Let me start out this post with I read all the Oz books & was super excited for this collection. When I first got the press release I was a bit shocked. This collection didn’t say Oz to me at all. Not only did it lean crazy neutral but there wasn’t a green in sight for either Emerald City or Theodora. I feel like the didn’t do it justice. I reviewed the Urban Decay Glinda & Theodora palettes & they were much better representations. I’m still disappointed but I did find one polish I really wanted from the beginning which is what I’ll be showing you today. I’m considering getting What Wizardry Is This? as well but for now Lights of Emerald City is what I have from this OPI collection.

OPI Lights of Emerald City- A clear base packed with shiny larger white squares & medium square iridescent glitters.

So it is really pretty right? This formula wasn’t great & I found placement a bit finicky. I really like the iridescent type glitters because they shift from gold to green to copper depending on their base. I prefer it over black but I figured I’d show it over a few brighter shades since it looks a bit more fun & that’s what I happened to be wearing.

So if I can deal with the formula goop then what’s my damage? These squares aren’t really squares…. 

Now that you can see them up close can you tell that they aren’t quite cut right? & it isn’t just a few of them either, definitely most of them. My Revlon Heavenly didn’t have this issues & I picked it up for less than half the price. Worst of all, out of the 2 glitters, the white stands out a lot more so it looks pretty apparent to me that these squares are mutants. At first I thought I got a bad bottle…but no. The PolishAholic has swatches & her white squares look the same & so does Manicurette’s swatches on her post. I’m disappointed that they clearly had an issue across the board & sent it out anyway. Again, disappointed in the Oz collection from OPI. I’ll probably still wear it but it honestly makes me angry right now so I’m putting it up for awhile.

To see what my base colors are, see my post here about the Minx nails I tried & the CND/Gelish combo I’m wearing.

From the first release I knew I wanted OPI When Monkeys Fly! which turned out to be a complete curling mess. After seeing swatched I knew I wanted OPI Lights of Emerald City & now I’m so bummed with it although the iridescent glitter is really pretty.

Have you tried this polish? What did you think of the OPI Oz Collection? Do you think it embodies the film?

When it comes to manicures, I’m usually an at home kind of gal. My nails are always chipping (I type all day & play with cosmetics which warps my polish pretty bad!) plus I’m constantly changing shades. Whether I’m swatching for the blog or popping some new nail art onto my tips I’m constantly changing things up! But sometimes…I just need a break. I’ve been swatching so much lately that my poor nails needed a break. In stepped the wonderful Stacey at the I Salon & the generous samples from Minx. Keep reading to find out my thoughts!
“Minx is for a person who loves life and enjoys standing out from the crowd. We say that ‘Minx extends fashion to your fingertips,’ and in just a few years we’ve seen Minx become a fashion necessity. Our vision is that the fashion-conscious will not feel their ensemble is complete without their Minx. Minx is such a fun and fashionable product it is hard not to fall in love with the attention you get when wearing it, and if we felt that way, we knew millions of other women would, too!”

Minx products were completely new to me before a few weeks ago & with the nail design craze I was excited to see what made them different. Minx is a professional brand (as in they are to be professionally applied) & have been popping up at fashion shows, on celebrities, & in salons across the country. I’ve tried CND at events, lots of gel polishes at home, & tons of printed nail options so of course I was all in.

Visiting Stacey at the I Salon in Omaha, Nebraska was an absolute pleasure. She was professional while still making me feel comfortable, like I was chatting like a friend. She specializes in Minx & other non-conventional manicure tools & techniques so she was a great choice! I’d had a few designs sent to her from Minx (although you would let your salon know beforehand & they’d order them under normal circumstances!) so we went about deciding what I was going to put on them!

I opted for a new design called Leah Light Superstar in Silver & then went about picking other shades to complement the design. Although many Minx designs are fully opaque this one is clear so you can choose the color beneath. It has been so dreary here that we went with some nicely bright colors (would you expect anything demure from me?) from CND & Gelish which I’ll detail below.

Purple (shown in above photos)- Gelish Star Burst
Teal- CND Hotski to Tchotchke
Blue- Gelish Ooba Ooba Blue
Orange- Gelish Orange Cream Dream
Pink- Gelish Shake It Till You Samba

Stacey applied them with a starter base, color, then topcoat which were all cured under the UV light. Then she applies & trimmed the Minx & they kind of shrink up a bit on your nails under a light. For a bit of added staying power she added another top coat & cured it. Minx nails are meant to last up to 14 days but between baking, dog grooming, general cosmetic ridiculous-ness, & typing all day I found them starting to lift at the corners after about the 5 day mark. On the 7th day I peeled the stickers off (with no damage to the nails underneath at all with the gel manicure!) & went about enjoying my plain nails. I even did some swatches of OPI Lights of Emerald City over them so you’ll be seeing those soon!

I can honestly say if I wasn’t constantly changing my nails, my mind, & my stash around that I’d wear some form of gel or shellac year round. Stacey did an awesome job & I was so happy with everything about my nails. I finally had to soak them off today after a much needed swatching break because I have so much to show you guys! I definitely want to get them put on my toes though, I don’t change them hardly ever!

I recommend shellac & gel manicures to everyone already but I am really happy to have learned more about Minx. Although I don’t think it is as long wearing they have some amazing patterns & statement designs. Everything from holiday to mirrored metallics to fun patterns. Whether you’re a nail tech looking to amp up your salon with something new or a customer looking for special occasion or seriously fun nails, Minx could definitely be for you!

A huge thanks to Minx for allowing me to try out their design & of course Stacey for applying them & manicuring my poor nails for me! You can visit the Minx website to learn more & if you happen to be looking for a great manicure in the Omaha area, check out Stacey & contact her through her facebook page or her blog!

**Minx designs & manicure were provided in hopes of review. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

I’m really enjoying these new texture polishes but this one ranks up in my favorites. While some won’t like this at all I find it completely different from anything I own. Why? Because it looks like burning volcanic rock on my nails. Embers & blackened coal. It is quite a stunning site! I’ve also swatched the OPI Liquid Sand polish in Can’t Let Go & the Zoya Pixie Dust Collection which are also texture polishes.

OPI Liquid Sand in Stay the Night- A black base with faded red/pink small glitters. They remain shiny so they are visible. This has a “Liquid Sand” finish which means it dries matte, textured, & glittery.

I bought this at ULTA after trying out one of my minis in an OPI set. I adored the fire ember effect & it is just too much fun. I think it is just so different from any of the other texture polishes so it is a bit special. I’d love to see a line for textured seasons or elements!

What do you think of this polish? Are you loving or leaving the nail polishes coming out lately with texture finishes?