I'm Not Really a Waitress

A few weeks ago, when I arrived at my desk one morning, a colleague came up to me and passed me something small and heavy wrapped in bubble wrap.

"I know you were admiring my nail varnish last week," she said, "so I ordered you some!"

It was the most random gift, and so generous, I couldn't believe it! It completely made my week, and I couldn't wait to go home and paint my nails - as you can imagine. It sat on my desk all day, glinting at me, until I was allowed to go home.

The varnish in question was 'I'm Not Really a Waitress' by O.P.I - a stunning deep red, with a slight metallic twist, which was super shiny, sophisticated and classic. It is, as you can imagine with a blog name like mine, the perfect colour for me. I've never owned O.P.I varnish before and was so excited to add it to my growing collection!

Isn't is divine? You'll have to excuse my poor painting skills - staying 'inside the lines' was never my strong point!

Even the name is fantastic - giving the wearer a sense of an alternate identity. One slick of this, and you're a glamorous vixen beneath the drab office-worker exterior (or at least that's what I tell myself!)

The bottle itself is simple, and instantly recognisable as the brand. You get a generous amount of colour in one pot, so it seems to be value for money, too. The lid is easy to grip when you apply it, and it only took two coats to give my nails a deep, rich colour which shone beautifully. It's definitely up there among the nail varnishes I find easiest to apply!

However, as beautiful as the product is (the photos just don't do the colour justice, I promise) I did have a problem with the staying-power. Unfortunately my newly-painted nails were chipped in less than 24 hours, whilst I was just going about my usual daily routine. Even though this was without a top coat (which I suppose is a cardinal sin!) I do like my varnishes to be a little more resilient without any extra help. This left me a little disappointed, as I had such high hopes for this pretty product.

I did re-paint them using a top coat afterwards, and it stayed on for longer, chipping after a couple of days. I mentioned this to a friend who agreed that her experience of O.P.I varnishes was the same - that they chip incredibly quickly. I think in the future I will need to invest in an excellent top-coat, so that I can really get the most of this beautiful colour. Any recommendations?

I did get a lot of compliments on the colour too which  was a boost, I have to admit! It's clear that this really is a showstopper.

I love 'I'm Not Really a Waitress' and it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful colours I own. However, I am not really convinced by how easily it chipped. I will keep wearing it though - it's just too pretty to ignore!

Are you a fan of O.P.I Varnishes, or do you find they chip too easily?

Jo

xxx