Swatches: Get Nude! - My favourite OPI neutrals

OPI is one of those nail polish brands that I always felt apprehensive about purchasing. Don't get me wrong, the quality is always great and the colour range is amazingly extensive (if you're into reds and pinks, they've definitely got you covered). But at full price - $19.95 - it's just far beyond my price range as a low, poorly, poor student working two shifts a week bagging groceries. 

So I do what any addict does. I search and search till I find my (reasonably priced) fix! My local chemist started selling a limited range for $9.95 each, My Beauty Spot by My Chemist usually has a 2 for $15 deal (also a limited range) and best of all, Gloss Cosmetics is currently selling 3 OPI's for $20. And so somehow, I ended up with a bunch of OPI's... none of which I've purchased at full price. They're even cheaper if you buy online via eBay but I've read some articles about fakes and I prefer to see the color and formula in person anyway.

Moving on to the point of this point. One thing that OPI does really well is nudes and neutrals. These are some of my favourites. Click through the jump for a more detailed read :)

From left to right: 

1. You Don't Know Jacques! Deep chocolatey brown with a slight mauve tone. Quite a thin formula, opaque in about three thin coats.

2. Over the Taupe: Warm brown, really damn close to my skin tone. Pinkish tones. Opaque in two coats, also a sheer formula.

3. French Quarter For Your Thoughts: My go-to elephant grey shade. Great formula, opaque in two coats, applies like a grey scale dream.

4. Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh: Grey toned beige nude. Also a great formula, two coats is usually fine but sometimes I apply a thin third coat to cover up any bare areas.

5.  Pretzel My Buttons: My all time favourite neutral! Pink tinged nude, complements so many skin tones. On me, it's a nice neutral colour when I'm feeling a bit bored and need something plain (but lovely) and on those with lighter skin tones, it's a perfect 'mannequin-hands' colour. Usually two coats, first is a bit thin and the second to build up the colour evenly.  

Bonus bottle shot because, well, um, who knows why I do anything on this blog.

I find it so easy to accidentally accumulate so much nail polish. I mean, a normal person might own just one or two neutrals/browns and be perfectly satisfied, but I have a massive problem with justifying my purchases of a dozen similar colours with phrases like 'but this one is pink toned not yellow toned,' or 'this one has a slight shimmer though.' It became blatantly obvious that a cull was needed when I ran out of space for my nail polish after filling two racks with five shelves each and two boxes, and when I literally had six different branded nail polishes that were literally the exact same shade of teal (my weakness). I know that by some standards, my collection is by no means extensive and excessive! But my goodness, it felt good throwing out those two dozen nail polishes.

Putting myself on a nail polish spending ban ASAP... (but damn I could always use another bottle of Pretzel My Buttons).

Help.