Yesterday, I had the pleasure of playing around with the new OPI Color Paints, which hit stores between the eyes in May.
(You probably remember the OPI Color Paints press release I posted on here earlier, and you may have seen the quick photo I uploaded yesterday on my Instagram and other social media accounts.)
Like you, I was curious like a cat watching a mouse hole.
Would the 2015 OPI Color Paints just revisit the OPI Sheer Tints from 2014 and expand the colour selection? Or would they be completely different?
In this post, not only do I directly address that, but I show you side-by-side swatches, so you can see that the OPI Color Paints are much more pigmented than their OPI Sheer Tints baby sister!
I’ve also included OPI Color Paints swatches on a nail wheel with one coat and then with two coats, so you can see that OPI’s claim about these being buildable is true.
The silver nail polish included in the OPI Color Paints Collection is intended to be used as a base to make the colours pop, although I liked how they looked solo as well. (They have an almost creme-jelly finish to them.)
You’ll see swatches of that alone, but also with what it looks like with a single layer of another OPI Color Paints shade on top.
These OPI Color Paints are really fun to play around with, and I tried blending them and layering different colours on top. They work very well that way, too. (I may do a post later with photos of how they blend and layer.)
OPI Color Paints Pictures
Had to include this new dotting tool. It’s my first OPI nail tool!
OPI Color Paints Collection Photos
OPI Silver Canvas
OPI Silver Canvas
OPI Primarily Yellow
OPI Primarily Yellow
OPI Chromatic Orange
OPI Chromatic Orange
OPI Pen & Pink
OPI Pen & Pink
OPI Magenta Muse
OPI Magenta Muse
OPI Landscape Artist
OPI Landscape Artist
OPI Turquoise Aesthetic
OPI Turquoise Aesthetic
OPI Indigo Motif
OPI Indigo Motif
OPI Purple Perspective
OPI Purple Perspective
OPI Color Paints Swatches (Artificial Light Photos)
All swatches from left to right are as follows:
- Silver Canvas
- Primarily Yellow
- Chromatic Orange
- Pen & Pink
- Magenta Muse
- Landscape Artist
- Turquoise Aesthetic
- Indigo Motif
- Purple Perspective
OPI Color Paints Swatches (1 Coat)
OPI Color Paints Swatches (2 Coats)
OPI Color Paints Swatches Over Silver (1 Coat of the Colourful Shades Over 1 Coat of Silver Canvas)
OPI Sheer Tints vs. OPI Color Paints
A lot of people initially thought, when they read ‘sheer’ and ‘translucent’ in the OPI Color Paints press release that the OPI Color Paints would be reminiscent of the OPI Sheer Tints.
While both are designed so that they can be layered, I found that the OPI Color Paints were heavily pigmented compared to the OPI Sheer Tints.
With the OPI Sheer Tints, I don’t think you can ever achieve full opacity, even if you layered four coats. They only provide a very watery wash of colour.
On the other manicured hand, the OPI Color Paints impressed me with their pigmentation right away. Even with a single coat, they offered a lot of pigmentation, and the colours were more vivid than I remember the OPI Sheer Tints being.
I put OPI Sheer Tints I Can Teal You Like Me next to OPI Color Paints Turquoise Aesthetic because, in the bottle, they both appear to be a dark, translucent turquoise.
As you can see below, clearly, they are completely different in terms of pigmentation! (My heart beats faster for OPI Color Paints Turquoise Aesthetic, and it flatlines for OPI Sheer Tints I Can Teal You Like Me.)
OPI Sheer Tints vs. OPI Color Paints Swatch Comparison
OPI Sheer Tints I Can Teal You Like Me (Left) & OPI Color Paints Turquoise Aesthetic (Right) 1 Coat
OPI Sheer Tints I Can Teal You Like Me (Left) & OPI Color Paints Turquoise Aesthetic (Right) 2 Coats
Note: The OPI Color Paints and dotting tool in this post were provided by OPI.
Which OPI Color Paints shades did you drool over first? How would you design a nail-art look using the OPI Color Paints? Do you prefer the coverage of the OPI Sheer Tints or the OPI Color Paints?
They look pretty! Would really love pics of how they look blended or a couple colours over the silver base, blended or overlapping 🙂
Hey Lu!
I tried layering the yellow with the blue, and it created a green. They’re indeed buildable and blendable. 🙂
I can’t wait to see how you use these… I’m so excited for this collection!
Hey Sarah!
When I create something fun with these, I’ll share my photo on here and/or social media. 🙂
Wow!!! I must get some of these! Purple I see you.
Hey Robbie!
