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There aren’t a ton of manufacturers that evoke such a timeless, “can’t-remember-before-it-existed” high quality. OPI—the official number-one nail salon model worldwide, is solidly one in every of them, a true legend within the magnificence house. (Enjoyable truth: The distinctive OPI bottle is even showcased on the Smithsonian.)
Based in 1980 as Odontorium Merchandise, Inc. by George Schaeffer and Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI initially bought dental provide gadgets. When Schaeffer seen an growing variety of native manicurists buying his merchandise as a result of they had been unable to safe the standard nail merchandise they wanted, he switched his focus. As an alternative of discouraging these surprising clients, he employed a chemist to develop merchandise to fulfill their wants. Recognizing their prime quality, they bundled these things with a rubber band and took their merchandise up and down Ventura Boulevard to nail salons. Manicurists liked it.
“Within the 80s, individuals had no thought how empowering nail coloration could possibly be as a result of the trade by no means advised them,” says Weiss-Fischmann. “OPI got down to completely change the message of nails and provides everybody an unlimited array of colours worthy of their power and potential. OPI’s imaginative and prescient has all the time been that can assist you specific who you’re and who you wish to be.”
A Look Contained in the OPI Archives
Nearly 45 years later, that expressionism remains to be alive and properly. And, because the model shared with us, these “archival” merchandise are nonetheless promoting sturdy.
In 1989, OPI launched its lacquer, a set of the model’s first 30 shades. Whereas OPI Crimson, that “signature pink that pops and isn’t too darkish,” is credited because the shade that “began all of it,” lots of the unique OPI 30—together with Kyoto Pearl, Alpine Snow, Malaga Wine and Dutch Tulips—are nonetheless in style right now, in line with the corporate.
On this identical yr, OPI centered on creating shade names to face out. In addition to having cheeky names, every product contains what the corporate calls a “message in a bottle” or “a narrative behind each shade.”
Quick-forward one yr later to 1990 when OPI launched its first Spring/Summer season Assortment and the favored spicy-coral Cajun Shrimp shade. In 1991, Pompeii Purple debuted as a part of OPI’s first themed vacation spot assortment, “The Carnival Assortment.” Bogotá Blackberry launched in 1992, and 1993 introduced Samoan Sand to market. The enduring Hollywood Assortment closed out the last decade in 199 with one in every of OPI’s most iconic shades, I’m Not Actually a Waitress.
OPI Shades of the Century
It simply misses the ’90s, nevertheless it does begin off a century. The yr 2000 noticed the launch of the New York Metropolis Assortment and the introduction of the beloved Huge Apple Crimson. Because the model shared with us, practically a million bottles of the “vibrant and glossy” shade are bought yearly.
At this time, two different shades additionally hit the million mark. In line with OPI, yearly, greater than 1.5 million bottles of the iconic “candy-pink” Bubble Bathtub are bought throughout the globe. The “completely polished white” shade of Humorous Bunny additionally hits the more-than-a-million-sold mark.
So far as the opposite high SKUs, the model studies that they’re a powerful 500,000-plus bottles bought yearly.