OPI Glam Slam with Serena Williams – Simply Smashing & Black Shatter Swatches & Review
OPI, the world’s leading professional nail care company, partners with tennis superstar, Serena Williams, to launch the Glam Slam collection. Timed in conjunction with the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, the Glam Slam collection will introduce two new Nail Lacquers at the start of each tournament.
Beginning with the Australian Open, the first shades to be released under the collaboration will include Simply Smashing, a glowing green Nail Lacquer, paired with a revolutionary new product, Black Shatter top coat. Once applied to the dried Nail Lacquer, the top coat begins to disappear, leaving behind a leopard print-style pattern on each nail. I was in Junior High when Andre Agassi took the tennis world by storm. That hot piece of man candy ignited my love for the game and I soon found myself taking lessons with my friends, who also crushed hard on Andre. I even joined the tennis team in High School though I was a mediocre player, at best. Regardless of my lack of tennis talent I’ve enjoyed watching the game ever since and I was really excited to see that Serena Williams, who is known for her stand-out nail styles, collaborated with OPI on a nail polish collection. |
Formula & Application: OPI is a 3-Free brand. They made the switch to 3-Free in 2008 and the Black Shatter formula is also 3-Free. You can identify an OPI with the 3-Free formula by the green lettering on the label. Bottles with black lettering have the old formula. Always check the labels to be sure. The OPI Pro Wide brush is flat, wide and medium in length. It’s of average stiffness and easily spreads out on the nail when pressed. The only downside to the Pro Wide brush is that it can be too wide for slim fingers or little toes.
Simply Smashing has a similar finish and application as the summer release Catch Me In Your Net. It’s a bit on the sheer side so I needed three coats for it to appear completely opaque.
Black Shatter is a top coat that needs to be applied over completely dry nail polish. It applies like a typical black creme but dries in a “shatter” pattern once dry. A thin coat will shatter more resulting in smaller shards of polish on the nail while a thick coat will make it more chunky.
Simply Smashing is more chartreuse than I was expecting though it does remind me of the yellow-green color of a tennis ball so that’s quite fitting. Again we’re seeing the foil metallic finish that has become so popular in the past year. To me, Simply Smashing is the foil glitter love child of Fiercely Fiona and Who The Shrek Are You?
In my post about Crackle Nail Polish last August, I discussed how polishes like Black Shatter work. Two incompatible solvents cause uneven drying, resulting in a shatter pattern. As you can see, Black Shatter dries with a matte finish. It applies somewhat uneven so each nail looks completely unique. It would take some trial and error to get a perfectly even coat with consistent shattering but that’s not really the point of this look, is it?
Black Shatter with Prolana Quick & Slick Top Coat
A few months ago, Serena Williams appeared on Oprah and discussed going to school to become a nail tech. She even treated Oprah to a pedicure. I posted the video below in case you missed it.
Bottom Line: Simply Smashing is not really my kind of color on its own but it really pops against Black Shatter. The overall look feels really retro to me but I’m still not sure if it’s in a good way or bad. The CoverGirl Crackle fan has been rooting for a crackle comeback but I somehow feel like it looks more dated than fresh. Consider me on the fence with this one.
The OPI Glam Slam collection with Serena Williams is launching in January 2011. According to OPI there has been a delay in shipping the collection but it should be on shelves in a week or two. OPI nail polishes retail for $8.50/ea for a .5oz bottle. OPI can be found at salons nationwide including national chains like Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA.
Thoughts on this first Glam Slam set? What do you hope the other three sets will look like? Do you plan to get involved with the “shatter” look?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by OPI. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
love this shatter pattern!
I don’t like the crackle, spackle, foil finish either. Wasn’t a fan over ten years ago either when it was supposed to be new and ground breaking. Its a trend I really would like to see go…along with anything neon. lol I do however think that yellow color reminds me of a glittery tennis ball. Anyone else?
I agree, it definitely has that bright tennis ball look to it
as serena is one of the top tennis players in the world, i think that’s the whole point.
i still want black shatter, but it looks better with a top coat.
love
I love it. It’s so cute! I wander how it looks like on my nails.
I wasn’t old enough to have the CG crackle, so I’m actually a little excited. (To me it’s not dated so much as very rocker/goth.)