Purple can never hide from you, hehe, although it would be foolish to do so. 🙂
I’ve heard a lot of people complain that the sheer tints were stringy and needed thinning right away; do you find it’s the same with the color paints? Or is their formula better?
Hey Denise!
The OPI Color Paints are smoother, and I think the formula is easier to work with than the OPI Sheer Tints.
I’m not going to be able to say no to these. Thanks for such a thorough review, Mary!
Hey Beth!
It’s my pleasure! I am so excited for this collection and to see what everyone comes up with using these colours!
Love the colors. 🙂
Lizzy recently posted: Models Own: Chrome Mauve +Plus
Hey Lizzy!
Same – all those happy rainbow hues! 🙂
These are not at all what I was expecting! I’m really suprised by the opacity of the colors with just 1 coat. I think I’ll have to buy a few of them, especially the green (you know I’m a green fiend LOL). Thank you for showing us this cool new collection. Can’t wait until they hit stores next month.
Hey Melissa!
Same here! When I first saw the bottles, I thought they’d be like the Sheer Tints, but I’m so happy there’s more pigmentation!
Thanks for posting this! This makes me want to get them even more. I love how much more coverage you can get with the OPI Color Paints. I was attracted to Turquoise Aesthetic & Purple Perspective right away!
Hey Sasha!
Glad that you’re digging the Color Paints! 🙂 Have fun playing with them if you pick any up later!
wow i love these! this is what the sheer tints should’ve been all along! gotta pick these up.
Hey Lauren!
I agree, and it looks like OPI realized this! 🙂
I’m excited to finally see these in action! I’m definitely surprised at how pigmented they are, but that’s nice. I like the blues and purple the most, and am a bit disappoint the pink and magenta look so similar, but ah well. Thanks for getting this up! It will be interesting to see how they perform on the nail vs a nail wheel. But they look really promising!
Cat recently posted: Colors by Llarowe Yes, I AM the Tooth Fairy
Hey Cat!
Yeah, it was tricky for me to show the subtle difference between the pink and magenta. Then again, I have just the standard lens that came with my camera. Maybe if I had a better lens, I could show the difference more. (In a few years, I will upgrade my lens. Gotta save up. Those DSLR lenses are pricey!)
Check out my Instagram photo that I posted today. I show what one looks like on my nail.
Landscape Artist
Magenta Muse
Indigo Motif
Purple Perspective
You know this color are making me melt and for sure the last 2 , drooooooling
Hey Icequeen81!
Nice picks! 🙂
amazing!
i thought it would turnn out like PI Sheer Tints
thanks for the review!
Hey Alicia!
Waaaaay better than the OPI Sheer Tints! 🙂 Glad that you like this collection, and thanks for stopping by!
Did you find these thick? I loved Sheer Tints but my main issue with them was the thick and goopy formula.
Hey Viktoria!
Nope – the OPI Color Paints weren’t thick at all! The OPI Sheer Tints I played with before were thick right out of the bottle. I was disappointed in those.
I am going to love these.
Hey Cindi!
Enjoy! 🙂 There are so many creative possibilities with these.
This is my first post I have read in your blog and I am very impressed. I cannot wait for these to come out and grab a few. They look awesome over silver- totally changes the look of them. Thank you for such a wonderful review!
Hey Nicole!
Aww, you are so sweet! 🙂
But, first of all – THANK YOU for visiting my blog, and WELCOME! Please stop by again soon because I try to post as often as possible. It’s a fun hobby of mine, and while it’s challenging for me to juggle a full-time job and blogging, I do it because it brings me so much joy. Readers like you help to motivate me to continue, so I thank you for that! 🙂
Hi, I loved your review! I was wondering how these colors would look over a white base as well. Or if it looks best over silver? And even if not over a silver base how well do the colors mix? Can you put those up please? If not here maybe on your Instagram?
Hey Samantha!
They’re designed to be worn over the silver base, but I’m sure you could also wear them over white. I’ll prepare a few swatches and post it on Instagram soon. 🙂 (Thank you for the suggestion.)
As for mixing colours, they mix like regular paints, meaning that if you combine blue with yellow, you’ll get green.
I really hope the Sheer Tints are unpopular enough to start filling the shelves of Big Lots (or discount stores like Lot-Less since I am in NYC), because they look like fun to play with! They remind me of the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Palm Beach Jellies (translucent colors). The Color Paints line seems like tons of fun, but Sinful Colors provides so many fun, glittery jellies and crellies for a lower price.
Hey Abbi!
I’ve only known one person who liked the Sheer Tints, so I think the old stock will definitely wind up in discount stores. Your wish will be granted. Haha!
I hardly ever see Sinful Colors around here, except at Rexall. But even then, they never carry much, so I tend not to notice that brand when I’m at the drugstore.