OPI Infinite Shine: Review & Swatches

As promised, I've got some thoughts on OPI's new Infinite Shine system to share with you guys today! This is OPI's long-wear, high-shine polish system that's marketed as an alternative to gel manis. There are three steps to Infinite Shine: base coat, polish and top coat.

I was curious as to whether or not I'd like the base and top coat, since OPI's regular ones are not my favorite. Their regular base is nice enough, but the top coat takes longer to dry than I would like. I was pleasantly surprised though that I really liked these! The base coat is very quick-drying and the top coat is reasonably fast as well. I liked the consistency of both and found them easy to work with. In my opinion, both are a step up from OPI's regular offerings.

The color I picked is From Here To Eternity, a really cute, warm-toned pink. It's a great, vibrant color for spring/summer. I would say one of my critiques of the Infinite Shine system is the color selection is still getting off the ground. The colors are pretty, but they're not super unique; polish aficionados will find they already own a lot of similar colors, either from OPI's regular line or other brands. Still, that's something that can be expanded upon over time and I did take quite a liking to From Here To Eternity. Here's how it looked after one day of wear.

As you can see, it's got a nice, sleek shine. I don't think it's quite as shiny as my current favorite, Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab, but it's still got that squishy look to it. This polish was very easy to apply, with a wonderful consistency. I used two coats here. As for the brush, it is just like the one you'll find with OPI's classic polishes.

Long wear is a huge part of what is supposed to set the Infinite Shine line apart and I wore this polish for an unprecedented one week to really put it to the test! To ensure the longest wear possible, I capped my tips after each step: base, color and top coat. And I'm pleased to say it held up fabulously!

The only noticeable chipping I had was on my right hand, which is my dominant hand. My right index and ring fingers are my "problem nails" (Everyone has at least one, right?) so it didn't surprise me that they were the ones that chipped, because they hate everything.

Other than my manicure having "grown out" a bit, my left hand looked practically as good as it did on day one! There were no chips--not even visible tipwear--and as you can see, the shine was still in-tact. I was seriously impressed with how good everything looked--and I did not baby my hands and nails one bit!

So overall, I'm diggin' on OPI Infinite Shine. As I mentioned, the color selection could use a little work, but honestly I wear DL's Gel Lab with all kinds of polishes and I'm sure I'll mix n' match Infinite Shine the same way. It's too soon to say whether or not this will dethrone my beloved Gel Lab, but I can tell you that if you like OPI's regular polish, you will like Infinite Shine too! The price is pretty affordable ($12.50 per bottle, although you can also buy the base and top coat in a duo pack for $19.99, which is what I did) and the quality is excellent!

Have you tried Infinite Shine yet? What are your favorite products or tricks to get the longest wear out of your mani?