REVIEW of Zoya Lacquer in Kristen With SWATCHES

Hello my loves,

I've missed you so much! I know you probably don't believe me because the frequency of my posts has slowed so dramatically. I have excuses! I was on vacation for a good chunk of April. I'm working. I'm recapping for a different site. I've been leaving my house. Anyway, I, I, I. How are you? Are you doing well? Would you just like me to shut up and get on with the polish review? OK. Let's see if I still remember how to do this.

Color: Zoya Kristen is a dusty blue creme polish. I'm fairly sure it's a blue polish but it can look very gray. It's definitely a subdued color but it's difficult to call a blue "mature." I guess I'd say that it feels rather demure. It's not the prettiest blue in my collection but I didn't hate it either.
Formula: This polish has a thinner formula.
Application: The formula for this polish was very smooth and fluid so I'd advise you to be careful about how much polish is on the brush before you touch it to the nail. I ended up applying the first coat much thicker than I normally do because of this. The second coat went on smoothly without drag but it didn't smooth out that well with the brush if that makes any sense. I wouldn't try and work with this one using the brush. It'll only creates ridges. At two coats the polish was almost opaque barring a few spots. I added a third coat which again, applied smoothly.

CONCLUSION: This was neither my favorite color nor my favorite formula but application is perfectly manageable and if you do love the color from the swatches, I wouldn't dissuade you from picking up Zoya Kristen in a future Zoya haul.

You know the drill by now, darlings. It would mean the world to me if you could start your next shopping trip at amazon through one of the affiliate links on my site. It won't cost you anything extra but I will get a small percentage of the revenue from whatever you purchase. 

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REVIEW of Zoya Lacquer in Charlotte With SWATCHES

Hello peanuts,

I haven't reviewed a polish like this in a while since I stopped my subscription to ipsy. I picked up this Zoya polish during a promotion where you got three random mini polishes sent to you as part of your order. I haven't tested the other two polishes yet. Neither of them really strike me as fantastic colors that I'd pick out for myself but as you know I have a problem and I can never have too much nail polish.

Color: Zoya Charlotte is a beige creme polish. It's a nude creme that reminds me of polishes like Essie Sand Tropez and OPI Skull and Glossbones but I don't think it's a dupe for either. It's not a normal nude. It has a yellowish and grayish tone that reminds me most of when concealers start to look ghostly over your dark circles. Maybe there's also a bit of green in there. It should be a sickly looking polish and it kind of is when you first apply it but the longer I wore this the more I became accustomed to it. It's not so extreme that it's ugly pretty but it is kind of flattering on me. I think it could be flattering if you favor cool tones.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly without drag. However, trying to even out the polish just creates streaks and displaces polish. Of course not evening out the polish also results in a streaky look. I will say that the coverage was good for a lighter polish. It's definitely a creme and not a sheer polish. The second coat also went on smoothly. It was still a little streaky but less so. The third coat was still streaky. It wasn't thick and gloopy but it just wouldn't even out. At three coats the polish still fails a light test despite what I said about it not being a sheer polish. I added a fourth coat to my pinky and ring fingernails but it didn't make much a of a difference in opacity and it just made the ridges in the manicure look thicker so I wouldn't recommend a fourth coat.
Wear: I only wore this polish for a few days so I don't have anything to say about wear.

CONCLUSION: I wouldn't have purchased this polish for myself but I ended up finding the color more flattering that I thought I would. However, it's not that flattering and the application is poor. I wouldn't recommend it. You can find better nudes.

Click the link because you know you love me. It doesn't cost you anything extra and it doesn't matter what you buy. As long as you start from one of my amazon affiliate links I will get a small percentage of the revenue at no extra cost to you.

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REVIEW of Zoya Tinsley With SWATCHES

Hello socialites,

I am still a little out of it. This cold isn't really draining my energy but having to blow my nose every other minute is not fun. Still, I'm determined to start getting out these polish reviews whether my camera and photo-editing software feel like cooperating or not. I held back on buying Tinsley when it first came out but hearing so much positive word of mouth I decided to add it to a Zoya haul during some promotion or other. You know how it goes.

