OPI My Gondola or Yours? is a black nail polish from the Venice Collection that channels the glossy dark side of obsidian (volcanic glass).

With Hallowe’en just days away, OPI My Gondola or Yours? is a great choice for adding the spooky final touch to your costume. (Then again, there are no hard-and-fast nail rules. Enjoy any colour no matter what season it is. If you’re like me, you’ll rock black nails even on a scorching summer’s day.)

Black nail polish is a staple in any nailphile’s collection because, aside from using it solo, it’s one of the basic colours needed to create many different nail designs from pupils in eyes to abstract accents.

While there is no shortage of black nail polishes on the market, some are obviously better than others. If you’re running low on your current bottle, or if you’re new to the nail game and want to start off on the right foot, this is one of the better black lacquers out there.

In the rest of this post, I go into further detail about what sets this standard black creme apart from some others.

P.S. Canadian readers, stay tuned! In a few days, I’ll be announcing a fun nail-polish giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

OPI My Gondola or Yours? Pictures

OPI My Gondola or Yours? Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener – Maintenance version (Used as a base coat)
• 2 coats of OPI My Gondola or Yours?
• Pretty Serious Aqua Coat Top Coat (Provided by Pretty Serious Cosmetics.)

Artificial Light Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

• Black (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: OPI My Gondola or Yours?
• Collection: OPI Venice Collection 2015
• Press Release: Click here to see the official OPI Venice Collection press release
• Quick Look: Click here to see my OPI Venice Collection Quick Look post
• Colours Available in the Collection: A Great Opera-tunity, It’s a Piazza Cake, Worth a Pretty Penne, Tiramisu for Two, Amore at the Grand Canal, Gimme a Lido Kiss, Be There in a Prosecco, I Cannoli Wear OPI, Gelato on My Mind, Purple Palazzo Pants, O Suzi Mio, My Gondola or Yours?, Venice the Party? (Limited-edition), Baroque…But Still Shopping! (Limited-edition) & St. Mark’s the Spot (Limited-edition)
• Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• Retail Price: $9.95 CAD
• Disclosure: This was provided as a press sample by PR.
• Where to Buy: Hudson’s Bay, Nail Polish Canada, Trade Secrets & select beauty shops/spas/salons

OPI My Gondola or Yours? Review

Colour

Not all black nail polishes are created equal. Some are as dark as going up to the rural north at midnight. (With fewer streetlights like in a densely populated city, it can get so dark, you can’t even see your hand in front of your face at night. I know this firsthand once when I went to a cottage with friends.)

Other black nail polishes are more on the dusty side or dry a little on the duller side, which makes the overall appearance less like liquorice and more like a grey chalkboard.

My Gondola or Yours? by OPI is very dark and like obsidian, which I mentioned earlier. It has a gothic feel and leans more on the true-black side than grey.

If Maleficent (my favourite Disney villain) were to have a necklace collection, I can picture the pendants featuring this shade.

Finish

The finish is reminiscent of my all-time favourite black nail polish, which is China Glaze Liquid Leather that I reviewed on here back in 2011. (China Glaze Liquid Leather might be just slightly glossier than OPI My Gondola or Yours?, but they’re still comparable.)

It’s a jelly-creme hybrid, so you get intense glossiness with some translucence that gives your manicure depth. No flat nails here!

Of course, I always recommend that you apply a shiny top coat to optimize its appearance, but even on its own, this polish has a wet look.

Application & Formula

While on the thinner, watery side, I didn’t find My Gondola or Yours? by OPI trickier to apply. With the ProWide brush, it was easy to control the flow of the nail polish.

Although there’s a hint of a jelly quality to the formula, it still covers well with only two coats, so I didn’t feel the need to apply a third. (The first coat was a tad streaky.)

What I love the most about this formula is that it never looks dull or chalky.

Pros Glossy dark black jelly-creme hybrid 2 coats covers well Never looks dull or chalky

Cons Straight-up black, which isn’t a new or crazy colour (Not all nail polishes have to be wild, though. A black lacquer is a staple in any nailphile’s collection.)

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

OPI My Gondola or Yours? is one of the better black nail polishes available, and it’s really easy to find, since the Venice Collection is fairly new.

If you’re looking for a glossy true black, this is a great one to try for Hallowe’en or anytime you want a gothic manicure!

What is a black nail polish that you reach for often? Do you prefer near-black lacquers instead of a true black? Do you wear black nail polish all year round, even in the summer?