OPI - Hotter than You Pink

Even short nails look better with polish. That's what I have been telling myself since I have been klutzy lately and keep busting my nails. In honor of a 'Pink Wednesday,' here's OPI Hotter Than You Pink. It's part of the Neon Summer collection.

OPI Hotter Than You Pink - photographed in bright lighting.

The polish goes on a little sheer. It's been applied over a clear base coat on natural nails. One extra coat makes it look darker and brighter.

OPI Hotter Than You Pink - neon collection

Happy Pink Wednesday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' the mornin' to ya! Ok, only one of us is part Irish, and it isn't the girl typing, so bear with me. ;) St. Patrick's Day is always fun here in the U.S. The iconic lore of the holiday always makes us think of a few simple things. Since we aren't indulging in green beer and corned beef & cabbage today, we'll keep this post limited to rainbows, that elusive pot of gold, and a cute little leprechaun.

When it comes to beauty, finding the right gold can be tricky. OPI's Gold Shatter nail polish is sure to delight everyone, regardless of coloring and skin tone. It has a pretty metallic shimmer, and the sparkle is really enhanced by a top coat. It separates well, and looks good over any color of nail lacquer.



OPI Gold Shatter over white nail polish.



OPI Gold Shatter over OPI Animal-istic of the Muppets Collection.

The ultimate rainbow can be found with OPI's Rainbow Connection. This gorgeous polish was part of the Muppets Collection, and was limited edition. If you can find a bottle, make sure you capture it! This varnish is truly unique. It sold out quickly, and is still in high demand.

OPI Rainbow Connection, from the Muppets Collection.

As for leprechauns, we are turning to http://www.bellabits.com/. Bella is a twelve year old food blogger cooking up all kinds of treats. She also is our tween Glambo Girl. She always look great, and we love her nails in this picture featuring her shamrock cookie.

We hope you have a fabulous St. Patty's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with you all year long.
XoXo, Glambo

OPI Nicki Minaj Super Bass Shatter & Colors

Hey Everyone! We're a little late to the party with the Nicki Minaj collection from OPI. We usually like to post right before colors come out, but it's been a busy month and we are just now posting our review of this set.

At the heart of OPI's Nicki Minaj nail polishes is the Super Bass Shatter. This purple shatter is a hit! The collection also includes Dig It On 'Em, Fly, Pink Friday, Save Me, (all of which are pictured) and Metallic 4 Life, which isn't shown - yet.

About the Super Bass Shatter: It's no surprise we love it. The purple is a good color choice. It shatters well, but like all of our crackle polish reviews, we have some notes. In our experience, the deeper pigmented shatters tend to dry out faster, so keep the lid on this one as much as possible. Also common with reds and dark colors is the streaking that transfers onto the top coat brush. Just brush it against a tissue before you dip the top coat brush back into the clear bottle, and you won't color your top coat red. In case you are tempted to try Sally Hansen's Purple Crackle as a dup for the OPI Super Bass Shatter, don't bother. We've been there, done that, and are NOT a fan of that one. (See our review here.)

The Nicki Minaj Colors:
We purchased a mini set, which is a great way to discover new shades at a fraction of the price. It's ideal for us, because honestly, the yellow-green Dig It On 'Em wasn't our first color choice when viewing the bottle. It was our favorite under the Super Bass Shatter though. Dig It On 'Em had a sheer application, and took us three coats to match the shade in the bottle. Pink Friday and Fly applied well in just two coats. The pink was our favorite for an everyday look, yet we liked the deep teal blue Fly for the right occasion.

The OPI Mini-Set included Save Me, but FYI, the box stated it was Metallic 4 Life. (That shade is much darker.) We really liked Save Me, a clear polish infused with silver shimmer and elongated glitter flecks - so much so that we are buying a full-size bottle before it goes away. We also plan to pick up Metallic 4 Life, which we will add to this post. Check back for more OPI Nicki Minaj swatches! :)

Chinese New Year Nails

This year, Chinese New Year falls on January 23rd. Red and gold colors symbolize luck and good fortune, and we thought this was the perfect opportunity for a gold shatter manicure. We added the Chinese symbol for 'luck' with a nail art brush and black nail polish. Not too bad for our first free-handed attempt at Chinese lettering.