Color: Zoya Tinsley is a shimmery warm pink polish. Is it a foil or a flakie or a shimmer or a glitter? I don't know. It's a thin polish but a sparkly one. It doesn't have the base or density of particles that I'd associate with one particular finish. It's also difficult to describe the color. In normal light I'd call it a a warm pink polish with flecks of gold embedded in it. It's not a duochrome but because of all the gold, it can appear quite warm and orange-y. At night in artificial light it takes on a new penny copper quality. Basically, it is what it is. Yeah, sick me is not having any of it.
Formula: The formula is very thin and sheer.
Application: The first coat applied sheer but very sparkly. The polish went on smoothly but it wasn't easy to even out. The polish ended up thicker where the brushstrokes overlapped. The second coat of polish increased the opacity but the polish was still nowhere near opaque. At three coats, the polish was still nowhere near opaque.
Wear: I wore this polish for about five days. It didn't wear particularly well. It didn't chip but I got tip wear quickly, especially since I wasn't able to really wrap the tips of my nails.

CONCLUSION: Personally, I'm not a fan of this polish. I might wear it again but it's not one that you have to have in your collection. Application isn't great. Wear isn't great. And it's very, very sheer. I like the polish when it's pink with gold flecks but the orange and copper color it can take on loses me completely. It's not flattering with my skin tone. I would only get this one if you're really in love with the color.

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REVIEW of Zoya Sailor With SWATCHES

Hello sailors,

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Zoya Sailor was released as part of the Fall 2013 Cashmere Collection. I picked up my bottle in December of last year so relatively speaking, I'm right on schedule reviewing it a year later. What can I say? Until someone starts sending me polishes to review or making requests in the comments, I'm just going to test whatever polish I feel like testing at the moment. It was December and I felt like wearing Zoya Sailor to Carnegie Hall. I wish I could do an outfit and makeup look of the day post for that look but the lighting in my apartment is terrible. I will tell you that I paired this polish with a gray 3/4 sleeve Leota dress and a black and gold Noir jewelry necklace. Sample sale purchases naturally. I also wore my first pair of Alexis Bittar earrings which go with everything but matched nicely with the necklace.

Color: Zoya Sailor is a dark blue creme polish. I feel comfortable calling this a navy blue. It's a dusty navy though, unlike some of the brighter nautical blues that get called navy. What I really appreciate about this color is that it's a darker blue but it doesn't lean black at all. It's so annoying sometimes when you wear a dark polish and for all intents and purposes you could be wearing a black polish most of the time, especially since you can find so many good, affordable black nail polishes at the drugstore. Zoya Sailor is not like that at all. While it looks a little different from natural light to indoor lighting to dim light, it's always a blue.
Formula: This polish has a thinner formula. It's not watery but it's on the thinner side.
Application: The first coat of polish glided over the nail smoothly. It didn't match up to my favorite Essie polishes but it was easy to apply. The second coat also went on smoothly without any issues. You could almost get away with two coats on short nails but there was some slight balding so I added a third coat. The third coat of polish also applied nicely. The resulting manicure was even and not at all thick at three coats. The polish was very shiny even without top coat. My application experience was pretty much the same with my nondominant hand. I didn't run into any issues.
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. At the end of that period, I had experienced a good amount of tip wear. It was the chippy kind, not the even kind where the polish wears away in a smooth half-moon.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish. It's not a perfect formula but it's a very good one and it shouldn't give you any issues. If you're looking for a darker blue but you want a true blue polish that doesn't end up looking like a black polish, pick up Zoya Sailor. Also, let me know in the comments if you'd like a comparison to say... Essie Bobbing For Baubles, Zoya Natty, and Joe Fresh Denim, or any other polishes. The one drawback is it doesn't seem to wear that well.

If you're planning on doing any shopping at amazon.com now or in the future, I hope you'll consider coming back here and starting from one of my affiliate links. It doesn't matter what you purchase. As long as you start here, I will get a small percentage of the revenue at no extra cost to you. I ask because it really helps me out and I could use your support. Thanks, darlings. :)

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REVIEW of Zoya Sooki With SWATCHES

Hello peanuts,

Maybe I'd have a better quip for Zoya Sooki if I hadn't stopped watching True Blood sometime very early in season one. Maybe I gave up on it too soon but I didn't understand the appeal. And I love melodrama and terrible accents. Anyway, I picked up Zoya Sooki as part of a recent promotion. I'm usually not inspired to pick up reds of my own accord because even though I sometimes want to wear a red polish, I don't really feel like I need to spend a lot to find a good one. I don't need a bunch of different reds the way I need different shades of blue.

