OPI's New Intelli-Gel: The Jaw-dropping, Foolproof Way to Flawless Nails

September 20, 2024

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Written by Tran Khue

September 20, 2024

·

Written by Tran Khue

OPI's newest innovation is called Intelli-Gel because it’s the smart way to achieve flawless nails. It replaces the GelColor lineup with one hundred richly pigmented new colors. What’s more, each of these professional gel polishes self-corrects every brushstroke for a salon finish every time. Let’s discover why the OPI Intelli-Gel Collection has everything you need for jaw-dropping manicures.

What Is OPI Gelcolor Intelli-Gel?

Intelli-Gel is a nail enhancement that’s been polished to perfection. Behind the scenes of each new collection, OPI was working in the background, assessing its performance, and getting ideas to make the next edition even better. It wasn’t just keeping up with trendy colors and finishes. They also focused on creating a time-saving formula that was safer and more eco-friendly.

Like other gel polishes, Intelli-Gel GelColor lasts up to three weeks of wear. It resists chipping, peeling, and fading. So, there’s nothing new there, it’s just what you’d expect from a professional formula.

Instead, what makes this new OPI gel polish shine is a two-fold twist on tradition. And these two advances depend on a key feature: pigment.

Supercharged Pigment

OPI went through twenty-five gel polish iterations during years of research to find the ideal amount of pigment. Not enough and an artist has to repeat coats and go over lines. Too much and the polish is hard to spread and cure, making it prone to blotchy results.

With OPI Intelli-Gel, you’ll have saturated coverage with only two coats. Moreover, the color stays put where you paint it. You can achieve complicated designs more easily because the strokes are sharp and clean. Plus, the base formula has the perfect amount of viscosity or thickness. It’s never runny—instead, it flows like magic.

Self-correcting Strokes

Did you hear that Intelli-Gel GelColor also self-corrects? This is a trick OPI developed by working at the molecular level. They designed what they call a “responsive gel molecule network”. It has the right consistency to spread under pressure and stop when that pressure is released. This polish won’t flood a nail unless you want it. Then, it smooths out automatically for a flawless finish.

Precision Intelli-Brush

The brush in the bottle is a crucial part of this system. That’s not to say you can’t use other nail art brushes and dotting pens to accomplish beautiful nail art with Intelli-Gel GelColor polish. It merely means that the stock brush will make covering nails so much easier and quicker.

OPI went the extra mile in designing this brush. Take a close look at the bristles. There’s a round tip that lets less practiced users hug the cuticles without making a mess. Add a little pressure and the bristles fan out to spread polish faster and farther.

Meanwhile, check out the channels in the bristles. They are more obvious when the brush is loaded. These “grooves” control the flow and how much polish comes out of the bottle with each dip. Even the stem is constructed to let the product slowly feed onto the bristles when you need it.

Safer for Users and the Environment

You can see how this “smarter” gel polish is good news for nail artists. But is it healthy?

OPI is aware of the risks that chemicals like HEMA, DI-HEMA, and TPO pose to clients and professionals. They eliminated all three from the Intelli-Gel GelColor Collection. This is not to say that there are no acrylates because this is gel polish after all. They still recommend caution if someone has reacted to gels in the past. But they got rid of the worst offenders to make this product safer for everyone.

What’s more, OPI does not include animal products or byproducts in this polish. It’s vegan!

Why Intelli-Gel Gelcolor Is a Must-have for Nail Professionals

Sometimes it’s just best to have a refresh. OPI is phasing out the old and bringing in these innovative, improved gel colors. It’s simply a better polish. Plus, it comes in one hundred deliciously trendy new colors.

Happily, you won’t need to toss out your existing OPI base or top coats. The Intelli-Gel Collection is compatible with OPI GelColor Super Base and Super Gloss, Super Gloss No-Wipe, and Stay Matte Top Coats.

But the real reason for changing over to Intelli-Gel is not about the pretty shades or gorgeous finishes. (Yes, finishes plural because OPI fills this collection with Crème, Shimmer, Pearl, Sheer, and Glitter polishes). It has everything to do with this GelColor being a better product that makes flawless manicures easier and quicker. The formula lends itself to exquisite nail art just as much as it does to a quick makeover with a new color.

How to Apply Intelli-Gel Gelcolor Polish

Are the nails prepped? Intelli-Gel can be applied over sculpted or soft gel extensions or acrylics as well as natural nails. You don’t need to wipe off the inhibition layer of a previous gel coat, either. Just make sure artificial nails are buffed with a 180-grit file and cleansed first. Then apply the Super Base coat and cure it for thirty seconds depending on your nail lamp.

Now it’s time to take Intelli-Gel GelColor for a test run. Once you have that new bottle in your hands, give it a shake. Better yet, roll it between your palms for a minute. That distributes the supercharged pigment and blends the essential ingredients.

Pull out that deceptively simple looking brush and cap the free edge of the nail. Use gentle pressure to flare the bristles and watch how nicely the polish spreads. Thinly coat the nail’s surface, leaving a sliver of space near the cuticle. Cure this layer for thirty seconds.

Brush on a second coat. Again, keep it light. This polish has plenty of pigment as you’ll see. Cure again for thirty seconds.

Choose your favorite top coat, glossy or matte, and apply it. Remember to cover the free edge of the nail. All the OPI top coats cure in thirty seconds, so now you’re done!