40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Cult Classics
Day 12, OPI Nail Polishes by Patti aka Cavewoman

I'm Not Really A Waitress was the very first OPI nail polish that I ever purchased. I was looking for a darkish, reddish shade with some shimmer in it, and I was as charmed by the cute name as I was the color in the bottle. Little did I know at the time, but that first purchase was just the beginning of a long and happy love affair with nail polishes in general, and OPI in particular.
INRAW is supposed to be the best selling, most popular of all OPI colors. It might just be the only nail polish ever to achieve cult status. Launching several theme-based collections a year, plus little mini special collections, and an entire group of pales for brides, OPI has every color you could want or imagine.

But there's a catch. OPI lovers know the catch. They're savvy. Hit the store on the day of the launch, grab what you love, because for many of the colors in these collections, once they're gone, they're gone forever. And then there will be weeping and swapping and high-price-paying and ebay-scouring, trying to find that elusive bottle that escaped your hands (and nails.)

And so I present to the readers of Blogdorf, a little collection of colors from OPI that have been raved and craved.

Starting at the lower left and going around to the lower right, ending with the one in the center:

I'm Not Really A Waitress, the beautiful dark red shimmer that belongs in every nail polish collection. I think this one was from a Hollywood Collection, and now it's part of the regular stock from OPI.

Man Of La Mancha, part of a Broadway Collection of shimmery sheers that came and went in the blink of an eye. It's a pinky-orange color with glitter that appears fuschia.

My Auntie Drinks Chianti, from the Italian Collection, a violet cream.

Mamma Mia, another from the Broadway Collection, appearing pink in the bottle but going on as a sheer peachy-pink with silver shimmer-glitter.

Lovinder, a silver with the most tiny hint of coolness, and silver shimmer. I found it at a nail salon at the mall.

Harlem Hip Hop, a fabulous fuschia cream that covers in one coat and just makes me happy every time I wear it.

Friar Friar Pants On Fire, from the British Collection, a hot, warm-based red with red shimmer. I do not wear this when I am going to spend the day with my priest buddy.

Rent, another from the Broadway Collection, so beautiful in the bottle with its silver shimmer and glitter in a sheer violet base. You can never ever achieve on the nails what you see in the bottle.

Mystic Moonstone, unknown in origin. This silver nail color has both shimmer and big sparkly silver glitter particles. One coat covers the nail completely, and makes it look like car paint. You can feel the grit on the nail after it dries.

I admit I'm as fickle with nail color as I am with perfumes and cosmetics. Most of the time, I use a bottle a few times and then pass it on to my eager granddaughters. Their collection is now bigger than mine is. But these few, well, Grandma is hanging on to these.

Disclosure: All the nail polishes featured in this review were purchased by Cavewoman.