OPI Mermaid's Tears (it's never too late for love)

When the OPI Stranger Tides collection first came out, I was kind of indifferent to it. I certainly didn't think there were any must-haves. But then I saw it in person, and picked up two shades: Skull and Glossbones and Steady As She Rose. Unexpectedly, I absolutely loved them. This got me a little more interested in the other lacquers in the collection, but I still didn't spring for any of the other colours.

However, just recently a local salon had a huge sale on older OPI and China Glaze stock (we're talking $5 and $2 per polish, respectively). How can you go wrong? I was pretty ecstatic to see the entire Stranger Tides collection. In fact, I was pretty ecstatic to see a tonne of awesome CG and OPI polishes I was itching to get my nails on. What followed wasn't pretty. I blacked out, and woke up back at home, surrounded by bottles of lacquer...

Well, not exactly. But I did come home with the rest of the Stranger Tides collection. And a small legion of CG lacquers. More about that later.

Without further ado, here is the splendiferous Mermaid's Tears.

It photographed more washed out here than it is in person; in reality it is a turquoise creme that is dusty, but not as faded as it looks here. I'm pretty wild about it; I love how it works with my skin tone (no lobster hands here), and it doesn't hurt that I've accumulated several compliments on it this afternoon alone. The formula is perfection. It's smooth, shiny, and opaque in two coats. Here are a few more pictures of my new love:

Hmm, it seems like someone is trying to get our attention...

Maybe I'm not the only one smitten with this lacquer!

Aww... looks like Domo found love, too!

What about you, dear readers? Do you love Mermaid's Tears? Have you ever had doubts about a polish (or a whole collection), but found you loved it upon closer inspection?