We Tried OPI's My Me Era Collection For Pride & Would Rate It 3 Rainbows Out Of 5

When searching for a new bottle of nail polish, there's nothing more exciting than seeing a new OPI drop. From their broad range of finishes to their endlessly amusing shade names, OPI's nail polishes are like catnip to manicurists. The latest launch from the beloved brand is the My Me Era collection, also known as the 2024 OPI Summer Collection. With 12 shades to choose from, it may be one of OPI's most covetable releases to date.

In conjunction with the collection's launch, OPI has donated to and partnered with The Trevor Project, a global leader in suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for young LGBTQ+ individuals. "It's important to us that every member of the OPI community not only has the tools to express themselves boldly but that they feel supported when they do," OPI states on its website.

With Pride Month in full swing and summer proper right around the corner, I couldn't wait to explore OPI's My Me Era collection. Though the full lineup features six xPRESS/ON nail sets, nine polish shimmers, and 12 regular polish shades, I went with the My Me Era Nail Lacquer Six Piece Mini Pack from Ulta, which retails for $29.98. The delightful sampler includes six delightful-looking shades from the 2024 OPI Summer Collection, and after testing them, we can attest that some of them were perhaps made with a little more pride than others. Let's break them down.

As soon as I laid my eyes on OPI's Lookin' Cute-icle, my mind swirled with visions of daisy-printed nails and mustard-colored manicures. Just like sunflower petals, Lookin Cute-icle is a striking shade of ochre that practically screams "summertime." The brand describes it as "deep yellow crème," and its formula is certainly creamy. That said, I discovered an unfortunate downside while painting my nails with this butter-yellow nail polish: It's a bit streaky. 

At first, it didn't seem too difficult to work with Lookin' Cute-icle. By the second coat, however, it became increasingly tough to apply an even layer of polish on each nail. The quick-drying lacquer is a dream for those who hate waiting for their nails to dry, but it also requires a quick hand unless you enjoy bumps and lumps in your final look. Still, I found myself reaching for Lookin' Cute-icle over and over again for floral nail art. Despite its flawed formula, I think this devilish, yolky yellow is worth the extra effort.

Orange is the type of color that can work in nail art year-round — think pumpkins in fall, clove-studded oranges in winter, and fruit and floral manicures in spring and summer. Orange also happens to be my favorite color, so you can only imagine how much I looked forward to uncapping OPI's Feelin' Fire. The clementine-colored shade is one of several crèmes in the brand's summer collection, and its rich, opaque coverage makes it among the most attractive of the bunch.

Though I was sure Feelin' Fire would be one of my go-to colors, I wasn't exactly feelin' it. OPI's orange formula was remarkably similar to Lookin' Cute-Icle's, if only slightly thinner. Like its yellowy sibling, the lacquer turned tacky if I lingered a moment too long while painting, which was a real bummer. On the other hand, Feelin' Fire dried in just under two minutes, so it's still a citrusy shade to consider if you're the type to paint your nails in a rush.

"Barbie" fever may be dying down, but hot pink is a perennial favorite for summer manicures. As any '80s baby or pop-art aficionado can attest, a dazzling pink can lift one's spirits in a heartbeat. The eponymous star of OPI's 2024 Summer Collection, My Me Era is what the brand calls a "coral pink crème," though I'd argue it verges on fluorescent territory. Either way, it's sure to please anyone who enjoys wearing flashier fare through the warmer months and beyond.

A color this loud is hard to resist picking up off the shelf for summer, and I was thoroughly pleased with the punchy pink aesthetic of My Me Era. In spite of this, OPI's My Me Era had a few minor issues to note. The lacquer applied evenly enough, but it was slightly more susceptible to smudging than some other colors in the 2024 OPI Summer Collection. Its thicker texture gave it great opacity, however, and I loved using it in floral nail art alongside other colors in the My Me Era Collection.

Of all the colors in OPI's My Me Era Collection, Pricele$$ is one of my top picks. Truth be told, green lacquer may not be the most popular manicure color among nail polish fans, but there's something special about this mossy shade from OPI that makes it wearable on a day-to-day basis rather than only for cosplaying as Elphaba from "Wicked." And considering the number of fun summer manicures you can pull off with green — from cherry nail art to grassy florals — Pricele$$ is an invaluable color to have in your arsenal.

In terms of its performance, Pricele$$ passed all of my tests with flying colors. Some of the shades in the 2024 OPI Summer Collection had an unpleasantly sticky finish throughout the painting process, but not Pricele$$. The verdant lacquer has a silky, free-flowing consistency that makes it divine to work with. It dries to an even, glossy finish that's ideal for decorating with nail art. As such, I added a few daisies using a nail-dotting tool and the shades Lookin' Cute-icle and Purrrride for a '70s-inspired manicure look.

Many of us know the struggle of searching for the perfect red, whether for a shade of lipstick, a flirty mini-dress, or nail polish. While OPI's Stop at Nothin' is a pretty enough red shade in its bottle, I was overjoyed to find that it's one of those "perfect reds" when painted onto nails. Like MAC Cosmetics' Ruby Woo or Revlon's Cherries in the Snow, this stunning shade of rouge deserves a prominent place in the beauty product hall of fame, as far as I'm concerned.

Interestingly, Stop at Nothin' applied far more smoothly than other colors in OPI's Summer Collection, like Lookin' Cute-icle or Feelin' Fire. The glossy red polish practically melts into the nails, and its self-leveling abilities are quite impressive. I even experimented by adding several coats of polish to a chipped nail tip, and Stop at Nothin' managed to dry without a hitch. This glamorous red is a sight to behold as a stand-alone manicure shade, but it would look fantastic in a summery fruit-inspired manicure, too.

Who doesn't love a good play on words? OPI is known for its cheeky product names, and Purrrride is yet another classic. Of course, I couldn't wait to sink my claws into this sumptuous brown polish, but there was just one problem: It was virtually impossible to open without superhuman strength. After several failed attempts with various kitchen tools and, ultimately, pliers, I finally succeeded in uncapping Purrrride. Now, don't get me wrong — I've encountered plenty of stubborn beauty packaging in the past, but I was expecting My Me Era, not My "MacGyver" Era.

Disregarding the freshly gouged marks I'd made in its plastic cap, I reveled in the beauty of Purrrride, a slick raisin shade. As the darkest color in the lineup, Purrrride looks especially eye-catching when paired with bright pops of color for nail art, like the hot pink hue of My Me Era. While the jewel of the OPI My Me Era Collection took Herculean effort to crack into, I'll admit it: Purrrride is a rather classy choice if you're looking for a dark, moody manicure to enjoy on warm summer nights.