We Tried OPI's Big Zodiac Energy Nail Polish Collection And 9 Shades Have Us Starry-Eyed
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Given the growing interest in moon phases and planets in retrograde, it only makes sense that beauty companies are taking inspiration from the stars, too. Astrology aficionados will be pleased to learn that their nails can now match their star (or moon) sign, with OPI releasing its stellar Big Zodiac Energy collection on August 1, 2023.
These polishes may not smooth over that impulsive text you sent to your ex during the last full moon, but they can coat your nails in a beautiful sheen that just might take the edge off. Just as there are 12 zodiac signs in Western astrology, OPI has crafted 12 polishes to honor the special characteristics of each one. Whether you're a spirited Scorpio or a passionate Pisces, there's something for everyone to enjoy in the captivating Big Zodiac Energy collection. Plus, you don't need to follow the rules — we see you, Aquarius — so you can freely pick and choose between the signs, too. Want to test your compatibility with each astrological polish? We tried all 12 of OPI's Big Zodiac Energy shades, which retail for $11.49 each, and we're ready to reveal which ones sent us over the moon.
Kiss My Aries gives major Ruby Slippers vibes
OPI is skilled at creating super-pigmented and unforgettable reds, from Cajun Shrimp to Chick Flick Cherry, and Kiss My Aries is no different. One of the brightest shades in the collection, Kiss My Aries is a striking red with a good amount of shimmer. Painting it onto our nails, we were reminded of Dorothy's ruby slippers in "The Wizard of Oz." One coat provides a quick-drying splash of color, but things get a little messy if you choose to add a second or third coat. It looks equally stunning applied sheer or opaque, but be careful to allow this polish enough time to dry between coats to prevent any smudges or dings.
We're big fans of Kiss My Aries, and we could see this sizzling polish being used for everything from playful Valentine's Day manis to sultry looks for date nights. Plus, we love how well this shade represented its sign — Aries is outgoing and confident, and this glimmering cherry red is an excellent tribute to the zodiac's ram. If you only grab a few shades from the OPI Big Zodiac Energy collection, Kiss My Aries should be at the top of your list.
Taurus-t Me takes a while to dry but is beautiful
Taurus-t Me is a mellow, mint green lacquer that's a fitting nod to the zodiac's earthiest sign. Still, we were surprised to find that it's virtually the same polish as Feelin' Capricorn-y. Both colors are shimmering greens, although Taurus-t Me is slightly lighter barely-there flecks of gold glitter. Despite our mild disappointment at this discovery, we plodded on like the bull and began painting.
It's hard not to love Taurus-t Me given its charming pastel color and smooth application. It goes on sheer at first and stays somewhat translucent even after three coats. Although we admired it every step of the way, we particularly enjoyed the full-coverage look of this springy green polish. The only downside? It can take some time for Taurus-t Me to fully dry, and we encountered a few dings despite our best efforts. Also, it may be hard to lasso this lacquer. At the time of writing, Taurus-t Me is sold out on OPI's official website, but you can still find it at trustworthy beauty retailers, including Ulta.
Gemini and I is stunning but a little underwhelming
When we first sized up its bottle, we weren't terribly impressed by Gemini and I. A plain, pearly white for a sign like Gemini? According to OPI, Gemini and I is a "soft white shimmer...that has mani sides," but we struggled to understand how such a subdued shade could suit Gemini's complex nature. If it were up to us, we might have chosen something like a duo-chrome polish or two-toned, contrasting glitter to represent the twins.
Still, Gemini and I proved us wrong as we laid down the first coat of polish, providing a hint of iridescent shimmer. It looks much different on the nails than in the bottle, and it applies like a dream. Whereas several other shimmers in the Big Zodiac Energy set hit some snags as we painted, Gemini and I had a smooth, satiny texture. One coat gave us a sparkling but very sheer foundation, while two or three coats delivered a lovely champagne color. In the end, we came to appreciate OPI's take on Gemini, although we would have loved to have seen something a little more dramatic for the dual-sided sign.
I Cancer-tainly Shine should be a permanent OPI polish
As the only zodiac sign ruled by the moon, Cancers are sure to appreciate this glittery, silver tribute from OPI. Prior to picking up I Cancer-tainly Shine, we had no clue just how sparkly this polish would be, but once we began applying it, we were blown away by its beauty.
