A closer look at the OPI Coca Cola Collection

Last month you might remember I was lucky enough to attend the ultra glamourous launch of the OPI Coca Cola collection, in a swanky London hotel well now it's time to explore that collection a little more!

OPI are famous for their celebrity, film and brand collaborations, and the drinks giant is following in some pretty amazing footsteps. Gwen Steffani, Mariah Carey and Bond to name but a few! This limited edition collection features inspiration from The Coca Cola Companies best loved brands, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and Coke Zero. So we can expect a wide shade range, with one to suit us all!

Plus, with each bottle of Coca Cola inspired lacquer featuring the OPI Pro Wide Brush, and their professional chip resistant formula, these little bottles of loveliness will make it nice and easy to create a salon worthy manicure from the comfort of our bedrooms!

So, lets take a closer look at our shades shall we!

Classic glossy red, 'Coca Cola Red'

Soft, feminine pink 'Sorry I'm Fizzy Today'

Vibrant tangerine 'Orange You Stylish'

Creamy nude 'You're So Vain-illa'

Personally, I think all of the above shades would look fabulous with a summer sun-kissed tan! Especially, Orange You Stylish, which would be the ultimate flash of colour peeking out from your summer sandals!

For those of you who prefer deeper or metallic shades, don't fret!  There are lots on offer for you too!

Dramatic black with red sparkles 'Today I Accomplished Zero'

Metallic deep lime 'Green On The Runway'

Rich black cherry 'Get Cherried Away'

Seriously sparkly silver! 'Turn On The Haute Light'

Deepest, darkest purple 'A Grape Affair'

See, lots and lots to choose from! If you can't make up your mind, why not try the '10 Pack of Style'? Featuring each bottle in miniature size, plus OPI professional top coat. You'll still get 10-15 manicure's per bottle enough to last you through to Autumn Winter at least!

The OPI Coca Cola collection officially launches on QVC UK on Saturday 21st June at 5pm- with me in the hot seat!

I'll be talking you through the whole collection, plus some fabulous professional secrets.

Hopefully you'll see me and my classic Coca Cola Red manicure then!

Neon Nails

 You know Summer is well and truly here when we all choose to showoff our bronzed bodies with complimentary neon fingers and toes.

This 'Summer' is no different, with OPI this week launching their six new Neon Nail Lacquers. Let's just hope the sun soon starts shining so we can show off at least a subtle hint of sun-kissed skin!

Not only does this collection feature 6 full size wearable shades, we have also been treated to a colour boosting, white base coat, developed to enhance our brighter nail shades! Simply apply 1-2 thin coats of Put A Coat On, before following with two coats of your chosen nail lacquer shade.

I personally reach for coral or pink tones in Summer, so I'm LOVING Down to the Coreal, tangerine toned Juice Bar Hopping and vibrant Hotter Than You Pink.

But, perhaps this year I'll try to think outside my manicure box! Especially with citrus shades Life Gave Me Lemons, You Are So Outta Lime!, and bold purple Push & Pur-Pull.

Plus, if you are lucky enough to be jetting off for some much-needed sunshine, these shades are available in OPI Gel Colour- meaning a chip-free neon mani for a good few weeks!

Manicure Ideas

Most of you probably know by now, a big part of my job involves working with top nail brand OPI on the UK shopping channel QVC, and the reason I love this job so much, is because I seriously do adore OPI nail lacquer. And have done, since my mum first let her 'play' with her beloved OPI collection.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the AW and Coca Cola launches, (which you can about here), and since I've been having a really good play around with the shades in the salon! 

My Karla Powell Nail Charts have proved very handy, when choosing the shades to try next, as you can see!

There is lots of ways of wearing your manicure-  for example, I'm still a big lover of a 'ring finger' mani- wearing a complimentry or contrasting shade on your ring finger which differs from the other fingers, and there is lots of combinations to choose!

Top- 'My Dogsled Is A Hybrid', with 'Suzi Has A Swede Tooth' on the ring finger, both from the AW Nordic Collection.


