Lately there has been a lot of talk about fake OPI polishes being sold, not only online, but also in stores. While there is the occasional fake floating out there, I do think that most of this is blown out of proportion. So I have decided to write a little guide to help you identify your OPI bottle.
BOTTLE DESIGNFor the first nine years after OPI launched in 1989, the bottle design stayed the same. After that there were numerous little changes made almost every year. Size and shape of the bottle varies slightly, as well as print size.
THE FRONT1989 – 1998The first bottle design was relatively simple. It would list the three major cities, plus the measurement units using uppercase characters. On bottles made before the mid 90s, the print is located slightly lower on the bottle.
1999This is the transition year where they slightly started the bottle change process. The old bottle style remains, but the labeling is slightly different. They also added the e symbol, which indicates that the packaging and content adheres to European average standards, in other words, to indicate that there is indeed 15 ml in the bottle. The measurement units are now all lowercase characters.
2000The new bottle design is introduced. Instead of listing the three major cities, it now lists the French and Spanish translations of ‘Nail Lacquer’.
2001 – Mid 2001The German translation of 'Nail Lacquer' is added to the design.
Mid 2001 – 2004The measurement units are switched around, ml is now listed first.
2005 – presentThe measurement units now use uppercase characters again.
THE BACK1989 – 1999On the back a warning message and the address are printed, all in uppercase. No warning symbols are printed.
2000 – Mid 2002The European distributor is now listed on the back, underlined and all uppercase. Two warning symbols are printed. The US address is printed in uppercase, except for ‘Hollywood’. Also printed is ‘MADE IN USA’.
Mid 2002 – 2005The zip code is now listed for the European distributor, and the address is no longer underlined. A third warning symbol is added at the end of 2002.
2006 – PresentA fourth warning symbol is added, indicating the shelf life in months. Initially it would say 36 months, but by late 2006 it was changed to 24 months (this is because of the 2006 formula change, more about this below).
BOTTOM LABELSThe bottle labels seem to have changed even more through the years, so I'll write a little bit about that as well. With a few exceptions, all labels are two-layer labels. The top layer can be peeled off, and the ingredients are listed on the backside of the top layer.
1989 - Mid 90sThe name and color code are printed in the middle. The codes
back then were shorter, and started with OPI instead of NL. The address is printed around the edge, along with the phone number (note the parenthesis around the area code).
My bottles do not have the top label anymore, any help with this is greatly appreciated!
Mid 90s - Mid 2002
The top layer lists the bar code on the top half. The name is printed in the middle, with the production code stamped below. On the bottom half it says PEEL HERE, with the color code in between the two.
The second layer lists the name and code in the middle, and around the edges the address and phone number. Note that the phone number has changed, as well as the formatting.
Mid 2002 – Mid 2004The production code is now listed above the name. The color code is now printed directly below the name. The bottom layer remains the same.
Mid 2004 – Mid 2006The name is now printed along the top edge of the label, with the color code below. The production code is printed in the middle, above the bar code. The bottom layer remains the same.
Mid 2006 – PresentThe label color changed to green. It is commonly believed that the green label indicates that the polish is B3F (Big 3 Free – free of the major three toxic
chemicals). This is incorrect. The green label only indicates that the polish is free of dibutyl phthalate. Toluene has been part of the formula up until 2007 in
the US. In Europe OPI polishes have been truly B3F since the end of 2006 due to the strong enforcement of the ban by the European union.
EXCEPTIONSThe Suede CollectionThis collection has a label identical to the green label mentioned above, except it is brown colored. The color codes start with NN instead of NL. These polishes are B3F.
The Designer SeriesThere are two sets of designer series polishes available. The older ones are not B3F and contain toluene. The top layer label lists the color code first, then the production code. The name is printed in the middle, with Designer Series printed in red. The newer Designer Series polishes have a label that is identical to the regular green label, except it is all printed in a dark red. These are B3F.
Salon exclusivesThese are one-layer labels, since US law does not require the listing of ingredients on salon products. The print is black and resembles the bottom layer of the green labels. Since the ingredients are not listed, they MAY contain toluene – although this is very unlikely for newer polishes.
PromotionalPromo bottles are marked not for resale. These are not very common.
The 'X' CollectionNot much is known about this collection, only the shades that were part of it, and the color codes. The bottle labels are all one layer only, list the production code, as well as two of the warning symbols.
When I got Rainforest, I sent an e-mail to OPI asking if it was the real thing, and what collection it is from. They told me it was released in 2005 as part of the Color Centric collection. The thing that confuses me about this, is that the bottles are obviously older than 2005, and nothing pops up when I Google that collection name. My bottle of Creme de Menthe has the late 90s design, and my bottle of Rainforest has the 2001 design.
PRODUCTION CODESSince 2001, OPI engraved all bottles with a 8-digit production code along the upper side of the bottle. There are several different fonts used for this, and not consistently. Sometimes small and narrow, sometimes bigger and rounder. In some rare cases, it is engraved in the cap instead of the bottle.
Since 2008, OPI also stamped a production code along the bottom side of the bottle, matching the code stamped on the bottom label. This stamp can be easily removed by scratching with a fingernail, or using some acetone. So keep in mind that when you got the bottle from an unauthorized seller, it might not have the stamp on the side.
NOTE: The font used for the stamping is related to the font used for the engraving. If the engraving is bigger and rounder, so is the stamping.
THE PRO-WIDE BRUSH
In 2006, OPI introduced the Pro-Wide brush. This brush is wider and more rectangular shaped for better nail coverage. The stem is oval instead of round, and has the OPI logo etched near the top.
WAYS TO TELL YOUR OPI POLISH IS FAKEEven though the chance is very slim, you might have a fake OPI polish in your collection. Luckily, the fakes are really easy to spot:
- The color does not match the description, for example: pink polish in a bottle labeled 'Black Onyx' (I've seen this in an actual store!)
- The color looks off and not familiar. Sometimes OPI bottles are refilled with random polishes and sold mostly on eBay.
- Spelling or grammar mistakes in the print.
- Bottles labeled just 'Pink' or '306'.
DISCLAIMERThe information in this article is carefully compiled from examining my own collection of (hundreds of) OPI bottles, the information provided by the official OPI book ‘I’m Not Really A Waitress’ and information provided by OPI via e-mail.
Some bottles may still use the old front and back print, while they are released a year after discontinuation of that particular design. Therefore, dating a bottle purely by its design might not be fully accurate. I suggest dating by label AND bottle design for a more accurate result.
