Every woman dreams of being beautiful, and at the same time putting in a minimum of effort. When it comes to nails, there are several options to get them perfect, and each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages. The easiest thing is to use regular Opi nail polish.
With it you can quickly paint and dry your nails without special equipment or materials. But this coating has one big drawback. It lasts for a couple of days, depending on the lifestyle of the owner, as a result of which, for a beautiful manicure, it is necessary to repaint your nails very often.
You can extend your nails using gel or acrylic. The manicure will be glossy, without chips or cracks for several months. The extension process lasts several hours, and in order to remove the gel, you need to cut it off, which significantly damages the nail plate.
The best option is to use shellac. It applies like regular varnish, only each layer is dried in a special lamp. This coating does not lengthen the nail plate, but it lasts for several weeks.
In order for the coating to last longer without much harm to the health of the nails, you need to choose the right shellac. It is better to pay attention to high-quality well-known brands, for example, opi gelcolor.
OPI Success Story
The fair sex owes the appearance of this company to George Schaeffer.
In 1981, he bought out an unprofitable enterprise that produced products for dental clinics. At that time, the same material was used for nails and teeth, so the company also received orders from nail salons.
But the quality of such material left much to be desired. Then a talented chemist invited to the company changed the acrylic formula. The new substance was offered to nail salons to try, and the work was a success.
Initially, the company was called Odontorium Products Inc, then they began to use an abbreviation, which became very famous. Today, Opi occupies more than 50% of the market share in the nail industry, has spread to 95 countries around the world, establishing itself as a high-quality and safe brand.
George's wife's sister made a significant contribution to the success of the company. The brand's art director, Susie Weiss Fishman, became a genius in choosing colors.
Thanks to her impeccable taste, the Opie brand has achieved unprecedented heights in nail art. It is worth noting the interesting, unusual names for the color palette that Susie Weiss comes up with herself.
Opie produces not only varnishes and gelcolors, but also professional nail care products. Cosmetic products include moisturizing and softening creams, masks and scrubs, massage lotions, and rejuvenating hand serums.
The tools are represented by a variety of pushers, nippers, cuticle sticks, and files of varying abrasiveness. Particular attention can be paid to the highest quality kolonka hair brushes, which are hand-assembled in Germany.
Tips for beginners
If you are planning to use shellac for the first time and are lost in the range of products, go to the official website of the manufacturer and read reviews about the product and the brand itself. You can also chat with manicurists and hear their opinions and reviews about OPI products.
Before using OPI varnishes and related products, you must carefully read the instructions, as well as find out expiration dates and possible warnings for use. You should start working with shellac yourself with simple and uncomplicated designs, using a basic palette of shades and gradually complicating the work.
Features of the released collections
Not all shellacs can boast such an abundance of colors and shades.
Opie regularly updates its color palette, approximately 9 times a year. At the moment there are more than 60 collections and 300 shades.
The reason for a new collection can be a country, a famous person, a change of season, an important event or a new film release.
For example, one of the latest collections is dedicated to the Disney film “Alice Through the Looking Glass.”
It includes eight shades and one set of four mini polishes. The names of the colors entice you to try one of them:
- Sky blue "Icy look"
- Pearly “Your Majesty!”
- Wine "What happened to the hatter?"
- Creamy lilac “Outfit for all occasions”
- Azure blue "Fearless Alice"
- Sparkling Gold "Escape Through the Looking Glass"
- Red "Big Head Day"
- Fuchsia shade "for madness's sake"
Also inspired by such films as “Burlesque”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “OZ the Great and Powerful”, the sequel to the Bond film “Skyfall”.
Limited collections were released dedicated to the famous anime character Hello Kitty, the acclaimed film “50 Shades of Grey,” and the anniversary of the Ford Mustang.
Famous bottles reflect such cities and countries as Russia, Germany, India, Texas, New Orleans, Hong Kong, Moscow, France, India, San Francisco.
Famous fashionistas
The undeniable quality of this brand makes it attractive not only to ordinary fashionistas; many famous beauties use its products:
- Madonna used a creamy pink polish in the shade “Italian Love” for her wedding to Englishman Guy Ritchie.
- Reece Witherspoon fell in love with this brand on the set of the comedy Legally Blonde
- Janet Jackson sticks to her favorite color “Big Red Apple” at the Academy Awards
- Sarah Michelle Gelar, better known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, gives her preference to "Fog Over Malaysia"
Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Uma Thurman, Cameron Diaz and many others. No matter how picky a fashionista is, she will definitely choose the right color for herself.
The price, of course, differs from other brands, but is quite acceptable. It’s so nice to get at least a little closer to your favorite actress or singer, and stand on the same level with her in nail art.
