Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about this collection, which was a collaboration with Justin Beiber (or at least with his handlers).
Now, I know very little about Justin Beiber. I know he's the latest teen phenom. I know his fans have a tendency to be a little rabid. I know his hair drives me batshit, and I know I'm older than his mom :\ (yeah, that was a kick in the pants). However, I do know that this collection, which could have become very gimmicky, actually turned out pretty cool.
Supposedly, all these polishes have names inspired by his songs. I think I know of one Justin Beiber song, the one with Usher that has me singing "baby, baby, baby, oh" all day long, so the names seem a little foreign to me, but other than that (which is the gimmicky part), the collection is rather solid.
Give Me the 1st Dance - Silver foil metallic. Pretty standard, but this one is a little different in that the silver is a little muted. It's not a matte by any means, but it's not as flashy, as say, Orly Shine. Formula was very nice. 2 coats.
Me + Blue - Marine blue shimmer base with holo micro-glitter. When I first saw this one in the bottle, it probably was the one I was the least excited about. For one, it reminded me of a Fingerpaints glitter, which looked beautiful in the bottle, but was a total fail on the nail. Secondly, the base is a little frosty, so I was a little afraid of this being like Color Club Ms. Hautie, with the glitter getting lost in the base. Surprisingly, this polish far surpassed my low expectations. The base is very dense, so it was opaque in 2 coats. Also, while it is a bit frosty, it's also not a problem. Formula was great as well.
My Lifesaver - Blue-based mint green creme. This one wasn't in the original PR info from Nicole, so it was a complete surprise, and probably my favorite of the collection. It's a minty green (actually, probably more of a seafoam green) that actually works with my skin. Formula was a bit on the thin side. Pic is 3 coats.
OMB! - True-red foil metallic. This one really reminded me of the foil metallics in OPI's Holiday 2010 Burlesque collection, and probably it's closest match would by OPI Ali's Big Break. However, whereas Ali's Big Break was a candy apple red, OMB! is more of a true red, or even a tomato red (I know my picture leans it a bit pink, but there is no pink in it). This one is absolutely gorgeous. 3 coats.
One Less Lonely Glitter - Multi-sized, silvery-lavender, round glitter in a clear base. As soon as I put this on my nails, I fell in love. I absolutely love the color and different sizes in this glitter. 3 coats.
Prized Possession Purple - Tyrian purple shimmer with red and blue micro-shimmer. This one is practically radiant in the bottle. However, on the nail, it's a bit of a disappointment. The color is still beautiful, but the formula lacks something to be desired. I had quite a bit of trouble with drag (as show on my ring finger). Pic is 2+ coats, meaning I tried for a third, but I had so much trouble with drag, I just gave up.
Step 2 the Beat of My Heart - Holo micro-glitter and large hologram hearts (silver/pink/purple) in a thick clear base. Oh how Nicole loves her big-piece glitters. Me? I find them to be mesmerizing in the bottle, but a total PITA to apply. You have to place the big hearts and that has a tendency to make the clear base lumpy, and then if you try to smooth it out, you will move the hearts. That said, I think this is a really pretty look. I think this would look beautiful over the silver foil in this collection, Give Me the 1st Dance, or even over the top of a french mani (funky or otherwise). Of course, as it's hearts, it's perfect for Valentine's Day.
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All in all, like I mentioned above, I think this is a great collection. Yeah, the fact that it's Justin Beiber may turn some people off (or OTOH, it may make some people buy it just because), but aside from Prized Possession Purple all the colors were winners, IMO, and even that one was a pretty color, just annoying formula.
These bottles come with little hang-tags that stated "in support of Pencils of Promise. Join Justin and PoP to build 100 schools around the world". However, there's no additional info. I searched Pencils of Promise's website and Justin Beiber's website, but I didn't find any information to how this collection directly helps with this cause. Though I did find information stating that Justin Beiber is a regular contributor to PoP.
Also, as stated on the bottle, Nicole by OPI has a new brush. It's almost a cross between the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri brush and OPI's own ProWide Brush. I like it in concept, but as it's still new, it seems that they have a few kinks to work out. Some of them were perfect and then some of them were cut so wonky, it made application really tricky. Let's hope this is something that will work itself out with future releases.
From what I understand, this collection started off last month as a Walmart exclusive and should be headed to ULTA and Target next month. Nicole by OPI retails in the $7-$8 range.
These were sent to me for review
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