Well HELLO there! You know what time it is. I think I say this every single time and every single season, but it’s the most exciting time of the year because we’re looking at A NEW OPI COLLECTION. Listen, I’ll say it straight out, OPI collections are always the most popular posts on my blog, so I know you’re all as excited about them as I am. And this one has a full range of bright summery colors that cover a whole shimmery rainbow.
This is the ‘Power of Hue’ collection for Summer 2022 from OPI. It’s our traditional 12 bottle release, and as always I grabbed this from my favorite nail polish supply shop, polishpick.com. Check it out and as always, let her know I sent you. Of course, we have a lot of shades to talk about, so really let’s just get right into it, you’ve been waiting for long enough. I’m not even rambling for once, I’m just letting the photos speak for themselves to bring you in, and then from there decide on individual formulas. ONTO THE SWATCHES.
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Now for all 12 of these shades, none are straight up creams. All of these have some sort of shimmer and glitter to them – from a subtle fine glitter flash, to scattered glitters to larger glitter flakes. This is a shimmer collection, so if you want these colors and just a cream formula, this is not the collection. Just getting that right out there. I do love different formulas and a theme for a mainstream brand, so I wasn’t mad at OPI trying something new. Alright, into the individual shades.
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Alright, up first we have a quad of pink shades. And starting out that lineup, we have ‘Sugar Crush It’. This is the lightest and most “ballet pink” of the shades, and it has delicate iridescent flakes all throughout.
I got this pretty well opaque with 2 – using a 2nd thicker coat. Though with my very ridged nails I did end up using a 3rd coat on a couple nails that had some patches. But I think most will be good with just 2 coats.
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Next up we have ‘Pink BIG’. The shade right after this one looks very similar, and is the same depth of color – this one is the more fuchsia and cooler-toned of the two. This one is filled with silvery holographic glitters all throughout.
This felt a touch more like a jelly formula with those sparkles suspended all throughout. Even with that squish, this was pretty well opaque in 2 coats for me – though depending on your application and if you have longer nails, you might want a 3rd to cover any last nail line. I also noticed this one, along with a handful of other shades in the collection dry with a more satin matte finish – not sure if it’s the brighter pigments used or what – but a good coat of top coat will really bring out that sparkle. It’s not a super quick drying matte shade, so you have plenty of time to work with it, like a normal cream formula.
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Now for that last shade’s brighter, more warm-toned pair, this is ‘Exercise Your Brights’. It’s an almost bright coral pink shade with flecked pink glitter all throughout.
It was definitely a little uneven on the 1st coat, and I was able to get most nails opaque with a 2nd. Though I did have some patches on some nails that I covered with a 3rd so again, it’ll depend on your own application. And again, just like the previous shade, and you can see in the photos, it dries with a more satin matte finish, so top coat to really bring out the sparkle and shine.
Exercise Your Brights – Live Swatch
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Now for the very last of the pinks, and with one that transitions us on into the oranges so beautifully. This is ‘Sun-rise Up’ and it’s a peachy, almost coral pink shade with golden orange shimmer all throughout. I will say that shimmer is a touch subtle on the nails, so I always wish it was a little more prominent, but that’s a minor complaint.
Once again, an uneven 1st coat, and pretty well opaque with a 2nd though I did have some nails that I added a 3rd. You know the drill – it’ll depend on your own application. But of course I’ll be honest and say this was a touch more uneven and sheer than I’ve noticed normally with OPI cream formulas.
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Now we continue on along the rainbow with ‘The Future is You’. This is a peachy orange, almost slightly beige shade. It definitely pulls more peachy on my own nails and undertones, but on others it can look more orange or beige-y.
This one was more opaque than previous shades, and it easily covered in 2 coats with no issues for me. Super smooth and the lovely OPI cream formula I’ve come to know.
The Future is You – Live Swatch
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And of course we need a TRUE BRIGHT ORANGE in the lineup. This is ‘Mango For It’, a true bright tropical orange base with tons of golden shimmer all throughout.
Again, a little more sheer and uneven on the 1st coat, but I was able to get it opaque with 2 coats. And again, you know the drill, it’ll depend on your application – you might need a 3rd for any last visible nail line. Like the brighter pink shades above, it also dried with a more satin matte finish.
