I’m on a roll like melted butter.

Today is the 11th nail polish from the Selena Gomez 2013 Collection I’ve reviewed! (There are 14 in total.)

This time it’s Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia.

It was one of the shades I was most anxious about trying because it’s a bar-glitter lacquer!

Seems like a lot of people are in divided camps on this finish.

I really love the idea of bar glitter despite being disappointed by ones like OPI Save Me and China Glaze Marry a Millionaire. (I think I like this one more because the bar glitter is shorter, and therefore easier to manipulate on your nails.)

Just like my philosophy about people, I believe that you can’t give up on nail polish. 😉

Despite the rotten eggs out there, there are real gems, too. It’s our responsibility to keep our eyes peeled like bananas to seek out the good.

Mi Fantasia was a good egg.

Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia Pictures

Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia Swatches

All swatches have:

• CND Stickey Anchoring Base Coat
• 2 coats of Nicole by OPI Love Song (Provided by PR.)
• 1 coat of Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Flash Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

√ Purple-aqua glitter

Key Notes

• Name: Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia
• Collection: Nicole by OPI Selena Gomez Collection 2013
• Press Release: Click here to see the Nicole by OPI Selena Gomez Collection press release
• Colours Available in the Collection: Hit the Lights, Selena, Love Song, Naturally, Spring Break, Pretty in Plum, Scarlett, Stars at Night, Mi Fantasia, Kissed at Midnight, Confetti Fun, Heavenly Angel, Sweet Dreams & Inner Sparkle
• Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was provided by PR.)
• Where to Buy: It’ll be available January 2013 at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Jean Coutu, Loblaw & London Drug.

Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia Review

Colour

The main colour of the bar glitter in Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia is purple, however, in my swatches, you’ll notice that I pulled it out more by layering it over a lilac purple (Nicole by OPI Love Song from the same collection).

There’s also silver, blue, green, and gold. I think the bar glitter is actually holographic. Sometimes I thought I could see some pale pink, but it might have just been the reflection. This is a super fun polish because of the many colours!

All the glitter is suspended in clear polish, so you can layer it over many different colours.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to take photos of this lovely polish properly. Every time I had a chance to photograph my manicure during the days I wore it, I was working with very dim lighting. That’s why there’s a lot of ‘noise’ in my photos.

Haha, and my hands are shaky in general, so out of the hundreds of photos I snapped (I took about 250 in total), believe it or not, the blurry ones that made it into this post were actually the sharpest ones. Hahaha, some of the photos turned out ridiculously blurry. It looked like I was drunk while holding a camera! :S (And, no, I don’t want to use a tripod. I’m stubborn like that…)

This is a polish whose true beauty needs to be admired in person. My photos make it look way plainer and less blingy than it actually is!

Finish

This is a bar-glitter polish, so there’s noticeable texture. You can smooth it out a bit with your top coat, but it won’t be perfectly smooth like a creme.

And because there’s bar glitter, sometimes the pieces will hang over the edge of your nail. This can be very sharp and snag on clothing or even cut you! (Revenge of the Nail Polish is the modern horror flick!)

You can try shifting it while the polish is still wet or wait until it dries to file the edges nice and smooth. (I do the latter.)

But it’s not just bar glitter. There are also very tiny pieces of round glitter, which help to fill in the sparse areas. (Sometimes having just bar glitter can look very empty.)

Bar glitter isn’t for everyone. I remember having a discussion with someone many months ago. She didn’t like bar glitter because she described it as looking hairy on the nails. Hehe, but my response was, “And who doesn’t like hairy nails?” 😉

Maybe it’s my inner weirdo, but I like how my nails look ‘hairy’ with bar glitter. It’s different and strange.

Perhaps this is what Sasquatch uses for a manicure when she wants to follow the ‘mannequin hands’ nail trend…

Out of the few bar-glitter polishes I’ve tried, this one is my favourite so far because of the colour combination and the density of the glitter.

Application & Formula

I was pleasantly surprised by how well this bar glitter applied. Some apply very patchy and are difficult to work with, but this one was easy to control.

Sure, at first you may deposit a pool of glitter in one spot, but if you move your brush around, it’s easy to evenly distribute the glitter. I think it’s because there’s an adequate amount of base polish that coats the glitter – it really makes a difference!

1, 2 & 3 Coats

If you’re brave enough to wear Nicole by OPI Mi Fantasia solo, here’s what it looks like.

Pros Fun bar-glitter polish with numerous colours Formula is easy to control so you can evenly coat your nail Dries quickly

Cons Finish has a noticeable texture (even with a top coat, you’ll feel some texture) Bar glitter can hang over the edge of your nail (You need to either try moving it when the polish is still wet or filing it down after it’s dry.)

Final Verdict: 8.5/10

Even though a lot of people badmouth bar glitter, I still like it because it’s a refreshing change from the usual glitters you see. And Mi Fantasia is denser than a lot of ones I’ve tried before, so I can get a blingtastic manicure with just a single coat layered over another polish.

Do you like or loathe bar glitter? If you like bar glitter, do you have any tips or tricks? If you dislike it, is it because it makes your nails look ‘hairy’? 😉