We’ve truly hit that point in December where my brain is just elevator music. There is nothing happening up there, and I have no motivations – hence this post coming out later than I planned (and all posts on the blog really). This is just true laying down time, there are no thoughts, head is empty. But every so often, there are signs of brain waves, and I must ride them for as long as I can. We must work through as much of the stack of blog posts just WAITING while the motivation is kicking.
So let’s FINALLY get this review up, shall we?
I’m always so excited for a new nail polish season, because it means revealing a new OPI seasonal release. OPI will always have a special place in my heart – and my blog as the brand regularly pulls in the highest views. They’ve had some absolutely stunning releases throughout the years, so I always look forward to what they’re coming out with next.
And our newest release we’re looking at today is the ‘Terribly Nice’ collection for Winter 2023. (Terribly nice is how I hope others describe me really). This is the classic 12 piece collection, and then as they tend to do for their holiday releases, we have 2 additional glitter shades. So that’s right, FOURTEEN polishes to look at today! This is a set of so much shimmer and sparkle and glitter – and 2 creams. There’s some classic metallics and shimmers, as well as a unique little finish, look at OPI experimenting over here! A little something for everyone here.
As always, my favorite place to purchase new OPI shades is polishpick.com. They still have the best prices and incredibly fast shipping. Beyond Polish also has the set, and if you’re shopping on their website you can use code GINGERLYPOLISHED for 10% off individual items (it is an affiliate code so I would get a lil commission, thank you to everyone who supports but no pressure to use it at all!)
ALRIGHT, you’ve been waiting long enough. Now let’s dive on into the swatches already!
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Up first, we’re starting right out with the pink and working our way down the rainbow. This is ‘Blame the Mistletoe’, and it’s a bright fuchsia shimmer shade. It’s so glowy and metallic on the nails, and really a good little intro to get us into the holiday spirit if you’re not here for those traditional reds.
This one had a 2 coat formula, with the 2nd coat deepening up the color on the nails and covering any last patches. It’s more metallic, but I didn’t notice any brushstrokes as it dried. Overall it painted on smoothly and easily.
Blame the Mistletoe – Live Swatch
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Next up we get to 1 of just 2 creams in this set – again if you’re a cream lover this hasn’t been your year from OPI. This one is ‘Rebel With a Clause’ and it’s that perfect Santa red. It’s blue toned and so saturated on the nails, that cherry red that is everywhere during the holidays. If you’re missing that shade for any and all Christmas nail art, this will fill in.
I’ve noticed that each brand has certain color that they just always excel at, and OPI absolutely has their red formula down. This was practically opaque in just 1 coat – though of course I always do 2 coats with every nail swatch. It paints on so smoothly and pigmented, and just gives such a gorgeous statement look on the nails. And I loved this red even more because it didn’t stain my cuticles at all with cleanup. It’s not messy, and won’t cause issues with removal. Stunning all around!
Rebel With a Clause – Live Swatch
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This next shade is the 1st in a series of these unique flakey shades OPI is playing with. They’re a super interesting finish, and I always love when they experiment and try a little something different. This first one is ‘It’s A Wonderful Spice’ and it’s a more coral-orangey base filled with scattered silver and gold flakes. Quite the interesting color for a holiday collection, but again, I’m not mad at trying something new.
These do have a more jelly-like base to allow those flakes to peek out and layer up nicely for a dimensional look. So they take a touch of building up but I was able to still get it fully opaque with just 2 coats. It was easy to paint on and not thick overall with those flakes. What do y’all think of this finish?
It’s a Wonderful Spice – Live Swatch
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‘Salty Sweet Nothings’ is a lighter, champagne golden flakey metallic shade. We’re back into a “classic” holiday color palette with this one, and I can see this being absolutely gorgeous for New Years parties.
You can see this more in the live swatch, but this is a dense flakey shimmer in a clear jelly base. So again, it’ll take some building up, and I found this to be more sheer than the shade above. I got it fully opaque in 3 thin coats. Depending on your application, and your preferences of how sheer or opaque you want the look, you could be good with just 1-2 shades as well. It’s versatile, and a lovely little shimmer.
Salty Sweet Nothings – Live Swatch
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Next up we have the 2nd of those “new” flakey shades, and this one is interesting. This one is ‘Five Golden Flings’ and it’s a an almost olive toned, dirty metallic gold base with those same silver and copper shimmer. Like I said, just an interesting color story to this one, though I do love any and all more ugly colors.
Just like the other shade, it’s a touch more sheer to let those flakes peek out, but builds up so well with just 2 coats. It’s smooth to paint on and I don’t notice any texture with those flakes as they lay flat on the nails.
Five Golden Flings – Live Swatch
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‘Peppermint Bark and Bite’ switches us back to the “normal”. This is a super deep forest green base, looking almost black on the nails – but with the 1st coat and in the sunlight you can reallysee those green tones. This also has a super delicate silver sparkle all throughout, just giving it a little something extra.
I was surprised to find this one also had more of a jelly base – I don’t often see that with such a deep color, but maybe it helps those sparkles peek through. It’s a very rich shade, so with that and the jelly finish, that 1st coat is more uneven. A 2nd coat evens it all out, and deepens up the shade to match the bottle. It’s smooth and a bold and vampy look for the holidays.
