OPI

OPI started in 1981 as Odontorium Products Inc, a dental supply company, until someone noticed that dentures and acrylic nails run on the same chemistry and that nails were considerably more fun. The first thirty shades landed in 1989, Alpine Snow and Malaga Wine among them, and the naming has been getting cheekier ever since.

OPI

Why OPI

Shade names worth saying out loud

Big Apple Red, Lincoln Park After Dark, I'm Not Really a Waitress. OPI have been naming polish since 1989 and the names are half the reason people collect them. Each listing carries the real shade name and OPI's own shade code, so you can match a bottle you already own.

Built for seven days, not two

The wear claim rests on the three-step system: base coat, two thin coats, top coat. We list the base and top coats alongside every shade because they are what the claim depends on, not an upsell.

The formula facts, per shade

Colour family, depth, finish and the full ingredient list come straight from OPI for every shade we could source them for. Pigments differ between shades, so we publish each one's own list rather than a single formula across the range.

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Frequently Asked Questions about OPI

How long does OPI Nail Lacquer actually last?

OPI put it at up to seven days, and that figure assumes the full three step system: their Natural Nail Base Coat, two thin coats of colour, then a top coat. Colour straight onto a bare nail chips far sooner, because the lacquer has nothing to grip.

What is the difference between Nail Lacquer, Infinite Shine and Nature Strong?

Nail Lacquer is the classic bottle, the one most of the 200-plus shades come in. Infinite Shine is a longer-wear system with its own primer and gloss, aimed at gel-like wear without a lamp. Nature Strong is the vegan line, a formula of 65% or more natural origin, with caps and bottles made from recycled material.

Do I really need a base coat and a top coat?

For wear, yes. The base coat gives the lacquer something to adhere to and stops darker pigments staining the nail plate, which reds and purples will do. The top coat is what keeps the shine and takes the daily knocks. It is the single biggest difference between polish that lasts two days and polish that lasts a week.

How do I stop the colour going streaky?

Roll the bottle between your palms rather than shaking it, which mixes the pigment without whipping bubbles into the lacquer. Then two thin coats rather than one thick one, letting the first dry properly. Thick coats stay soft underneath and dent.

What is Nail Envy and do I use it instead of polish?

Nail Envy is a strengthener, not a colour. Apply two coats to bare nails, then one coat a day over the top, and remove and start again weekly. OPI's own testing claims nails 95% stronger in a week. It can also sit under colour as a base coat.

Is OPI cruelty free or vegan?

The Nature Strong line is vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients. The wider OPI range is not marketed as vegan, so if that matters, Nature Strong is the one to look for. We list the formula facts OPI publish on each product page.

What does the shade code on the listing mean?

Codes like NLN25 or NLB78 are OPI's own shade references, and they are the reliable way to identify a colour. Shade names get reused and reissued across collections, but the code does not. If you are matching a bottle you already own, check the code on the base of it.

Why do some shades say discontinued?

OPI retire collections. Where a shade is no longer in OPI's current range we say so on the listing, because what is on the shelf is the last of it. Those listings carry OPI's original photography but we cannot show a current colour family or ingredient list for them, so we leave those out rather than guess.

Hear From Those Who Have Tried

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