This is my 3rd nail paint from OPI and honestly, I was not impressed with the earlier ones. 

Yes, they are all opaque and need just 1 coat, maximum 2 but they do chip. I don't know if it just my nails or people just have a different perception about it. I didn't know why it costs 670 bucks. My 1st OPI dried up faster than a lot of cheaper brands and I had to throw it away.

This 3rd shade has changed my view. I love the color... OPI has soooooo many shades. Below shade is ski teal we drop. It is blue but a different kind of blue. I love the color and don't have anything remotely like it in my collection.

I applied this without a base or top coat and am impressed. It goes opaque in 1 coat but I have used 2 coats below. The best part is... it does not chip for 4-5 days which is impressive on my nails. Even after 1 week, there is slight chipping. Generally, nail paints start chipping on the same day or the very next day. 

670 bucks well spent. 

Will definitely add more OPI to my stash. What is left to be seen is if this will dry out as fast as the others. 

I bought the glitter nail paints from nykaa.com as soon as they were launched.
I had spotted the color of the OPI nail paint in Colorbar a year back but did not buy it because it was expensive (around 300 bucks). But when I saw the same color in OPI I bought it. In my defence, I did look for the color in Colorbar on nykaa but did not find it. Love this color.

Left to right: Maybelline color show paparazzi purple, Maybelline color show starry nights, Maybelline color show denim dash and OPI ski teal we drop.
MRP of Glitter mania range of Maybelline color show: Rs 125
MRP of denim dash: Rs 75
MRP OF OPI : Rs 670

 Starry nights

Paparazzi purple

Denim dash. It has silver shimmer in it.

Ski teal we drop

I used to get manicure pedicure done at the salon once a month but the manicure never lasted more than a week. Then I started doing it once a week at home and now don't need to go to a salon for it. Money saved... atleast 1000 bucks per month saved. 

Below is the step by step instruction with product details. I chalk out an hour for this over the weekend. 

1) Fill a bucket with hot water... not too hot... enough to be able to dip your feet comfortably in it. I have bought a round, wide bucket specially for this. 

2) Add a foot soak. There such few options in India of this. I generally use Body Shop's Peppermint Reviving foot soak but am looking for cheaper options now. MRP of this is Rs 895. Add a few crystals of the soak in the water and dip the feet in it. And also the hands. 

 3) After 10-15 mins, use a nail cutter to cut nails on toes and fingers. Then I use the attachment below to remove all the dirt from the side of my nails. It is a very helpful tool and effectively removes dirt and dead skin. I use this for my fingernails also.

4) Use a pumice stone or foot scrub like below to remove dead skin from the feet. Scrub well specially on the sides of the feet.

5) Apply a foot scrub to the feet and hands. I use Body Shop's Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot scrub priced at Rs 595. It is quite good and a little quantity goes a long way. Scrub well. 

 6) Use the smoothing foot scrub like below to clean the feet and hands. I have the one from OVS and have also used from Oriflame. Any brand should be good. Wash the feet and hands after using this and wipe them with a clean cloth.

7) Use a cuticle remover. I don't have too many cuticles but this does help in cleaning the nails. I use it only on my fingernails and not on toes. Sally Hansen cuticle remover priced at Rs 650 (I think). This bottle should last a year if used once a week. A little goes a long way. 

Apply the gel on the sides of the nails and leave on for 15 seconds. Don't keep it for very long else it will dry off making it difficult to push back.

Use a cuticle pusher to push back the gel towards the nails. Cuticles are effectively removed. Cuticle stick from Colorbar (don't remember the price).

Shown below are pushed back cuticles. Wash the nails in soapy water and wipe with a clean cloth. I clean them off with the water with foot soak.

 8) Apply foot cream and massage feet. I am using Lush fair trade foot lotion which has peppermint and feels very relaxing. Priced at Rs 970 and should easily last a year.

Apply hand cream and massage. I am using Body Shop's Vanilla Bliss. It is limited edition priced at Rs 495. I think I bought it for 50% off. Love it. The fragrance is my favorite... it is thick enough to moisturise but gets absorbed easily.