May the Year of the Dragon bring you good luck, prosperity and happiness.
Love,
The Glambo Girls

OPI GelColor

Hello Beauties! We Glambo Girls always love to share the latest and greatest beauty finds, and today, we are super excited about OPI's upcoming release of their GelColor line. We got a sneak peek at our local pro beauty supply. They only had two bottles and aren't even allowed to sell them yet, so we feel lucky to get a glimpse to share.

What is OPI GelColor? Basically, it's a gel nail formula that you can apply just like regular nail polish, then cure with a light. There are gel nail products on the market right now, but GelColor is a little different. Unlike it's closest counterpart (aka competition /CND Shellac,) this formula uses a LED light instead of a UV light AND cures in just 30 seconds! Plus, it comes in 30 shades of OPI's existing most popular colors. That means that there is a regular bottle of nail polish we can use for that little bit of outgrowth or to match for a non-gel pedicure. Manicurists will love the price point, because for just a few dollars more than the competitive brand, OPI gives an extra .50 ounce of product.

OPI already has Axxium, which is a colored gel nail product that comes in little pots and is applied with a separate nail brush. Although that product is good, we LOVE the idea of GelColor. There is something about the traditional looking bottle of nail polish with it's own brush that is appealing. All of the OPI bottles are black with the lid showing the name and color of the bottle's contents. We like this idea so that the GelColor doesn't accidentally get mixed up with the matching OPI nail polish shades.

OPI Promotional Shot of gelcolor in Russian Navy.

For those lucky nail techs out there that purchased OPI GelColor, let us know what you think. If you are headed to the salon for nail services, be sure to ask for OPI GelColor by name. We look forward to hearing your experiences with what promises to be a very hot new product.

OPI - Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, Muppets Collection

Our review of OPI's Muppets Collection continues with this pretty, sparkling red. Gettin' Miss Piggy With It is the ultimate color for Christmas, but don't forget about it for Valentine's Day too. It's sure to attract many compliments.

The Star of the Show.

Gettin' Miss Piggy With It has a clear base, and is infused with a fine, red glitter. Add to that red and silver discs, and you have one gorgeous nail polish! It's popular, and was out of stock at a few stores. If you can't find it on it's own, you might have better luck getting it in a two-pack, along with Animal-istic.

Three coats of OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It

Like OPI Rainbow Connection, we varied our application technique with this heavily glittered laquer. We didn't wipe as much off on the lip of the bottle as we normally would, and used more of a horizontal angle to polish. It's kind of a dab and glide process that will result in better coverage with fewer coats. We used three to get the desired effect of the sparkle in the bottle.

Here's what two coats looked like. You can see why we opted for just one more:

Two coats of Gettin' Miss Piggy With It over a base coat.

If, like us, you are tired of taking off glitter nail polishes, be aware that this one isn't easy to remove, but it's worth it. Don't forget to wipe the top of the bottle with a pad soaked in remover before you re-apply the lid. You'll want to use this polish again, and the dried glitter may help seal it closed forever. A very sad dilemma, indeed.   

Glambo Tip: Wipe the top of the bottle before reapplying the lid.


OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It is obviously part of the Muppets Collection. That means is a limited edition, and should be acquired before OPI has to give it the Miss Piggy 'Hiiii-Ya!'

Other polishes in the OPI Muppets Collection include: Excuse Moi!, Rainbow Connection, and Animal-istic.

Happy Polishing!
The Glambo Girls

OPI Animalistic - Muppets Collection

Hello Everyone! Muppets week continues as we review our favorites from the OPI Muppets nail polish collection. Today, we swatched Animal-istic.



