Monday, November 9, 2009

Nicole by OPI Shimmy Shimmer


I banged my hand against something mysterious this morning and--thankfully, didn't break a nail but chipped three of my fingers badly. And I mean badly. As it was, I went to class and took time between classes (i.e., now) to repaint. See, I don't know if I told you this, but my nails break like insanity: they are very weak and fragile. If they are not breaking, they are peeling--polish acts as an adhesive to keep my nails together (take that, 'don't wear too much nail polish your dead fingernails need to breathe' people).

Anyway. This is Shimmy Shimmer. Do you SEE the bottom of that bottle, people? The purple with the gold/green flash? The really strong gold green flash?!


That's why I'm disappointed with this nail polish. Indoors, artificial light, etc. Look at the bottle! The bottle! There's blue in there, apparently!

*commences tearing out hair* Pink! Red!
Okay. Before we begin on the nail pictures, please ignore all the little splotchy messes I made. I don't have time for cleanup right now, and this is how I will go out in public *hide*. Be kind!

These are two coats.
Sunlight.
Indoors.Shade.

I have to admit I'm somewhat thankful that all shiny didn't disappear to become that poopy diaper color that is the base of this polish. Think puddles in asphalt after they've rained for too long--not in the nostalgic child way, but in the 'oh god I have to clean that sewage up off my kid's dress' way. Instead it becomes mostly a blackened purple in normal light with the faintest glimmer of violet .

What about the gold? you ask.

What gold? I say.

When you take your nails out to sunlight, it really shines. It's a lovely shade of violet with all that lit-from-within depth that was totally missing when not under the sun.

Screw that, you say. What about the gold?

What gold? I say.

There's no gold. It is just a lie that Nicole by OPI put into their polish bottle just to make you hope for something awesome. There's a consolation, though: it does turn a lovely shiny coffee color sometimes in certain angles. Sometimes. But that's all.

At least it's glossy, and super easy to apply, and fast-drying, I suppose. This ten-hand manicure took fifteen minutes, tops. Including the time it took for one hand to be dry enough to function. But it's not a polish I recommend on a cloudy, moody day... unless you feel like a black polish, of course.

Thing is, I have two bottles of these--Judy, you gave me one, and on that exact day I went to Marshall's and picked it up, entranced by the pretty duochrominess. The duochrominess that doesn't exist. Who wants to take one off my hands and see whether or not it works out for them? It's a great purple polish. I'm not disappointed.

Heh.

4 comments:

  1. It's actually very pretty on you and in the sunlight! But that's a bummer. I guess not everything can be a WIN. Sometimes there has to be FAIL. Well, you have a swap polish now! Or two?! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Judy: I think I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that it doesn't shine in all sorts of pretty oilslick colors. It's actually a very elegant and vampy, lit-from-within purple-brown combo that's very fall and quite lovely... which is why I'll keep one bottle. But you're right; fails are what reminds me of all the WINS--of which in your gifts there are several. :) (The other... hmm, do I know any ladies who love their vamps?)

    Gildedangel: Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a shame that it doesn't look as beautiful as the bottle. Have you thought about taking Biotin? It's really helped me. I have nails that are finally long and not breaking and peeling. I've been on it for 7 months and it really does work. I bent my nail back the other day and it didn't break. My nails used to break if you looked sideways at them. Think about trying the Biotin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Lucy: I used to take biotin for my hair as well--I hadn't taken it for much longer than a month, but I'll think about it now!

    ReplyDelete