OPI Pamplona Purple nail polish review

If you thought my colour reference for Zoya’s Bekka nail polish was weird, be prepared for things to get even more neurotic. My purchase of OPI’s Pamplona Purple was inspired by this…

Yes, a rogue finger in a photograph. Back in the days when nail varnish barely registered on my radar, I actually commented on this photo on Facebook with ‘I like your nail polish!’ I liked that it was a pink-based rather than blue-based purple, that it popped without being garish and that it lay dead in the middle of the ‘light purple-dark purple’ spectrum. And Pamplona Purple is all those things and more!

It’s simply a delicious-looking aubergine, that manages the subtle trick of being bright but without blowing your socks off.

As I’ve got more used to painting my nails, OPI’s fat brush caused me fewer problems but it’s still my least favourite brush amongst the brands I’ve tried. Consistency, coverage and finish were amazing; I love the ultra-smooth, high-gloss effect that OPI specialises in. The colour was deep, rich and intense, with even one coat giving a slightly pinker magenta shade, building to the two coats shown in my photo. However, in my experience, although OPI polishes give by far the smoothest, most streak-less finishes that are impossible to scratch, dent or mark, they also chip the easiest. The pro to that con is that OPI’s are also the most self-levelling, allowing for the most painless of repair jobs to fill in the chips near-seamlessly.

Pamplona Purple feels modern and hip but without being enslaved to fashion and its ‘must-have’ shades. Simply, it’s just always been this cool – even as a blurry rogue finger in a photo!