OPI did a great job creating a color based upon the Muppets 'Animal.' When we first viewed the 'Animal-istic' bottle on the beauty supply shelf, we thought it was red. In a different light, it was definitely a firey-orange. And, we love the pink iridescent hue you can see under bright lights. The color is the perfect reflection of the craziness of this popular Muppets character.

Animal, of the Muppets. Disney's Muppets Movie opens 11/23/11.

We thought Animal-istic would look pretty under OPI Gold Shatter. Once a top coat was added, the nails really sparkled! Later in the day though, we were kind of thinking the Animal-istic / Gold Shatter look reminded us of the menu in our favorite Chinese food restaurant. (Kung Pao Chicken, anyone? Ha ha.)




OPI Animal-istic topped with OPI Gold Shatter



We will use the color again, but will make sure to use TWO base coats as this polish really stains natural nails. Staining is common with dark colors, and especially reds, oranges and yellows, so it makes sense that Animal-istic would do that. It was bad though - someone actually commented on the substantial staining, thinking it was a new nail technique we were trying. 



Other OPI Muppets colors include Excuse Moi!, the glittery Rainbow Connection, and Gettin' Miss Piggy With It.



OPI Rainbow Connection - from the Muppets Collection

We absolutely could not get the Muppets Theme out of our head when we polished our nails with this super fun nail laquer. That's appropriate since OPI Rainbow Connection is part of the Muppets Collection from OPI, and the movie will be in theaters Thanksgiving weekend.

We were instantly drawn to this nail polish, but hesitated for a second because we wondered if it was a little too '70s disco for everyday wear. We were wrong! Metallics are really in right now, and even the most conservative hockey mom could spruce up a little black dress or grey top with this amazing bottle of varnish. It's a limited edition, so don't pass it up! This polish is great for nail art and special occasions galore.





We applied a base coat and one coat of OPI Rainbow Connection.



Application Tips:

If you are used to wiping the brush against the side of the bottle and polishing each nail in three strokes, you may consider varying your technique slightly for the second coat. Don't press the brush as hard against the lip of the bottle, and you won't remove as much glitter, especially the bigger pieces. We were heavy handed with our second coat, and that worked well. Otherwise, it might take 3-4 coats to get the effect. If your nail is exposed in one spot, it's easy to dab on some more polish in that area and have it look great. Make sure you wipe the top of the bottle before you close the lid because you will definitely be disappointed if you can't open the polish again.

Top two nails: Two coats of OPI Rainbow Connection using our application method. Bottom two nails: One coat of OPI Rainbow Connection over base coat.

This is the mother of all glitter nail polishes! That also means it isn't easy to remove. Apply some remover soaked pads and allow it to stay there for a few minutes before wiping away, and that should help some.

If you buy ONE bottle of nail polish this holiday season, this is THE one to have! You'll be happier than a kindergartner that glued an entire vial of craft glitter to her nails!

Other polishes from OPI's Muppets Collection include: Animal-istic, Excuse Moi!, and Gettin' Miss Piggy With It.

OPI Pink Shatter, Part II

It's a Pink (Shatter) Wednesday! This nail polish shipped exclusively in the month of October to benefit breast cancer awareness and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Ironically, we have found it easier to locate in stores since the beginning of November. If you want a bottle, get it now or forever regret letting OPI's Pink Shatter slip away.

This pink appears to have an oranger hue in the bottle than when applied to fingernails. It isn't as bright of a pink as China Glaze's Pink Crackle or Sally Hansen's Pink Crackle. OPI's version shatters well whether you apply thick or thin coats, which is nice.

One thing we really like is the top of the bottle. The people at OPI are smart cookies because the shatter top makes it easy to identify instead of mistaking it for a deeper version of another polish like Come to Poppy.

We applied OPI Pink Shatter over a few base colors so you could see the range of options.

OPI Pink Shatter over White.

Shatter polishes generally don't crackle as well over glitter bases, but OPI Pink Shatter still separated well.