Color: Zoya Sooki is a bright red creme polish. I found that it was either a super bright tomato red or a true red depending on the lighting. I think it's bright enough to get attention without being too distracting but if you're in a conservative work or school environment you might want to look for a red polish a shade or two darker.
Formula: This polish had a slightly thicker formula.
Application: The first coat of Zoya Sooki went on very smoothly. I was impressed by the opacity of the first coat. It wasn't completely opaque but the opacity was much higher than it usually is for the first coat of a polish. The second coat of polish also went on smoothly without any drag. I did have to even out the polish a bit but I didn't run into any trouble. You could just leave it at two coats although the polish still fails a light test. I added a third coat. At three coats, the polish still can't block all the light passing through the nail but a third coat did give me a more even finish. However, if it's just a matter of opacity, there isn't a huge difference between two coats and three coats of polish.
Wear: I wore this polish for five days. At the end of five days I had experienced some tip wear but no chipping. However, fairly early on the polish was scuffing and dulling. After the first few scuffs I'd say the polish held up well but it's something to note if you're hard on your nails. The polish stained my skin a little when I was removing it but it was easy to wipe it off with a bit more polish remover.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish if you're looking for a bright red creme. It's one of the better ones that I've tried and Zoya often runs promotions through their website. If you're looking for a perfectly opaque polish you might not like this one and it does scuff pretty easily but otherwise, it applies nicely and shouldn't give you any trouble. This is a nice year-round red whether you want something bright in the summer or festive in the winter.

Even if you're not looking to pick up a red creme polish, I hope you'll consider starting your next shopping trip at amazon.com through one of the links on my site. As long as you get to amazon through one of my affiliate links I will get a small percentage of the revenue from whatever you purchase at no extra cost to you.

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REVIEW of Zoya Amy With SWATCHES

Hello pumpkin seeds,

Happy Halloween! I know it's an expected color for October but sometimes you have to go for the expected choice. I was thinking of trying Zoya Amy out in the summer but the moment passed and now it seems like the perfect choice for Halloween. I'm be tempted to do some pumpkin nail art if I had my video set up up and running.

Color: Zoya Amy is a deep orange foil polish. I don't think it's a true foil but more of an in between finish between a foil and a shimmer. I don't think it's quite rough enough to be a foil but it's not smooth enough to be a simple shimmer. It's not a creme base with shimmer. It's like a smoother version of a foil. I find the shade of orange surprisingly flattering. It's a fiery pumpkin orange, undoubtedly orange but with enough red in it to stop it from clashing with my skintone like some of the orange cremes I've tried in the past. It doesn't quite sparkle or glow. The best way I can describe it is that my nails look like they're on fire. If this manicure had a favorite artist, it would be Alicia Keys.
Formula: I didn't find the formula notably thin or thick. The polish is a little on the sheerer side but it isn't thin and watery.
Application: I used two to three coats of Elmer's glue as my base coat as I usually do with glitters and foils to save time on removal. The first coat went on very smoothly. The polish was already very shimmery in one coat but a little sheer. The second coat needed to be evened out a little but I had no problems at all. This polish goes on like a dream. I applied a third coat to try to get to full opacity. I think the third coat is necessary but you're not going to get to full opacity with this polish. At three coats, it still fails a light test. If you're not familiar with the terminology I use on my blog, that means when you hold your nails up to the light, the polish isn't opaque enough to block out all the light trying to pass through your nails. I do think the lack of opacity will bug some of you.
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. By the second night there was already a bit of chipping at the tips. By the fourth night, the chipping was very noticeable. I think it might have been the glue, but I can't be sure. When I tried to remove the polish, it didn't peel off cleanly but I was able to pick it off.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish. The color is just so gorgeous. Yes, it is a little sheer and it might not wear that well but that color though. I love it. If you can get past the lack of full opacity, I think you'll love it too.

