Go Green Week – Sephora by OPI Leaf Him at the Altar
Welcome to Go Green Week on ALU! With Earth Day coming up on Thursday, April 22nd I’m celebrating with some of the great green polishes from this season that I haven’t yet reviewed. Included with the reviews are tips on how you can “green” your manicure routine.
I’m kicking off Go Green Week with Leaf Him at the Altar from the Sephora by OPI spring collection Modern Flowers. The collection itself didn’t really draw me in with the exception of the sheer purple & holographic glitter, It’s Bouquet with Me, and this standout green stunner. Check it out after the jump! |
Sephora by OPI (SOPI) is sometimes referred to as $OPI by fellow nail girls due to the fact that these polishes cost more than regular OPIs and to be honest, I don’t really understand the reasoning behind it. The formula isn’t any more magical than a regular OPI nail polish. The ingredient lists aren’t identical but I can’t tell the difference between them outside of the bottle and brush shape. Personally, I really like the small round brush on the SOPIs and I’m sure anyone with thin nail beds does too.
Leaf Him At The Altar is a silvery green that reminds me of the hostas the previous homeowners planted in EVERY flower bed on our lot. Not that I’m complaining, they are easy to maintain, but we must have 40 of them. Anyway back to the polish. The silver metallic shimmer leaves slight brush marks in the finish but if you make sure to wipe your brush off so there’s no pooling, it shouldn’t be an issue. If there is a downside to this color it’s the pigmentation. I needed three coats to get it opaque.
Now you know how much I love my greens and I have drawers filled with them to prove it so it continues to amaze me when I can’t find a dupe in my stash for a new color. Leaf Him at the Altar is definitely unique to my collection and therefore a must-have for me. I love that SOPI could create a cool green without it having any blue undertones.
Go Green Week Nail Tip: Invest in a glass nail file. Instead of creating more waste using disposable files, purchase a quality glass nail file. Not only do they last forever and a day, they do a better job of sealing the nail due to the fine grit.
As I mentioned in Let’s Talk Files, my favorite place to stock up is GlassNailFiles.com. Yes, the website looks sketchy but I’ve ordered from them many times and so has ALU Mom. If I would send my mom there, you know it’s reputable. Files come in varying sizes starting as low as $1.79/ea including a carrying case. You can even customize a file with your name on it which makes a great gift. Shipping is reasonable and fast so what are you waiting for?
If you object to online ordering check out the La Cross files sold at drugstores, Essie’s sold at ULTA and Sephora’s house brand file.
Sephora by OPI Leaf Him at the Altar is a limited edition shade available now on Sephora.com and retails for $9/bottle.
How many of you have made the switch to glass files? Do you prefer them over paper files? Who else picked up Leaf Him At The Altar?
Disclosure: A product sample was provided for review by a PR rep for Sephora. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I have switched to glass files thanks to your blog and am so glad I did. The one think I don’t quite understand is sealing of the nail but since I’ve read your article twice, I’m missing something – lol! My nail are much healthier since I have such difficulty with them splitting and pealing. Haven’t tried this color yet, but I did pick up Nicole Make Mine Lime.
Wow
i use glass files and have been ever since I saw them at a crafts fair. I bought a foot one and a mini-nail one and have been using glass files ever since. Not a fan of this color. I saw it in person and I had to pass. I just don’t like the shade of green and I am a green-a-holic!
I bought a glass file from a drug store and didn’t have much luck, but maybe it was a crummy one. I’ll have to pick one up at Sephora next time I’m there.
Not crazy about that green but I am loving those nail files on that site. Thanks for the tip! Now I have to check out the foot files and exactly what you do with those.
PS: The link to your article on files doesn’t take me to the article.
Thanks for letting me know. I think it’s fixed now.
Like SAndy,I switched to a glass file after reading about it here.Now,I wish I had bought this shade,because I bought two others from this special edition and haven’t even opened them yet.
i made the switch to glass files abut a year ago, just curious and my nails are healthier, since it’s really reusable it just was cost efficient- the only problem i had ordering them online was that they usually arrived broken.i am getting into greens a little more opi,diamond,orly getting out of my shell so to speak
I am going to make the switch tomorrow! My nails split a lot at the edges when I file them, so I’m hoping this will help. Wish me luckkkk! Haha.
This is a very pretty color! I was recently in Sephora and swatches it. I have to say, I was very impressed. I remember when they first came out and I feathered them on my blog, I was kinda on the fence about Leaf Him at the Altar. It was ironic, b/c I felt like fit was the standout color of the whole collection.
I bought a glass file, but it’s so fine that it’s not much use for shaping. Are they supposed to be used differently than regular foam& paper files?
I have the Sephora glass nail file and it has changed my life! I didn’t think that it would work, but it does!!! I’m not a fan of the SOPI colors, I think they’re pretty, but I just don’t like the formula, the price, and they are too tall for the decades old Caboodle that I keep my polish in!
I’ve switched to a glass file too! I got a QUO one as a gift, and have been quite happy with it. They really seem to not wear down.
I bought a glass file a while ago at Kmart. It was LaCross and only $1.99! What a steal
I’ve switched recently to a glass file, it is amazing! So much better than emery boards.
I switched to a glass file a couple years ago. I bought 3 Essie ones. One for myself and the other two I put in mother’s day gift baskets I’d made for my mom and grandmother. We’re all obsessed with them now and keep one in our purses at all times. They really are worth the price and have made a huge difference. Our nails are all much healthier. I also don’t cringe the entire time I file them the way I used to with other regular types of files.
