Anyone else need a little break from looking at bright summer colors? I know I do. I mean, sure, I love bright colors, but there's something about seeing 29,765 variations on hot pink that just makes me crave vampy dark red. This particular vampy red is one of my all-time favorites, and one that I haven't worn in a while. Released in 2003 as part of the Holiday On Broadway collection (alongside another one of my favorite old OPIs, Man of La Mancha!), OPI La Boheme was the only polish in the set that was opaque; the rest of the colors were sheer duochrome layering polishes. Layering this over a darker base color does bring out the duochrome a little more, but I prefer it by itself.
OPI La Boheme. Three coats plus topcoat. It's such a shame. As much as I adore this color and for as many times that I've worn it, I've never been able to get a decent picture of it. It's complex and interesting. A deep faceted burgundy that changes colors a little, from a cooler wine red to a slightly warmer orange-toned red. It has hints of purple, red, orange and gold shimmer. And best of all, it has a subtle green-gold duochrome sheen. I love the shimmer in this. It's similar to the delicate, twinkly, color-changing shimmer that's in another one of my favorite discontinued polishes, Clarins 230. OPI used it an a handful of colors back in the day, but no one seems to use it at all anymore. I miss it. Here's a few closeup bottle pictures that show all the cool little features this polish has. Top one is with flash, bottom two are without.
OPI La BohemeAhh. That was refreshing. Now I'm even more ready for the fall collections to start coming out. My favorite time of year for nail polish collections. Hopefully there's something like this in one of them.
Gorgeous! I've been thinking I'm more than ready for the fall collections, too. La Boheme looks like a mix of a couple SH Nail Prisms.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful color!! I've always been a fan of dark reds <3
ReplyDeleteIt's so awesome that you posted La Boheme!
ReplyDeleteI've been able to snag a bottle myself but haven't even worn it yet, shame on me LOL. Gorgeous swatches as usual <3
I'm still loving the brights... but my sister came over 2 days ago and was just talking about this very thing! She picked out OPI Vodka and Caviar. Oh! also, how I wish I was in to NP when that collection was released.
ReplyDeleteThis was such an awesomely nostalgic post.
ReplyDeleteThat is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing color! Now I'd like to have it, too, oh no! Haha :)
ReplyDeleteOr something better, with more of a duochromy-ness! *fingers crossed*
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous. I have been wearing dark reds on my nails all week, but this is a fun twist. Love the name too.
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely. I have been wearing dark colors on my nails all summer! So I love the break from the neons.
ReplyDeleteso pretty, love it!
ReplyDeleteOfficial like. :)
ReplyDeleteLove this color! What top coat you use? :)
ReplyDeleteLove this - they should re-release this at Christmas. I'm too old to wear sparkle - but I would wear this at Christmas. It's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteVery refreshing on a day when it's 95 degrees where I live!
beautiful color :D
ReplyDeleteThis is so stunning!! I'm so with you. I can't have bright colors all the time. I need to mix it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful colour!
ReplyDeleteI like fall colours better than summer colours, for the most part.
GAHHHH I am so jealous of you for having that gorgeous color ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteAHH this is so freaking gorgeous!!! :O
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colour
ReplyDeleteLOVE and want. Vampy Red > summer colors all day long.
ReplyDeleteLOVE and want!! Vampy red > summer colors all day long!
ReplyDeleteGASP I LOVE THIS COLOUR!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! This is my favourite colour of all time :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh!! Aaaah!! So gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWow, great color! Funny, I also chose a dark one today - revvvolution by color club and I love it!
ReplyDeleteLove La Boheme but it is sooooo hard to photograph! your pics of it are superb!!!
ReplyDeleteThis color is absolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen this colour before, and it is such a pretty colour! I really love this!
ReplyDeleteYou just reminded me how much I miss fall colors.. I've been wearing neons all summer long!
ReplyDeleteWoah this colour looks amazing. I agree with you, there's just so many bright colours from different brands that you just need a short break from them for a little while.