Left- 'Thank Glogg It's Friday', with 'Do You Have This Colour In Stock-Holm' from the AW Nordic Collection. Ring finger finished with 'Gaining Mole-mentum' from the Muppets Collection.


Right- 'A Grape Affair' with 'Get Cherried Away' from the Coca Cola Collection, ring finger finished with 'Muppets World Tour' from the Muppets Collection.

Or perhaps you prefer the AW 2013 trend of a contrasting forefinger and thumb?  

My personal favourite is this skin tone inspired manicure- using a number of neutral shades and gradually working from light to dark or visa versa.

L-R, 'Your So Vain-illa' from the Coca Cola Collection, 'How Great Is Your Dane',  'Going My Way Or Norway' and  'Ice-Bergers And Fries' from the Noridic Collection.


So go on- have a play and see what type of mani you can create!

OPI Discovery Collection

What are you doing today at 4pm? Or even tomorrow at 2pm? 

Well, after a scorching weekend, it's predicted the next few days are full of silly storms, so why not curl up on the couch and grab an absolute bargain on QVC?

My gorgeous colleagues at OPI are back on air once again- this time with a 12 Piece Discovery Collection. If you are a big OPI fan (like moi) or maybe you've just heard me banging on about them for the past 2 years, it's the perfect why to try a little bit of all the OPI favourites. Plus it comes in a gorgeous box, ideal for any summer birthdays coming up.

So what do you get?

First up, it's hero treatment Nail Envy, in original gloss and the new QVC UK exclusive shade-nude, plus my desert island pick, Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Oil. You can read how to get stronger, longer nails using these products here.

Next, for a long lasting, quicker manicure, it's professional secrets Chip Skip and Rapidry Top Coat. Simply start your mani with Chip Skip, and follow with a base coat or Nail Envy. After two coats of colour, finish with Rapidry Top Coat for a high shine finish in a flash.

Now what colour to choose?! We've got summers favourite coral  Cajun Shrimp, amethyst  toned Purple With A Purpose and a hot pink, Pompeii Purple. Plus, from the Brazilian collection, multi tonal pewter Next Stop The Bikini Zone and a soft pink I Love Applause from the Muppets collection. Phew! That's a lot of mani's and pedi's to be rocking in the sunshine!

Talking of the sunshine- if you are jetting off on your jolly's this collection is even more perfect- as each and every bottle is 3.75ml meaning you can even take a few in your hand luggage! Plus you'll also get your manicured mitts on moisturising lotion Avojuice in Coconut and Melon (smells exactly like a holiday cocktail!) and floral Violet Orchid, which is ideal for a romantic evening stroll.

Thinking this collection will break the bank? Then you'd be wrong- you'll be grabbing over £60 worth of OPI goodies for under £25! Bargain!

So make sure you tune in and join me in sporting gorgeous fingers and toes this summer!

OPI AW14 & Coca Cola Launch

Well what a day I've had!

Bright and early this morning I made my way from the beautiful (but rainy) banks of Kingston and headed to the swanky St Martins Lane Hotel, for the official OPI AW14 and Coca Cola launch.

Featuring a stunning video presentation from OPI Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann and a plethora of manicurists on hand to enable us to try the shades before anyone else, the event was attended by a whole host of beauty journalists and fellow bloggers.

Suzi began her presentation with some interesting facts, all of which came to light through the Pink Report 2013-2013 'Nailed: The allure of nail colour. 

For example, can you believe 99% of women asked, admitted they were addicted to nail lacquer? (I am DEFINITELY in this group) 


Or that our favourite shades are pink, followed by muted beige's or hot reds?! 
This survey also found that 75% of women voted OPI their favourite nail brand- so it's nice to know I'm in good company!

Right! Lets start with the Coca Cola Collection, which I touched on last week. With 9 shades that represent Coca Colas best selling drinks, it's easy to see why these two brands collaborated- they both provide 'Happiness in a Bottle'.

