Polished to perfection

By Diana A. Uy

Nail polish is the least expensive fashion accessory one can wear.

It is also the most disposable item. So much so that you can change color with every mood, trend, or whim in a swipe of a cotton without ever worrying about a penny. But no one can deny how it can make a woman look fierce in a flash.

Joey Brown, OPI (Odontorium Products Inc.) international spokesman, believes it so, adding a good nail color can make you feel confident, almost transformed, you may never want to hide those nails from the world.

?It makes you feel like a million dollars,? says Brown. ?It?s like owning a new pair of shoes, lipstick or bag. Also, it?s part of the grooming process.? (That goes to say, chipped nail polish is a BIG no-no, according to Brown.)

Brown, together with Scott Smith, OPI international sales manager Asia-Pacific region, was recently in the Philippines to introduce Pinays what the rest of the world?s fashionistas are going gaga over?a complete line of professional nail care products considered most innovative, trendsetter and a world leader. OPI, for the first time, is setting up a home at the Nail Bar of Rustan?s Essenses in Makati and no less than Brown and Smith should provide the proper FYI. Alongside, the two shared with us the nail care trends for 2009, including colors (bright and summer-y) and the right nail length (short as opposed to long, talon-like nails).

?Our color collections always follow fashion,? says Brown, ?Whatever they are showing on the runway for Spring or Summer, then our collections will follow. Like right now, everything is very bright and bursting with colors and with lots of flowers and prints, golds, fun colors, tangerines and pinks, creamy red, and things like that. We are seeing a lot of colors popular in the ?60s and the ?70s. That represents our color forecast.?

As far as the short nail cut is concerned, Brown (without making an effort to kid about global recession affecting women?s nail length preference) says it is a natural process. The ladies, after all, have been sporting long nails for the past 10 years or so, it?s about time they return to what basic hygiene calls appropriate, well-groomed and clean-looking. Besides, dark nail colors are much more aesthetically pleasing on short, round nails than on stilleto-like nails.

OPI is bringing in their classic, dark nail colors like the ?Lincoln Park After Dark? and ?Russian Navy? to the Philippine market. According to Smith, making up quirky names for their polish creations is part of OPI?s packaging, one of the prime tasks of its creative team, headed by Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. Known as the First Lady of Nails, Fischmann is responsible for creating each OPI nail lacquer shade based on each season?s fashion and beauty forecasts. Fischmann has a beauty blog on the OPI Web site sharing tips and other nail care essentials.

The aforementioned nail shades are so popular in Milan and New York, customers are grabbing them off the shelves the minute shipment comes in. ?We are always out of stock.?

Converts are common, too. For example, at the OPI launch, the members of the press were treated to an afternoon of hand and feet pampering session. Some of us hadn?t had our nails done in years while a few were adamant, thinking nail polish gets in the way especially when someone is into painting or sculpting, for example. All hesitations and doubts vanished right after each treatment, with each of us loving and already addicted to our new nails?polished and colored to perfection. I unknowingly picked ?I Love This Color? and yes, I did, absolutely.

When it all began

OPI started out as a dental supply company before venturing into nail care products 20 years ago. The shift took a lot of research and product development on the part of OPI. Founder George Schaeffer partnered with a chemist in order to create products that are safe, environment-friendly (Smith assures each product is non-toxic, free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde), and long-lasting. In years, OPI has created hype especially among Hollywood celebrities and fashion magazine editors. OPI is especially famous worldwide for its nail lacquers that are ?brilliant and chip resistant with a professional formula bottled up in over 200 fashion-forward colors.?

Complementing this wide array of colors, OPI offers other nail treatments like the Drip Dry to keep nails from discoloring and Chip Skip to preserve the nail?s surface. The Nail Envy products, on the other hand, help solve different types of nail care problems. While the Avojuice line keeps hands and feet moisturized naturally as much as smelling lusciously delicious. OPI also offers its Manicure line which comes with nail care tools that exfoliates, revitalizes, renews and protects. The Pedicure collection, meanwhile, boasts of botanical ingredients that treat and refresh tired soles.