Nail Trends: OPI's Surprising Celeb-Inspired Collections

 

In past years, there have been some strides made in the nail polish industry - and it seems 2011 is the "it" year for new nail trends! Nail care giant, OPI, is known for its wide range of colors and creative polish names. Now, it seems there's an explosion of celebrity-inspired collections by OPI, from tennis guru and nail polish buff Serena Williams' "Glam Slam" Collection, to hues inspired by singing sensation Katy Perry. But here's one surprise: Justin Bieber - yes, this is true - joins the ranks in forming his own collection from Nicole by OPI. Yes, I'm not sure why either. Either way, from metallic hues to sexy finishes, read on for the hottest new celebrity nail polish shades and how to wear 'em!
Serena Williams
Ms. Williams is not only a star on the tennis court, but in the fashion world, too. Selena is now using her love of style, and everything nails, to release an Australian Collection for OPI called "Glam Slam" - the duo features a neon green/yellow shade called Simply Smashing, along with Black Shatter - a lacquer that creates a black, crackled effect over any color. Stay tuned, because that's not all for this athlete and fashionista: three more duos are set to debut, all in time to kick off the U.S. and French Opens and Wimbledon.

 

Love It Or Hate It? I'm not a fan of the green color (it's more "Shrek" than "sexy"), but Black Shatter can give your nails an edgy look. Let's hope Serena's upcoming shades can make up for her lack of style points this time around.
How To Wear It: For a more sophisticated look, lacquer your nails with a deep hue and top with Black Shatter. Think eggplant, deep navy, dark, almost-black grays, and deep reds, like Nicole by OPI's He's a Keeper.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry, known for her unconventional, whimsical style (cupcake bra, anyone?) and fast-rising pop stardom, has also inspired a collection by OPI. Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI's Executive Vice President and artistic director, says, "Katy is known worldwide for her innovative style and is always surprising us with her wild nail designs. When we learned of Katy's love for lacquers, we couldn't resist the opportunity to work together to create this glamorous collection."

The hot hues in Katy's collection are named after 4 songs from her "Teenage Dream" album: Teenage Dream (of course), a sweet and airy cotton candy pink that pays homage to the clouds she perches herself on for the cover of her album, Last Friday Night, a fresh blue with a touch of glitter, Not Like The Movies, a decidedly somber charcoal gray shade, The One That Got Away, a shimmering deep burgundy, and Black Shatter, the same polish in Serena's collection that creates a shattered effect over other polish colors.
Love It or Hate It? I love the burgundy shade, but I expected Katy's colors for her collection to more express her bubbly style. The cobalt blue is spot-on (think her blue hair in Teenage Dream), but where is the bright fuchsia inspired by her lip color, or even a sunny, retro yellow to show off her fun side?
How to Wear It: If you're not afraid of color, then go ahead and rock the blue hue - but be prepared to look more like a smurf than an adult. The gray, light pink and burgundy are for more subdued styles. I love the gray for a night out - it goes with everything. For extra glam, top it with a black glitter top coat.




Justin Bieber

Apparently Bieber fever is catching on: OPI debuted Justin's polish line late last year, with plans in February 2011 to expand the colors his collection offers. Justin Bieber is the last person I would expect to have a nail lacquer line (can anyone say, "random"?); I'm sure retailers in the beauty world are just as confused as I am. It comes down to the fact that it leads to increased sales for OPI, as girls, tweens and teens everywhere grab his lacquers as fast as they can: the Bieb's signature hues have sold out in over 3,000 stores nationwide. His colors include: "Prized Possession Purple" (a bright and deep true purple), "Rich In Spirit" (a shiny, pale sky blue with iridescent tones), "Give Me The 1st Dance" (a light silver), "My Lifesaver" (a light seafoam green), "It's Possible" (a pretty blush pink), "Step 2 The Beat Of My Heart" (a purple base with confetti-like multi-colored chunks), and "Never Give Up" (a perfectly deep purple/pink).
Love It Or Hate It? For the market J.B. is trying to reach, his polish collection fits the bill. I love Step 2 The Beat Of My Heart - it's fun and cheerful, and not at all too "grown up". Justin features bright, fresh colors that appeal to girls and pre-teens. Think about your 11-year-old self: wouldn't you have been all over a nail polish collection from N'Sync, New Kids on the Block or Backstreet Boys? Exactly.
How To Wear It: I never thought I'd say this...but some of these colors are actually wearable for those over the age of twelve. Check out It's Possible, a very wearable blush - perfect for a french manicure base. "Me + Blue" is a pretty, deep royal blue. "Never Give Up" is a nice bright that's still deep enough to look sophisticated.
Overall, this year is seeing some surprising inspiration behind nail lacquer collections (a pre-pubescent boy star), and some we're excited about: the remaining debut of the rest of Serena's collection, and hopefully some new additions to Katy Perry's current colors. Try out the new Black Shatter polish by OPI now for an easy, current trend.
Nine shades from Justin Bieber's collection are currently available at Walmart (with 5 more due out in February), and Katy Perry and Serena Williams' lines will debut at ULTA stores this month.
Let me know what you think! What's your favorite color or trend for 2011? Do you like Bieb's collection, Katy's or Serena's? Have a favorite OPI hue you can't live without?