Seeing as how today is the official launch & premiere of Justin Bieber’s movie, ‘Never Say Never’ and as a fellow Canadian, I thought I’d bring you part of ‘The One Less Lonely Girl Collection’ that he collaborated on with Nicole By OPI. Justin has joined forces with “Pencils of Promise” (PoP) for a very worthwhile cause indeed: to build 100 schools worldwide. The collection consists of several polishes, three of which I’m showing you today and come with Nicole by OPI’s patented new ‘perfect stroke brush’; this is similar to the wide paddle-like brush but with a tapered tip, of standard OPI polishes, but closer to that of the Sally Hansen & Dior brushes. I found it somewhat odd at first as I wasn’t sure how to angle it properly, but after some usage, it did come easier. All swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat and 3 coats of lacquer, no top coat (except where noted).
‘Prized Possession Purple’ is nothing short of a royal purple! Out of the 3, this one had the easiest formula to work with and flowed well, leaving no brush strokes behind. This shade is an almost electric shade of violet with an iridescence to it; you can almost catch glimpses of a blue flash deep within and by clicking on the photo to enlarge, you can just see some delicate pink shimmer as well. In the sun, it sparkles like there’s no tomorrow, while in the shade, it still keeps a rich, almost indigo tone…..really beautiful!
I assumed that ‘Me + Blue’ would be a glittery sheer shade, but it turns out to be not only quite opaque, but it sports a rather thick formula as well; almost jelly-like. That being said, I had no application problems and it did cover well without visible brush strokes either. This is a true cerulean blue, loaded with tiny holographic glitter. It has an exceptional depth to it and in the light, the rainbow hues are particularly beautiful. I must note that it does leave a slight bumpy surface behind due to the glitter, so I would recommend a top coat to create a nice & smooth surface.
‘Me + Blue’ with Poshé top coat; note how lustrous the finish becomes.
If you’re looking for that perfect Valentine red, look no further than ‘OMB!’. This is a bright magenta-based red, with tiny glass flecked glitter particles throughout, lending it that ‘lit-from-within’ look that is just so mesmerizing. It almost seems like there’s a banked fire in its depths and when the light catches it just so, the effect is spectacular! This formula was the thickest of the three, but on the plus side, the opacity was decent and I like that it left no visible brush strokes behind. Much like ‘Me + Blue’, I would recommend a top coat to give it a smooth glassy surface, as the glitter can make it look and feel a little rough.
Once again, note how much better the surface looks with the addition of one coat of Poshé top coat.
Final thoughts: All three of these shades couldn’t be more different from each other, either in texture or colour and I like that diversity in a collection. The rather thick formulas of ‘Me + Blue’ and ‘OMB!’ were rather surprising but not unworkable; I find that sometimes a more jelly-like consistency makes it easier to fully cover the nail easier. Each shade had a unique depth to it and I can certainly see this collection appealing to a varied age group, especially the younger set! The brush takes some getting used to and even though I personally prefer a narrower brush, I like how this brush can cover the nail bed so much faster. Overall, this is a fun collection and that fact that it helps to support a great cause, makes it a win for me!
….And just for fun, here’s a shot of one of the many t-shirts they sell in Justin Bieber’s hometown of Stratford, Ontario…the theatre capital of Canada!
*Disclaimer: product samples were provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
