping it would. This is a kelly green crelly polish, but it does reach opacity in just two coats. I do actually like the color, I just wish it was a true OPI creme polish and not a crelly. This polish also dries a shade or 2 darker, which makes me like it more.

March in Uniform

This is a nice navy that leans a bit purple/blurple. As much as I love the color the formula on this one is weird. It is similar to the weirdness of Black to Reality. I wish OPI would just stick to their amazing creme formula that we all know and love. I'm not sure what pigments OPI used here, but it doesn't have the super skunky ultramarine smell that other rich blue/blurples tend to have.

Dreams Need Clara-fication

OPI has decided this is the "hero shade" of the collection, probably because it is named after the main character from the movie... it definitely isn't because this color is special or exciting. Even though it is pretty basic, I really love this polish. I did 3 thin coats for perfect opacity and found the formula to be thin but easy to work with. 

Lavendare to Find Courage

OPI compares this polish to a blooming flower... to me this is a pretty basic pinky lavender creme polish. The color is nice, formula is nice, overall this polish is just nice. It isn't a color I find flattering on my skin... but if you like colors like this then I'd say pick this polish up as it is nice. I did 3 thin coats for smooth opacity. 

Berry Fairy Fun

Shimmery, almost metallic berry. Not a fan honestly. This polish is more opaque than I expected, but the formula and color are meh in my opinion. I have to give OPI credit for making this a pinky-purple polish and not a holiday shimmery red berry. Even though I don't love this, it is something unexpected which I can appreciate. 

Toying with Trouble

Bright pink creme polish. Super basic and dupable, but the formula is amazing!!! Almost a true one coater. Even though I am not a huge fan of bright pinks, I can get on board with this one because of the formula. 

Dancing Keeps Me on my Toes

This is a shimmery white with some teeny tiny micro silver and gold glitters that are sadly pretty hidden by the shimmery base. I did 3 thin coats for opacity. I left this swatch without topcoat so that you can see the glitters/texture. The formula is fine on this, but I just don't understand this polish :(
 I don't have anything really close to this, but I think it may be close to Happy Birthday, Kyoto Pearl or maybe even Oh My Majesty. 

Tinker, Thinker, Winker?

 

 

Hello OPI, welcome back to the age of holographic polish! OPI has released holo polishes before, but it has been a while since OPI has launched a silver holographic... or really any true linear holographic polish at all. Obviously this isn't the most intense linear holo polish in the world, it is a much larger particle holo, but I freaking love it. I did 4 thin coats for my preferred opacity. I have already worn this polish as a full mani 3 times, and my mom has rocked this as an accent nail. 

Dreams on a Silver Platter

This polish is an interesting mix of silver glitters and pale champagne glitters. The base also has super tiny gold-ish micro flakies. I did one coat over black on all nails except my ring finger, there I did 3 coats of Dreams on a Silver Platter alone. If you want to wear this alone, I would recommend sponging the polish on because it got a little thick on my ring finger as I tried to reach opacity. 

Gold Key to the Kingdom

This polish has yellow gold glitters and white glitters with super tiny barely gold toned micro flakies. I did one coat over black on all nails except my ring finger, there I did 3 coats of Gold Key to the Kingdom alone.

I Pull Strings

This polish looks rose gold but it seems to actually be made up of pale champagne glitter, copper glitter, and red micro flakies. I did one coat over black on all nails except my ring finger, there I did 3 coats of I Pull Strings alone. This is my favorite of the 3 glitters, I think it is the most unique color and mix of glitters.

Comparisons

Black to Reality(pointer/ring) vs Every Month is Oktoberfest(middle)vs Germanicure by OPI (pinky)

I can't believe I haven't worn a polish like this in literally years, because I used to love them. All 3 are different and I do love the colors, but the formula on German-icure and Oktoberfest are so much better than Black to Reality. I really loved Black to Reality... until doing this comparison, now I feel underwhelmed by it. This made me realize I have been missing out by not wearing these OPI OG polishes has been a big mistake and I'm happy to have rediscovered them.

Ginger's Revenge (pointer/middle/pinky) vs Malaga Wine (ring)

These are basically dupes. Ginger is a hair darker and Malaga is a hair brighter, but unless you love deep vampy reds like this, you do not need to own both of these. I'm not sure if Malaga Wine is readily available anymore, so Ginger might be an easier shade to find. Both have easy formulas so I don't think you can go wrong with either polish.

