OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System

Nail polish is a product that I can’t get enough of. I think I own 200+ different nail polishes from many different brands. Unfortunately, my own nails are very thin and brittle, so nail polish usually doesn’t last a day without chipping or peeling off completely, no matter what brand or base/top coat I’ve used. I’m usually too forgetful/lazy with treatments, so I was definitely curious when I received the OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System. This system is supposed to help you create an intense color on the nails with a gel like, high-shine finish for an entire week.  I’ve put the products to the test and will show you the results in this post.

The OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System consists of the Infinite Shine 1 Primer, Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer and the Infinite Shine 3 Gloss. To prep the nails for the first step, you have to clean your nails with nailpolish remover first. Then, one coat of the Infinite Shine 1 Primer assures that the next steps will have a good adherence to the nails. The second step is the Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer. This step comes in many different shades, including the new collections. OPI recommends to use two thin coats for this step. The third and last step,  is using one coat of the Infinite Shine 3 Gloss. This step creates a a gel like, high-shine finish without using an UV-lamp and dries quickly in natural lighting, which is the reason why it is in a black, non-transparent bottle.

For this review, I tried different combinations using the different steps, also comparing with the regular OPI Nailpolish. I already owned the Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer in the shade Two-timing the Zones of the Fiji Collection and for a fair comparison, I purchased the shade in the regular version myself.

OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System – All Steps

I first tested the OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System using all three steps for a week. My nails are very thin and brittle, which means that chipping happens quickly and I usually can’t wear a mani for 1-3 days straight.

Using the 3-step system, my nails still looked great after 7 days! I never ever have been able to wear a mani for an entire week before. Some have the tips have worn-off a bit after a few days, but it didn’t become worse over time. The gap between my nails and the polish after growing for a week is more visible than the worn-off tips! Also, my nails still look super glossy after 7 days. I’m really completely blown away by these results and I couldn’t be happier. All steps dry quickly so it was very effortless to the four coats in total.

OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System – Step 2 only

Since the three steps worked amazingly together, I was wondering how it would preform if  I would only use two coats of the Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer on its own. The finish is still very shiny but not as glossy when using the top coat. Unfortunately, chipping started on a few nails after the first day, which got worse every day. This is what usually happens when I apply any type of nailpolish so for me, I really need all three steps to increase the longevity of my manicure.

OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System – Primer and Top with regular nail polish

Then, I was curious to see how the combination of the Infinite Shine 1 Primer and Infinite Shine 3 Gloss would preform if I would replace the second step with Regular OPI nail polish. As you can see, the mani has a super glossy finish thanks to the top coat. The manicure still looked great after 3 days, having the same, small wearing issues as using all steps however, it started to chip over time again after about five days but it still remained to have it’s glossy finish after a week. This combination still performs better than I’m usually used to but it isn’t as great as using the complete 3-step system.

OPI Regular Nail Polish only

For the last test, I wanted to show you how the regular OPI Nail Polish looks on my nails after a week. It actually performed comparable to the Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer, chipping after a few days and getting worse over time. From what I have seen, the Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer does not have an increased wear-time compared to the regular nail polish. It is slightly shinier though.

For the best results, all the steps of the OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System are needed. However, the first and third step using the regular polish is also performing a lot better compared to using color only.

I am over-the-moon excited about the results because now, I can finally wear a manicure for an entire week instead of removing the polish after only 3 days! Purchasing all steps requires a bit of investment, but you only have to buy the first and third step once in a very long time, which are still usable using regular nailpolish too! The second step isn’t even mandatory but as you can see from the results, it really does help with the longevity. I definitely can’t go without the OPI Infinite Shine 3-Step System anymore!

The Infinite Shine 1 Primer, Infinite Shine 2 Gel-Lacquer and Infinite Shine 3 Gloss (€19,33 Euro/15 mL each) are available at Douglas.nl and Douglas stores. Check OPI.nl for all available stores and salons.

How long does nail polish usually last on your nails?

*These products were sent to me for review. Please check out my disclosure page for more information.