OPI Teamed Up With Hello Kitty For Its Cutest Collection Yet

As a kid in the 2000s, I wanted two things: A Hello Kitty backpack and light-up Skechers. I never got either of them (my parents blamed it on a neutral school uniform), but my love for playful style and Hello Kitty remains, and was re-ignited officially when I visited Tokyo this summer (Hello Kitty was everywhere). What can I say, the character is just so cute and instantly transports me back to childhood. I’m not the only one who wants to go back to more innocent times, as evidenced by the popularity of TikTok’s “girlhood” trend. So, when OPI and Hello Kitty’s new collection arrived, it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

OPI has consistently collaborated with the iconic character since 2016. Its first collection debuted an iconic barely-there pink shade, Let’s Be Friends, which inspired another collaboration in 2019. The two brands are back to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary with six new nail polish shades and four press-on sets. Read on for everything you need to know about the new launch.

The Inspiration

Nostalgic Y2K-inspired silhouettes and styles are still influencing beauty (see: “skunk” hair) and the bow-covered coquette trend is also still going strong. OPI’s Hello Kitty collection is an amalgamation of both the Y2K and girlhood trends that are currently dominating.

The Hello Kitty nail craze is nothing new, but OPI’s latest collection makes getting the look easier than ever. Last year, Kim Kardashian opted for a Hello Kitty-inspired manicure in Japan, using a French manicure as her base and adding a 3D Hello Kitty-shaped nail decal on her ring finger. Hello Kitty is undeniably cute, but there are lots of ways to get in on the trend without being so literal. Shades from the collection balance hues from the Hello Kitty world, adding a modern twist with chrome and pearlescent finishes. On the other hand, the press-on sets make it easy to get more intricate Hello Kitty-inspired art.

The Collection

In 2016, OPI released its first collection with Hello Kitty debuting the now iconic Let’s Be Friends shade, a soft nearly nude pink shade. This summer’s collection introduces a new take on the shade with Let’s Be Friends Forever, a sheer silver shimmer, along with five other limited edition shades and four press-on sets.

Hello Kitty, Hello Pretty is a red shimmer reminiscent of Kitty’s hair bow, Big Celebration is a frosty barely-there peachy shade, Follow Your Heart is a deep hot pink hue; Supercute Color is a pearlescent lavender; and Hello Kindness is a pear green shade with flecks of sparkles (even Hello Kitty is down for a Brat summer).

The press-on sets are all adorned with a Hello Kitty motif, coming in a bright poppy red shade, a frosty ombré, and two nude sets. The Cute As Ever style features a purple and blue that creates an aura-like effect with a silver Hello Kitty detail, Bow-tiful is a bright red set detailed with bows and full-body Hello Kitty designs, Super Sweet is a pearlescent nude with barely-there Hello Kitty designs, and Shine Bright is a nude jelly detailed with sheer little bows.