OPI – San Francisco Collection Fall 2013 part 2 (the coolness)

Where the first half of my OPI San Francisco Collection focused on the warmer shades (reviewed here), today’s post is all about the cooler group – shades that reflect the more mysterious and even moody side of this fabled city. So many images come to mind when picturing San Francisco – the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars, architecture, Fisherman’s Wharf, seals basking on the piers, fires, earthquakes, hippies, mist, rolling hills – and in some magical fashion, OPI found a way to distill all these essences (and more) into bottles of nail polish. Pure genius, I tell you.

Alcatraz Island – one of San Francisco’s most famous & infamous landmarks (source)

OPI The San Francisco Collection – part 2

Peace & Love & OPI – a multi-tonal & multi-chrome hue displaying purple, pink, grey and green flashes of colour with an overall iridescent shimmery sheen. The formula was exceptionally easy to work with and any visible brush strokes are perfectly camouflaged by this shade’s glimmering surface. Like draping your nails with dragonfly wings (which sounds pretty creepy, but that’s how I see it!). Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Peace & Love & OPI

OPI San Francisco Collection – Peace & Love & OPI (indirect light)

Dining Al Frisco – an intense sky blue shade with pearlized shimmer and some sparse larger blue glitter flecks throughout, bearing a slivery sheen at some angles, which can make this colour sometimes look a touch frosty. The formula is of a medium-thick density, although still easy to work with but you do need a steady hand in application to keep visible brush strokes to a minimum. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Dining Al Frisco

Haven’t The Foggiest – a silver metallic/foil hue with grey/charcoal undertones, in a mid-thick formula that applies in a self-levelling way and dries super fast (you do need to work quickly). Its ultra-pigmented nature almost makes this a 1-coater if you load up your brush thickly enough, and the final finish is brilliantly reflective – a silver colour that should suit all skin tones. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Haven’t The Foggiest

OPI San Francisco Collection – Haven’t The Foggiest (indirect light) *the touch of pink reflected here is from my clothing*

Muir Muir On The Wall – a beautiful paradox: a mid-sheer grey (yes, you read correctly – grey) base with burgundy/wine undertones, filled with violet and bronze ultra-fine shimmer that offers a multi-tonal effect. Effortless formula to apply, laying down in a self-levelling way and with a glossy shine at the finish, there’s a slight dusty look to this hue, while also coming off as deeply brooding, vampy & drop-dead sexy. LOVE! Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Muir Muir On The Wall

Keeping Suzi At Bay – a colour saturated cobalt/royal blue shade in a crème-jelly hybrid formula that bears amazing pigmentation and a superior flow. Self-levelling and with an ultra glossy shine at the finish, there was no staining left behind upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Keeping Suzi At Bay

Incognito In Sausalito – a decadently lush navy crème hue with some jelly-esque qualities to the formula – insanely easy to apply, self-levelling, highly colour saturated and leaving behind an über-glassy shine. While dark, I love how it stays shy of actually looking black and manages to retain its deep blue tones. Relatively non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

OPI San Francisco Collection – Incognito In Sausalito

Last word: There’s a common theme that runs through this grouping: nature. Elemental and soothing, yet filled with movement and light, these shades all manage to capture the climate & culture that is San Francisco. The attention-grabber here is obviously ‘Peace & Love & OPI’, but my heart belongs to ‘Muir Muir On The Wall’, with ‘Haven’t The Foggiest’ running close on its heels. While ‘Dining Al Frisco’ is not my personal cup of tea, I can still admire its azure-ness (not a word, but it fits), while ‘Keeping Suzi At Bay’ and ‘Incognito In Sausalito’ are beautifully rounded out shades and should be staples in one’s varnish collection.

Stay tuned for my conclusion of this collection coming soon – the three new Liquid Sand lacquers.

The OPI San Francisco Collection should have already started trickling into stores – you can follow via their website, twitter/facebook for all updates.