As of today’s review on OPI Honey Ryder, I’ve now finished swatching and reviewing all 6 shades in the OPI Bond Girls Collection due out in May!
Honey Ryder is a light gold, which could work as an interesting neutral for some skin tones. However, on me, I wasn’t in love with it. It was a bit too yellow for me. Also, you know how I prefer high-contrast colours against my skin tone.
Still, as Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work!” So, I did. You’ll remember that not long ago, I showed you some nifty nail art I did using this plus another Liquid Sand nail polish from the same collection.
After that, I think Honey Ryder is a great base for textured nail art. It’s a great neutral that allows any design to really pop.
OPI Honey Ryder Pictures
Sunlight
Natural Light
Flash
Sunlight
Natural Light
Flash
OPI Honey Ryder Swatches
All swatches have:
- Essie First Base (Base Coat)
- 2 coats of OPI Honey Ryder
- Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Sunlight Photos
Natural Light Photos
Flash Photos
Claim: TRUSTED
√ Shimmery gold
Key Notes
- Name: OPI Honey Ryder
- Collection: OPI Bond Girls Collection 2013
- Press Release: Click here to see the OPI Bond Girls Collection press release & quick swatches of all 6 shades
- Colours Available in the Collection: Vesper, Pussy Galore, Solitaire, Tiffany Case, Honey Ryder & Jinx
- Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: Nothing! (This was provided by PR.)
- Where to Buy: Trade Secrets & select spas & salons (Available in May)
OPI Honey Ryder Review
Colour
Honey Ryder by OPI reminds me of gold foil, if you were to take a piece and crinkle it. It’s pretty neat to look at in the sun because it really catches the light.
Unlike some of the other Liquid Sands in the collection, I found that Honey Ryder didn’t have as much contrasting glitter. It looks very much the same shade of gold throughout.
Although this wasn’t my favourite Liquid Sand in the Bond Girls Collection, I still thought it was lovely to use as a base for nail art. When I used it for a Scotch Tape manicure, I found the neutral gold let the design (featuring a bolder shade) really pop!
Finish
Honey Ryder by OPI has a Liquid Sand finish, so there’s noticeable texture, but it’s not sharp and scratchy. Also, although the finish looks so thick and chunky, it’s actually not difficult to remove as you’d expect.
Application & Formula
Honey Ryder by OPI flowed easily onto my nails, and I found it very easy to control.
I also loved how quickly it dried. Whenever I’m in a pinch, a Liquid Sand polish is a great choice because you just wait a few minutes after painting your nails, and you’re good to go!
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 6.5/10
OPI Honey Ryder would look way better on someone who either has a richer skin tone than I do or who has stronger yellow undertones than I do.
I wasn’t crazy about how it looked on me as is, but when I used it under nail art, I really thought it was fun!
Which of the shades in the OPI Bond Girls Collection do you like the most? How would you wear OPI Honey Ryder?
pretty shade it looks good on you
Hey Icequeen81!
I wasn’t sure about this shade. Still don’t think I pulled it off, but thank you so much for the compliment! 🙂
It’s funny, I normally really hate gold polishes because they clash with my skin tone but for some reason I am really drawn to this polish. I wonder if it would work for my cool skin tone.
Erin (Paint Those Piggies!) recently posted: 30 Day Challenge: Pink
Hey Erin!
Let me know how it works out for you if you try it.
I have the same issue with gold polishes, but sometimes a lacquer pleasantly surprises me (like with OPI GoldenEye – that was AMAZING!).
I love all Bond Girls, but I think Jinx is my favourite.
I chose Vesper when I saw the pictures in the press release, but after your swatches I changed to Jinx, with Vesper as a close second… but I still want them all 🙂
Hey Joyce!
I’m in the same polish boat as you! 😉 Jinx is my favourite from the Bond Girls Collection for sure. It’s just so vibrant and lively!
I love this color, but I’m still on the fence about textured polish in general. 😉
Hey Alison!
Wait until you find that one shade that changes everything. 😉 Hehe!
That’s pretty. 🙂 I know you’re busy looking into issues, but do you plan on getting the 2nd PixieDust collection? I’d love to see this next to their yellow/gold one.
Lizzy recently posted: Essence: I Love Bad Boys & Hard Candy: Gummy Green
Hey Lizzy!
I might buy the second PixieDust Collection, but that might be a lot later. I haven’t bought any yet, and haha, lately I’ve been burning my wallet with MAC lipstick purchases. 😉
I actually really like this! I think it’s the texture and the color combined that looks really neat. I’m really liking textured nails lately but just like the caviar nails, I can’t stand the feeling so its good that this isn’t the same 🙂
Kelly
xoxo
Kelly recently posted: Monday April 8 2013 BLOG HOP!
Hey Kelly!
Haha, I had no luck with Caviar nails – the beads always fell off. At least with the OPI Liquid Sands, the texture is soooo durable! 🙂
This is my favorite from the collection 🙂
E73 recently posted: MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge 15
Hey E73!
Glad you dig it! 🙂
Mary –
I just found your blog, and I’m in love!! Your posts are so detailed and informative and your photos are so thorough. For the first time ever I’m actually making an OPI wish list for fall so I don’t miss out on anything amazing (I’m kicking myself buying older polishes right now because I took a pass when polishes were avail in store) and your blog has been so helpful! In fact you’ve helped my ixnay a few that were on my retired wish list and add several more.
Have you noticed that Honey Ryder and Glitzerland are almost identical in color? The texture difference makes them visually different on the nail but in the bottle it’s hard to tell them apart.
Hey Vicki B!
Aww, thank you so much for being a sweetheart! I appreciate the fact that you took time to leave such a thoughtful comment. As a blogger, it really motivates me when I see encouraging words. (Blogging is definitely hard work, so it feels amazing knowing that someone likes what you’ve done!) 🙂
I hope that you’ll continue to follow Swatch And Learn. Feel free to leave more comments in the future. I read every single one, and I reply to all of them. It might take me a little while to reply, but I try to get back as soon as I can.
Interesting how you noticed Honey Ryder and Glitzerland are similar! Good point!
Mary –
If you only knew that I read every single one of your OPI related posts and then came back and left a comment. Your blog is so easy to read that I ran out of OPI posts and moved on to some of your other beauty reviews!
I can only imagine the number of hours you spend testing, photographing and writing for Swatch and Learn, but your effort shows with how in depth each post is and the time spent writing well thought out personal responses to each comment (I noticed before you mentioned it!). Please stay encouraged, I’m positive that I’m not the only person you’ve helped!!
Hey Vicki!
Wow, that is amazing – so flattering! I am so happy to hear that you enjoy reading my OPI posts that much! I enjoy writing these posts and putting together the content, too, so it’s very rewarding to hear that you find it useful.
Hehe, yeah, I’m like a beauty-product guinea pig! 😉 But I enjoy testing out new things (in a natural way). And if readers like you find it helpful, it gives me an even stronger incentive to share my thoughts with you all!
Thank you for taking time to acknowledge my hard work and for encouraging me. It really means a lot. The effort that READERS put in truly inspires me to continue, so it works both ways. 🙂