Hmmm. I am loving this green. For me, it looks like a good balance of color and sparkle, but I’m not wild about three coats.
Perhaps I’ll wait and see what the rest of your week brings!
*smiles*
I switched to glass files and love them, but what’s equally important is ONLY FILING ONE WAY! Until I started doing that I still had issues, even with glass files (although much less than when I used non-glass files). Simply put, only move the file one way – pick a direction and stick with it. It’s annoying at first, but do it a few times and you’ll get used to it. This seals the nail much better – going back and forth does more damage than good. Try it – you’ll be amazed. My nails hardly peel or chip at all now.
Recently bought a glass file myself. I have the ASP glass nail file from Sally Beauty(3.99 on the website), but in my opinion works SO much better than that Swissco one they sell for almost eight dollars.
Haven’t gotten this color, and with my luck with OPI’s colors(they tend to start peeling within a day on me for some reason. Fingers AND toes), I probably won’t. I do have a vast collection of CG colors though. LOL.
Have used a glass file for a good 4 years and whilst I still have problems with flaking nails I think they would be much worse with a disposable file, the size of grit on some of the really cheap ones sets my teeth on edge its that harsh, the glass files are so smooth that you can actually see the sheen on the tips of your nails which has to help seal the layers of nail, I reckon. As for the green, saw the post detailed on your home page and thought blah, so over that kind of thing, then saw your photo and had a complete reversal, this is lovely! (I am very into pastel creams at the mo)
I’ve been looking for an alternative to the Sephora file–eight bucks? Ouch (for me!). Although when I just logged onto the site you mentioned and the guy started talking, I sort of freaked out!
Also, that color is so amazing in real life. I kept looking at the bottle and going “ew” but I swatched it and I couldn’t stop staring at my thumb!
Ladies who think it looks strange … try it on!
When I saw the bottle I thought – oh no… But it actually looks pretty good on nails! Impressed.
I just started it. And maybe give me some tips? 
Btw, could you check out my blog?
$OPI vs. OPI,
According to superficial studies, the $OPI formula is actually “greener” (rating 3/10, lower is better) than the OPI formula (rating 5/10).
I use Cosmetics Safety Database, and while I don’t have a great handle on their process, they are using scientific papers as an evaluation starting point.
The “new” baddy in the lacquer formula is triphenyl phosphate, which OPI contains along with formaldehyde resin.
$OPI has neither, their most dangerous chemical (via our current science) is benzophenone-1.
AND, I now have several glass nail files and one pedi file. They are great … until you break one by using it as a prying tool. Not recommended.
I love my glass file! Will never go back to anything else, unless I have an emergency and don’t have a glass file with me.
You might want to warn folks that site has really loud obnoxious audio, though, in case they’re surfing at lunch at work or something. Kind of sounds like porno music… LOL
This is abeautiful burnished green, very rich looking!
I’ve seen swatches of this before. But this swatch is the best. It’s really pretty, and it looks a lot like the color Jennifer Love Hewitt was wearing in a recent episode of Ghost Whisperer. She hasn’t been sporting the traditional french lately. Maybe she’s been reading your blog…
Btw, another thing that might help reduce the splitting is to run a buffer across the edge of the nail after you use a glass file. Just go over the edge of the nail a couple of times lightly in one direction.
I have this polish!! I saw it in a magazine a couple months ago and I fell in love:)
I’ve always used a metal file, and never had any problems. I hate paper files. Using them makes me cringe.
Darn I wish I read this before I ordered Sephora’s glass file for $9 last week! But now I’m really looking foward to it arriving
This green is gorgeous!!
I’m sorry, I know I’ve asked this before, but I really like the Butter London color British Racing Green. I’m not sure though if green looks good on light-to-medium brown skin. (Indian girl) Please please help ALU!!
I’ve been using glass files for a long time, and I can’t say they work any better than a course grit file that I used before, but I love how quickly they take off length. They do leave the free edge smoother, though.
I bought this when it came out, but I was disappointed. It came out more grey than green, but I think that has something to do with the shimmer in it.
How do you prevent pooling?
New to reading your blog… I picked up a glass file about a month ago, and I simply love it. I’ve been keeping paper files all around my house for years, and ever since I purchased the glass file (Sephora), I’ve wanted to use nothing else.
I picked up the Sephora by OPI Modern Flower Mini Collection (minis of Handpicked for Me, It’s Bouquet with Me, Iris I Was Thinner, and Leaf Him at the Alter) – have tried all of them but Leaf, but I have big plans for it this weekend. So far, I’ve been most excited by Bouquet from the collection….
yes, i do prefer the glass file to the disposable files because it’s a finer grit and doesnt totally ruin the curve because it’s a pain to go over it slowly but with a glass file, it’s easy and it lasts forever! =)
i dont know if i should pick leaf him at the alter because like u said, i wanted its bouquet with me too. but i also want a metallic green. could someone help me??? much appreciated =)
I’ve always used a metal file, and never had any problems. I hate paper files. Using them makes me cringe.
I loved this color at Sephora! but I didn’t pick it up … then today I saw Rimmel’s Rags to Riches. Are they close dupes? I’m dying for Leaf Him but at half the price I might settle for Rimmel if it’s close enough. Do you own both? Can you post a comparison? thankies