Wednesday, August 8, 2012

OPI Germany Collection Swatches!

This is the first big collection that's come out since I became a nail tech and you can better believe I took advantage of my professional status to get my hands on all 12 colors this morning!

I'm usually not a fan of all of the colors in a collection, but I really do love everything in this one, some more than others. It helps I got a nice deal on the full set + display and sample card through Salon Centric. :)

Even the display is pretty nifty looking:

I have this display set up behind my station. :)

The set came with the sample placard, which I have up at the front to spark interest in it. 
This is the first time I've bought a professional display like this so I had no idea I had to paint it myself, lol!

Now, THE SWATCHES!




Keep in mind please that I am doing these over a set of acrylics that need a fill. I didn't want to do my fill before swatching as I knew the polishes could possibly stain, even with gel top coat. (I've done my fill now..so happy XD)

First up, Don't Pretzle My Buttons!


I always love when I can swatch holding the bottle. Unfortunately this helped to show me that my fingers are far too short to really swatch while holding OPI bottles. *sad*

This is a beautiful neutral cream. It's definitely more on the beige side than the pink side, but it went on nicely and was opaque over Pink & White acrylics (sometimes the hardest to cover with light colors) within two coats. Definitely one for lighter skin tones, as I think it could possibly wash out on anyone with a bit more color to their skin (I'm about as pale and as pink as you can get, so...)

I think this will be a great base for nail art, though and a perfect nude for those people who like wearing something very simple and that will match almost anything.

My Very First Knockwurst:

This is a pale, warm pink cream. I absolutely adore this one and know that I'll be using frequently. It'll also be a beautiful spring color, for sure. Went on like a typical OPI Cream, opaque quickly and very easy to apply.

Berlin There Done That:

A very nice brownish-gray cream that will be a nice color for fall. Probably not one I'll use often as it washed me out just a bit, but very nice overall.

Don't Talk Bach To Me:

Oh man, this color! It's a very, very faint shimmer, and I absolutely love it! More a summer color, for sure, and I'll probably wear it a couple of times before summer officially leaves Florida. It'll be a great toe-color for me.

This one went on opaque with 2 coats. You can still see a faint bit of the white from my acrylics under even with two coats but for normal application it should be fine. Didn't streak at all and was an easy application.

Nein! Nein! Nein! Ok Fine!:

This is a deep, dark gray and after looking at it in white light/seeing the picture, it does have a bit of a green base to it. 

It reminds me a bit of Suzi Skis the Pyranes, but definitely with a greener undertone. Typical OPI cream, went on easy. Removal was a bit staining, as it should be with a dark polish - use oil around the cuticles when removing to help avoid stains!

Unfor-Greta-Bly Blue:

THIS COLOR, YOU GUYS. It's a beautiful blue shimmer, and I'm nicknaming it "Vitality Blue" as it's definitely a good representative of the blue we use for the salon I work at. 

This one did have a bit of streaking and brush-stroke, but if you cap the free edge first and then paint over it, you should avoid many issues, same with a lot of the shimmer Shellacs. 

It dried almost semi-matte, so a nice topcoat is a necessity. I'm eager to see it with a matte topcoat, actually!

Schnapps Out of It:

This is so pretty, it really is. It has a very faint gold shimmer to it and it's a fantastic mauvey taupe? I don't even know how to describe this exact color, lol. 

This one was a lot like Bach where it was a shimmer but didn't have any streaking issues. This will be a go-to for fall.

German-icure by OPI:

This is a nice dark-red shimmer. It's base is black, and it's a two-coater for sure. The first coat went on very dull and dirty looking, but with the second coat it really turned out gorgeous. I think this would be a good halloween shade for some reason.

Did have a bit of streaking and like with Greta it requires a nice topcoat since it dries ALMOST semi-matte.

Danke-shiny Red:

I'm one of those people that red polishes are very hit or miss on. They have to be either on the darker side or very, very warm. This is a nice warm, almost orangey red shimmer. Just like with the other true shimmers in this collection, watch for streaking and brush lines, and use a good topcoat.

(I'll probably be using this on my toes around Christmas time!)

Deutsch You Want Me Baby?

Now for the actual orange in the collection! This is a very, very fire-ry orange and I've heard it compared to China Glaze's Riveting, but while the color is similar this is a much finer shimmer. I actually really like how this one looks against my skin and I think I'll be using it for my toes a lot. :)

Also another shimmer that requires some work to keep it linear and a nice topcoat. (You can see a bit of streaking/brush marks on my ring finger).

Suzi & The Seven Düsseldorfs:

Aside from Greta and Oktoberfest, this is my favorite in the collection. It may be my favorite purple polish ever. It's got such a gorgeous shimmer! This one was a bear to remove, though, with some staining. 

Streaky/brush strokes if not careful, use a high-gloss...etc. XD

Every Month is Oktoberfest:

I've never seen Clarins 230 (Unicorn Pee) or Max Factor Fantasy Fire in person, but going by swatches in different lighting, I'd consider this polish a good mix of the two. It's a dark blue base with such a gorgeous shimmer in it. The first coat is definitely more blue, where the second coat made it almost black. I really want to see this out in the sun but I wasn't able to leave it on (due to my fill). I'm tempted to do it again tomorrow and see if I can get better pictures out in the sun. 

I adore this polish and may actually go and get a second bottle. ;)



Overall, I am in love with this collection. I'm absolutely pleased as punch with my purchase and it was a very good investment!

Coming Up: Butter London Slapper & Sephora by OPI 18k Top Coat (which mmmm over Oktoberfest? YES PLEASE!!!!)

1 comment:

  1. My jaw dropped when I saw German-icure, what a gorgeous color! I have a weakness for bright colors that have been blackened, but not so much that you can't see the original color.

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