Candied Kingdom (pointer/ring)vs Tell Me About it Stud (middle)vs Got the Mean Reds (pinky)

Stud and Mean Reds are true OPI creme formulas, while Candied Kingdom has a super thick almost goopy formula probably due to the subtle shimmer. They all look much closer in the bottle than on the nails. Candied Kingdom is also a bit darker than the other 2, so definitely not dupes. Taking color and formula in to consideration, I don't think that Candied Kingdom is necessary to keep for my collection :(

Envy the Adventure (middle/pinky) vs Jade is the New Black (ring) vs Stay Off the Lawn (pointer)

I expected Jade and Envy to be a lot closer than they actually are. None of these are dupes, and I do really like all 3 polishes, so I am happy to own all of them. If you are not a green polish lover like I am, maybe you don't need all of these, even though they are all different.

March in Uniform (pointer/ring)vs Umpires Come Out at Night (middle) vs OPI Eurso Euro (pinky)

These are all super close, but none are actually dupes. As neither of the older OPI shades are easy to find now the closeness doesn't both me. Of all 3, Umpires is my favorite for color and formula. I also think March would be close to Roadhouse Blues, but I no longer own that to compare.

Dreams Need Clara-fication(pointer/ring)vs The I's Have It(middle)vs You're Such a BudaPest(pinky)

Obviously these are not dupes, but The I's Have It and Dreams Need Clara-fication are really close, but Dreams is more purple toned. Also, since when is BudaPest a terrible polish? I gave my original bottle to a friend and recently picked up a new one at Ulta, and the formula is absolutely awful. It is so thin and runny and I swear the color is different now. Such a bummer :(

Lavendare to Find Courage(pointer/middle/pinky) vs Seven Wonders of OPI (ring)

I think this would be closer to Purple Palazzo Pants, but I don't own that anymore. These are clearly not dupes, but as they were released so close to each other I wanted to compare them. 

Toying with Trouble (middle/pinky) vs You're The Shade That I Want (pointer/ring)

These are crazy close and if you aren't a fan of bold, pink polish... you definitely don't need both of these. Trouble is slightly warmer toned compared to Shade so therefore it is my favorite of the two. Both have impeccable formulas though, so if you love pink I recommend picking up one or both of these for sure. 

Tinker, Thinker, Winker? vs all the glitters in this collection

Obviously these aren't dupes, but I wanted to show them all next to each other. I honestly don't see why all 3 of the chunky glitters were necessary for this collection. Yes they are all different, but they give such a similar look on the nail. I'm pretty sure Tinker might be a dupe for DS Coronation, but as that is long discontinued I'm excited to see it resurrected here.

If there is a new polish that I haven't compared to anything it is because I don't own anything close to it. Check out Phoebe Moon on youtube because her video featured a lot of comparisons that I had in mind but don't personally own.

I purchased this collection from PolishPick.com, if you decide to purchase this collection or anything else they sell please select "Sparkle & Polish" at check out so they know I sent you :)

Stay Sparkly,
A

OPI Peru Collection Fall 2018 Comparisons

As you saw in my previous post, this collection is not my favorite OPI has released lately, but as much as I was not interested in these colors I had a really hard time finding dupes.
If you missed my swatch post, you can find it here :)

Comparisons

Grandma Kissed a Gaucho (pointer/ring)vs Lost My Bikini in Molokini (pinky)vs Infinite Shine Grapely Admired (middle)

 

Obviously Molokini is not close at all. Gaucho is a crelly and is much warmer/more red toned of a purple. Grapely Admired is almost a dupe colorwise, it is slightly lighter and pinker. If you like colors like this, I would pick Grapely Admired over Gaucho due to the formula differences. I think this is probably pretty similar to some pre-existing OPI shades, but I don't own many of them because I am definitely not a purple polish person. This may also be close to I Manicure for Beads, but I no longer own that to compare.

Don't Toot My Flute (pointer/ring) vs Polly Want a Lacquer (middle/pinky)

These are similar in tone, but Flute is a tiny bit darker and more blue toned. I think this may also be similar to Do You Lilac It? but I don't own that to compare.