ReplyDeleteNice color and very pretty too, I havent not once bought anys neons or summer colors this summer. been wearing darker colors most of the time. I agree with you on fall collections, thats when the best nail collections come out and when Bath and Body works comes out with some awesome new scents. But I cant wait to see what China Glaze and OPI have for us this fall!
ReplyDeleteHaha. I just painted my nails pepes purple Passion. I'm really getting tired of pastels and neons. I see them everywhere and I don't think I have ever really been into them. I love my blacks greens blues purples and nudes. I just bought blue-ming from color club. Got home and looked at swatches. Wayyy too bright. But we will see.
ReplyDeleteSo very vampyish, makes me dive into my dark color stash to find me a nice dark color!! Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been searching high and low for this color - it's gorgeous! I hope they consider re-releasing it....
ReplyDeletewow that last photo is just AMAZING - look at the complexity it captures :) x
ReplyDeleteI just tried looking for it and found it at crazy prices. I will just wait and pray they re-release it also.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful red! I want it. :-)
ReplyDeleteIn Denamrk, it is raining. All the time... And no sun in sight :-/
ReplyDeleteBut thats ok, that means its ok to wear my Zoya Dovima - I love it!! :-) Not really a big fan of red polish. Actually not fan at all. I dont think I´ll ever be wearing a red nail polish...
Oh my gosh. How did no one tell me that there was a Broadway collection?! There's a nail polish out there called RENT!!!!! My favorite thing ever. And RENT is based off of La Boheme, so I want that too. Unfortunate that they're so expensive... And that RENT is kinda a bad nail polish. But that's my dream collection.
ReplyDeleteHow did no one tell me that there was a Broadway collection?! There's a nail polish called RENT out there! RENT is actually my favorite thing ever, unfortunately, the nail polish is... yeah. Not great. But RENT is based off of La Boheme, so that's awesome too. I just wish that they weren't so expensive... Love them, though. This is my dream collection.
ReplyDeleteThis is by far, my most favorite OPI color ever. It was glorious - so interesting and gorgeous. I don't know why it was discontinued. That is a travesty. I wish OPI would do a "what color should we bring back" and we could pick this - it's so amazing. I wore it to the last drop in the bottle. I could never get enough of this color - does anyone know if there is ANYTHING close to this somewhere...? I have my fingers crossed that it does a limited run return...!
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ReplyDeleteHow did OPI ever discontinue this color? It's a crime. It is by far, my most favorite OPI color that they have done to date. I wore this to the last drop in the bottle - and then took the one I got for my mother and did the same. I wish I had gotten 10 bottles. It's so gorgeous and complex and so interesting. No polish I know of compares. It looks like it's lit from within... I wish OPI would bring it back for a limited run return! Anyone know something that is similar? I would buy it!!
ReplyDeleteYes I always feel like this! I keep going back to dark colours even when it's sunny. This is a lovely polish, sadly I don't wear red enough to justify buying it really xx
ReplyDeleteI, for one, am ready for Fall. I love how beautiful and green everything is, but I hate the heat. I have so many bright colors that I've never even used. Oops. I may have to round some up and do some color blocking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I also miss this duochrome coloring that was used in a # of OPI shades back in the day before we really got into the whole duochrome thing. I am not tired of my brights yet. But my nails have been needing rehab due to meds I have been on, so only sporting OPI Nail Envy to hold them from pealing messes...so the toes are the only thing sporting color for me right now. Like most, I don't need a polish change on toes all that often. I have not even gotten into any of my neons yet - I am still loving my old favs like OPI's Flashbulb Fuchsia on my toes.
ReplyDeleteSooooo friggin' awesome, Scrangie! I don't have this shade, but I'm lemming it. It's like sex on nails...haha!
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing a lot of bright polishes, it's nice to switch it up with something dark. :) This colour looks spectacular on you! Thank you for sharing swatches of it. (I really like how you dip into your stash and show us colours from older collections. It reminds me to use what I have, and it helps to save me some money...or...create a lemming if I don't have it...haha)
This looks similar to Scarab by Illamasqua
ReplyDeleteI just bought a bottle of this today (I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it) and have it on....so pretty. The shimmer is so twinkly. It's such a rich, complex colour.
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