Anyone comfortable with traditional (non-gel) nail lacquer who wants a deep, near-black purple rather than a true black or a lighter jewel tone. It suits both professional salon application and confident at-home manicures, since it follows OPI's standard three-step process rather than requiring a UV/LED lamp. Because the pigment is dark and saturated, it isn't the shade for someone wanting a sheer or barely-there look, and first-time lacquer users should expect the same prep/base coat/top coat routine as any traditional polish, not a one-swipe product.

Lincoln Park After Dark's main selling point is that it's a known quantity — a shade in continuous production long enough to become the reference point other 'vampy purple' polishes get compared to, so there's little guesswork about how it looks or wears season to season, and it pairs predictably with OPI's own base and top coats for the brand's stated wear time.

• Prep and clean the nail, then apply one coat of OPI Natural Nail Base Coat.
• Apply two thin coats of Lincoln Park After Dark, brushing polish along the free edge of the nail with each coat.
• Seal with OPI Top Coat, again capping the free edge.
• Optional: apply one drop of OPI Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops per nail to speed drying.
• Used as this full three-step system, OPI states up to 7 days of wear.

• Pro: A long-running, well-documented shade, so colour consistency and availability are more reliable than a limited-edition collection colour.
• Pro: Opaque in two coats per OPI's own directions, meaning less risk of streaking than sheerer crèmes.
• Con: Traditional lacquer, not gel — even with base and top coat it's rated for about a week of wear before chipping, shorter than the two-plus weeks typical of soak-off gel systems.
• Con: A pigment this dark can stain natural nails if applied without a base coat, especially on lighter or more porous nails.