Peppermint Bark and Bite – Live Swatch
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‘Let’s Scrooge’ is next (and it sounds like a villain catchphrase from a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie). This is a teal base filled with a bright blue shimmer all throughout. It almost feels like a snowy magical forest somehow, you feel me.
This one has a nice pigmented formula – feeling the most like a cream of the more shimmery shades. The 1st coat has just a few little patches peeking out, that a 2nd coat easily covers. It’s all smooth overall and a nice formula.
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This next one has my absolute favorite name of the bunch and has me giggling like a 13 year old boy. This is ‘Shaking My Sugarplums’ (hehe) and it’s a cooler-toned blueish purple base filled with a bright pink glitter all throughout. It feels a little icy and glowy on the nails, perfect for winter.
This one does again feel like it has more of a jelly base, so it’s more sheer and uneven on the 1st coat. But I was pleasantly surprised with how much the 2nd coat builds it up overall, and it’s pretty well opaque at that point. Depending on your preferences or nail length, you might want a 3rd to cover any last patches.
Shaking My Sugarplums – Live Swatch
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The one other cream of this set is ‘Sickeningly Sweet’. This is a lighter, warm toned lilac purple shade. It has some pink tones to it, and it’s maybe not quite traditional for winter (it does feel almost a little springy).
This had a lovely and smooth cream formula. I had some streaks peeking through on the 1st coat – which is caused by the ridges in my nails often – but a 2nd coat easily covers and makes it all fully opaque. Again so lovely to paint on, and I had no issues!
Sickeningly Sweet – Live Swatch
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Next up we have ‘Hot Toddy Naughty’. And you’re right, OPI, I would love to be cozied up in a blanket, watching a lazy snowfall, drinking a Hot Toddy, that is a great idea. This shade is a gorgeous deeper brown shimmery shade, with an almost bright coppery shimmer through it.
And this has a lovely formula to match! I found this was an easy 2 coat formula – with just a few patches on the first coat that were covered with that 2nd coat. Even with that shimmer, I found no brushstrokes and it was just a lovely finish.
Hot Toddy Naughty – Live Swatch
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And we’re now at the last of the set of 3 unique flakey shades. This is ‘Yay or Neigh’ and you know, I’m again asking you that same question about this shade. This is a slate gray jelly base filled with those silver and copper flakes all throughout that gives it a more speckled and mottled finish. Maybe like a road. (Idk that’s just what I thought of).
Repeating myself over and over, but of course with this jelly base it’s about building up that base color. I had it at full coverage in 2 coats, though depending on your preferences and application, you might want a 3rd. It’s smooth to paint on, but of course I know it won’t be for everyone.
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This next shade is the last of “core” 12 shades, before we get to the 2 glitters. This is ‘Chill ‘Em With Kindness’ and it’s a dense white shimmer filled with a scattered pink glitter. It truly gives that icy look to the nails.
Now this is a dense shimmer, so I found it more sheer than other shades. This was 3 coats built up and you can see I do still have streaks throughout – though I do have extremely ridged nails that doesn’t help that along. If you have smoother nails you should be set with 3 – though I would prefer to wear this shade as a topper over a more opaque white base.
Chill ‘Em With Kindness – Live Swatch
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Alright now we get into the 2 exclusive glitter shades! OPI has done this with every holiday collection recently, releasing 2-3 extra shades, that as you can tell by the description, contain a lot of glitter and shimmer.
This first one is ‘Put Something On Ice’ and it’s a clear base filled with a bright purple shimmer as well as larger scattered holographic glitters. It’s icy, it’s sparkly, it could be a fun little New Years look.
This shade could be worn as a topper, with 1 coat over a base – that purple shimmer will layer and will pull differently depending on the color of the shade underneath it. But I did choose to build it up as a full nail color on its own. This was 3 coats, and you can see there’s still a touch of nail line peeking through – but it’s a mostly opaque look. It is an interesting shade, and those glitters can feel a little clunky and uneven at times if you’re not careful, but again I’m always here for something a little different (or weird).
Put On Something Ice – Live Swatch
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And then we have Hot & Coaled. This is similar to the shade above, with those same larger holographic glitters, this time with a shimmery black base.
Again a touch of a jelly base to let those glitters peek and layer through, so it takes a little bit of building up. I used 3 coats for full opacity, and at that point you also have a good amount of glitters. It does feel a lil chunky, so I can’t say it’s my favorite look – one coat over a black base could be gorgeous – but of course I always want to show the shades on their own.
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And WHEW, we MADE it. All 14 shades swatched up and fully shown for y’all, now it’s up to you to decide whether you want any. What do you think of this set? I can say it does feel like holiday with the color palette and all of the sparkles. And looking at them all together, I think they all fit and are cohesive and go together well! It’s an interesting color palette, with some unexpected shades and finishes for the holidays.
I had no issues with formulas, even though most were more jelly-like, and took some building. They still built up well and went on smoothly, and I had no complaints. I will say the glitter shades could get a touch chunky, so using them as toppers might be the best choice. But we made it through another year of OPI!
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Upcoming Posts
Holo Taco After Party collection • Glam Polish Sweater Weather collection • China Glaze Wonka Winter 2023 • Zoya Magical Winter 2023 • ILNP Night Life collection
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