The product being reviewed in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated further are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brands featured in this post.
Hi all. This is one of my posts that was due a loooong time ago - the pictures, in fact, are from when I still worked at Duane Reade, back in April. OPI is a brand that I consider high-end for nail polishes, though I've since realized that the price is actually average when compared to other brands such as Deborah Lippmann. I never even looked at their products until one of my favorite YouTubers, FrmHeadToToe, published a blog post about one of the polishes from their limited edition Mariah Carey Liquid Sand Collection (I don't know what the 'official' name of the collection is - sorry!), which I'll link for you here.
The color Jen reviewed was "Get Your Number" which - tada! - is the color I'm going to talk about today. The gorgeous blue and interesting sparkly-but-matte formula in her pictures had me curious and, I may as well put it out there now: OPI's liquid sand is now my favorite formula/finish of nail polish. I only own two colors because of the price, and there are other nail polishes with similar effects that I have yet to try, so my feelings may change, but for now that's the bottom line.
Anyway, onto the review!
The Mariah Carey Liquid Sand Collection by OPI was a limited edition collection that showed up in drugstores months ago. I believe I purchased "Get Your Number," the collection's blue, for about $8 excluding tax. The bottle shape and size is the same as permanent OPI polishes, carrying 0.5 fl. oz./15 mL of product. The only difference in packaging is evident in the brush handle, which has a sticker over it with the words 'liquid sand' and a sand design in gold over black.
The product also has a tag around the brush handle with a description of the polish formula and directions on how to apply it. The information here is usually typical but, for this collection, varies somewhat. That's because this nail polish has a less-than-typical formula - one that OPI refers to as "liquid sand." In a nutshell, this polish exhibits the "textured polish" trend: nail polish that dries to a bumpy, rough finish. The tag describes the finish as a "textured matte finish infused with reflective glints of light."
Because of the unique, intentional matte textured finish, the directions also vary a bit from your typical nail polish how-to's: the tag reads at the end of the directions "Do not use top coat."
As per usual, the bottom of the bottle has the nail polish name and number:
"Get Your Number" (NL M46) is a gorgeous deep blue with multicolored glitter particles. The way the color and sparkles in the bottle alone capture any kind of light - especially sunlight - is stunning. The sparkles manage to add so much depth to the already deep blue that the result is one I can't keep my eyes off of. They're the reason this particular color is my favorite of the two liquid sand polishes that I own.
When I applied "Get Your Number" to my nails, I followed the directions by applying two coats of the polish over a base coat and excluding a top coat. Nail-painting is definitely not a strength of mine, so the following closeups are going to appear pretty sloppy, but just try to focus your attention on the color and how it looks against my skin.
I LOVE how "Get Your Number" looks against my fair-light skin. The color simply pops. I also adore how the base polish dries to a matte finish, but the polish itself isn't completely flat on my hands thanks to the sparkles. Here are some closeups at different angles (I was trying to capture the sparkles' reflective properties differently but it's hard to do so):
You might be able to tell that, on my nails, the blue is a little brighter/less deep than in the bottle. I'm not sure if this would change simply by adding an additional coat of polish - thus totaling in three coats. I've always stopped application at two because the opacity is satisfactory for my liking by two coats, versus one coat which is semi-transparent.
So I love the color and the matte/sparkly finish (thus explaining why I love the finish), but you might still wonder why exactly the liquid sand finish is my favorite nail polish formula. There are two reasons:
(1) This formula dries incredibly fast both on the first and second coat. I've had previous experiences (including this one) that have left me feeling pissy afterwards because, after more than an hour or more of waiting and having my hands useless to me, my manicures have still smudged disgustingly across my nail(s). Once a coat of the liquid sand formula dries, which is roughly under 10 minutes for me, it's rock-solid.
(2) Because OPI's liquid sand formula is filled with glitter, it's essentially a glitter polish and, as is typical of glitter polishes, stays put on the nails like glue for a while. That means light chipping after a couple or more days of wear. Which is insane, at least for me. In fact, as I mentioned at the start of this post, I first wore this polish when I still worked at Duane Reade, which was a job that involved a ton of work with my hands: moving products, digging through boxes of products, scraping price stickers off the shelves...yeah, it sucked. Any time I painted my nails, they chipped within the first hour. This polish, though, lasted through two days of work before chipping.
I've used another liquid sand color from a different OPI collection and both of these experiences held true for that polish as well, so I think it's somewhat safe to say that the liquid sand formula in general will fulfill these expectations. At least let's hope so, in the event that they release more shades I deem worthy of $8.
Of course, I have for you before we end this post a picture of my nails in sunlight. How could I not, when that is when this polish looks its most beautiful?
If you're impatient with your manicures, don't mind sporting chipped nails for a while so long as they don't chip right away, or simply love the look/color of this polish, I would without a doubt recommend OPI's liquid sand polish in "Get Your Number." I know it's part of a limited edition collection but I still spot the Mariah Carey display in some of my local drugstores (with "Get Your Number" in stock, no less), so if you find yourself wanting this polish, not all hope is lost.
On the other hand, if you need your nails to have a smooth surface which - as I mentioned before - is the opposite of textured nail polishes, or like to remove your polishes as soon as they chip once (which might prove difficult with the liquid sand finish since it behaves much like a glitter polish), then I'd say pass on these.
But I adore "Get Your Number" and am so happy that OPI has been releasing more colors in the liquid sand formula. I love testing other brands, finishes, and colors of nail polish too, but it's nice to know that I'll have some staples in my collection in terms of drying time and longevity.
Hope this review was helpful, and thanks for stopping by! 'Til next time. ('<>')>
~nikki
Have you tried any of OPI's liquid sand nail polishes? Do you have any favorite colors?
The product in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brands featured in this post.
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