I walked into Douglas on the Wednesday before Spring Break to find that it had finally arrived: the OPI Hong Kong Collection was now within reach. Released in early February but on backorder in stores nationwide, this collection is comprised of twelve new colors including staples and surprises. I was so overwhelmed! One would think that after my thorough research and arduous wait I would be prepared to purchase my favorites of the bunch, but alas I was totally torn.
I am not bragging when I say I have an extensive nail polish collection, it is simply stating a fact. How could I best utilize these awesome new colors to avoid repetition in my collection?
It is best to be methodical in situations like these. I quickly ruled out “Pearl of Wisdom” and “Bling Dynasty” as metallics that are not really my style. I longed to buy “Dim Sum Plum”, a purple pink jewel tone that would be perfect on my super short nails, but I refrained, rationalizing that it was similar to colors I already own (“Manicurist of Seville” or “Overexposed in South Beach” anyone?).
I then tackled the red-orange family, which has four colors in this collection. “Chop-sticking To My Story” is a burnt sienna color that just wasn’t for me, and I own a slew of reds already so although “Red My Fortune Cookie” was a particularly fabulous shade, it was out. After a quick test on my nails (note: ALWAYS a good idea to see if the color goes with your skin) I decided to purchase “Hot and Spicy”, a coral shade, over “A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find”. The same test helped prove that “Meet Me at Star Ferry” was not the chic dark color that it appeared to be in the bottle, but a color more appropriate for a child’s first make-up set.
I desperately needed to replace my lilac and own too many pinks so I bought “Lucky Lucky Lavender “ over “Panda-monium Pink” which is an awesome color if you need a light pink staple for your collection. I was going to stop at these two colors, but I couldn’t resist buying “Jade is the New Black”. I have never seen this particular shade of green before and it’s a bold transition color for spring.
I proceeded to the register excited about my purchases and ready to use them. The Hong Kong Collection is one of OPI’s largest and most diverse collections to date and will fulfill your every nail polish fantasy.
By Rebecca Sassoon