A-Rose at Dawn... Broke by Noon suits anyone who wants a bright pink with a little light-catching shimmer instead of a flat crème. It is a regular retail-style lacquer that needs no lamp, so it works for at-home manicures as well as salon services, and the wide brush keeps application manageable for beginners. It is a good match for people who like to change their polish weekly, since it wears up to 7 days under a base and top coat and comes off with ordinary polish remover.

Rose pinks can look flat under office lighting, and the shimmer in this shade is what keeps it from doing that. OPI describes it as a gleaming, shimmery rose, bright enough to read as pink from across a room but softened by the sheen. It also comes in the standard OPI bottle with the ProWide brush, which covers most of the nail in two strokes.

Apply OPI Natural Nail Base Coat first. Shake the bottle so the shimmer and pigment mix evenly, which also helps avoid streaks. Paint two thin coats, then run a little polish along the free edge of the nail to cap it and reduce chipping. Finish with OPI Top Coat.

• Pro: the shimmer particles give a rose-pink some depth that a crème pink lacks.
• Pro: air-dries with no lamp and comes off with regular remover, unlike gel.
• Con: shimmer finishes tend to show ridges and uneven nails more than a crème does, so a smooth base coat matters.
• Con: wear is measured in days, not weeks; OPI's own figure is up to 7 days with base and top coat.