I’m thinking of the black shatter over orange for a Giants baseball mani!
And whoever thought, all black fingers with one or two nails with pops of color with the black shatter.. genius! (Dee and Laura!)
definitely passing on the crackle polish, but i loooove the way simply smashing looks! right up my alley.
I just ordered it – excited to get my hands on it!
I like the shatter look,however, OPI has sold out to Coty,so I will be going with China Glaze Crackle polish this year.
I love Simply Smashing, exactly my kind of color hehe can’t wait to get my hands on this baby !!
On another note, I’m not too sure about the crackle polish. If my usual shop gets it, then I’ll be able to try it out. I’ll see from there I think.
not a huge fan of the Simply Smashing but I can’t wait to get me some Shatter! I can’t wait to make it totally 80′s tastic over some neon polish:) Sorry, born in the 70′s – child of the 80′s. It’s in my DNA!! I’m sure I’ll not use it often but it is always fun to have options when it comes to polish.
I’m from Australia, and I was at the David Jones stocktake sales a few weeks ago and they had the entire Katy Perry and Serena Williams collections on sale. I don’t have a clue why they were on sale so early but I didn’t buy them as I usually wait to get them off eBay. (OPI retails at about $20 here)
i like the shatter effect, but not the polish
Hmm, no shatter for me! I’ll take Simply Smashing, though. Well, maybe. I don’t know if it’d work on my skin tone. I love the color and finish, though. Definitely a glittery tennis ball.
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I agree about the crackled, it seems a little dated to me, but maybe thats because I was around when it came out the first time. Not sure how I feel about it this time….
Not in love with the green, but that crackle would dance over a nice creamy red on one or two fingers!
What you did is so fabulous.. Wish i could do that to myself too
i don’t really find myself loving the shatter pattern :/
I’m digging the colors and the crackle just because the idea seems cool and since I apparently missed out when it came out earlier. I was just wondering where to get this set online?? I’ve checked some sites but none have it! Please help, I don’t want to miss out again even if it’s only to try it out. Thanks~!
I like the green alone but not sure I can jump on the black crackle bandwagon. Maybe if it didn’t look so halloween-ish, maybe with a bright pop of pink instead I’d like it;-)
Love, love, love the Simply Smashing – it is totally my kind of color. The crackle just looks messy to me, though. I hope I can buy one without the other.
I love that green! hate the crackle
china glaze has a crackle polish that is coming out
I love this pattern. I haven’t had the chance to try it but I went to a nail shop who had something similar. The polish was from Vietnam and I had it. I had to have the woman do it over like 5 times because it was just not coming out right. I want to post pictures but I want to post when I have a correct looking shatter manicure.
Love the green color really reminds me of tennis balls.
I dont really like the look. I like wines and I am more traditional I guess… It makes me think of the 80′s….
i LOOOVE both of these so much!! especially the black crackle
super excited to buy them both!
I officially love vietnamese nail supply stores! I found one in te downtown near me and I’ve never been happier! I got a black and white crackle polish! And they had For Audrey! (which I’ve wanted forever!) and other old and new China Glaze and OPI! And they were only $3 a bottle! It’s absolute brilliance!
This should have come out at Halloween. The black crackle over luminous poison green seems like the perfect “evil” nail look.
I would like to know where I can buy the serena williams grand slam nail polish
I just ordered this for myself on Friday. It is fierce.
@Ruth I actually purchased mine on amazon. If you type in OPI Serena Glam Slam Simply Smash-ing! & Black Shatter it should come right up. I think it’s going for $21.00 for the set. HTH Happy Polishing = )
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DO NOT buy the Simply Smashing! It stained my nails neon yellow and it won’t go away, it’s been two weeks! I contacted OPI and the only thing they suggested was to use acetone nail polish remover….well I used 100% acetone and have even painted multiple colors on since and the yellow stain is still there! ew
Are you using a base coat? That may be why. And also this is a tricky color to apply; not too heavy is key!
I used the simply smashing a couple weeks ago and i had it on for about 4 or 5 days and when i removed it it turned my nails a terrible yellowish color and has been like that ever since. I’ve tried brightening base coats and soaking them in lemon juice but nothing has worked