We're used to glitter lacquers being tricky, but I Cancer-tainly Shine's formula is one of the easiest to work with in the entire set, coating the entire nail in a snap. It's super satisfying to paint on, thanks to its velvety formula, and the holographic effect is visible almost immediately. The polish's glitter particles give off a gorgeous, opalescent shine that far exceeds what we expected from looking at it in the bottle. As you layer on each additional coat, I Cancer-tainly Shine develops a disco-ball finish that's true to its name. That said, it does take a considerable amount of time for this polish to fully dry. All in all, I Cancer-tainly Shine was one of our favorite releases in OPI's Big Zodiac Energy set, and we'd love to see it as part of the brand's permanent catalog. If you're a fan of glitters or holographic effects, you'll definitely want to add this dazzling shade to your collection.
The Leo-nly One sadly wasn't the one for us
While Cancer is ruled by the moon, Leo belongs to the sun — and OPI must have had this in mind when it created The Leo-nly One. Naturally, this polish features a gold base in honor of Leo's sunny disposition, but it also contains an eye-catching green shimmer.
Initially, we thought The Leo-nly One was terrific in terms of application. We didn't pick up on much of its iridescent green, but we loved the look of Leo's deep dandelion gold shimmer on our nails. The first coat seemed to dry effortlessly, but we ran into a few issues with the second and third.
In a bittersweet twist, we uncovered two truths about The Leo-nly One. First, it's one of our favorite colors in the collection — we genuinely love OPI's flashy take on the zodiac's friendly lion. And secondly? It's also one of the most difficult polishes to use out of the group, becoming increasingly tacky from the second coat onward. Regardless of how well we loaded our brush with polish, it seemed to snag and skip across our nails more often than not. Still, let's look on the bright side. It's a good thing that Leos are considered some of the most resilient members of the zodiac because The Leo-nly One requires some serious fortitude to properly apply.
#Virgoals is #goals after a few coats
Virgos are notorious for their discerning tastes, and OPI went the extra mile to design #Virgoals for the maidens of the zodiac. One of the most intriguing polishes of the bunch, #Virgoals captured our attention as soon as we laid eyes on the Big Zodiac Energy Collection. It's a shiny, coppery base color with an icy green shimmer running through it, and we couldn't wait to see what it looked like on our nails.
Sometimes, what you see is what you get with nail polish, but this wasn't the case with #Virgoals. We thought that this color would be ultra-pigmented from the get-go, but the first layer of lacquer was almost completely clear. By the second coat of polish, we observed its peachy color peeking through, and we were pleased to see a hint of green, too. The ultrafine glitter in #Virgoals and its contrasting orange and green shimmer made our nails resemble dragonfly wings — a major plus in our book. While we preferred the gossamer, iridescent finish achieved with two coats, we still enjoyed the bronzed look that came from using three. Ultimately, #Virgoals proved to be one of our favorite polishes from the Big Zodiac Energy Collection, even if it wasn't quite what we expected.
Feelin' Libra-ted is light and sheer, but is it too much?
Libras are said to be magnetic individuals, and we think OPI nailed their sign with Feelin' Libra-ted. At first glance, we thought it was just another purple polish, but a closer look revealed all sorts of interesting elements inside its bottle. Depending on how you look at it, it can come off as a warm or cool violet, and it's jam-packed with tons of sparkle. There are tiny threads of pink, blue, and purple glitter woven throughout the formula.
Eager to find out what Feelin' Libra-ted would be like, we applied the first coat carefully. It gave our nails some subtle gloss, with a color that could only be described as watered-down grape juice. Truthfully, we liked it so much that we didn't want to keep painting, but we forged on. After adding additional layers, we were met with a gorgeous shade of magenta and an abundance of shimmer that called to mind the jelly sandals of our childhood. Because #Virgoals is such a sheer, light shade, it can be a little difficult to paint with. Therefore, we'd recommend loading your brush up with polish to keep things flowing smoothly. We loved the playful vibe of Feelin' Libra-ted and think it would be great for any spring or summer manicure.
Scorpio Seduction should be a permanent addition, too
Scorpios are known to be a little moody, and we couldn't think of a better shade to suit their stormier side. OPI's Scorpio Seduction is a stunning, deep royal blue, with swirls of purple glitter. And if any shade in the Big Zodiac Collection is serving Y2K style, it's got to be Scorpio Seduction. After all, this type of glittery blue polish was all the rage in the flip-phone era.
What we liked most about Scorpio Seduction was its buttery application. Although dramatic, glittery nail polishes like this one can be intimidating to use, Scorpio Seduction is surprisingly forgiving. The first coat of lacquer is fairly translucent, but this shade truly shines when you reach full opacity. Its inky, glittery appearance is mesmerizing, a bit like the night sky. In some lights, the bold blue even takes on a turquoise shimmer. By the third coat, the sparkling purple glitter comes out to play, and the polish develops a rich, glassy finish. Like I Cancer-tainly Shine, we hope that Scorpio Seduction will be available on a permanent basis. It's a remarkably beautiful color, and it's a joy to paint with.
