Yesterday, I painted my nails with OPI What Wizardry Is This?, which is from the OPI Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful Collection due out in March.
If you follow me on Instagram, you got a first peek at some bottle shots from the collection that I took quickly with my iPhone on Tuesday. I was so ecstatic, so I had to share!
Andddd…I am still very excited because this is the latest addition to the Liquid Sands series – it’s the 5th one.
It’s different than the Liquid Sands in the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection. In this post, I’ll explain my experience wearing this as a full manicure.
OPI What Wizardry Is This? Pictures
Natural Light
Flash
Natural Light
Flash
OPI What Wizardry Is This? Swatches
All swatches have:
- Essie First Base (Base Coat)
- 2 coats of OPI What Wizardry Is This?
- No top coat!
Natural Light Photos
Flash Photos
Claim: TRUSTED
√ Rich taupe
Key Notes
- Name: OPI What Wizardry Is This?
- Collection: OPI Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful Collection 2013
- Press Release: Click here to see the OPI Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful Collection press release
- Colours Available in the Collection: Lights of Emerald City, Don’t Burst My Bubble, When Monkeys Fly, Glints of Glinda, Which is Witch?, I Theodora You & What Wizardry is This?
- Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: Nothing! (This was provided by PR.)
- Where to Buy: Trade Secrets & select spas & salons (This will be available in March 2013.)
OPI What Wizardry Is This? Review
Colour
While this is advertised as being a rich taupe (and it is), I noticed that in certain artificial lighting, there seemed to be an olive nuance to it.
While I don’t wear taupes and hues in this colour family very often, I absolutely loved this. I’d describe it as looking like antique brass or aged wrought iron. There’s a steampunk, industrial quality to it that gives What Wizardry Is This? a completely unique identity from the Liquid Sands we’ve seen in the Mariah Carey Collection.
If you aren’t into the whole girly look, but you still want to participate in the Liquid Sand trend, What Wizardry Is This? will be right in your wheelhouse.
It offers a level of sophistication and edginess that’s more grown up than the Mariah Carey Liquid Sands. (Don’t get me wrong – I love bold, immature, and in-yo-face shades on my nails, but sometimes you need to experience variety for a good change of pace.)
My photos seem to show more of the taupe/brown personality, but when you wear it, trust me, you will easily see the olive come through (and it’s absolutely beautiful)!
While I was getting ready to head to the office, I noticed something interesting. I was lining my eyes with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Stash, and it looked a bit like OPI What Wizardry Is This?. I thought that was pretty nifty. (Yes, nifty – that’s even better than cool because not as many people say nifty.) 😉
Finish
What Wizardry Is This? by OPI has a Liquid Sand finish, so it is slightly gritty without being sharp. But, unlike the Mariah Carey ones that had large pieces of glitter, this one just has that ‘wet sand’ look.
It really catches the light and looks lively, never flat or boring. I love this finish so much that I find myself subconsciously touching the tops of my nails. (When you paint your nails with a regular polish afterwards, I bet you’ll miss the texture!)
Despite it being gritty, it’s actually easy to remove. (Yes, although I wanted to wear it longer, I removed it late last night because I was too anxious to wear another Oz shade as my next manicure. Forget First World Problems! This is a Nailphile Problem!) 😉
To remove, I just soak a cotton ball in some acetone-based remover. (It’s not even 100% acetone, yet it still gets the job done.) Hold the cotton ball onto one nail for a few seconds, and then rub as usual. You’ll notice that it comes off without having to scrub your fingers raw.
Another plus about Liquid Sands like this is that they dry super fast! And since you don’t need to wear a top coat, and it’s already dry, you can finish your manicure in a jiffy and hit the sack. (Well, if you’re a nocturnal painter like I am, it’s really convenient!)
(Side note: Wow, ‘nifty’ and now ‘jiffy’ in the same blog post? I must have been born an old person! I literally don’t know anyone my age who uses those words in everyday conversation. Maybe I can bring it back!) 😉
Application & Formula
The formulation is pretty easy to control, and I found that applying medium coats (as I’m in the habit of doing anyway) actually is the best method with Liquid Sands. (Yay!)
You get opaque coverage with just 2 medium coats. And even though they’re not thin coats, the Liquid Sand dries quickly still!
With a Shiny Top Coat
Please try it without a top coat because Liquid Sands have a cool matte texture that’s meant to be experienced!
Then, if you want to use a shiny top coat after, well, go ahead! 🙂
Since I’m sure some of you are curious about what it looks like glossy, I painted a tip on a nail wheel to show you.
I feel like with a shiny top coat, it looks nice, but it just becomes an ordinary type of beauty.
Liquid Sands are like editorial models, and Liquid Sands with a shiny top coat are like commercial models. Both are great, but it depends on what interests you more based on your manicure mood.
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 10/10
OPI What Wizardry Is This? did not disappoint me. It lived up to my expectations, but also surprised me. It takes a lot for taupes to excite me. Hehe, maybe it was the hint of olive (hey, I’ll take any green that I can get!).
