Introduction To OPI

What is OPI? | Product Overview | Where To Start | Problem Nails

What Is OPI? | top

“OPI is dedicated to giving you the best nail lacquer, nail polish, lip color and professional nail products available in the nail industry today. OPI has nail polish, lip color, nail strengtheners, and all other nail accessories. Although nail lacquer is OPI's most popular product, there is definitely more than color at OPI."

OPI began with a revolutionary product for creating acrylic nails. I guess that's what happens when you cross a dentist supplier with a chemist :) That dentist supplier, George Schaeffer, President & CEO, joined forces with Susan Weiss-Fischmann, Executive Vice-President and Artistic Director of OPI and the rest is history. OPI offers the best technology available while keeping up (and often ahead) of the latest fashions.

Product Overview| top

Treatments
In general, OPI treatment products can make your nails healthier, stronger, harder and more flexible. The Avoplex range can remove excess skin, heal and pretty much keep your cuticles and your hands in perfect condition.

Lacquers
The lacquers are exceptional. Thicker and stronger than your regular polish, OPI lacquers dry fast and last 2 to 3 times as long as popular cosmetic nail polishes before chipping. The colours are rich, vibrant and have an extremely even, glossy finish.

In addition to beautiful results, the OPI lacquers come packaged in unique OPI bottles: designed to make application easy and comfortable. The brush/cap is thick and easy to hold. This means that you can easily unscrew or close your lacquer bottle without ruining wet nails! The brush itself is long enough to hold a significant amount of colour while ensuring a firm paint edge.

Where To Start| top

This one is easy - everyone should start with OPI's Nail Envy Original Formula.

Nail Envy is essentially a nail hardener treatment. If you have acrylics, applying Nail Envy will strengthen your poor, abused natural nail under the overlay. If you have natural nails, Nail Envy will make them strong enough to actually grow out a significant free edge (over the end of your finger) without breaking off easily.

It's an extremely versatile product. To build strength you apply Nail Envy every second day (just keep applying on top of your last coat) and then remove all the layers at the end of the week and start afresh. For maintenance of your already tough nails, use Nail Envy once a week.

Nail Envy makes a fantastic base or top coat to a manicure because it dries extremely fast and hard if you don't have separate products to take on these roles.

Those new to nail and hand maintenance should look into purchasing the OPI Maintenance Kit from TVSN. Try all the products and see which works the best for you.

Common Nail Problems| top

Nail Biters
If you bite your nails, break they habit by keeping your nails looking beautiful and healthy. If that doesn't work on its own, use Nail Envy religiously and your nails will eventually become so hard that it is actually very, very difficult to bit into them and tear them off (mine got to this state within around 6 - 8 months). Keep a good nail file on hand to make sure there are no snags on the edge of your nails.

If you bite your cuticles, follow the above rules for nail biting and use OPI's cuticle oil twice daily. Once your cuticles are completely healed over, it is harder to find some snag to bite.

Yellow Nails
If you have yellow nails you can try several things. Some people have naturally yellow nails (like me), but it may be caused by other things.

• Stop wearing inferior nail polishes, they will cause your nails to yellow. Or, if you must wear them, apply a good quality base coat first - like Nail Envy
• Don't smoke
• Wear gloves when cleaning or dealing with chemicals
• Try a whitening spa product. Orly produces one such product.
• File and buff nails correctly. Try using a 3-way buff and don't buff too hard or more than once a week

Bumps and Ridges
For ridges, buff nails correctly but don't buff too hard or too often. If the ridges are still pronounced, use a ridge-filling base coat. Orly produces a great product which is used also as a base coat before applying polish. A thin layer of Orly Ridge Filler will produce a smooth even coat of lacquer and will also protect nails from yellowing.

Oily Nails
Unfortunately, some people's nails will produce more oil than others and this causes the nail surface to lose adhesion with the lacquer and therefore chip off more easily. If this is a problem you experience there are products available called bonders which helps prevent the nail from producing excess oil. OPI Chipskip is used before applying your base coat and will help to ensure you polish lasts days longer than normal.