Beauty of a Site Blog

Far from your mother's nail polish company, OPI is making bold moves in touching the artistic heart of a new generation.  Their newest collection, the OPI Katy Perry Collection, releases in January, featuring four shameless new shades along with a brand new nail polish finish: OPI Shatter. The four new shades, from left to right, are Teenage Dream (lavender), The One That Got Away (burgandy), Not Like the Movies (gunmetal grey), Last Friday Night (light blue shimmer) and (not pictured), OPI Black Shatter. OPI Black Shatter just looks black in the bottle, but it's crinkle top sets it apart as special.  And that's exactly what it is!  Layer on top of any other color, as as it dries, watch it crackle, revealing whichever color is layered underneath.  Cool, huh? Check out this video from OPI featuring each of the new colors, the OPI Black Shatter effect and even a sneak peak from the OPI Serena collection, releasing next Spring! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1piNxgXJzI]

Cher and Christina Aguilera graced the red carpet this week at the premier of their new movie, Burlesque.  Two truly talented divas, these women have come together to create a musical masterpiece. And we're pretty dang excited to see it. To get in the mood, consider trying out some of OPI's Holiday polishes, inspired and named after the movie, Burlesque.  Featuring as much glamour and exuberance as the movie, each of these colors either shimmers or glitters, just in time for a season of parties, holidays and reasons to look gorgeous. Click here to check out these new colors!

So I admit it; I shared my favorite colors with you last time, but here are some shots of the over major colors.  These are indoor shots as opposed to those in broad daylight, but I am intending to show how they show up under office / home lighting.  They are actually quite similar (in any light!) but the subtle differences are visible when in close proximity: OPI Show Must Go On.  The pinkest of the bunch, this very true dark pink is a beautiful color.  Not as purple as the fuscia OPI Let Me Entertain You, this pink is spunky but classy, featuring a dark pink shimmer for interest, but an overall bold color appropriate for the business woman and party girl alike. Compare the pink above with this deep red, OPI Ali's Big Break.  Even though there is a slight pink hue to this crimson shade, Ali's Big Break is a true red, beautiful with any skin tone and a truly sexy color! The truest orange we've seen from OPI in some time! OPI Take the Stage is a beautiful, bold orange shimmer, not bright orange or neon orange, nor burnt or smokey.  A gorgeous warm color, more red than yellow featuring perfect gold sparkles, Take the Stage is a great color for any one and any occasion! Here's a closer comparison of these colors to help you see the subtle distinctions: Oh- and by reader demand- here are two of the other glitter polishes.  These are terribly un-photogenic.  Like diamonds, these chunky polishes can't quite handle a camera's flash.  But this will give you an idea of the subtle color differences between them. OPI Simmer & Shimmer (blue on the left) and OPI Glow Up Already (green on the right).  Again, sorry for the odd lighting, but these things are out of control sparkly- I hope you can see it!

So you've probably heard the rumor and seen the promo pics- OPI's HOliday collection is themes after the new movie Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aquilara.  We have great news:  WE HAVE SWATCHES! This blog is part 1 of our Burlesque debut.  Check back for more updates!  Here's the full collection! Six shimmering solids are bright, sexy and incredibly fun.  There are no words for their glittery counterparts; they offer glam, glitz, the whole shebang! Reminiscent of OPI's Alice in Wonderland glitters from earlier this year, we are already anticipating these being the "it" colors for Holiday 2010! I need to admit it: I love dark colors, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this collection.  I immediately loved OPI Tease-y Does It, a burgundy / brown / mocha shimmer, with a base very much like OPI's Espresso Your Style with the addition of a more burgundy-tinted shimmer: One of the boldest colors from the collection is OPI Rising Star.  A super warm orange guaranteed to be a burst of sunshine on your chilly holiday, OPI Rising Star is actually quite beautiful, even on my light skin tone.  If you sport a beautiful bronze tan, this will look gorgeous! Now, the non-solid polishes from this collection are seriously glittery.  Like, I'm talking chunky rough pieces of glitter.  The effect truly is dazzling and cutting edge- perfect for a night out, perhaps even a glittering New Year's Eve party! Because of the nature of the polish, multiple layers are DEFINITELY necessary.  In fact, I achieved the best coverage when I applied the polish in chunks, and then spread it evenly before it dried.  Here is OPI Sparkle-icious in 1, 2 and 3 coats: As you can see, the sparkle-y polishes really could function well as top coats. To experiment a little bit, I applied OPI Rising Star as a gold base, and then topped the polish with OPI Extra-va-vaganza! in a single layer, to act as a glitter top coat. Here is the pretty beautiful result: Keep checking back for more swatches and updates about the availability of this limited time polish! At Beauty of a Site, we're accepting pre-orders RIGHT NOW- claim your polish today!  Click here!!

