Well hello there buddy (does anyone else watch Old Time Hawkey on Tiktok, no I’m not getting distracted in the first sentence). Yes, we have had another little pause here in posting, but I’m back and feeling better than ever. See, what has kept my brain absolutely occupied for the past few weeks was an absolute MASSIVE destash of my nail polish collection. The first TRUE big destash of my entire collection in my 9 years of blogging. That’s correct, instead of making it easy on myself and continually moving polish in and out, I instead waited until it was taking over every facet of the bedroom and then paused every other ongoing project in my life and tackled this. Yes, it’s obviously a great strategy.

But I did it! And I managed to destash half of my collection (it’s a very large number that I’m embarrassed to say but it’s a LOT). So okay yes, there are still boxes in front of my closet, but they’re now filled with polishes just waiting to go to a new home. If you’re at all interested (and are in the US, I’m so sorry international friends, shipping is just too hard and risky) definitely check out my destash page at @GingerlyPolishDestash, or my big ass Google doc to see all of the polishes I have available. I was practically frothing at this opportunity to create another spreadsheet.

But with it, my desk is starting to become visible and usable again, instead of every square inch being covered, with me sliding polishes around to create the tiniest little space to swatch. It’s now only filled with untried polishes, and the goal of eventually cleaning it off and having a fully open surface again has me extra motivated to swatch. (That and me getting way too into bullet journal videos and now organizing my every movement into 3 different notebooks. I’m already taking far too long to start so I won’t get too into it, but inside of those notebooks I’ve set myself up on a strict content calendar, and I hope soon you can see the results).

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So enough yapping (jokes on you, I’ll never stop yapping at the beginning of my posts), and let’s get on it, starting with a new OPI review. If you’ve at all been a consistent reader, you’ve heard me say that it’s never a new polish season until I swatch up an OPI collection. And this sweet little OPI spring collection has just been waiting for its moment to shine, and is just perfect for a “new beginning”.

Let’s look at OPI SPRING. I know the season itself is well underway, but we’re catching up here!! We have to swatch spring before we can even think about summer! So yes, this is the OPI ‘OPI’m Dreaming’ collection for Spring 2025. For this seasonal release, we’re once again getting both regular lacquer and Infinite Shine shades – a trend OPI has been on since fall of last year. We have 12 regular lacquer shades and then 12 Infinite Shine shades – so 24 shades to kick off spring (OPI is here to make me WORK in each new collection). In this current post we’ll be looking at the regular lacquer shades, and later on you’ll get the matching Infinite Shine post.

OPI describes these shades as “a collection of buildable shimmery sheer pastels that’ll nail your wildest dreamzZz from head to toe”. Z’s aside, I found that to be a very accurate summary. We truly do have 12 sheer pastels full of dense shimmer. But don’t let “sheer pastels” make you click off just yet because these formulas did pleasantly surprise me. Unless you’re looking for bold, full colors, then yes you can scamper off. This is a specific look and vibe that we have going on with all of these shades, and if you love that look, you’ll be in heaven here.

I always love picking up my OPI shades from either PolishPick or BeyondPolish, both of which I’ve shopped from for years. (If shopping from Beyond Polish you can use code GingerlyPolished for 10% off individual items. It’s an affiliate code, so I would earn a little kickback with each sales – never any pressure to use it! I just want to pass along some savings).

So whew, we’re finally getting on into the swatching! (and blogging again!)

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This collection is bookended with 2 white shimmer shades, so let’s start right out with the softest color of all. Our first end is the “bolder”, more true white, and it’s called ‘Hands in the Clouds’. It’s a shimmery white base filled with silver shimmer as well as larger silver glitters all throughout, which gives it a pearly look.

This one starts us right out positively and pleasantly surprises me with it’s pigment. With it being a white base, I was expecting a more uneven application, but this built up so well with just 2 coats. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll have heard I have extremely ridged nails (it’s not medical, I promise, I’ve had these all my life) – so I often need a 3rd coat where others won’t. This is one of those times – if you have smooth nails, you’ll be set with just 2 coats, while I added a 3rd to cover any last ridges. But either way, those were 3 easy coats. This is also a more approachable pearl finish, with no obvious brushstrokes and a glowy shimmery finish.