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Logically, of course, we move right onto the yellow. This is ‘Bee Unapologetic’ (I do love that name), and it’s a bright lemon yellow shimmer shade.
This one did feel the most squishy and jelly-like of the bunch, so it was a little more sheer on the 1st coat. It was pretty well opaque with 2 – though this is one that definitely needed 3 on my super ridged nails. If your nails are smooth, you should be good with just 2.
Bee Unapologetic – Live Swatch
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Did you guess it was time for green? Well it’s time for green, and it just might be a contender for favorite of the collection. This is ‘Make Rainbows’ and it’s a bright lime green shade with an aqua blue shimmer to it – again a touch subtle on the nails and I would have loved to see more of it.
Another that was a little sheer and uneven on the 1st coat, but fully covered with the 2nd with no issues. Super smooth and lovely and a great formula on this one.
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Rounding out the collection we have 4 shades, in a pair of blues and a pair of purples.
Up first let’s look at our blues. This one is ‘Sky True to Yourself’, and it’s the lighter of the 2. This is a bright sky blue shade (sky true, sky blue, I see what they’re doing here) with just the tiniest touch of green to it – and large scattered silvery blue flakey shimmer all throughout.
Now in my swatch video I was able to get this fully opaque with 2 thicker coats but we all know it’ll depend on your application. On nails where I was doing thinner coats, I definitely needed 3 coats. So this one has a thinner formula than I would have liked overall. It’s a gorgeous shade, but as always depends on your own preferences.
Sky True to Yourself – Live Swatch
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The other contender for my favorite of the collection is this BEAUTY. This is our other blue and it’s called ‘Feel Bluetiful’ and you know, I WILL, OPI, THANK YOU. This is a bright, warm-toned almost turquoise shade with gorgeous golden shimmer to it.
This was luckily more opaque and after a thinner first coat, I was able to get it fully opaque with just 2 coats. Super smooth and easy to paint on. And like the other more flakey shimmer shades of the bunch, it does dry with a more satin matte finish. So a top coat will really bring out that sparkle and shine.
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Now we finish on up with our purples. This is ‘Don’t Wait, Create’ and it’s the lighter of the 2, and it’s a warm toned lilac base with scattered silvery flakey shimmers all throughout.
Annnnnd again a little more sheer of a formula than I would have liked unfortunately. Not completely unworkable, but really, a little below the standard than I’m used to with OPI. I got it opaque on some nails with a 2nd thicker coat floated on, but for most nails it was still uneven and needed a 3rd coat. Again, not the worst, but I have high standards for OPI at this point.
Don’t Wait, Create – Live Swatch
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And we’ve made it to the end! – of the rainbow, and the collection. Last but certainly not least we have ‘Go to Grape Lengths’, and this is a deeper and cooler toned grape purple shade with bright blue shimmer all throughout.
A broken record here, it had a more uneven 1st coat, but a 2nd coat easily covered and fully smoothed it all out. This formula felt thicker than the others – so it was easy to control on the nails even when doing thicker coats. And like others it does dry with that more satin matte finish – so you know the drill, add a top coat if you really want the sparkle to pop.
Go to Grape Lengths – Live Swatch
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And WHEW, we made it all along the rainbow! This was a collection of some bright and truly summery shimmery shades. If you love glitter and shimmer, you’ll be fully satisfied here. There were some shades that I just felt could have had more pigmented and opaque formulas – just based on my high standards for OPI formulas over the years. And if you don’t love shades that dry more satin matte, well, maybe not your collection. But a coat of top coat is a quick little addition to really bring out the sparkle.
What do you think of these shades?
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Orly Pop! Summer 2022 • Glam Polish Cosmic Holos Collection • China Glaze Jurassic World Summer 2022 • Essie Summer 2022 • LA Colors Boho Chic Collection • Pleasing Shroom Bloom Collection
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The last five are all begging me to buy them. Soon, my little friends. Soon.
The rest? Meh. Other companies have put out similar but better colors, IMHO.
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Those last 5 polishes are truly stunning, I was a big fan of the latter half of the set as well! Definitely interesting finishes for OPI and I like them picking a them and sticking with it through a range of shades, but so understandable that some could be a touch better!
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