O.P.I. Polish - Samoan Sand & The Thrill of Brazil

Today I'm reviewing two O.P.I nail polishes:

Samoan Sand and The Thrill of Brazil!

(I don't have swatches right now but I'll update asap - my nails are currently healing
because I was careless and left my polish on too long...)

Samoan Sand 

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This is a very nice soft, sandy-beige nude color, with a sweetly pinkish tone.

I feel like this would be both really pretty and really forgiving on any skintone!

It's a little streaky with too much pressure on the brush, so it takes a little

bit of practice to get the amount of polish and amount of pressure just right.

Painting just one layer has a sheer "foundation/concealer" effect, 

in that it enhances the natural appearance of your nails.  

(Streaking is more of a problem if you're going to go for just one layer, however.)

Multiple layers gives a nice, creamy, well-pigmented sandy beige - very 

refined, I can see this going nicely for either a casual or formal look.

I was able to get a decent solid color with just two layers, but I

definitely recommend three layers for maximum coverage.

Both ways of layering are quite pretty, and best enhanced by a clear

topcoat.  However, O.P.I. is pretty glossy on its own, so depending

on your preference a topcoat may not be needed! 

Personally I didn't use a topcoat, I found it to be plenty shiny.

The color's a GREAT base for a french manicure, or to prep the nails

for nail art (especially negative-space art, since it evens out the natural color of the nail).

I'm giving it 4 stars because it's a little bit difficult to work with, and

it's pricey (about $9.50 with tax at Walmart).  That being said, the quality

of the polish and its classic color + versatility is well worth the price, and I did 

save on having to get a topcoat.

The Thrill of Brazil 

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A very retro-looking and classic red, this is one of O.P.I.'s *many*

red shades.  As I don't really know much about blue/orange/etc tones in red

polish (unfortunately), I sort of just stared at the various red bottles trying to decide

which one would look best.  Kind of how I picked out my first red lipstick.

I've used red polishes before, not from O.P.I., but

they've always made my hands look really dark/reddened/made my skintone look

a bit strange.  So I tend to shy away from red polish.

However this color looks great on me, both tanned and untanned!

Sadly I didn't take a photo the first time I used it, while I had a desk job and 

thus was a lot lighter from being indoors basically all day & night.

(here I'm wearing TWO layers of Brazil, over one layer of Samoan)

This color produces a nice, solid, well pigmented layer with just ONE layer!

One layer produces a "brighter" shade of red, and 2+ deepens the color to match what's in the bottle

It's a beautifully creamy, rich red that intensifies with layers (but don't take my word

for it as the max I've put is 3 layers).

The color definitely reminds me of pinups and 1950's style.

This is a nice shade for a summer day at the beach, or for a swanky party.

I'm giving it 4 stars because it will stain to the EXTREME without a basecoat.

I also noticed this dried my nails out more than Samoan Sand.
Finally, the price (about $9.50 with tax).

I haven't tried O.P.I. polishes before these, but I figured that if I was going

to go all-out on them I may as well get classic wearable shades.

Which luckily they are!  I'll probably use these down to the last drop. 

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with them.  

Sidenote:

A nice thing I've noticed about O.P.I. polishes is that they don't dry to

become darker than what's in the bottle - very true to shade.  The ones from Essie I've tried

end up slightly darker, and Sally Hansen's have been noticeably darker.

So if that's a concern for you I'd recommend O.P.I. - I can't speak for other colors

in their lineup but based off of these two, I'd guess the rest are equally true to color.