OPI Lincoln Park at Midnight, $6-8

I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE dark purple in the fall. Jackets, purses, scarves, sweaters . . . a nice, rich, dark purple just seems to complement everyone's skin tones against an autumn backdrop. OPI's Lincoln Park at Midnight is a beautifully dark, nearly black purple that will go nicely as your clothes transition into the colder months.

What I love about this color is that it is dramatic, but has a subtle surprise of metallic, shimmery purple that will catch your eye at a second glance. If you're into dark colors but afraid to use black on your nails, I'd recommend this. The warmer tones in the purple keep it from being too harsh. The formula, of course, is perfectly smooth and easy to apply. I used 3 coats in these pics.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$8. It is an older color, but still available.
Dramatic: This is a rich, dramatic color, but the purple tones and metallic finish smooth out the harshness that comes with black nail polish.
Repeat offender: I absolutely love this shade and would definitely buy it again.

OPI Have You Seen My Limo?, $6-$8

Just a classic OPI to round out your week and get you ready for fall! This is probably one of the first OPIs I ever bought. The richness of the color drew me in initially. Plum, brown, and maroon mix together to give this polish a lot of depth. But, what I really love is the metallic glitter mixed in. In the sunlight, it really comes alive.

I can see this as a color I'd wear through fall and winter. It can look fancy when worn with a nice dress, artsy with a warm sweater, and kinda dangerous when paired with leather and studs. It's a versatile color, and even though it's pretty dramatic, I think it would work really nice with a lot of skin tones.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$8 (it's an old color so it's slightly reduced in price).
Depth: This is definitely not a flat color. The different shades of purple and brown shine in different lighting, and the metallic shimmer is awesome.
Texture: Like all OPIs, this is really easy to put on. Even after having it for a few years, it still works like new.
Repeat offender: I can see this lasting a long time. I try new things all the time so I probably won't buy it again, but that doesn't mean I don't love it!

-T

Milani Neon in Rad Purple, $5

I had been eyeing Milano's Neon nail polish in Rad Purple for a while now. It just looked so intensely purple. In the bottle it looks opaque and vivid, an intense shade of a plum color that's usually so dark.

(It was difficult for me to get an accurate picture of this shade, so I did my best. I manipulated the pic below to get it as close to the real color as possible. Actually, the color on the site is pretty close to the bottle. My camera did a good job with the polish on my nails, though.)

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The polish is very thin, which often happens with bright colors. I put on probably 4 coats here (I got impatient and started putting them on thicker and thicker) and I feel like I can still see through it. At first it dried quickly, but the more I put on the gooier it got (probably because, um, I put it on so thick). This meant that while it looked dry, it got smudged and nicked easily.

The color on my nails also doesn't exactly match what's in the bottle. I wanted a really grape-y, pure purple. What I got instead is a more of a fuchsia. Still a pretty color, but not what I expected. In the pic above, the ring basically matches the color of the bottle. You can see around the top of the bottle how light it actually looks--this is more like it actually looks on your nails.

Final verdict
Cost: $5.
Texture: Really thin. It dries quickly at first, but takes a lot of coats, so it gets gooey.
Color: The color is pretty--like a pinky fuchsia--but not what I expected at all.
Repeat offender?: No, I wouldn't buy this again. I might actually return it. The color's pretty, but the texture bothered me and I was really bummed that it doesn't look like the bottle!

-T