Are there really any disadvantages?
Of course, like any other product, there will be certain disadvantages to OPI polishes. But most of them will be directly related to the high quality of the products, as well as the popularity of the brand itself.
- The first and most striking disadvantage is the incredible number of fakes. The fact is that due to the popularity of this company, the number of fake varnishes is increasing. You need to be very careful when purchasing it. It must be done either through a trusted online resource or in branded stores. You should absolutely avoid buying at markets, especially at a reduced price. If the cost of a bottle does not exceed 150 rubles, then there are reasons for concern. In this case, you may be offered either a low-quality varnish that is sold under a well-known brand, or a product whose expiration date has long passed. A real high-quality branded polish from OPI cannot cost such ridiculous money. This is not a lottery based on luck, and such discounts do not exist. The brand knows the value of its creations, so it does not give out such gifts.
- The very cost of the original brand. The line will be considered one of the most famous, but also one of the most expensive products. The high price is a consequence of the excellent quality of the products. This is also evidenced by the fact that a huge number of representatives of the fair sex throughout planet Earth choose this particular remedy. Preference is also given to him by masters who have been working in the nail art system for many years.
- The high price is also justified by constant innovative developments, which naturally will subsequently be included in the price of the product. But this is more of a neutral point than a negative, since every year OPI pleases its fans.
What is gelcolor and how to use it?
According to the manufacturer, gelcolor opi is not a hybrid of regular varnish and gel, like shellac, it is pure gel in a bottle.
Due to the absence of varnish in the composition, the coating is much stronger than ordinary shellac.
It has a number of advantages:
- Having no varnish component, such a gel is not susceptible to chips and cracks.
- No need to file the nail before applying
- Removed with a special product by soaking the nails for 15 minutes
- A large palette of shades, repeating the color scheme of OPI varnishes. They can be mixed with each other, and this will not affect the quality of the coating.
- The handle of the brush is made in such a way that it will be comfortable for any hand.
- Narrow bottle prevents drying out
- The composition contains natural silk and amino acids
- The bottle contains diamond dust, which makes the nails sparkling and iridescent.
- Does not contain formaldehyde and toluene
- Due to the fact that the colors of the varnish are duplicated in the gel, you can easily correct the overgrown part of the nail by simply painting it with varnish of the same color.
There is nothing complicated in using gelcolor; it can be applied even at home.
To achieve the best effect, it is advisable to use only branded materials:
- Opi's antiseptic is also available in three versions. Spray "Nas 99"
must be used to disinfect hands and nails; it is especially convenient to spray tools. Contains a component that prevents the appearance of fungus. In addition to its disinfecting properties, it degreases your hands, which makes the application of gelcolor better.
Hand gel “Swiss hand guard”
disinfects and disinfects the skin of the hands. Helps regenerate small cuts and abrasions, anesthetizes the cuticle.
Liquid soap "Swiss blue"
blue color gently cleanses the hands of the master, leaving a polymer layer that protects hands for 8 hours from chemicals. Thanks to the silicone content, hands do not become slippery.
- Avoplex ExfoliatingCuticleTreatment cuticle softener
- Primer for connecting the natural nail plate with the coating. Bondex "Acrylic Bonding Agent" is an absolutely safe product that has no analogues.
There is a second option in the line, Bonedex-2. It not only provides maximum grip, but also strengthens the nails thanks to the copper it contains.
There is also BondAid clutch conditioner. It not only promotes adhesion, but also restores the acidity level of the nail and is suitable for any artificial materials. It is best used for gelcolor.
- Base coat
- Top coat and Matte top coat. These two coatings have no difference in application, just one of them creates a glossy shine, and the other a matte surface
- Lint-free “Expert Touch Nail Wipe” wipes are indispensable for removing the sticky layer
- Branded LED lamp. The LEDs in it are located in such a way that you can polymerize nails on your entire hand at once. Thanks to this lamp, drying will take a minimum of time
- Moisturizing and nourishing oil for nails and cuticles “Avoplex Oil”
Compound
The composition of gel polishes is another important advantage. The manufacturer selects high-quality components and pigments and does not skimp on production. Gels from this company do not harm the natural nail plate and contain strengthening components. Opi's gel polishes are also recognized as hypoallergenic, meaning there is no risk of harm to health.
Attention! Hypoallergenic properties do not apply to rubber products.
White mother of pearl
In addition to the main components, gel polishes contain:
- amino acids that have a positive effect on nails;
- particles of natural silk, prolonging the wear of the bright coating.
Products from the Designer Collection are especially popular among craftsmen and shellac lovers. The colors in this series are distinguished by unusual metallic shades. This effect is achieved by adding “diamond pollen”.
Delicate pink
