OPI Bubble Bath: New VS Old Formula
Photo of new OPI Bubble Bath and old Bubble Bath bottles side by side with text overlay
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In 2006, there was a big shake-up in the nail polish community.
Manufacturers eliminated the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate, a potentially hazardous chemical, from formulas.
While most formulas remained pretty much the same, the reformulation meant that some colors would change forever.
For a bit of a blast from the past, in this post, you will see two swatches of the “new/current” Bubble Bath, and also two swatches of the pre-2006 Bubble Bath of yesteryear.
Both Bubble Baths are shown in two coats.
Let’s start with the current formula -
OPI Bubble Bath swatch (current formula)
OPI Bubble Bath swatch (current formula)
Post 2006 Bubble Bath
Post-2006 Bubble Bath NLS86 is a medium-coverage sheer peachy pink. It’s one of our reader’s favorite colors and a very flattering muted shade.
OPI Bubble Bath swatch (old formula)
OPI Bubble Bath swatch (old formula)
Pre-2006 Bubble Bath
This pre-2006 Bubble Bath NLS86 is a light-sheer egg cream off-white.
When compared to the current formula, it does have a stronger chemical smell that fades as it dries, so it was applied with the fans on and windows open.
It has a label (not fully visible in photo) to show it originally came from Trade Secret, the mall beauty store that went bankrupt in 2010, however we found it at our local thrift store last month.
Photo of new OPI Bubble Bath and old Bubble Bath bottles side by side with text overlay
To recap, the main differences between Bubble Bath today and Bubble Bath from before the 2006 reformation are the color and smell.
Today’s Bubble Bath is a warm pink, the pre-reformulation Bubble Bath is a off-white sheer
Today’s Bubble Bath doesn’t have much of a scent, the pre-reformation Bubble Bath does smell strongly of chemicals during application
Following these two main differences the final difference is that you can buy today’s Bubble Bath new from the store. The pre-reformulation is only available as a pre-owned color, best found via resellers.
They do share that they are both sheer, pretty shades and that’s about it.
To purchase the old bottle, be aware of the pre-reformulation components (EWG link) and good luck on your search.
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