Hands in the Clouds – Live Swatch

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‘Reocurrin’ Gleam’ really embodies that description above of “pastel shimmers”. It starts with a white base with just the tiniest touch of a cool ballet pink to it. We have multiple shades like this that can look similar, where they start with a white base and have different soft undertones of color to them.

This was our 2nd very light color, and with that pastel shimmer descriptor, I was again expecting a sheer and uneven application. But it built up so well, and this one felt thicker than other lighter shimmers OPI has released in the past (can you tell I was traumatized before). I was able to get this fully opaque and smooth in just 3 thinner coats and it would be truly fitting for those last weeks where it shifts from 70 degrees one day down to 40 the next.

Reoccurrin’ Gleam – Live Swatch

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Okay, yes, I hear those of you holding onto the slim idea that there will still be more color in this collection, and look you were right! We’re taking a little detour from “pastel shimmers” with some brighter color. This shade is ‘Keep it Surreal’ and it’s a warm toned orange with a bright pink shimmer running throughout. In my swatch videos it’s pulling much more orange, but that pink shimmer helps pull it on over to a more coral look.

Even though this is a “brighter” color, it still has that squishier formula so I still built it up with 3 thin coats. Each of those coats was smooth and even, so it could be worn at any number of coats, from a more sheer “your nails but better” look to full opacity. It’s bright, but slightly muted, so it can still make it in under the theme.

Keep It Surreal – Live Swatch

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You’re not tired of color yet, don’t worry, there’s another pop here. It even has “pop” in the name! This is ‘Beauty School Popout’ and it’s a bright creamsicle yellowy orange base filled with a golden shimmer. It just feels like the sun on your face of those first warmer days after months of winter.

And again these shades have been impressing me with their formulas! I think I was truly still traumatized from OPI’s previous Summer 2023 collection, with those terrible shimmers. But it’s been 2 years now, I can finally let them go. Especially because instead of uneven applications, with these we have an easy 2 coats. Just look at that smooth finish! It’s so gorgeous and I’m so glad I can recommend these.

Beauty School Popout – Live Swatch

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Listen, listen, if that was too much color for you, we’re back to the soft shades. This is ‘Mirror Mirror on the Awe’ and this is much like ‘Reocurrin’ Gleam’ above, but instead with a few drops of a peachy orange to that white base. It’s warmer than our other off-white shades so far, helped out by that golden orange shimmer.

You can see it in the swatch video as that first coat paints on so well, and even on my ridged nails I had smooth applications. Most will be set with just 2 coats, with me adding that 3rd coat to fully cover any of my ridges peeking on through. Another smooth finish!

Mirror Mirror on the Awe – Live Swatch

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Next up we have ‘AppointMINT Confirmed’, and I was also confirmed because I love anything minty green (now that was a reach). This is a soft cooler toned green shade with a golden shimmer. Again that gold makes it feel a little warmer on the nails, and you can truly never go wrong with a green and gold combination.

This shade paints on well with just 2 coats, with that mint green color really coming through after the 2nd coat.

AppointMINT Confirmed – Live Swatch

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Okay, you liked that mint green, so you’re ready for another POP of color. We’re onto ‘Reality Check Ya Out’ and this one is our transition from the greens on into the blues. This is a more muted, almost dusty turquoise base with a bright matching shimmer. Like ‘Keep It Surreal’, it has more color but it’s still more muted, so we’re really covering every step of color and pigment without ever getting too bright and bold.

It’s with these more “pigmented”, brighter shades that you can notice that sheerer formula. But just like the others still, with smoother nails it still built up with just 2 coats–or 3 coats with a thinner application. It paints on smoothly, so I think the more sheer formula just helps keep that softer finish.

Reality Check Ya Out – Live Swatch

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Okay, I’m sorry that was too much color! Let’s pull it back again! This is ‘Air We Go’ and see, airy. This is a light aqua blue shade – not as light in color as ‘Reocurrin’ Gleam’ or ‘Mirror Mirror on the Awe’, but more on the levels of ‘AppointMINT Confirmed’. There are 3 levels of color intensity in this set and this one is level 2. We also have more of that golden shimmer running throughout. There aren’t many truly cool toned shades in this set.