Check out swatches of OPI's Go Goth Halloween Mini Nail Lacquer Set that includes four beautiful new nail polish colors (all dark and goth-inspired) along with a free lace bracelet! Deep purples, reds, greens and a matte black make this a perfect Halloween set!

OPI Summer Flutter: Swatches delivered!  Keep up with the Beauty of a Site Blog this week for swatches of our newest and most beautiful nail polish colors for the season! Check out the lovely colors offered by OPI Summer Flutter: My personal favorite: Wing It.  A cheery coral-y tint on a warm pink, with subtle sparkle and incredible vibrancy.  The perfect pink that defies tradition and embraces femininity! These are trendy and beautiful brights, with just enough subtle sheen and translucent color to be mature, lovely and perfect for any age.  These aren't your daughters brights, but truly beautiful shades to celebrate a lively season!  These colors are only available for a limited time only, so make sure and gets yours while we still have them!  We're almost sold out, so shop today!  Click here to buy them  now!

Though we've barely had time to enjoy our brand new OPI Spain & Shrek Collections, not to mention the brand new Resort Collection from Essie, both popular nail polish creators have something special planned for us for the summer! OPI will be releasing the Flutter Collection alongside Essie's Summer 2010 Collection within the week - you can start pre-ordering today!! Be the first among nail polish gurus everywhere to get these polishes by placing a pre-order. When we receive the polishes in stock either late this week or early next week, yours will ship automatically, without any worries about us running out of stock! Click here to pre-order OPI Flutter and here to pre-order Essie Summer 2010. OPI Flutter features four new shades, each creative, complex and brilliant in the sunlight. Catch Me In Your Net, the blue of the collection, is my personal favorite color that OPI has released this year, featuring extremely small glitter for a subtle sheen over a comfortably warm turquoise infused blue that is airy but bold. Seriously ladies; it's gorgeous. Also in the collection are Flit a Bit (orange/coral), Flower-to-Flower (warm pink) and Wing It (deep pink with sheen). Essie's Summer 2010 Collection draws its colors from the season's fashion design, featuring classic, feminine, edgy and bold colors, all in the same collection.  This truly is an odd mix of color, but the interesting palette helps to identify the edgy styles of the summer, ranging from a soft and sexy feminine pink to a powerfully seductive deep green.  Both Pretty Edgy (deep green) and Demure Vixen (orchid / lavender with sheen) are getting all sorts of attention, both for their individuality and the interesting way in which they fit into the color palette.  The other colors in the collection, including Haute As Hello (pink / coral), Knockout Pout (bright pink), Miss Matched (muted neutral lavender) and Vermillionaire (bright red), are more classically Essie, though deliciously classic with a modern twist of color variation. Make sure and pre-order your polish today!  As the products arrive in stock, we'll definitely try them on and share our swatches!  Check back later this week and early next week for more details!

OPI Shrek Forever After Brights Collection features six beautiful brights to kick off a bright, vibrant summer. With lime greens, bright purples, creamy yellows and a totally unique pair of blues, this six color collection is flying off the shelves.  We're expecting to receive the polishes next week, but our pre-ordering has started already!  By pre-ordering your polishes, you're guaranteed to receive some of the first polishes that arrive!  We're expecting them to sell out quickly, so don't miss your chance! Click here to pre-order polishes now! [caption id="attachment_796" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="L to R: Who the Shrek are You?, Rumple's Wiggin, Ogre the Top Blue, What's With the Cattitude?"][/caption]

I was totally stressed this time yesterday about what I would be wearing to our friends big New Year's bash this year, until I remembered a cardinal fashion rule:  the very best outfits are defined by details.  I put together a classic ensemble in greys, silvers and blacks and spiced it up with the following: For eyes:  I moved away from my overdone smoky eyes and went for something simple with a touch of drama.  Lined the inside corners of my eyes with a white liner, and a thick black liner on the outside of my eyes.  Mascara to follow.  A bit of glitter on my cheek bones sets of my eyes perfectly! For lips:  To balance out the simplicity of my eye makeup, I chose DuWop's Pink Shimmer Lip Venom for plumpness, flushing and plenty of shimmering pink. For hair:  Down and curly, I used Catwalk's Your Highness Gel Creme and Hairspray to control and hold my style.  Flexible for bounce & swing with the perfect amount of shine. For nails: Here's where I had some fun- OPI's new Alice in Wonderland Mad As A Hatter polish features a crazy multi glitter sparkle to help ring in the new year with some extra glitz. For shoulders and arms:  Dirty Girl's Glitter ball adds glitter to exposed skin, while Booty Parlor's Luminizing Body Butter adds a subtle sheen all over skin. Glitz and glitter in the smallest details not only make a perfect New Year's touch, but they are definitive of what runways, cosmetics lines and our favorite celebs are telling us are perfect for 2010.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND NOW for SALE!