OPI Pink Shatter over a pale glittery base.

OPI Pink Shatter over Silver.

If you get yourself a bottle of OPI Pink Shatter, join the Glambo Girls on a Pink Wednesday and 'rock your pink in the middle of the week.'



OPI Excuse Moi!

It's a Pink Wednesday! This time, we opted for OPI Excuse Moi! from the new Muppets collection.

If the Ruby Slippers were a rosy pink, they would look just like this nail polish sparkling in the sun.

It's a glitter polish which has it's pros and cons. We like that you can touch up chipped nail tips, and it will blend right in thanks to the rougher texture of the glitter. This creates the perfect optical illusion, helping to extend the life of a manicure. The down-side to glitter is that it takes a while to remove in it's entirety. Plan to spend some time with some remover soaked pads when you decide to change your shade.

We have OPI Excuse Moi! featured on our fingers, and we love it even more on our toes. It's a great pedicure polish and is available as part of a limited edition collection. Get it now before the Muppets movie is out of theaters and OPI Excuse Moi! is out of stores.

Other OPI Muppets nail polishes include: Rainbow Connection, Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, and Animal-istic.

OPI Pink Shatter, Pink of Hearts - Coming Soon!

This 'Pink Wednesday,' we thought we would share our delight upon hearing of OPI's latest shatter, Pink of Hearts. This nail polish is limited edition, and should be available in September. It will be sold through October in support of breast cancer awareness and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Don't you just love the lid on this bottle? There are other pink crackle colors currently on the market, but we are super excited for the OPI version. It appears that this shade may have a slight shimmer to it, judging by the photograph released by OPI . When it comes to nail polish and shatters in general, OPI is our favorite. Stay tuned - We sense a 'pink' giveway coming!

Our First Pink Wednesday

Hello Everyone! We just joined a fun website, 'On Wednesdays We Wear Pink.' You may recognize the line from the movie, Mean Girls. While we at Glambo are not mean, we like the movie and are definitely nail polish enthusiasts. So, here we are, on our first Pink Wednesday, sharing a new favorite pink polish, OPI Shorts Story. It's a fun, bright pink that goes on slightly darker and brighter than the bottle conveys. We think you will love it! Shorts Story is such a happy color, yet you can still get away with wearing it at the office.

We're actually a little disappointed with our photo, as it doesn't do the nail polish justice. Sadly, it was the best picture of the bunch. But, as you can see, this euphoric color perked up even the simplest of manicures. We'll add more pictures later, both as traditional swatches and as a base coat for a shattered look.

For now, we at Glambo can definitely say, 'On Wednesdays, we wear pink.'

OPI Navy & Blue Shatter Swatches

The OPI Color Shatters are here, and Glambo has swatched the blues:

Pictured below: OPI Blue Shatter over Last Friday Night, which goes on as a pale blue glitter. Shatters don't separate as well over glitter polishes, but they make the cracks sparkle in the light. Therefore, we are fond of this polish under the brighly colored electric blue shatter.

Here's OPI Blue Shatter over OPI Go-On Green, which appears as a light blue based subtle green. Look at the difference in the crackle effect, as this polish is not glitter based.

OPI Blue Shatter over OPI Go-On Green

OPI Navy Shatter looks good on your nails, but if it gets on your skin, it will remind you of that favorite blue pen that leaked, so apply it with care. The Navy Shatter isn't as harsh as the black, but the color still goes with everything. We tried it over DS Classic, a tan sparkle, and Steady As She Rose, a pink from the POTC collection.

OPI Navy Shatter over OPI Steady As She Rose

OPI Navy Shatter over OPI DS Classic

We never thought we would be polishing our nails with bright blue and navy, but we like it. You could say, 'Glambo has the blues,' but in a good way.

Glambo's OPI Silver Shatter Giveaway!

You know you want a bottle!