Since we’re back to a lighter based shade, this did take me the 3 coats to fully build it up. But as always, if you have smoother nails, you can get there with just 2 coats.

Air We Go – Live Swatch

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And now some level 3 color. This is ‘Happy Play-ce’ and right after I said it was a warm toned collection, we do get this one cooler moment. Playing in my face. Play-cing in my face? Anyways, this is a softer cooler toned blue filled with a bright blue aqua shimmer.

This one was more sheer than the others, being more jelly-like than the dense shimmers we’ve been seeing. It does match with the next shade, so it’s not a full random departure. But I did find that with this one I still had nail line peeking through even after 3 coats – you can see it more at different angles, especially on my pinky nail. That dense shimmer isn’t there to add coverage.

It did go on evenly with each coat, so I wasn’t mad at the more sheer formula – you can wear it at any level, but overall it’s just not my personal preference for a shade like this! With this gorgeous of a blue and shimmer, I wanted something more opaque – especially after the lovely previous formulas we’ve been having. But as always, it’s not about what I like, it’ll be your own final decision on this one!

Happy Play-ce – Live Swatch

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We get on into purple with the most purple name there is, ‘Grape Escape’. This shade is a warmer purple jelly base with that same blue shimmer as ‘Happy Play-ce’ above. Like I mentioned, they’re a little pair.

Also like ‘Happy Play-ce’, this was that same more sheer and jelly-like formula. But I found it was more opaque and covered my nail line with 3 thinner coats. Again an even finish overall, and I do love the softness of this shade. I did prefer this one a little more because of that opacity, but I was missing that dense shimmer we had been so used to all throughout the collection.

Grape Escape – Live Swatch

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But it brought me back IN with this next gorgeous moment. This is called ‘Case of Glamnesia’ and I think that phrase means “forgetting about our embarrassing beauty choices we’ve made, especially in our younger years” (Maybe I’m flashing back to how much foundation middle school CAKED on). But we’re in the present now, and this polish is absolutely NOT a bad choice. This is a clear base just jam-packed with subtle, scattered holographic sparkles. Like this whole collection, it’s a softer look, but then when sunlight hits it’ll just come alive.

Because it’s a dense sparkle in that clear base, it can be more sheer going on at first. That means it can be gorgeous as 1 coat over any shade for a topper. I was also able to build it up to full opacity with 3 coats. And it’s just STUNNING. As a lover of bold holographic looks, I was surprised at how much this one got me! I loved the suspended look that clear base gives those glitters, and it’s a perfect way to add just a little more pizazz onto your nails.

Case of Glamnesia – Live Swatch

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Last but certainly not least, we end with ‘Welcome to Your Whirl’. Now that’s a nice message. As mentioned way at the beginning, we bookend this set with the other off-white shimmer. This one is instead much cooler and an almost dove gray base filled with the same golden shimmer.

And we end with another lovely formula that pleasantly surprised me with its opacity. Most will be good with just 2 coats, while I added a 3rd to smooth out any ridges peeking through. I really ended up enjoying this one, even though it can feel a little more wintery on the nails – but that’s very fitting for a Midwestern spring as well.

Welcome to Your Whirl – Live Swatch

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There’s the set! Overall I really enjoyed the theme, with every shade feeling cohesive and like they were meant to all go together. The formulas also pleasantly surprised me. Even though we were prepared for pastel shimmers, they were so smooth and built up so well All were opaque in 2-3 coats (the exception being ‘Happy Play-ce’) and were just gorgeous on the nails.

In the end, for this set it’ll come down to your own preferences. If you like a softer look, you’ll enjoy these shades. But if you’re looking for more bold color and finishes, this won’t be for you. I always appreciate any mainstream brand trying something different for a seasonal release, so I loved a little something different for a spring release.

What do you think of these shades?

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Upcoming Posts
Essie Be Them All collection • Glam Polish Equestria collection • Mooncat Baroquen collection • Holo Taco Off the Deep End collection • NYX x Minecraft collection

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