I'm not particularly girly about many
things, though nail polish is definitely one of the few exceptions. I
tend to love colors that are dark or rather unusual and although I
like to think that I am not attached to any particular brand for any
sort of products, I do have a soft spot for OPI, when it comes to
nail polish.
I think one of the best things about
OPI is the creative names of their nail polish colors. And that's
really why they can charge almost nine dollars for each bottle. Sure
it's a well designed and esthetically pleasing bottle, but the polish
itself is probably very similar to some other, less expensive brand.
But it's the names that get me.
The very first polish that caught my
eye is called “I'm Not Really a Waitress”. It's this deep
shimmering red color. So how is this relevant to rhetoric? Well, it's
all in the name. The name of this nail polish plays off of a common
stereotype that diner waitresses wear a bright red nail polish. And
the name of this color suggests that if you wear it, people would
mistake you for being a waitress.
The interesting thing about the name of
this color though, is that OPI manages to pull off a more sexy image,
if you will, of this color. The name suggests that it's not an insult
if you got mistaken for a waitress if you wear this polish. In a
sense, it idealizes, or glorifies the nail polish
preferences of a waitress. She has good taste in nail polish and you
do too, so everyone will think that you must be a waitress.
Look at her! She's stylin'!
OPI has many funky colors with even
funkier names. Some of my favorites include “My Private Jet”
(black with sparkles), “Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow” (dark
green), and “Ski Teal We Drop” (teal, obviously). The company has
fun naming their colors which draws in customers and convinces them
that this is high quality nail polish that has a fun edge and that
that bottle they are thinking about buying is worth every cent of
that nine dollars OPI expects them to shell out for it.
But I'm not really a rhetorician, so
this is just my guess.
Images courtesy of:
http://perfectmakeups.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/why-to-buy-OPI-nail-polish.jpg
http://dailyvarnish.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/opi-im-not-really-a-waitress.jpg
http://dsanteramo.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/hot-waitress22.jpg?w=450
OPI also has a really nice quality to it, it lasts longer than say the cheaper brands that are mixed in with it, yet it's more affordable than some of the other high end brands (MAC, Bobby Brown, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI like to keep up with the YouTube makeup gurus on YouTube, and find it's a popular choice among those that want to be seen as makeup enthusiasts, but really don't have the money to fork over $20 for a MAC polish (which is really ridiculous in my mind).
OPI definitely has some unique names, Sally Hansen and AVON will have less creative names like "Bobby Socks" (transparent white with glitter), and "Perfect Pink" (a light shimmery pink). Then OPI has really out there names that stand out more.
BTW, she's soooo stylin'! LOL :D
Ha ha! Yeah, I thought so too. She's even got red nails.
DeleteLike you said, it's all in the creativity of the company! People will buy products that make us laugh or internally say "that is an awesome name." I remember going to get a manicure once, and I chose "kinky in Helsinki," simply because I liked the exotic feel of the name. It was a dark purple with red shimmers... something that did NOT look very good on a 13 year old, but I had so much fun just telling people the name of the polish! I'm pretty sure it was OPI as well...
ReplyDeleteMy cousin actually just opened her own spa/salon last summer and she strictly carries the OPI brands because she thinks they are so unique. My guess is that the names and colors are especially appealing to her since she is in her mid-20s. But also because it is a full-service family-friendly kind of place, the little girls who get their nails painted with their moms also get a kick out of the funky colors and cool names.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the only makeup products that I own are a tube of glitter mascara (from Halloween) and a dried up tube of coverup, I've been considering picking up on nail painting but I can't really reason spending more than $5 unless it's good quality. Maybe I'll pick some up now and let you know how it goes!
You definitely should! I paint and repaint my nails at least twice a week, because why not? And yeah, OPI is definitely high quality, though to clarify what I said in my post, there are other brands out there that have a similar quality level but just aren't as creative as far as naming goes. If you're looking for really cheap but high quality polish I would recommend Confetti. You can find it in CVS and after a few coats of the stuff, it just lasts and lasts. And it only costs some 3 dollars. Let me know about your nail polish adventures!
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