We love how the Silver Shatter sparkles, and we have a bottle IN STOCK ready to ship to one lucky polish enthusiast. The contest winner will be randomly selected on June 1st, and the Silver Shatter nail polish will be shipped upon address confirmation. *See How to Enter and Contest Rules below.

How to Enter Glambo's Silver Shatter Contest:

1) Follow us on Twitter @GlamboGirls. (The link is on the right of this post.)

2) ReTweet: I just entered @GlamboGirls Silver Shatter Giveaway! Follow them & RT to enter.  http://t.co/ow1O5WV (Please note: To Enter via RT, you must be an @GlamboGirls follower on Twitter. RT as many times as you like. One entry per RT.)

and / or:

3) Follow our Blog: (All Glambo Blog followers automatically receive one entry.)

4) Like us on Facebook. (All Glambo FB followers automatically receive one entry.)

5) Email us: GlamboGirls@gmail.com (one email entry is allowed.)


Contest Rules:

Contest Winner will be randomly selected on June 1, 2011. Winner will be contacted via method of entry. Winner must confirm shipping address so that Glambo may send one brand new bottle of Silver Shatter directly to contest winner. The Silver Shatter will be shipped the following business day after address confirmation. If winner is located outside of the United States, winner will receive a $10 iTunes gift card in lieu of Silver Shatter nail polish. (U.S. Postal regulations prohibit the mailing of nail polish outside of United States.) Please email us with any contest questions.

Thanks and GOOD LUCK!

OPI Black Shatter vs. Silver Shatter: See the Difference HERE!

If you are new to shatter polishes, or have tried the black and want to apply the silver, here is all the information you will need to know:

OPI Black Shatter is part of the Katy Perry Collection. (Click Here to see Glambo's review.) It came out in early 2011 and was an instant hit! Stores sold out of their supply immediately and were backordered for weeks. Silver Shatter is from OPI’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection. It was released May 1st, and is also proving difficult to capture. Although both colors ‘shatter,’ there are differences in the application technique to acheive the optimal effect.



Pictured here:
Black Shatter over silver nail polish (left), and Silver Shatter over black nail polish(right).

Black Shatter should be applied with very thin strokes: The thinner the better to for the most crackled effect. Black Shatter has a matte finish, and top coat is necessary to add some shine. The Black Shatter gives nails a leather-like feel. When it chips (as all manicures eventually do,) it will come off in chunks along the crackle lines.

For those that think Black Shatter polish makes your nails look goth, then Silver Shatter will give a futuristic impression. The Silver Shatter polish is thinner. It appears to have a clear base that is infused with silver shimmer. Unlike the Black Shatter, thicker application strokes are necessary to get the most shattered look. The Silver Shatter does seem to take longer to break apart than the black. You may also get ‘glitter cuticles’ when first applying Silver Shatter. It’s happened to us several times, and is easy to clean up with polish remover. It wears well, and due to the lighter color, is less noticeable when it chips.

CLICK HERE to view OPI's Video "How to Apply Silver Shatter."

With both polishes:

• Do NOT go over the same area twice. That spot will not crackle if you do.
• Use a top coat once the shatter polish has dried. A three minute wait time is suggested.
• Crackle polishes do not shatter as well over a glittery base color. Keep that in mind when you are selecting a color to show through your shatter.
• Due to the drying effect of the shatter, keep the bottle covered as much as possible.
• You can touch up the tips of your nails when the polish eventually chips. That will extend the wear of your manicure for a few more days.
• Both polishes will get you noticed! Don’t be surprised if complete strangers comment on your nails.

Personally, the Glambo Girls prefer contrast between the base color and the shatter. One of our favorite combinations is OPI Black Shatter over white.

The Pirates of the Caribbean colors are light and muted, but we love the silver shatter over brighter, darker shades. To see Silver Shatter over POTC shades, CLICK HERE. (Note the pale, Steady as She Rose. The camera picked up more contrast than you initially notice with the naked eye.)

To see how OPI Shatter polishes measure up against China Glaze Crackle colors, CLICK HERE.

