Summer Beauty Review: Shatter, Sparkle and Serena Williams From O.P.I.

Trends in nails have become more innovative than ever before. From the reverse french manicure, to the half-moon manis, there are many fun ways to make your nails the hottest accessory.

The "shatter" trend has every nail brand jumping on the bandwagon. This two-texture finish gives your nails a graffiti-inspired feel that is edgy, funky and super fun! I finally got to the try the trend with O.P.I's latest shatter polishes in three new blue hues.

O.P.I. Shatter Polish in Navy ($10.95 CAD) is gorgeous especially when paired with a metallic polish. In the above photo, I paired it with Joe Fresh Polish in Tin, the spring-ready silver metallic. Navy is a flat shade so you can either wear it matte or apply a top coat over top for some shine. In the photo, I did not apply a top coat. The matte finish gave it the edge-factor. After a few days, I did apply a top coat to keep it on longer and looking fresh.

Here's what I love about the shatter effect: 

• It's very eye-catching and is a quick way to update your nails without having to break the bank.
• Navy is uber chic and a shade that can be worn all year round. Layer it over of a white polish with some shimmer to give it a lighter look for summer. 
• It dries very quickly. You don't have to worry about smudging it.

What I didn't love: 

• It dries very quickly. I found it a little hard to work with because it set so quickly. If you layer on too much, it doesn't crackle or shatter as well. One coat is all that is needed.
• Could be me, but it was hard to make it look neat. I tried to get it as close to the cuticle to match the silver polish but it would end up looking messy. 
• You have to wait until your bottom layer of polish is very dry before applying the shatter polish over top. Otherwise, it doesn't apply smoothly. 

Also available in new shades Blue and Turquoise.

Tennis champ, Serena Williams, has launched a series of super cool polishes for O.P.I. I remember last year sometime I watched an episode of Oprah and found out Serena's other passion is nails! When she retires, she wants to open up her own nail boutique and do nails. She actually went to school too to become a nail technician. Can you imagine getting a pedicure from Serena Williams?? Oprah was her first client!

The O.P.I. Glam Slam France collection ($20.95 CAD duo) in Rally Pretty Pink and Red Shatter is a girly duo mixed with some hotness.

This is Rally Pretty Pink on its own. I absolutely adore this shimmering sunset pink! It's another summer shade you'll love! I actually prefer it by itself.

Personally, I didn't like the red over top. I thought it it overpowered the other shade too much. I did like how the gold shimmer popped out when light would hit it. I think the red shatter would work well with a lot of other shades though like black, metallic gold, orange, yellow, white, and metallic grey. I didn't like a matte finish with this shade as much as the navy. The top coat shine brightened the duo up much more. Also available in Spark de Triomphe (silver glitter) and White Shatter.

Overall, I think the shatter trend is a fun way to update your nails. I think I need a little more practice though! What do you think of the shatter trend? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

Both collections available nationwide May 2011.

www.opi.com

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.