It’s almost time to swap those summery neon nails for a moodier color palette, and Olive & June’s new fall collection offers plenty of manicure inspiration to those ready for the change of seasons. The American beauty brand’s latest launch, titled O&J Studio, offers unique neutral fall nail colors inspired by the beauty of classical art. Each polish in the O&J Studio collection retails for $9, though the six-shade collection in its entirety (aka The Fall Polish Set) is available for $48, which gives you a $6 discount compared to buying all of the shades individually. Promising gel-like coverage, exclusive colors, and 10-day wear, it’s easy to see why Olive & June’s limited-edition runs are coveted by lacquer-istas everywhere.
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I’ve had lots of luck with previous Olive & June releases, like the Colleen Hoover nail polish collection based on the bestselling novel and feature film “It Ends With Us.” Olive & June’s polishes are known for their fun shades and fast-drying formulas, and I quickly snapped up the O&J Studio to check out the brand’s autumn offerings. With shades like candy-apple red and glittery espresso, the collection is a very festive way to celebrate the season — as long as you grab the right shade, that is.
Sculpture Wing is cute, but its formula’s a colossal miss
Though it looks like plain white polish at first glance, Olive & June’s Sculpture Wing is more of a pale, pinkish mauve. As the first color I tried from the O&J Studio collection, I had high hopes for this marble-inspired shade, but to my chagrin, Sculpture Wing left me with a heart of stone. Despite its impressive appearance, it was the most temperamental polish of the pack. Those looking for a cool, off-white shade this fall would do best to skip this one.
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If you’ve ever used an old bottle of White-Out you found rattling around a junk drawer, then you have a good idea of how Sculpture Wing performs. This polish is thick and unforgiving, developing streaks and lumps in equal measure. Unlike other Olive & June polishes, its formula isn’t self-leveling, so it requires a fair amount of coddling to get it to lay just right. Because Sculpture Wing dries quite quickly, it’s also very difficult to correct mistakes. The chic neutral is a sight to behold in the end, but it’s hardly worth the extraordinary effort it takes to paint on.
Still Life of Flowers is a jewel of a jade shade
True to its name, Still Life of Flowers is a regal jade color that would be right at home in the hands of artists like Vincent Van Gogh or Claude Monet. Like several other lacquers in the Olive & June O&J Studio launch, it leans somewhat cool. While it’d be nice to see some warmer color choices, I have to admit that it suits this verdant shade. Still Life of Flowers has a silky formula that glides onto the nails effortlessly, so you can easily get away with using just two coats for your manicure.
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That said, you’ll want to be sure to shake the bottle before applying the color to maximize its pigmentation. Of all the colors I tested from Olive & June’s O&J Studio release, Still Life of Flowers was easily one of the best shades of the bunch. From its free-flowing consistency to its cool, creamy green hue, you won’t want to put this glimmering lacquer down. If that weren’t enough to sway you, it’s also incredibly easy to remove when you’re ready to try the next color in your nail polish collection.
Patron of the Arts gives purplish ’90s perfection
Patron of the Arts is an interesting addition to the O&J Studio, as its purplish-taupe color looks a bit like muddy paint water. If you’re partial to ’90s comeback trends, like brown lipstick, then you’ll surely appreciate this tawny plum color — and you probably even have the lip liner to match it. Described by Olive & June as “dusty deep rose brown,” it has a creme opaque finish, a prevalent pick throughout the brand’s fall collection.
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This polish has a surprisingly thin consistency, and it settles into a somewhat spotty finish on the first coat. Patron of the Arts’ formula isn’t ideal if you’re fond of sheer manicure looks, but two coats of polish provide a nice amount of coverage without adding bulk to the nails. The mauvish shade is much easier to work with than some of its fellow museum pieces, and it dries to a glossy, vinyl-like finish that makes it easy to skip the top coat.
Self Portrait is a super-serene shade of blue
If you’re dreaming about your next dreamy blue manicure, then look no further than Olive & June’s Self Portrait. This creme lacquer is a bluish lilac shade with gray undertones, and it’s perfect for those who love a good cool-toned polish. Self Portrait has a thinner consistency than Sculpture Wing and gives nails a sheer wash of color on the first coat. As such, I found that two to three coats of polish provided optimal coverage.
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Despite its lightweight formula, Self Portrait takes a bit longer than other polishes to dry fully, so be sure to wait at least two minutes between each coat during application. Once it sets, you’ll be rewarded with a set of gorgeous, pastel-purple nails. Self Portrait’s all you need to revisit the blueberry milk nails trend, but the color looks especially charming with a layer of sparkly topcoat.
Garnet Glass is a gorgeous candy-apple red
Every fall polish collection needs a touch of red, and Garnet Glass is the centerpiece of the O&J Studio. You might think this is just another crimson color, but it actually has a jelly nail polish effect — a bit unusual for autumn, but it works. The glossy, deep red is a fun departure from your typical red, and its striking, juicy look calls to mind one of autumn’s most delicious treats: candy apples. Of course, the super-saturated shade also pays tribute to its artsy namesake: stained glass.
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On the first coat, Garnet Glass gives off a vibrant magenta color. You can certainly stop here if you like the look of ultra-sheer jelly nails or keep going with an extra coat or two for a bolder apple red. It’s an extraordinarily fun polish to paint with, though it’s a little tricky at times. Due to its intense pigmentation and fluid consistency, Garnet Glass can stain the cuticles quite easily. To combat this, simply use the edge of your nail to carve away any mistakes.
Museum Date is a sparkling bronze masterpiece
Aside from the translucent glow of Garnet Glass, Olive & June’s O&J Studio collection is a fairly no-nonsense assortment of opaque creme colors. Thus, my curiosity was piqued by Museum Date, a deep cocoa with swirls of gold and green micro glitter mixed in. It’s beautiful to look at in the bottle, and the rich, espresso-brown color is a conversation-starter whether you plan on wearing it to the museum or the coffee shop with your beau. True, there are plenty of brown nail polishes for fall, but few have the dazzling charm of Museum Date.
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It applies more like a reddish bronze on the first coat, taking on a chocolaty color by coats two and three. Even though Museum Date is a glitter polish, it dries in under a minute per layer, and it’s remarkably easy to remove. It’s gorgeous as-is, but its unusual finish opens up a world of possibilities in terms of nail art. So, if you’re looking to add a new neutral shade to your box of chocolates mani or ombré mocha nails as we enter autumn, Museum Date’s elegant brown is an excellent choice.
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