9) Use a buffer to smoothen and give nails a shine. I use Colorbar's pack of 3 nail buffers priced at Rs 350. The colored side removes ridges and the white side gives my nails a shine.

10) And now the nails are ready for a paint. The base is Sally Hansen miracle cure. I don't think this does anything special and I am trying to finish it off.

And the nails are ready for the paint. I keep my nails short and use a filer only if required.

I use a darker, neutral colour for my feet so that it does need to be changed too often. I have applied Bourjois grey nail paint on my feet.

And a bright fuschia - OPI Dim Sum Plum on my fingernails.

And last... but not the least... Inglot drying drops. The cap is a dropper. 1 drop is enough for 1 nail. This is ok types... nothing great. I went to Inglot looking for a nice drying coat and the SA recommended this. Not too happy with it.

Its done... Leaving the 2nd toe blank is not a trend... the nails have broken off and I don't want to paint baby nails. That is the picture of my happy feet.
I will tell you a secret... I hate my feet specially the toes. They are so ugly. Sigh!!!

Those are happy fingernails...

 I have only 1 OPI nail color... because it is an effort to find them. They also cost a bomb (Rs 520). Ok, I know... I buy Inglot... why not OPI? Ok, I guess I will buy more.

I love this shade. It is called Chop Sticking to my story. It is neither true orange nor true rust. Somewhere in between.

It goes on completely opaque in one coat and I love that. Only problem- it seems to have become slightly think. I am used to my nail paints lasting years. Not happy about that.

Will I re-purchase? In another shade, Yes. But, if that also becomes thick then it is a deal breaker. 

I read about the arrival for Vellvette box and ordered it in October. I received the box today and below are the contents.



The packaging is nice and sturdy. There was a ribbon tied around it. Very cute.



And the contents are:

1) Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Lotion

2) Clinic High Impact Mascara

3) Shiseido spot targeting serum

4) OPI nail color: Lincoln Park After Dark

I was sent an extra product since I was among the first 100 to order the box. Nice!!!



Shiseido spot targeting serum: I am surprised at receiving this product. I do not have brown spots and did not mention anything like that in the survey. Well, I will try it anyway. The MRP of full size product is Rs 4400 for 50 ml. The sample has 9 ml which comes to around 800 bucks.



OPI Nail color: Lincoln Park after dark: I was least excited by this product. The shade is a dark purple which looks almost black. I already have this shade and the bottle is very, very tiny. Some boxes received a full size of this product. MRP of full size is Rs 520 for 15 ml. The price of 3.25 ml comes to around 12 bucks. Need a better shade next time.



Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction body lotion: The note inside said that this product was sent as an extra for being among the first 100 to buy the box... but... all boxes have received the body lotion. Weird!!! No issues. A body lotion is more than welcome. MRP of 250 ml is Rs 810. The sample has 60 ml... price is around 200 bucks.



Clinique High Impact Mascara: I am most excited about this product. Anything from Clinique is most welcome and I love mascaras. Also, I have never purchased a mascara from this brand. Would love to try it and maybe buy one. MRP of 7 ml is Rs 1350. Sample is 3.5 ml... price around Rs 675.



I loved the notes along with each product describing it and its usage. Very well done.



Also, there are discount coupons for the full size product which can be purchased from the website. Very nice. I wonder how many conversions they have. The validity is till 30th Nov'12.



I paid 700 bucks for the box and received products worth 1700 bucks. Cool, na? I think its a great business model. The brands have received so much publicity. Everyone is writing about their box... plus customer trials AND conversions. For us, it is value for money.

I checked out other's boxes and other things received are:

1. Lush body scrub: I WANT


2. Clinique make up kit with eye shadow and blush: WANT IT SO BAD


3. Shiseido day or night cream: Better than the targeting serum


4. L'Occitane EDT: Yes!!!

Edited to add: The Clinique mascara is actually the extra and not the body lotion. Sorry for the mistake. And that makes me think- Would I have received only OPI, Shiseido and Victoria's Secret if I had not ordered early???