The Gwen Stefani for OPI collection is finally here! Seriously, how has it taken Gwen this long tome come out with a line of polishes? Gwen is known for her red lips and tips as well as her amazing vocals, so its no surprise about the highlight colour in this collection.
Now on to talk about the amazing colors in this collection. The colour which highlights this collection is Gwen's signature red shade, Over & Over a Gwen, which you can buy in its own Gwen-ified packaging with studs to spruce up your nails. In addition to this, we also have six other shades in a range of finishes including OPI's attempt at a true chrome polish. Let's check out the colours.
FORMULA AND APPLICATION OF POLISH
Those who have used OPI before will know that it is a 4-free brand, which means no nasty chemicals. All shades come with the OPI Pro Wide brush which is flat, wide and medium in length. The brush is of average stiffness and easily spreads on the nail when lightly pressed. The only down side of this brush is it can sometimes be too wide for slim fingers and little toes.
In this collection you get three creme shades, two satins, a clear based glitter and a chrome texture. I'm not sure what the difference is between Satin and Matte Suede other than the name both formula's seem similar. Other than the glitter, all shades are well pigmented, I found I only needed 2 coats and the polish is buttery smooth when applied correctly. I did have a minor issue with the chrome polish, named Push and Shove, but will discuss that later.
COLOURS
We may as well start with the colour i mentioned before, Gwen's signature shade, Over & Over A Gwen. My thoughts are OPI could not have done a Gwen Stefani collection and not included this hot red. The colour is saturated and rich, and I am yet to find any dupes for it. If you buy it in the individual packaging, you also get Swarovski elements inside to spruce up your nails.
Speaking of the packaging, the box on this one is divine. This is a total nail polish hoarders must have. Inside, you will find a booklet with nail art ideas, OPI nail glue, and the before mentioned Swarovski crystals and studs.
The next colour in the collection is OPI 4 In The Morning. This is a charcoal satin with tiny flecks of gold through it. It's very dusky, and smooth, but I found when it dries, there's definite texture. It's not a rough feel, but is definitely noticeable. To really make the gold flecks show up, I recommend putting a top coat over it to give your nails a nice finish.
Next up in the collection is OPI Hey Baby. This polish is a bright rosy pink creme. It's bold and punchy just like Gwen's Harper's Bazaar cover in 2012. The boldness looks the colour look a bit more like magenta in photo's than it is up close. It can be a hard shade to capture in photos.
OPI I Sing In Color is a vampire-esque raisin creme. It has a lot of berry in the base, which is visible on your first coat, but once the second one goes on and dries, it almost looks black. The formula of this polish is quite thin and fairly easy to control so its a breeze to apply.
OPI In True Stefani Fashion is a clear based glitter filled with small silver particles and chunky holographic pieces. The glitter is quite condensed and not so big that the brush has a hard time scooping it up so you won't need any glitter application tools with this one.
OPI Love Angel Music Baby is a translucent pale gold satin shimmer. This dries with a much smoother texture than other satin 4 In The Morning. The shimmer in this shade is striking and you can add a top coat for extra shine.
The last colour in the collection is OPI Push and Shove. This is probably the most incomparable colour in the collection as well as the most polarizing. Push and Shove is a silver chrome metallic that promises a mirror finish. It comes with an base coat, Lay Down That Base, and should be worn without top coat. This polish is intended for one night only wear.
The shade gives off a brushed metal vibe. Be careful when applying, but don't worry most brush strokes fade as the polish dries. The sad fact is that every little nail imperfection will be magnified, as evidenced in photo. If you have perfect nails, you will love this feature, but those with ridges and dents, watch out!
Now if you're like me, you are probably thinking is there something I can put under this color to make it better? I tried adding an Essie Ridge Filler under Lay Down That Base, letting each coat dry for 5 minutes before adding Push and Shove. Fail! It made the polish lumpy.
Next I tried over Nfu Oh Aqua Base, which is designed to wear under holographic polishes. Waited half hour and the color still came out streaky.
I then got curious as to what happens if you add a glitter/shimmer top coat. I found it totally dulls the finish and clouds the chrome look of the polish.
