Click Here To Buy OPI Touring America Collection
Even though it is August and we are still enjoying summer it is time to put a little thought into the fact that fall is right around the corner. While heavy coats and shearling boots may be a distant thought, the Fall 2011 OPI Touring America Nail Polish Collection is a good way to ease into fall and many of these colors can be worn with ease right now and are great end of summer colors.
Recently I was sent the OPI Touring America Collection to sample and here are my thoughts about these colors. Most of the colors in this collection are rich creme colors but there are a few shimmer colors as well.
In this collection there are two great grey nail polishes. French Quarter For Your Thoughts is a medium grey that has a bit of a purple/ blue undertone to it. It is a great all around grey shade of polish to wear and will work on all skin tones. Suzi Take The Wheel is a very similar grey though the undertones are subtle yellow / green. If the lighting is not ideal you will not be able to tell the difference between the two colors and even in ideal lighting the differences are so subtle. In my opinion there really is not too much different between the two and you really do not need to buy both colors since they are so interchangeable.To sum up the greys, French Quarter is a cool grey and Suzi Take The Wheel a warm grey.
Uh-Oh Roll Down The Window is an interesting name for a polish and the shade is a mix between a military green and a murky smokey olive green. The color is a bit too bright to be considered a true military green and definitely stands out from the crowd. I really have not seen another green from OPI or any other brand to compare it to. This is a must have color from this collection.
In the bottle A-Taupe The Space Needle looks like a warm taupe brown with a bit of a military brown mixed in. When applied though the color appears to have more of a greenish gold tone to it which is a bit unexpecting in a good way though. This color is definitely unique because of the fact that the color shifts so much in different lighting. In bright sunlight and perhaps strong indoor lighting it definitely can be classified as an khaki green taupe but in dimmer lighting it is more taupe with a green undertone. When I saw the bottle I was not expecting to like the color too much but once on the color warmed up to me and I would wear it again.
Get In The Expresso Lane is a deep dark brown very close to the a dark roasted espresso bean in fact. This color is so dark that it is almost black. You can really see the rich brown tones when in sunlight. This is not one of my favorite colors from this collection though I should say that browns are not a favorite of mine in general. I may wear this color on my toes or use it for some nail art stamping.
Moving on from all the neutrals and dark colors there are some great pink/ coral colors in this collection. My Address is “Hollywood” is a dusty rose pink polish with subtle gold and pink flecks of shimmer infused. The shimmer is very minimal and can really only be seen in sunlight. In the sun, you can see a bit of a coral undertone to it. The formula is a bit on the thin side so you will most likely need 3 coats of polish to get full coverage. I really like this color but to me it is a bit too bright for a fall color, it is more appropriate for summer though you can wear it in early fall and have it still look appropriate.
Are We There Yet? is a pink coral color that leans more towards orange than it does to pink. It has a pink / gold shimmer that can really only be seen in the sun. I like this color, not a favorite but not at the bottom of the list. I would put it somewhere slightly above the middle and had it been released during the summer I think I would have like it more. It really is not a fall shade in my opinion. Like the previous color, the formula for this polish is on the thin side so you will need three coats to cover the nail well.
Of all of the brights my favorite is I Mainely Eat Lobster. I do not know if I like it because I love lobster or the shade is that great. It too is more of a summer color than a fall one but if you hurry and buy it now you can get a lot of wear from it before it gets to be too far into fall. The shade is a pink coral but leans more towards the pink side and can almost be considered a neon shade. Like the other shimmers, the formula is thin and the shimmers are very demure unless in the sunlight. This is a must have color for me and I can see wearing it a lot now as well as next spring.
The last of the shimmers, is also the darkest and is the most shimmer filled. Color To Diner For is a deep dark ruby red with flecks of gold, pink, and magenta shimmer infused into it but again you really need to be in the sun to see it. I am not a fan of red polishes in general so this is not my favorite of colors. I do not know if I will wear it again but once the weather cools I will see if my mind changes, even if it is on my toes that I use it for. The formula seems a bit thicker and two really good coats of the polish should do though you may want to use three just to play it safe. This is the most fall ike of all of the bright shimmers.
Going back to some darker colors there are two deep purples that are a bit similar in color. I Brake For Manicures is a deep, dark, dusty purple. The purple really comes though in the sunlight though when indoors it is still purple, unlike other dark colors that appear almost black. Honk If You Love OPI is also a dark purple but this one has a red tone to it though not a strong one. It can be described as a purple grape. While not identical, these colors are close enough that you can get away with only buying one of the two colors. If I had to describe the difference between the two, I would say that Honk is a bit more of a visible purple than Brake is.
I saved the best color for last. Road House Blues is a rich dark blue, not quite a navy because it has a bit of a purple color to it. I love that the blue is dark enough to make it appropriate to wear all of the time but not too dark that it can be mistaken for a black. Once the weather cools down I think this will be my most used color from the series.
Overall Thoughts and Opinions: This is a great collection of nail polishes. I love the names and most of the shades. There really is a color that will appeal to everyone.
I do wish however that the bright colors were well, a little less bright. With the exception of Color To Diner For, the other shimmers were thin and would be better in the spring and summer rather than fall and winter. I also wish that the shimmers were a bit stronger and could be seen easier but you can always apply a shimmer top coat to enhance them. Had the shimmers been released during the spring or summer I think they would be more of a success for as it stands now, most will have a short wear time and will have to be put away until next spring.
Had I not been sent these colors to sample , I would definitely have bought Road House Blues, French Quarter For Your Thoughts, Uh Oh Roll Down The Window, A-Taupe The Space Needle, and Honk If You Love OPI. I am on the fence as to whether I would buy Mainely Eat Lobster and My Address is “Hollywood” though they both would be a must have had they come out earlier in the year. Most likely they would be bought and saved for next spring or worn right away because I think I would regret not owning them. The remaining colors are ones that I personally am not a fan of in general and tend to shy away from in general as they are not the best for my skin tone.I do not think that there needed to be two such similar greys and purples though their subtle difference are enough that owning both is not necessary but understandable.
To develop 12 colors for a nail polish collection is not an easy feat and OPI has succeeded yet again with this collection. I love all of the great names and variety of shades, and as said earlier there really is a color for everyone no matter taste, desire, or skin tone.
Click Here To Buy OPI Touring America Collection