These are the most surprising colors OPI has sent us this year!  We are excited to show you these awesome swatches from the new polishes from the Alice in Wonderland Collection!  We should be shipping these products out by the end of the week, but in the meantime, check these out! From left to right: OPI Thanks So Muchness:  A violet infused red with a super subtle shimmer. OPI Mad As a Hatter: Did you see this glitter!? Crazy chunky multi-glitter that has holiday parties, New Year's Eve and general fabulous-ness written all over it. OPI Absolutely Alice:  Another super glittery polish with slightly smaller glitter pieces in blues and golds.  Perfectly Alice inspired! OPI Off With Her Red!: A standby classic bold, creme bright red. Gorgeous! Check here to purchase!!!

* Looking for the 2010 Halloween nail polish?  Click here. OPI's Tattoo Ta-Boo Mini Halloween Nail Lacquers are quite possibly the cutest thing around our office right now.  Nothing's more fun than letting loose with nail polish a little bit, and with these bright colors- even a glow in the dark one!- this is our perfect opportunity. And let's be honest- what's more fun than glow in the dark? Oh- glow in the dark nail art- that's what. Check out OPI's suggestions for some super-fun Halloween manicures: And for those of us are beginners (come on... can YOU do that!?), here's some step by step instructions for simpler designs from OPI, right off the back of the box:

Eyes On You Design 1. Start with two coats of Glow-ink the Dark polish. 2.  Use OPI I Love Mummy to make different sized white circles all over the nail. 3.  Carefully dot each white circle with OPI Witch Arm? to make the pupils. (Or cheat, and use a sharpie!)

Tip or Treat 1. Start with two coats of Tattoo You Want Candy polish. 2. Use Witch Arm? to french tip your nails.  (Need some French Tip help? Use these nail guides.) 3. Make three small circles near the nail bed using Witch Arm?.  (Again, we might use a Sharpie).

Be Mine, Frankenstein 1. Start with two coats of Glow-ink the Dark polish. 2. Use I Love Mummy to make the stitches. Luckly, the design totally doesn't require straight lines. 3. Make a bunch of small dots using Tattoo You Want Candy? Fun!

Give them a shot and let us know what you think!

Bold, dark, mysterious, beautiful.  Can't think of too much to say about OPI's new Spain Collection (the Coleccion de Espana), other than its everything we expected it to be.  I personally have to admit that OPI's fall collections are always my favorite, because they bring out so many of the deep, vampy, classic colors that OPI is famous for.  Indian summer or no, the BOAS staff is considering shifting our wardrobes to deeper fall colors just to accommodate some of these beautiful nail polish colors! Our suspicions were correct:  Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees and Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow are truly unique and beautiful shades.  Our pre-orders already tell us that these are going to be the hot sellers.  They are definitely slightly darker than they show up in the promotional pictures and the product images on our website, but the shade shown is pretty true to form.  Just slightly deeper and darker. A surprising LOVE from the collection: Barefoot in Barcelona. This creamy neutral shade is extremely close to CND's Cocoa, which is an awesome seller and super popular right now.  Lucky Magazine said that "bisque nail polish" that uses "the perfect blend of the most recent color trends: pink, gray & beige" is hot for the season, and that's just what this is. A tad beige-ier than the France collection's "Tickle My France-y," and the perfect everyday neutral. The promo pics didn't do Can You Tapas This? any justice; this raisin-y deep reddish brownish color is GORGEOUS.  We were expecting something browner and cooler, but this shade features a deep, warm red that we didn't see coming. Several of the shades, including Ate Berries In The Canaries, Pink Flamenco and Pamplona Purple are shades we would categorize as "surprisingly bright and colorful for fall."  Don't misunderstand- we love them and they are beautiful!- but bright, to be sure.  Interesting choice, OPI. All in all, the colors are lovely and definitely shades that we're expecting OPI to keep in their classic line for awhile.  We're accepting pre-orders for them now, and will be shipping them next Wednesday, on the official release day.  Buy OPI Coleccion de Espana here!