Alright so today I’m tackling this OPI Burgundy Gel I grabbed ages ago and never really used properly. Honestly, it’s been sitting in my drawer for maybe a year? Yeah, felt kinda guilty about wasting good polish. Figured I should actually try it out and see what happens.
Getting Started Was a Struggle
First off, I had to dig through my nail stuff bin. Found it buried under some old files and a half-dried top coat – classic. The bottle felt kinda sticky, which wasn’t a great sign, but the color looked fine inside. Next step: hunting for my lamp. Found it in a different drawer, thankfully plugged it in and the light still worked. Phew.
My nails were a total mess though, real life stuff. Chipped remnants of some pink polish and edges all jagged. So I grabbed my trusty nail file – the rough grit one – and filed everything down kinda fast and impatient. Didn’t want them super short, just neatish.
Base Coat Blues
Right, needed the base coat. The bottle… well, the brush was kinda stuck together? A bit goopy. Pulled it out and wiped most off back into the bottle. Applied a thin, uneven layer onto my pinky finger first, like I always do. The texture felt thick and dragged a little. Held my finger under the lamp for the full minute my cheap one requires, praying it cured properly. Looked okay? Maybe.
The Burgundy Showdown
Time for the star. Shook the Burgundy Gel bottle like crazy – felt therapeutic. Opened it… the brush was totally splayed out and covered in thick polish. Tried wiping the excess on the bottle neck but it just glooped back. Sighed heavily and started painting my thumbnail.
First coat went on super patchy. Like, see-through in spots, thicker in others. Looked awful. Annoyed, I quickly slapped on a second coat right after the first cured. Still patchy near the edges! This stuff was stubborn. Decided “screw it” and went for a third super thin layer. Finally looked like a rich, deep wine color – actually beautiful.
Did each nail like this:
- Wipe brush like crazy on bottle neck
- Apply thin layer, get angry at the streaks
- Hurry to cure under lamp
- Repeat for layer 2 (sometimes 3!)
- Try not to flood my cuticles
It took ages. My thumb nail also decided to get a tiny bubble. Ugh.
Top Coat Trauma & Final Look
Found my top coat. Brush was even worse – stiff and clumped. Dipped it, scraped most off, and tried gliding it over the burgundy. It dragged slightly over one nail and I panicked, thinking it might smear. Held my breath curing it. Turned out okay, a bit dull in one spot maybe.
End result? Honestly, after all that hassle?
- Color: Stunning. Deep, shiny berry-wine. Looks expensive.
- Texture: A bit lumpy near the cuticle on two nails where I globbed it.
- Durability: Feels rock hard. Won’t chip easy for sure.
Was it worth the time and battling the goopy mess? Yeah, kinda. Looks great from a normal viewing distance. Up close? A bit rough, but hey, real life practice ain’t perfect. Might need new base and top coat bottles soon though! That stuff aged badly.
