Tried & Tested: OPI GelColor Strawberry Margarita
Last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited by OPI to be one of the first to trial the new OPI GelColor (this was also my trial for wedding nail polish – eek, it’s so close!) GelColor won’t be in salons until January, but it’s truly worth getting excited about, especially if you’re a gel polish fan.
Let’s go over the important stuff in point form so I don’t forget anything:
- While most hardening polishes (Shellac, Orly GelFX etc) are a combination of gel and polish, OPI GelColor is 100% gel
- Each layer cures in just 30 seconds – this means your right hand is dry before your left hand has even been painted. If you do the math, that’s 4 minutes curing time for an entire mani
- There are 30 shades to choose from, all of which are OPI classics – Big Apple Red, I’m Not Really A Waitress, Lincoln Park After Dark, Russian Navy, You Don’t Know Jacques, Miami Beet, Samoan Sand, Alpine Snow, and Bubble Bath, just to name a few
- Fun fact: the polish is in the iconic OPI bottle but the glass is black to stop it being activated (i.e. set) by light
- The light used is an LED light. When I was having my mani done, there was the strangest sensation in my finger tips for the first 3 seconds, and then it was fine. Perhaps my fingers were just excited
- According to OPI’s Education Director, Karon McKendrick-Taylor, you can do nail art with GelColor – you will need three coats of colour, but you can pop nail tattoos or diamantes on and then seal with the GelColor top coat. Win
- If you treat it well, GelColor can last up to four weeks (although, honestly, who wants to wear the same colour for four weeks), and even longer on toes – expect to get about two weeks though
- OPI also do Expert Touch Remover Pads, so you can take your GelColor off at home without having to go into the salon
I had my GelColor done last Thursday and since then I have been to Ikea, built furniture, carried a bookshelf from a friends house to mine (seriously), cleaned, baked, emptied my wardrobe, and built more furniture (busy weekend). Not a scratch, not a nick, not a mark – still as shiny as they were Thursday morning. In fact, the pics in this post were taken on Sunday, after already enduring most of this stress. I’m fairly confident that the polish is going to grow out before it gets damaged, and I intend to test that theory (which of course means I won’t be able to swatch anything else until it comes off – excellent planning on my part, such an awesome blogger).
Tell me, have you tried Shellac, Orly GelFX, Bio Sculpture Gel, or any other gel polish? Will you give OPI GelColor a go when it hits salons?
Soooo excited!!!!!
I’m a shellac addict! OPI sounds great! I love the fact that the colours are the OPI favs!!! I wonder what salons near me will be using OPI and if it will be more expensive than Shellac.
X thanks for the news!!!!!
I LOVE this post, I am very excited OPI have decided to do gels. I wonder if they will arty selling it in the shops? With the light activation kit selling separately? I hope so. Anyway Elise, YES I will be testing it!! X
I’ll definitely be trying – have been a shellac addict for 18 months now. The LED over UV appeals to me. Love that colour!
I’m definitely giving this one a go! I love Shellac, however OPI fave colours and only 4 minutes drying time? Win!
I have opi axxium in my salon. I love it so much and all my clients love it too last longer more shinny& I will get the gelcolors in the bottle as well. Opi gel is one of the gel u can trust.
lovely pink! I really want to try this.
OPI brand is my favourite brand where different shades of colors and desings with very good price
I’ve been using Shellac since it was first released, and I started using OPI Gel Color when my salon received it in early November. Personally, I’ve found that the OPI tends to chip a bit more easily as it’s a thinner formula. To rectify this, my manicurist has been putting slightly thicker layers which seems to be helping! So far I’ve tried Malaga Wine, You Don’t Know Jacques, I’m Not Really a Waitress, and OPI Ink. Jacques chipped the fastest and lifted a bit, Ink has lasted the best without the slightest chip or scratch!
The best part of OPI Gel Color AND Shellac existing side by side is that both are so similar in application and quality that it’s easy to go back and forth!