OPI My Very First Knockwurst

I'm not really a neutral kind of gal.  Tans and browns just aren't my thing.  However, I knew I needed something neutral in my collection for those days that required something more demure and conservative.  Since I don't like to wear tans or browns, I decided that a neutral with a hint of pink would fit the bill.  I think that part of the reason I don't really like or wear tans or browns is because my fair skin has hints of pink and red versus any hints of olive.  Tonight, I'm going to show you my favorite neutral - OPI's My Very First Knockwurst.  Have you had a knockwurst, by the way?  If not, and you eat meat, you must try one.  Also, there's an amazing butcher in the Atlanta area called the Spotted Trotter who everyone in the area really needs to try.  Just sayin.

Color: Neutral with hints of pink.

Finish: Crème – a flat polish that finishes smooth with full opacity.

Bottle / Brush: OPI bottle with the new wide brush – if you have small nail beds, this brush may be too large for you.  The wide brush tends to cause the polish to flood your cuticles, so you have to be very careful when applying.  Don't get too much polish on the brush when you're ready to apply it to the nail - just a drop will do ya.  The brush length and cap are both the standard that OPI uses, and has a pretty average application other than the possibility of flooding your cuticles due to the wide brush.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three to four coats.

Glitter Application: N/A

Consistency: Fluid – thin but flows easily from the brush.

Overall Ease of Application: Difficult – applies with pooling and streaking.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

Dry Time: Medium – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in 3-8 minutes.

Overall Thoughts: While this is my favorite neutral, I do have to admit that the application is a bit of a pain.  The "pro-wide" brush causes pooling and flooding of the cuticles unless you're very careful with application.  As I mentioned above, the consistency is fluid, which means it goes onto the brush easily and flows onto the nail without any gloopiness.  However, this doesn't mean that the consistency and application was flawless.  As you can see on my pinkie finger, there's a pretty large bald spot.  This is three coats.  The first two coats were a streaky mess, so I had to add another coat, which you can see on my pinkie still wasn't necessarily enough.  Either that, or I wasn't very careful with application, which wouldn't surprise me since this was on my non-swatch hand.  [Sometimes I swatch on my non-swatch hand when I'm in a rush during a swatch fest.  Usually, though, I try to wear everything for at least a day before I post it on the blog, so I don't really do swatch fests often.  This time, though, I was using it as undies for my prize in the Valentine's Giveaway, Kelara My One and Only.]  Once you build it up, though, it looks gorgeous.  It is creamy neutral goodness that's perfectly work appropriate and great for any occasion where you need to be a bit more reserved and conservative.  If you're like me and need a pink-toned neutral, I highly recommend this polish.  Even though the application was the best, it was still pretty good for a neutral, which never go on me well at all.  

My First Knockwurst was part of OPI's Germany collection that was released last fall.  You can still find them in stores where OPI is sold.

What's your favorite neutral?