Lima Tell You About This Color (pointer/ring)vs Pink Ladies Rule The School (middle)vs Kiss Me I'm Brazilian (pinky)

Definitely not dupes. I think Lima could potentially be a dupe for Pink Friday from the Nicki Minaj collection from winter 2012. I also kind of feel like if you mixed Pink Ladies with Brazilian you would make Lima Tell You About This Color...

Lima Tell You About The Color (pointer)vs Suzi Will Quechua Later! (middle)vs
Seven Wonders of OPI (ring)vs  Somewhere Over the Rainbow Mountains (pinky)

I know these 4 aren't dupes, but since they are all in the same collection I wanted to see them directly compared to each other. I did 3 coats for all of these polishes, and I am glad to see they look more different on the nail than I expected. But real talk, I don't think I will keep any of these so check out my destash for these and more OPI and other brands.
Suzi Will Quechua Later may be close to Lucky Lucky Lavender and/or Purple Palazzo Pants, but I don't own that to compare. I also didn't have anything else that looked close to Seven Wonders of OPI and I couldn't think of a recent past OPI color that might be close to it. 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Mountains (pointer/ring)vs Machu Peach-u (middle)
vs Don't Bossa Nova Me Around (pinky)

These are definitely not dupes. I found this color especially hard to dupe because I feel like it dries much darker and more purple toned on me than I expected it to. These polishes were less different in the bottle than they appear on the nail.

Machu Peach-u (middle) vs Climb Every Castle (pointer) vs
My Vampire is Buff (ring)vs Hopelessly Devoted to OPI (pinky)

I was honestly hoping this shade would be a dupe for Vampire as that has been my go to creamy nude polish for years and my bottle is very very low and kind of thick at this point, but these are definitely not dupes. None of these are dupes, but they were the potentially closest options in my collection. Seeing all of these next to each other, I actually like everything except for My Vampire is Buff. 

My Solar Clock is Ticking (pointer) vs I Love You Just Be-Cusco (middle)vs
Como se Llama? (ring)vs Yes My Condor Can-do! (pinky)

Again, I know these 4 aren't dupes, but as they are all new in this collection I wanted to see how they compare to each other. I did 3 coats of polish for all but Condor. I didn't have anything to compare with My Solar Clock is Ticking, but I think this may be close/dupes with Yank My Doodle from the Fall 2016 Washington DC/Kerry Washington collection. 

I Love You Just Be-Cusco (middle/pinky nails) vs Amore at the Grand Canal (pointer/ring nails)

These are really really really close, dare I say almost dupes on the nail.
Amore is slightly darker and more of a true red while Cusco is more dusty and brick toned.
Formula is really good on both. I think Cusco may also be close to Romantically Involved from the Winter 2012 50 Shades of Grey collection. 

Como se Llama? (middle/pinky nails) vs Can't Read Without My Lipstick (pointer/ring nails)

This color may be close/dupes with OPI Scores a Goal from the Spring/Summer 2014 Brazil collection but I do not own this anymore to compare the two. Lipstick is more berry toned than Llama, but they are decently close. Llama looks almost chocolate toned when shown directly next to this true deep berry red polish. 

Yes My Condor Can-do! (middle nail)vs Sleigh Parking Only (pointer nail)vs
Lincoln Park After Dark (ring nail)vs Guys and Galaxies (pinky nail)

Condor and Sleigh Parking are pretty much dupes, which is cool since Sleigh Parking is older and not easily accessible any longer. Galaxies is much more red toned rather than true deep/dusty purple where LPAD is more a blue toned dark purple comparatively.

Alpaca My Bags (pointer/ring)vs Ayahuasca Made Me Do It (middle/pinky)

I know Alpaca and Ayahuasca aren't dupes, but as they are both from this collection I wanted to compare them. I'm not sure if these are the most flattering colors on my, but they are 2 of my favorites from this collection. Both polishes have the same thin creme formula, I did 3 coats each for opacity. Even though the formula is thin it didn't pool and it self leveled really well.

If you are still interested in any of these polishes or anything else from PolishPick.com please use my code "Sparkle & Polish" at check out so they know I sent you. 

Stay Sparkly,

A