'I opened an advent calendar and it took just 10 mins to get a salon manicure'

I used to be an avid salon-goer, booking a professional nail appointment every month. But, over the course of the year, this habit was costing me hundreds and taking up hours of my time. Not willing to give up my most-loved manicure, I'm always on the hunt to find the best at-home nail polish products that give me high quality results, without having to spend a fortune, or leave the house.

In my opinion, OPI are arguably one of the most well-known names in the world of nail polish, with popular shades including Bubble Bath and Funny Bunny household names among beauty fans. It can take quite a while to build up a nail bar level of polish colours at home, but I found a way to fast-track this process for just over £50.

This year, OPI are treating shoppers to a nail polish advent calendar and I got to try it out for myself. I've used countless nail polish brands over my time as a beauty writer so I couldn't wait to see how the OPI Good Enough to Treat Mini Nail Lacquer 12 Day Advent Calendar fared when I put it to the test.

The OPI nail varnish advent calendar looks adorable. Mini OPI nail polishes are hidden behind a gingerbread house design box, that opens up to reveal twelve doors. Each door houses a new colour to add to the collection, with seasonal shades such as Yuletide Sweetings, Ginger Snapped and OPI'm Frosted.

OPI have even included Bubble Bath and Funny Bunny to keep neutral nail lovers happy, as well as a top coat and a natural nail base coat. Finding these two clear coats was a big win for me, as the key to a salon-level manicure at home, often comes down to the prep. Without using a base or top coat, it doesn't matter how good the nail polish is, it's still more likely to chip.

Good Enough to Treat Mini Nail Lacquer 12 Day Advent Calendar

Beauty writer Lucy Addicott tried and tested this advent calendar.

For me, I find OPI nail polishes last up to two weeks without chipping. The application is also incredibly smooth and easy - another key factor needed to successfully achieve a professional manicure. Each polish comes with a wide brush, sweeping the nail without going over the nail bed.

There's a wide variety of colours included in the OPI advent calendar, from metallic gold and silver, to pretty pastel pink and festive red. I also enjoyed some of the more unusual shades, such as Spread the Cherry - a glittery brown/red.

I did have to use a nail file and buffer I already owned as there are no tools included in the calendar, which was a shame. Alternatively, the Manicurist All That Glitters Advent Calendar comes with several nail tools. It's more expensive than OPI's £51.90 12 day offering, coming in at £139 from Sephora.

Shoppers can also find the Essie Christmas Nail Polish Advent Calendar at Amazon for £59. It includes eight full size products, 10 mini products and four surprise treats.

The OPI advent calendar is home to 12 mini nail polishes, that would set you back £18 each if you were to buy a full size of the same colour. This calendar provides the ideal opportunity to try the shade out, for essentially £4.30 per bottle.

Having several mini size nail polishes are perfect for popping into a handbag, should any emergency touch-ups be needed while out and about, plus, they're very easy to store at home. I was left very impressed with the manicure I was able to achieve by using the OPI advent calendar and I even got compliments from friends on my nails.

From start to finish, it took around 10 minutes to give myself a fresh set of nails - and that includes drying time. For me, this is incredibly impressive when you take into account the time it would typically take to get new nails at a salon, let alone the cost.

While it does require a little concentration to achieve professional results, I can barely notice the difference between using the OPI nail polish colours and heading to the salon. Armed with 12 new polish colours to see me through party season and beyond, the OPI Good Enough to Treat Mini Nail Lacquer 12 Day Advent Calendar is a beauty fan's answer to this season's best dressed nails.

• Wide variation of polish colours
• Quick drying polish
• Easy application and chip-free
• Pretty packaging