I love OPI nail polishes but I do find the bottles overly large and also too expensive, which is why I tend to be drawn towards the mini sets which roughly work out to be the same price as one full size OPI polish but for four mini 3.75ml bottles. They are great for someone like me that isn't loyal to any one nail polish brand (and that is also a Scrooge at heart)!
So here is my latest OPI mini set that I purchased from ASOS for £13.00 here... Now I thought I was up on all the OPI collections, however when I spotted the DS mini set I instantly presumed it was in connection with the new Designer Series that I just hadn't seen yet. But it turns out that the OPI Designer Series was released in Autumn 2008 containing 11 shades and only now have OPI created a mini set for it.
Either way I'm totally in love with this set as not only do two of the shades double up at glitter top coats as well as opaque polishes, there is a lovely deep purple shade that is ideal for wearing this season. Also these apply with easy, dry amazingly fast, have a high shine and doesn't chip easily.
OPI Coronation - 3.75ml
'A silvery platinum crowned with diamond dazzle'
This looks pretty lovely here but in person this looks even more sparkly and lovely. My camera even though it is good did fail to pick up the holographic effect which is just stunning, so it you want to see it I'd suggest you google OPI DS Coronation and find a swatch of it with flash as that really makes the holographic sparkle more noticeable. Application is a total breeze and the nails above took 3 coats.
OPI Classic - 3.75ml
'An elegant shimmer of gold beige'
This is just so chic and different from any other polish I own. The high shine on this is the most noticeable of the 4 mini polishes and like the description states it is really elegant and just beautiful on the nails. This is slightly less holographic than Coronation which isn't a bad thing as it has lots of sparkle to it. I think what I love about both this and Coronation is that they are so sparkly looking but don't have that gritty look that a lot of glittery/shimmer polishes have, they are just so smoothly and light reflective that gives a definite luxe feel to them. Again the nails took three light coats.
OPI Reflection - 3.75ml
'A rich, glowing ruby'
This is my least favourite out of the set as I just don't feel the shade suits my skin tone that well and it's just not as rich looking or that suited to Autumn. Though I could see me using this on my toes in summer or even at Christmas maybe!
This is slightly more opaque than the other two polishes above and only took two coats but applied exactly the same. It is worth noting that the shade of the polish isn't exactly like the above swatches and is slightly less vibrant in real life, though it is similar enough really.
OPI Extravagance - 3.75ml
A glittering, glamorous magenta
Oh, this is just so beautiful and I have a feeling it will be on my nails a lot this Autumn! It's rich, it's slightly holographic, it's not too dark, it's not too bright... basically it is perfect. As it has more of a contrast with the 'diamond dust' in it, it just looks really detailed and different. Just a lovely deep, rich shade... and again this is more on the opaque side and you could actually get away with one coat with this, though the above swatch is two coats.
Other stuff... Another thing I really like about these polishes is you get the effect of a sparkly, glittery polish but without the hassle of trying to remove it as it's more holographic than individual glitter particles that need to be removed. So this removes like any normal polish, woop! Also even though I'm repeating myself now, I can't express now much I love the finish of these... so light reflecting, smooth and shiny!
My only criticism would be with the packaging, now don't get me wrong I do actually like the packaging more than the cardboard packaging which can get easily bashed, but I just don't get the design going on at the top... it's conjures up images of the 60's rather than thought of the designer series. I also still think OPI really need to start individually labeling their mini polishes!
Really worth the £13 price tag in my opinion and 100% worth buying it you love a bit of sparkle on the nails.
I'm also thinking this would make an ideal gift for Birthdays and Christmas!