Up first is my favourite, the classic 'Coca Cola Red', which is a creamy gloss shade like the muted cream ' You're So Vain-ill a' , bubblegum pink 'Sorry I'm Fizzy Today' and bold tangerine 'Orange You Stylish!'.
For your purple lovers, they also have the gorgeous grape tones 'Get Cherried Away' and the deeper vampish 'A Grape Affair'


For those of you who really like to make a statement you'll LOVE metallic green 'Green On The Runway', striking silver 'Turn On The Haute Light' and the blackened red sparkle 'Today I Accomplished Zero'.


I've heard on the 'grape vine' that when I launch this collection on QVC
 next month, we may even have  a special set of miniatures too- perfect for taking your salon mani on your jolly holidays!



So, what will we be wearing come AW?! Well, if you're like me, a different manicure shade per week- I am absolutely in love with every shade in the Nordic Collection and want to wear it ALL. And I want to wear it NOW!!

Suzi introduced the collection through a stunning video, featuring ethereal looking goddesses, their long blonde locks pulled back into plaits and braids. Dressed in a palette of soft, earthy tones in sheer fabrics teamed with gunmetal 'armour', they provoked thoughts of Nordic Warrior Princesses, as they ran through dampened Greenland and deserted beaches.

The palette of colour used in the Nordic collection is inspired by nature and the visual surrounding of the Nordic region, including the famed Northern Lights and the iconic pastel painted houses found in Copenhagen, Denmark.








My absolute favourites are the pastel tones, mint green 'My Dogsled Is A Hybrid', feminine pink 'Suzi Has A Swede Tooth' , the vivid coral 'Can't AfJord Not To' and the deep indigo 'Do You Have This Colour In Stock-Holm?'. These shades are perfect for Summer too, so make sure you grab these early when they launch in August!














For the colder winter months we have a warming palette of spicy browns, rich wines and warm golds.

The sparkly wine 'Thank Glogg It's Friday' , deep burgundy 'Skating On Thin Ice-Land and 'dark plum 'Viking In A Vonderland' are to me, the perfect Christmas shades- whether I'll be prepared to wait that long, we will see!

Finally we have metallic gold 'OPI With A Nice Finn-Ish', super sparkly 'My Voice Is A Little Norse', cinnamon coffee 'How Great Is Your Dane',  iced caramel 'Going My Way Or Norway' and the rich chocolate 'Ice-Bergers And Fries' 

Wow-What a collection! 

There was just enough time for a cheeky manicure from OPI Nail tech Lee, and a quick pose in front of the gorgeous Nordic Images with my colleges Niki and Siobhain before I headed back up north...... Luckily for me, with two both collections in toe.

Why do I have a feeling a lot of my female friends may be popping in this evening?! 

A sneak peek at the OPI Coca Cola Collection

So, we've had the Gwen Steffani, Mariah Carey and even Muppets collection, but now it's time for a completely new collaboration from nail giant OPI.

Early this summer we'll see the launch of a 9 piece collection inspired by the Coca Cola brand.

Coca Cola I hear you cry?! Well what's more iconic than a refreshing cold drink on a hot summers day?! And every Summers day needs a salon worthy manicure doesn't it!

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI co-founder and executive vice president said of the collaboration - “These two iconic brands truly deliver happiness in a bottle – whether it’s a refreshing, invigorating sip of Coke, or a set of fingers and toes perfectly polished with OPI nail lacquer.”

I couldn't agree more Suzi!

This limited edition collection features inspiration from The Coca Cola Companies best loved brands, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and Coke Zero. So we can expect a wide shade range, with one to suit us all!

After last weeks QVC TSV shows, the team released a sneak peek of the shade swatches on their Instagram page- and I must admit I was dying to get my hands on them!

But soon my wait will be over, and I can share my favourite's with you all. In a short few weeks I'll be attending the collection launch before launching the collection LIVE on QVC on June 21st- so make sure you tune in for my FIRST EVER hour long show.

(Butterflies are kicking in already!!)

Karla Powell Nail Art Charts

As you'll know if you read this weeks blog, last weekend the amazing Karla Powell was in the So Coco Rouge salon, teaching lots of make-up artists her Lip Art techniques.

