OPI GelColor - Fall/Winter 2014 Nordic Collection Review & Swatches

Looking outside right now, I feel like I'm living in the Nordic region of Northern Europe. 3 degrees has me looking around for the Abominable Snowman! The cold front should pass, but the memories of the storm align perfectly with today's exciting post about the Fall/Winter 2014 collection from OPI, Nordic.

Nordic Collection was inspired by the great northern lights in Finland, deep blue fjords in Norway, and colorful houses in Copenhagen. OPI Co-Founder & Executive VP Suzi Weiss-Fischmann had this to say about the collection:

I always draw inspiration from the food, music, art, landscape and street style of a particular destination. All of these diverse elements came together to inspire an equally varied array of colors that capture the aesthetic of the Nordic region. Contrasts were also seen on fall runways, where sheer fabrics were paired with fleece and woolen plaids were embellished with colorful beadwork and intricate lace. Nordic Collection by OPI complements the oxblood, coral and earthy tones seen this season and offers a variety of hues.

I am honored to be one of OPI's Pro Bloggers, so today's review is a bit different. I'll be sharing the 12 shades of Nordic with you in GelColor, OPI's gel line. GelColor is an in-salon, professional product only. As a nail tech, I'm thrilled to be able to share these shades in GelColor. (Fun fact: I work at Spa at St. Julien, where we use GelColor!)

First let's take a look at a few nail art designs using Nordic colors.

This dainty bird floral design was created with 3 Nordic shades: Can't aFjörd Not To, Do You Have this Color in Stock-holm?, and My Voice is a Little Norse. Gel nail art is tricky, and something I'm still working on perfecting. Gel polishes will not be smudge-proof until you cure them under a UV or LED light (depending on the formulation; GelColor is LED cured in 30 seconds). So my designs appear a little softer around the edges. I loved the way that made this design feel though...very feminine!

Keeping that polish movement in mind, I decided to create a wood grain effect for Nordic's second nail art look. I could work the darker polish (Ice-Bergers & Fries) over the lighter one (Going My Way or Norway?) to create a very realistic wood grain. Then I added Sighstar decals for a true Nordic feel.

Using decals on gel polish is easy! Most gel polishes leaves behind a sticky residue (called the "inhibition layer") after they're cured, which is wiped away at the end of a manicure. When placing decals though, I preferred to actually leave the sticky layer, which allowed me pat them down really well and perfectly align them. The final look speaks volumes for itself.

How would you use the Nordic colors of nail art? Take a look at the colors below the jump to pick your favorite, and let me know what you'd create! Be sure to read their descriptions, because I've included some fun facts to give you clues as to why the creative geniuses at OPI named them the way they did.

All the swatches were done in 2 coats.

OPI - Can't aFjörd Not To

Can't aFjörd Not To - Not quite a mango, but not quite an orange, Can't aFjörd Not To is more of a mandarin peel color. Though soft against the skin, it pops amazingly well!

• Naming Fun Fact: Åfjord is a municipality in Norway.

OPI - Do You Have this Color in Stock-holm?

Do You Have this Color in Stock-holm? is an odd color to describe - almost neon indigo, royal blue-purple. In some light, it appears more blue, while in others it appears more purple.

• Naming Fun Fact: Sweden is considered to be part of the Nordic region, and Stockholm is its capital.

OPI - Going My Way or Norway?

Going My Way or Norway? was the base for my wood grain nail art. This is a perfect fall shade for your collection. On my skin, it looks fabulous as a medium-light caramel nude.

• Naming Fun Fact: Norway is another country considered to be part of the Nordic region.

OPI - How Great is Your Dane?

How Great is Your Dane? feels very fall as well. It's a dark, dusty brown shade, with a hint of slate to elevate it beyond a typical brown. It pairs well with the other browns and tans in the collection.

• Naming Fun Fact: Denmark is another country in the Nordic region, and people from Denmark are Danish, which is often shortened to "dane".

OPI - Ice-Bergers & Fries

Ice-Bergers & Fries is a darker, warmer shade, but is similar to Going My Way or Norway?.

• Naming Fun Fact: OPI's play on words is unparalleled in the polish industry, and here they've played with iceberg - those floating masses of ice commonly found off the coasts of Nordic countries.

OPI - My Dogsled is a Hybrid

My Dogsled is a Hybrid isn't a typical fall or winter shade; it's an awesome pastel turquoise! I'd love to use this as the base for a stone look.

• Naming Fun Fact: In parts of some Nordic countries, dogsledding may be the only option for transport. The play on words with this green-family color cracks me up!)

OPI - My Voice is a Little Norse

My Voice is a Little Norse hardly needs explaining. The picture speaks for itself! Taken slightly out of focus was intentional, so you can see how the same-size holographic glitter sparkles on the nails. Can you imagine this over Do You Have this in Stock-holm?!

• Naming Fun Fact: Scandinavia comprises the three kingdoms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, which are all Nordic countries. Prior to the Christianisation of Scandinavia, people from Scandinavia were called "Norsemen".

OPI with a Nice Finn-ish is a beautiful gold foil polish. It's a little bit shimmery, with an itty bitty amount of sparkle (rather than just a flat foil).

• Naming Fun Fact: Obviously this is a nod to Finland, another Nordic country.

OPI - Skating on Thin Ice-Land

Skating on Thin Ice-Land is a sultry, deep wine shade. Looking at the wine stains that seem to have found their way onto my desk, trust me, it's a perfect match.

• Naming Fun Fact: Keeping with the country naming play on words, this is named after Iceland, yet another Nordic country.

OPI - Suzi Has a Swede Tooth

Suzi Has a Swede Tooth stands out as a very un-winter and un-fall color in Nordic, but its a beautiful shade regardless. It's a bright, yet soft and warm pink.

• Naming Fun Fact: Though Sweden's reference is pretty obvious, you may not catch the Suzi reference (though if you're a diehard OPI fan like me, you definitely will). As mentioned earlier in this post, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann is OPI's Co-Founder & Executive VP!

OPI - Thank Glogg It's Friday!

Thank Glogg It's Friday! is a dark, shimmering magenta. These little specks of shimmer make it really shine on the nail.

• Naming Fun Fact: "Glogg" is the nordic term for "mulled wine", which is a beverage (usually alcoholic) made with wine and spices, served traditionally in the winter months. 

OPI - Viking in a Vinter Vonderland

Viking in a Vinter Vonderland rounds out the collection. It's a super dark midnight purple, and it has my favorite name of the bunch. 

• Naming Fun Fact: The Nordic countries became more well-known around Europe during the Viking era, when they began settling in and raiding many Nordic countries.

Thanks OPI for sending along this fabulous collection! I've got my favorites...what're your's?

OPI has selected me as Pro Blogger. For more details, visit pro.opi.com for more details. 

The products in this post were given for review purposes. The reviews are based entirely on my experience with the products and were in no way influenced by anyone.