More shatter colors are coming from OPI. Expect to see white, navy, turquoise, blue and red on the beauty supply shelves soon.

OPI - Katy Perry Colors & Black Shatter

We love 'em!

The Teenage Dream seen here was so pretty that it was almost disappointing to cover it with Black Shatter. It is a cheerful, pale pink with two types and sizes of glitter. The bottle matches the polished result on your nails.

OPI Katy Perry Teenage Dream / nails match the bottle

The Last Friday Night blue is very pretty once applied. Look at this gorgeous light blue! But wait- the bottle color looks dark. Well... it took us SEVEN coats to get close to that shade. We could have added a few more to obtain the color we thought we had purchased. Last Friday Night is a beautiful shade even with just two coats. It's a color you won't regret giving a try.

Left Fingers: THREE coats
Right Fingers: TWO coats
Katy Perry Last Friday Night by OPI




It took us SEVEN coats to achieve
 the color portrayed here.





Honestly, the Not Like the Movies polish was the one that Colleen L. was the least excited about, and Silvia L. liked right away. That changed once we polished our nails. It's our new favorite! It looks great on every skin tone. The alternating lavender and green hues over the polishes' steel grey base keep it fun and fresh. In certain lighting, one hand had a purple-esque look while the other hand reflected a soft green. Neat!



Left: Not Like the Movies / Right: The One that Got Away



The One that Got Away is described as a 'deep berry' and has a slight shimmer. .... It's a nice twist on similar shades that are so popular they are a nail polish / pedicure staple. This one is sure to be a top-seller.

The Black Shatter is still all the buzz. Jimmy Fallon even commented on Maria Menounos' shattered manicure recently on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Click Here to view.

Glambo has multiple posts about Black Shatter and all the shatter/ crackle colors. Take a look around our blog and bookmark it if you are becoming a shatter fanatic. Thanks for stopping by!

Black Shatter - So Popular Even Jimmy Fallon will Notice Your Manicure

Maria Menounos appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night. She stopped by to chat and promote her book, 'The Everygirls Guide to Life' - which we can't wait to read! The Late Night host sees her nails and Maria talks about OPI's Katy Perry Black Shatter here: We also like Black Shatter over silver. Maria should take Glambo's tip and touch up the ends. With the polished shatter effect, you can get away with an imperfect manicure by brushing more black shatter over the chipped edges.

Black Shatter, Where Are You???

The hottest new product you can't get!

We've seen OPI's Katy Perry Black Shatter polish advertised in magazines for months. Deliveries were scheduled for January, but pros and consumers alike can't seem to get the product. Glambo's advice: If you see Black Shatter anywhere, buy it!

The 'shatter' effect is what makes it so popular. OPI's Black Shatter goes over any nail polish color. As it dries, the black breaks apart and creates a leopard effect. Thicker coats allow for more black coverage, whereas thinner coats allow more of the base color to show through. It has a matte finish, so top coat is essential to add some shine and ensure your manicure will last longer. The Katy Perry colors seem to be very hot as well. The pink, Teenage Dream, which OPI describes as, "A dreamy pink glitter that you’re sure to crush on!" also seems to be selling out right away.

Pre-Teens to cougar-aged ladies agree that the Black Shatter effect is amazing. This is why the polish is impossible to find. It seems that stores have completely underestimated the demand for this product, and ordered limited quanties. Snow storms on the East Coat have grounded airplanes and delayed shipments. Professional beauty supply stores tell us that when they finally receive their stock, the entire inventory sells immediately. Manicurists are hard pressed to even get a bottle to try the effect on their clients. Retail stores are also having difficulty obtaining enough of OPI's Black Shatter to meet the demand. Local Ulta stores tell Glambo that they sold thirty bottles within hours at each of their locations. Waiting lists are popular, and one thing is certain: The Katy Perry Black Shatter by OPI may be HOT, but you are going to have to wait to try it.