This nail polish gets my stamp of approval! I know I’ll be wearing it multiple times.
Funny thing? Another nailphile shared my Instagram photo on her Instagram account. Someone left a comment on it and said that it looked like poo. So, I just had to reply to that person. What did I say? At least this isn’t a scented polish that matches. Hahahaha!
If you know me well, you know that I love green, yes, but polishes that look like geese poop excite me the most. 😉 This one has a hint of that geese-poop quality…haha, so I dig it!
Are you as excited about OPI What Wizardry Is This?, or do you prefer the large glitter in the Mariah Carey Liquid Sands? Do you like geese-poop-coloured polishes? Which OPI Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful Collection shades are you looking forward to wearing first?
Mary, this is absolutely divine on you!
I look forward to wearing this shade (geese poop) this weekend… you know, I own OPI You Don’t Know Jacques Matte and I kind of see an echo of it in this polish.
I really liked the chunky bits in the Mariah Carey collection of Liquid Sands, I was a little sad to see the change in formula… but, I still love this finish! 😉
Marta recently posted: OPI Disney’s OZ -Soft Shade Swatches
Hey Marta!
Hope you love What Wizardry Is This? as much as I do. It’s elegant and edgy at the same time. Plus the fast dry time is the cherry on top! 🙂
Yay for Oz swatches! Hmm…not sure about this one. I wish it had some chunky glitter, maybe monotone glitter like Can’t Let Go. Sadly, I do not share your love of goose poop. But I’d have to see it in person (the polish, not the goose poop). I do like your 1950s vocabulary, though!
Hey Meredith!
That’s okay that you don’t share the geese-poop love! 😉 Especially with my description, it doesn’t exactly sound appealing…haha! I wonder what this would look like with glitter. Hmm!
Haha, thanks! I must have been born in the wrong decade. 😉
Woah! Way industrial looking. Very cool.
Lizzy recently posted: Rimmel: I Lilac You & Magic Stardust (+Glitter Compare)
Hey Lizzy!
Very edgy and unexpected, isn’t it, especially for what’s supposed to be a Soft Shades Collection!
I think I like the liquid sands more for their fun color rather than the glitter pieces. I like the color of this, but I don’t know if I’d wear it. I kind of wish it was more gold than brown. I can’t wait to see the color you wear next! This collection looks really cool!
Brianna recently posted: Red and White Polka Dot Mani
Hey Brianna!
In person, it’s definitely more of a taupe than a gold, although sometimes you can get a hint of an antique type of gold. It would be fun to see OPI come out with a true-gold-bar Liquid Sand. (I’m thinking of GoldenEye, but with the Liquid Sand finish!)
I found when the deeper chocolate shades hit I could not wear them – I can wear the lighter taupes but I don’t wear them anymore it seems. So that and the fact I am not feeling the liquid sands at all – I think this second group will get left out of my stash. Good to know they are not killer to remove. I had wondered about that. Odd how some old words float into our vocab again. I started saying fab again which is from the 60’s Br. Invasion lingo days. I just got so tired of some of the amazing, awesome and so on. It kind of sounded fresh again to say fab!
Hey beachgal!
Before I tried any of the Liquid Sands, I thought (just based on the texture) that they’d be a nightmare to remove. I literally set aside a lot of time when I went to remove my first Liquid-Sand manicure. When it came off so easily, I was surprised! No need to saw my fingers off. 😛
I’m definitely guilty of saying “amazing” and “awesome” a lot. Haha, when I was in grade school, my favourite word was “interesting”. Maybe I was just always curious and fascinated by things, but I used to say that word way too much!
I love this colour and am so bummed it didn’t come in my press goodies. It looks stunning on your nails Mary! Such great swatches. I think I prefer it without the shiny topcoat….looks edgier that way
Sandra D recently posted: Disney’s OPI "OZ the Great & Powerful" Soft Shades Collection
Hey Sandra D!
Well, on the bright side, you got some cool shades to play around with in your press kit! 🙂 Do you think you’ll get this when it hits Trade Secrets? It’s such a different Liquid Sand than the Mariah Carey ones. I feel like What Wizardry Is This? is so much more grown up and editorial!
Hi,
When will you swatch the remainder of the collection?
Hey Eeeee!
I’m slowly working my way through the colours. 🙂 I don’t actually swatch the polishes. Rather, I wear them as full manicures and then take photos as I wear them. For this reason, I won’t be able to churn out reviews as quickly as some other bloggers. But you can be sure that when I do blog about a colour, I’ll go in-depth, and there’ll be lots of photos. 🙂
I’m still not sure about the liquid sand textures but I will most likely get this and the rest of the collection or want them really really badly because I love ANYTHING Oz related. They would be my first OPIs. I’ve actually never found OPI polishes anywhere near me due to living in a very small village.
Hey Karrie!
Wow, your first OPIs? That’s really special! I hope that you really enjoy them. I know that you’ll LOVE this Liquid Sand. Such a cool concept and finish!