Karla brought along her famous Face Charts, which are available in both A4 and A5 sizes from Crown Brush, and her new Nail Charts, which haven't even been launched yet! 

As I'm not the most artistic girl in the world, I've never really used face charts, but the nail charts really intrigued me! When I'm prepping for each QVC show for OPI Nails, I usually use a blank nail wheel, which allows me to play with the products and see the true shade. However, by the looks of it, these A5 Nail Charts would make carrying my own back catalogue of OPI shades even easier!

Karla says- "My Nail Charts are ideal for experimenting with hard wearing nail varnishes, different types of pens to draw nail art designs. The sheets work well with all wet nail varnish formula's, drying to the nail varnishes true colour. Perfect for swatching nail varnishes too! Each page features a minimal hand outline with short nails , with ample space for notes and the chance to extend the nails into a desired shape." 

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the best at staying between the lines when 'colouring in' so I was a little worried my nail charts would look like a 5 year old had got their hands on them- but for my 1st and 2nd attempt I'm pretty impressed with myself! 

These charts feature 1 quick coat of polish- please excuse my mini smudge!

The specially designed paper makes painting gloss and textured glitter polishes really simple, and they dry pretty quickly too.

Definitely a must buy for manicurists, and make-up artists prepping for artistic shoots- and certainly one of my favourite buys of the year so far! So next time you tune into one of my QVC shows, remember backstage will be  my little book of OPI nail swatches!

QVC TSV

Every once in a while we get the chance to snap up the latest goodies from our favourite beauty brands in the comfort of our own homes- for a snip of the recommended retail price.

This Wednesday, it's time for the first OPI  QVC 'Todays Special Value' of 2014- and boy is it a good 'un!

Featuring over £100 worth of OPI professional lacquer and treatment, for around a third of the price, if you are a OPI lover or maybe tipping your first pedicured toe into OPI, this collection should not be missed!

This TSV collection features two of the latest film collaboration-  Muppet's Most Wanted shades, the rich sapphire, Miss Piggy's Big Number and the multi-tonal rosy mauve, Kermit Me To Speak. Plus, you also get the rosy gold, rainbow sparkle Rose of Light, a textured glitter which is a gorgeous addition to any manicure. Why not try it on your ring finger!

Kermit Me To Speak

Miss Piggy's Big Number

Rose Of Light

Speaking of glitter- we all know what an utter pain removing glitter lacquers can be. Sometimes, it takes so long, I avoid glitter all together!

Well, not for much longer- As this week, OPI launch Glitter Off Base Coat!

Simply apply a thin coat as your base and wait for the base to turn clear. Next, follow with two coats of your glitter, textured or dark lacquers- any, which you find tricky to remove!

When you are ready to remove your lacquer, take a cuticle stick and gently push the polish from base to tip. Finally, sweep over nails with Acetone Polish Remover to remove any residue. 

Voila, clean, glitter free nails in seconds!

You can see a demonstration of Glitter Off Here.

Glitter Off Base Coat

Finally, we have our treatments! Multi Award winning nail strengthener Nail Envy and the avocado enriched cuticle oil, Avoplex.

QVC customers already have access to the exclusive cool pink shade of Nail Envy, and now they have another shade to add to their collection- Nude!

This beautiful soft nude shade, compliments all skin tones, and is ideal for wearing a hint of colour whilst treating your nail problems. Plus this is the only place in the WORLD you can try it!

Nude Envy

Original Envy

Whether you choose to wear Original or Nude Nail Envy, it's important you follow our care routine to see the nail strengthening benefits-

Avoplex

1. Apply two coats of either nude or original envy
2. Apply another coat of envy every other day 
3.Remove on day 7 with non acetone polish remover, file down excess length and start again!

For best results, OPI advise massaging Avoplex oil into cuticles twice a day whether you are following the envy routine, wearing lacquer or not.

So, I'd suggest keeping yourself awake and tuning into QVC as the clock strikes onto Wednesday 16th 2014. 

But if you can't keep your eyes open, you can also catch the OPI team at 4am, 8am, 12pm and 6pm, but remember- there is only limited stock!