You Can Finally Wear Lisa Frank on Your Nails, Thanks to a Long-Overdue Orly Collaboration

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A couple of years ago, Savannah Walker, one of my favorite nail artists, created a manicure that sparked numerous emotions in me — nostalgia, delight, and jealousy among them. Over the course of seven hours and four sessions, she hand-painted a full, outrageously accurate Lisa Frank mural on a client's nails. The colors, the characters, and the joy were all captured in what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime manicure masterpiece that made me wish I could have Lisa Frank nails too. And now, two years later, I can and you can too, thanks to an awesome new collaboration with Orly. 

In what feels like one of the most long-overdue ideas in the history of beauty collaborations, the Orly x Lisa Frank collection brings the vibrant, whimsical designs and hues we've loved since childhood to our nails. "Lisa Frank, Inc. is thrilled to expand its beauty assortment with a stunning new nail line in partnership with Orly," says Forrest Green, head of brand at Lisa Frank, Inc. and Lisa Frank's son. "We listen to our consumers at every step of the way, and our team is deeply committed to creating products that our fans are proud to own. As always, we hope to empower individuality and creative expression through our merchandise."

This fan got to check out the Orly x Lisa Frank collection before it arrives at Ulta Beauty and ulta.com on August 29, and I'm pleased to report to my fellow Frankophiles that it's everything we could have wanted. It's as if the colors and creatures lept off our vintage Trapper Keepers and onto our nails.

The collection, of course, features several vibrant Nail Lacquers, and the fact that they happen to come in sets of three (at $31 per trio) inspired me to mix and match the shades to more closely resemble the combinations found in Lisa Frank artwork. The Markie trio, named for Frank's famous rainbow unicorn, features the shades Your Zorbit (lime green), Sky's the Limit (bright blue), and Make a Splash (true purple), and the Dancing Dolphins trio comes with Purrty in Pink, Easy Tiger (juicy orange), and Sundae Sunshine (a soft yet bold yellow). As with all of Orly's beloved lacquers, they go on smoothly and look opaque with just a couple of coats (though I recommend three for true opacity with Sundae Sunshine). 

Orly x Lisa Frank Markie Nail Lacquer Trio

Orly x Lisa Frank Dancing Dolphins Nail Lacquer Trio

The two other polishes in the collection are actually toppers ($11 each), both of which really nail the Lisa Frank vibe. Star Glaze is a gorgeous iridescent formula that's mostly silver with hints of lavender, pink, and blue in its superfine glitter. It's sheer enough to be worn over other polishes without hiding the colors and adds just a little sparkly magic. My favorite, though, is the Hits the Spot confetti topper, which is like spreading tiny, multicolor Lisa Frank polka dots all over your nails.

Orly x Lisa Frank Star Glaze Iridescent Topcoat

Orly x Lisa Frank Hits the Spot Confetti Topper

However, perhaps the most exciting part of the collection is the nail wraps for two big reasons. First, the four Lisa Frank designs mark Orly's first venture into the nail wrap space. Second, it gives fans the opportunity to live out our Lisa Frank nail-art dreams in an authentic and easy way. The Zoomer & Zorbit set features Frank's friendly alien couple, the Hunter set features a baby cheetah on a colorfully spotty backdrop, the Markie set is an ode to everyone's favorite rainbow unicorn, and my personal favorite, the Forrest set, has the cutest baby tiger on a vibrant, striped backdrop. Each set ($12) comes with 20 different-size stickers.

And they truly are so easy to use. "Apply the sticker as close to your cuticle as possible then use your other fingers to pat it down," Los Angeles-based manicurist Holly Falcone previously told Allure about the best way to apply the wraps. "Finish by filing off any excess wrap and then blow-dry the nails to adhere the sticker to the nail to ensure they don't move."

Orly x Lisa Frank Zoomer & Zorbit Nail Wraps

Orly x Lisa Frank Hunter Nail Wraps

Orly x Lisa Frank Markie Nail Wraps

Orly x Lisa Frank Forrest Nail Wraps

If, like me, you think the pairing of Orly and Lisa Frank makes perfect sense, you're not alone. "At Orly, we are the authority of bright, bold, innovative, and deeply pigmented nail formulas," says Tal Pink, vice president of business development at Orly. "This collaboration with Lisa Frank was a natural fit as we’re two longstanding brands who bring happiness and excitement with color to our fans. We worked with the Lisa Frank team on every design, every detail, and every shade."

It makes you wonder what took so long for this incredible collaboration to come along, but I'm over the moon — à la Markie the unicorn — that it finally did. 

The Orly x Lisa Frank collection is available for $11 to $31, exclusively at Ulta Beauty, starting August 29.

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