OPI Russian to a Party

This polish has a little bit of a back story.  I had been going back and forth on MUA with a girl in my area (Hi Jessie!!  *waves frantically*) about finalizing a swap - my Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance for her OPI Damone Roberts 1968.  Since she lived so close, I suggested that perhaps we could do an in-person swap and then do some dusty hunting after.  "Dusty" is a term used on MUA to refer to nail salons or beauty supply stores with an older stock of polish that might, quite literally, be dusty after sitting there for so long.  Dusty hunting is the act of going to this places to check out their stock and is a great way to find some old discontinued polishes that may be going for absurd prices on eBay.  It's kind of like a scavenger hunt.  Not all places sell their polish, and it may take some bargaining at the places that do.  She agreed, and our day was set!

You guys, it was SO fun, and we found a ton of awesome stuff!  The day's total finds, all OPI, all brand new:

Sapphire in the Snow

Merry Midnight (came in a pack with Sapphire in the Snow, a backup for me)

Paris Couture For Sure

Absolutely Alice (I already had this, but who couldn't use a backup?)

Russian to a  Party

Glacier Bay Blues

At Your Quebec and Call

 I gave hubby the choice of Sapphire in the Snow or Russian to a Party for my weekend manicure.  He chose Russian to a Party - a warm rusty red with golden red shimmer.  :-)

I forgot how strange it was to work with the old black label OPIs!  The formula is much thinner, and of course they don't have the pro-wide brushes (which I'm ok with, 'cause those brushes are just a little big for me anyway).  Even though the consistency is thin, the polish is still pretty easy to work with overall.  What surprised me was that it took three coats to reach full opacity and bottle color.  Three coats?  For a red?  From OPI?  Red is what they DO!  I mean, it wasn't a big deal or anything, but I'm just not sure I've ever come across a three-coater red from OPI.  Shrugs.

(click to enlarge)

Pretty, right?  It's so perfect for fall (so of course I'm wearing it in spring - d'oh!).  It's not flashy, and I'd definitely say this is work-friendly.  It's a color I think my mom would LOVE, but I wouldn't chalk it up to be a "mom color," if that makes sense.  It's just a really pretty and unique color.  I'm actually shocked that OPI ever discontinued this in the first place, especially considering their knack for awesome reds.

Unfortunately since this one is long gone, you'll have to resort to the interwebz to nab this one up (or go dusty hunting!).  You can get it between $10 and $15 on eBay.  If you love unique reds or warm feel-good colors, I'd say this one is worth the extra price to get it.  :-)