As you know, normally I love wearing statement colors and even cutesy cupcake nail art, but this time I reached for a ‘palette cleanser’ hue to help me from getting burnt out on constantly wearing holy cannoli polishes.
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic has been in my nail-polish collection for a long time, but I never wore it until now because neutrals aren’t my thing.
Well, this Metro Chic polish is one of the few neutrals I’m surprisingly falling for hard!
As you’ll see from my multiple swatches of it in various lighting, you’ll see how it morphs from a grayish taupe to a purplish taupe. This mushroomy color is very subdued yet has a little secret.
Did you fall in love with this shade like thousands upon thousands of others during the insane hype back in 2008 when it was first launched? Or are you just getting into it now?
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic Pictures
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic Swatches
All swatches have:
- 1 coat of Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat
- 2 coats of Sephora by OPI Metro Chic
- 1 coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Natural Light
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Flash
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Claims: TRUSTED
√ Top-quality formula
√ Long-lasting
√ Chip-resistant
√ Flawless results with each application
√ Opaque dark smoke with a hint of purple
Key Notes
- Name: Sephora by OPI Metro Chic
- Amount: 15 mL (0.5 oz.)
- What I Paid: $12 CAD
- Where to Buy: Sephora stores & Sephora website
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic Review
Back in 2008, mushroomy colors were making nail-polish headlines because they were so different than the available options. Today, there are quite a few murky hues on the market, so you can take your pick.
Sephora by OPI was nicknamed SOPI (or $OPI nail polish when it first launched because the price was higher than regular OPIs). I read how the formula on several colors were off – thick, stringy, and not very forgiving.
But $OPI Metro Chic was always praised for it (at the time) being an unusual taupe with a hint of purple. People went crazy over it, and the shade sold out quickly even after being restocked several times. Some nailphiles even resorted to overpaying for it on eBay.
Now that the hype has died down, Metro Chic is very easy to get your hands on. It seems to be stocked at all of the Sephoras near me, and it’s also available on the Sephora website.
Color
Depending on the light, I find that this color looks different. In the sun, it takes on a muted taupe flirting with gray. In natural light not in direct sunlight, it looks a touch lighter than a medium brown. Yet sometimes in natural light, it looks like soft taupe is mingling with a tinge of purple. And then with bright lights or a camera flash, the purple undertone really shines through.
The reason why I like SOPI Metro Chic is for that very reason – it doesn’t remain a single color. It manages to hold my interest with the slight change in nuances.
Formula & Application
It went on smoothly and perfectly. Although it was slightly watery, it didn’t flood my cuticle and it wasn’t hard to control.
Just 2 coats, and it reached opaque perfection. Great formula. Even if you goof up, the polish kinda melds together and smooths itself out for a perfect finish.
And the wear time was great – had this on for 4 days so far and no chipping or tip wear in sight. (Then again, most polishes I wear can last me a good 7 days before they start chipping or looking dull.)
Finish
I haven’t heard anyone mention this polish as having a jelly finish (it’s supposed to be a creme), but the color it leaves my nails looks so…squishy and jelly-like. I don’t get Visible Nail Line that’s associated with jellies (or ‘Sorbet finishes’), but to me, Metro Chic doesn’t look like a flat creme. It actually seems like a creme with a bit of a jelly.
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic vs. OPI You Don’t Know Jacques
OPI You Don’t Know Jacques is another mushroomy polish that a lot of people compare Metro Chic to.
You Don’t Know Jacques was a deeper brown on me and didn’t have any hints of purple. Also, the finish of You Don’t Know Jacques was your typical creme finish with no jelly quality in sight.
I really didn’t care for You Don’t Know Jacques because the color didn’t seem to change like Metro Chic. And I’m way more drawn to smoked out purplish taupes than I am to smokey browns.
Brush
There’s nothing remarkable about the brush. It’s your standard long and thin brush, and it works well to pick up the polish and apply it.
Bottle
I’m not a fan of the bottle – it looks tacky, and the handle reminds me a bit of the cap of a MAC lipstick.
The bottle looks rounded at the front, but it actually has a square base. Not the most modern-looking, but it’s the color that I’m wearing on my nails, not the bottle!
Ingredients
Those who are health and environmentally conscious will be pleased to know that Metro Chic doesn’t contain Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP.
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 9/10
Metro Chic is a winner for me. Considering that I rarely wear neutrals on my nails and I liked this one a lot, that’s really saying something!
This is a great color when you want a more elegant hue that has a bit of an edge or when you’re taking a break from bold and bright polishes.
Have you tried Sephora by OPI Metro Chic? What are your favorite mushroomy colors? Do you rarely wear neutral nail polish?
This looks soooo much like OPI you don’t know Jacques. :O
Alaeis recently posted: –
Good morning, Alaeis! 😀
Yeah, it really does. The one major difference I noticed though is that OPI You Don’t Know Jacques has more brown in it and no purple. Sephora by OPI Metro Chic definitely has enough of a purplish tinge that makes this smokey taupe look grayish purple sometimes.
Also, for some reason, the finish of Metro Chic looks more…squishy…than You Don’t Know Jacques. They’re both supposed to be cremes, but I like the finish of Metro Chic better.
I really want to try Sephora by OPI Call Your Mother now after liking this formula.
Do you have any neutral nail-polish favorites?
The only neutral I have is OPI you don’t know Jacques 😛 But I’ve been eyeing San Tan-tonio from the Texas collection. Its seems like a great neutral color 🙂 What about you? What’s your fave neutral?
Alaeis recently posted: –
OPI San Tan-tonio looks like a nice nude. But I find those kind of shades hard to wear because I can never seem to find the perfect polish for ‘mannequin hands’. The nudes are either too orange, too brown, or too pink.
My favorite neutral actually comes from the same collection that OPI You Don’t Know Jacques came in (La Collection de France – there were lots of awesome colors in that collection). It’s called Tickle My France-y. In the bottle, the color doesn’t look like anything interesting (at least to me). But on my nails, it sometimes looks nude, sometimes looks pink, sometimes looks gray, and sometimes looks purplish.
It’s not a traditional nude – something about it that seems edgy to me. Haha, and it’s probably not for everyone because it can make your nails look like…zombie nails…but in a way, I dig that! Does that make me weird? Haha, then so be it! 😉 (I was actually so excited when I ordered this color that I accidentally set the quantity to 2 instead of 1…hehe…oops! Good thing I love it though!)
I love this one! It has become a classic; universally flattering and a chic/edgy color. You can’t ask for more!!
Hey Tasha!
Very true – I have only heard good things about this color since it came out, which makes it strange how I only got around to wearing it now. It’s not easy finding a truly universally flattering color, but this is definitely one.
Have you tried any other Sephora by OPI polishes that you’d recommend?
I’ve been lusting after Metro Chic for a while, but I guess I’m late to the party because I only jumped on board recently. I love the colour – I love how it isn’t really taupe, isn’t really purple, isn’t really ANYTHING… BUT – I hate the consistency. It’s way too watery and streaky.
The first coat is streaky and so thin – it would actually be a cool look if it wasn’t so streaky. The second coat starts to build up, but is still really streaky. I have three coats on right now and it STILL has some problem areas.
That being said, once it’s on, I do love the colour, and it looks amazing with a matte top coat…
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Hey Dawn!
Aww, sorry that the consistency of your bottle wasn’t the best. I haven’t worn this shade in a while, but I remember mine was watery, too, however, mine wasn’t streaky. Maybe they’ve changed the formula?
Cool – I’ve never tried it with a matte top coat. I can picture it’d look good like that, too. Thanks for the idea!