At first I though no, not cute. I’m reminded of partially dry dirt for some reason. Then I had the sudden urge to sandwich this polish with all of the gold and metallic polishes I have. Or use it in beach themed nail art. The possibilities. If my local crack O.P.I. dealer can let me sample this in person I might buy it.
Hey Tennyoceres!
Haha, yeah, this Liquid Sand isn’t cute. It’s more editorial and edgy than pretty.
Hmm…interesting idea to use it for beach-themed nail art! The texture and colour would be perfect. Great idea!
Hahaha, “crack OPI dealer”! 😛
I’m starting to like this weirdly-textured polishes. This also looked good as shiny too. I must buy some of them. 😀
Gelic’ nail art recently posted: Checked funky french in red and black with stars and dots
Hey Gelic’ Nail Art!
Have fun with them, and let me know which one is your favourite after you’ve tried a few! 🙂
this looks amazing on you! I’m wearing it as well and can’t stop touching my nails! I actually like that it is that wet sand look instead of having the larger glitter pieces. It’s so unique, props to OPI!
Sincerely Stephanie recently posted: OPI Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful Swatches and Review
Hey Sincerely Stephanie!
Glad you’re enjoying it, too! Hehe, I know, right? I kept touching my nails to feel the texture when I wore this, too! Then when you go back to wearing a creme polish, you miss that texture.
I fell in absolute lust with Get Your Number, and may end up picking up that one, but not sure how I feel overall about the matte glitter trend. This one looks like clumpy dirt to me…haha but sometimes unusual polishes can be more of a conversation starter. I love Did You ‘Ear About Van Gogh from the Holland collection (admittedly more for the name than the color) and every time I wear it my mother refers to it as the “bathroom grout color”.
When you made the reference to the goose poop comment the first thing I thought of was scented polish…I guess since companies are making scented polish now, a goose-poop scented polish is theoretically possible?? Haha
Hey Jessica!
We are two peas in the same pod! I find that most people seem to like Stay the Night the best, but my favourite is Get Your Number! It’s so complex yet fresh-looking. Love it!
I can see why you’d think it looks like clumpy dirt. Haha, when the camera zooms in so closely, you can really see every minute detail. But, when you wear it on your nails in a normal, everyday setting (i.e. not looking through the lens of a camera), it looks pretty cool!
Haha, your mom’s funny! I think she would get along with my mom really well because my mom makes comments like that, too! (She was first one to refer to my swampy-green polishes as ‘geese-poop’. Now I use that description because it’s pretty accurate even though it’s a bit disgusting…hehe!)
I am just loving these liquid sands!! This one is my favorite- it’s not a color I generally go for – but it looks FABULOUS wit the texture.
Hey Melissa Olson!
I agree – the colour and the texture really go well together. There’s something more grown-up about this one than the Mariah Carey Liquid Sands. I do love them all, though! Can’t wait to see if OPI continues to expand the line.
That is absolutely gorgeous, it looks like cracked leather! It looks great on you. I love it 🙂
Chris recently posted: January 2013 Birchbox
Hey Chris!
That’s a good description! When you mention it, yeah, it does look a bit like cracked leather!
WOW! I really like this one. I gotta get it. I can rock it. So cool, nice color.
Hey Robbie!
Yes, you can definitely rock it! 😉 It’s not too girly, so I think it’ll appeal to those who weren’t crazy for the Liquid Sands in the Mariah Carey Collection.
Would you post a picture of it without top coat?
Hey Sam!
All the photos in this post, except for the one on the nail wheel, show the polish without a top coat.
(I had accidentally stated in the post that I used the Seche Vite top coat, but I’ve deleted that part. The only photo that shows the polish with the top coat is the last one on the nail wheel. Thanks for bringing this up so I could correct that!)
Oohhh Mary, I love this!!! I actually got the Mariah Carey liquid sand polishes based on your reviews and I love them!!! I am really really looking forward to getting this one :))
Hey Gosia!
So happy that you’re enjoying your Liquid Sands! 🙂 Aren’t they so fun to wear? And each one is different, not just in colour, so that makes it more interesting.
Hope you like this one, too, when you get it. It has a different personality – edgier!
I want to see a shot with top coat but not such a close up shot lol.
Kellie recently posted: 100 Posts & giveaway!
Hey Kellie!
No? I always like seeing macro shots. Whenever I see nail polish so close, I wish I could frame it and put it on my wall. It’s like art.
This is a total must have~ It’s incredibly gorgeous on your nails and I think it’s a very sophisticated look for a fun textured polish. Thanks so much for the amazing photos and review.
Hey Wwendalynne!
Aww, thank you! I found the formula sooooo easy to work with, and I loved the results, too! Highly recommend this polish. Glad you liked it and found my review useful! 😀
Oooh you are so lucky to have this polish! It is wonderful and I can’t wait to buy it when it arrives in France ^^ xoxo
Hey Bibulle Nail Art!
Yes, I definitely feel very privileged to have this wonderful nail polish in my possession! 😀 It’s gorgeous, and definitely you’ll love it as much as I do. It’s sophisticated, but also a great way to wear the new Liquid Sand look.