Big Sagittarius Energy is a breath of fresh air
One of the few shades without a hint of glitter or shimmer in the Big Zodiac Energy Collection, Big Sagittarius Energy is a welcome change of pace. Sagittarius is known for its passionate personality, so it makes sense that OPI would honor the sign with this sumptuous, wine-colored polish.
Although Big Sagittarius Energy has a very pigmented, pearly formula, it's refreshingly easy to apply. It's both glossy and slightly sticky, but it dries impressively quickly. We were amazed at how well it stood up to chips and dings almost immediately after we put our brush down, and its high-shine finish means you won't even need a top coat. Moreover, the absence of any glitter or shimmer means Big Sagittarius Energy won't give you a headache when it comes time to remove it. Its deep red is certainly easy to wear, but we found that we liked the formula more than the color. Still, if you're desperately in need of a new manicure shade for fall, we'd have to say that Big Sagittarius Energy fits the bill whether or not you're a true Sagittarian.
Feelin' Capricorn-y is actually better than the Taurus polish
In case you were unaware, Capricorns are renowned for their good business sense and cleverness. OPI pays homage to the goat of the zodiac with Feelin' Capricorn-y, a muted forest green shimmer that's curiously close to Taurus-t Me. It contains a generous amount of glitter with a subtle pink and gold sheen.
This color looks quite dark and murky inside the bottle, so we weren't entirely sure how it would perform in our manicure. But we were delighted by the first coat of Feelin' Capricorn-y, which gave our nails a super sheer, fairy grunge vibe. While we loved the look of one layer, we felt that two coats provided optimal coverage. When we applied the third coat, we didn't see much of a difference, although it significantly increased our drying time. For that reason, we'd suggest that you stick to two coats for a quick, breezy manicure that will surely net you compliments. The final result is less of a forest green and more of a cool jade color with a semi-gloss finish. We preferred Feelin' Capricorn-y's verdant hue over Taurus-t Me's, especially when we applied the color sparingly for a soft, jelly nail effect.
Aquarius Renegade didn't quite hit the mark
Naturally, OPI picked a deep blue shade to represent Aquarius, though it isn't quite as moody as Scorpio Seduction. After all, while it's technically an air sign, "aqua" is literally in its name. In the pictures on the brand's website, it seems to have a glittery current running through it, which OPI describes as a "navy blue pearl long-lasting nail polish that doesn't follow the rules." Yet we'd argue that OPI's interpretation of Aquarius is about as straight-laced as they come.
Don't get us wrong: This polish has its positives. It's versatile — a cool, muted shade of navy like this is bound to go with countless items in your wardrobe. It's also extremely creamy and opaque from the first swipe, offering a full-coverage manicure in an instant. It flows evenly and seems to dry more quickly than other lacquers in the lineup, too.
However, we couldn't help but think Aquarius Renegade was a bit lackluster. OPI aims to embody the "true blue" qualities of Aquarius with this color, but we would have gone with something more majestic for the forward-thinking air sign. Among a sea of glitters, bold colors, and flashy effects in OPI's Big Zodiac Energy Collection, Aquarius Renegade's modest blue hue feels a bit washed out.
Pisces the Future stole our attention all day long
When asked about being caught between "Pisces Fish" George Harrison and Eric Clapton (an Aries) in the '60s, model Pattie Boyd suggested that the stars influenced the situation, saying, "You see, I'm a Pisces. In astrology, that's two fishes swimming in different directions. So I am typical, being pulled one way or the other" (via ABC News). As you can see, OPI dove headfirst into this star sign's aquatic attributes with Pisces the Future, a "shimmering blue pearl," according to the brand's description. Taking things a step further, OPI informs prospective customers this shade is also "totally psychic." Though we've yet to see evidence of any psychic qualities from our nail polish, it's a nice thought.
In our eyes, Pisces the Future was less of a shimmering blue pearl and more of a hazy, robin's-egg blue. It has a substantial amount of shimmer to the point where we'd almost consider it frosted. The first coat of polish is quite sheer and has a cool, pewtery tone. We think Pisces the Future would be ideal for spring or winter manicures, given its delicate blue color and semi-gloss finish. As with other OPI shimmer polishes, we encountered some difficulty with Pisces the Future during the drying process. Aside from that, we really enjoyed wearing this shade. Its bright, opalescent sheen meant we couldn't stop glancing at our nails throughout the day. As such, you'll certainly want to give Pisces the Future a try no matter your zodiac sign.