If you need to make a purchase at amazon.com, I hope you'll consider starting from one of the affiliate links on my site. It doesn't matter what you buy. You don't have to buy the item shown in the ad. As long as you start from my site, I'll earn a small percentage from whatever you purchase at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it greatly and it really helps me out. :)

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REVIEW of Zoya Lacquer in Kerry With SWATCHES

Hello chickadees!

I'm bringing you a review of a somewhat unusual color for summer... Zoya Kerry. Why am I reviewing this Summer 2013 polish now in July of 2014? Well, I picked it up in one of my recent little Zoya hauls. They just keep getting me with those promo codes. I've seen some interesting nail art looks with Kerry and I'm excited to try it out once I get the video thing going. Yes, I know I keep bringing that up. You should know me by now. This is what I do. Where is the novel I keep saying I'm going to write? I don't know. What were we talking about again?

Color: Zoya Kerry is a yellow gold glittery foil polish. There's not much more to it than that. Imagine a metalllic gold foil polish but remove all the bronze until you get a bright yellow and that is Kerry. It's a bold, blinding shade and a nice alternative to all the basic gold polishes that get released season after season.
Formula: The formula is a little thick.
Application: When I applied the first coat of this polish, my immediate thought was... it's so sparkly, I'm going to die. The polish went on very smoothly without any drag though I did have to even it out a bit. The second coat also needed to be evened out a bit but again, there were no issues. At three coats, this polish was still not 100% opaque (yes, I know I'm an obsessive perfectionist) but it is very nearly opaque and besides, you can't tell with all the glitter blinding you.
Wear: I wore this polish for three days. I experienced very minimal tip wear in that time but it was only three days. I just felt like removing the polish because my nails were a bit too long. It was a little tough to remove the polish but not impossible. It was no more difficult that removing other foils or glitters. The problem is the lingering glitter. You can get all of it off eventually but it takes some patience.

CONCLUSION: Yes, I would recommend this polish. It doesn't have a perfect formula but you shouldn't have any issues with application. I realize that yellow gold glitter won't be flattering on everyone's skin tone but I liked the slightly unconventional look of it.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.
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REVIEW of Zoya Sunshine With SWATCHES

Hello sunflowers,

I think I've got a good one for you today. Zoya Sunshine is yet another polish I purchased from the Zoya Pixiedust line. Hooray for alliteration. I picked this up months ago and while it might be unusual to be testing out a dark blue polish in the middle of summer, it's what I gravitated towards after a run of bad luck with orange polishes.

Color: Zoya Sunshine is a deep blue textured polish. Like the other Pixiedust polishes, the textured finish isn't too pronounced. It doesn't feel that textured and isn't too abrasive to the touch and it doesn't look as textured and craggy. I'm using my OPI Liquid Sand polishes as a point of reference. However, I would say that Sunshine is more textured that some of the other Pixiedust polishes I've tried. I think the difference might be the color or maybe a change in the formula as new additions to the line have been released. For instance, Zoya London and Zoya Vespa are certainly not as textured as Sunshine. I would shade of Zoya Sunshine as a dark wash denim blue. It's what I instantly thought of when I first applied this polish. There are flecks of silver glitter which are apparent in its matte state without top coat and in its shiny state with top coat.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: I used two coats of Elmer's glue as my base coat, as is my wont for glitter and textured polishes. The first coat of polish offered surprisingly good coverage. The polish went on smoothly and was quite sparkly. By the second coat, the polish had already reached full opacity. I did have to even out the second coat a bit but it went on smoothly without any drag.
Wear: Now, I think this speaks more to the effectiveness of the glue as base coat technique than the polish itself. While wearing this polish without top coat, I chipped a bit of polish off my right pointer finger nail and my left thumbnail on the second day of my manicure. The next day, I chipped some polish off my right thumbnail. These chips were very easy to repair given the texture of the polish and the high opacity. When it was time to take the high shine photos, it took two coats of Seche Vite to bring Zoya Sunshine to a shine finish. With one coat of top coat, this polish still retains a bit of texture. However, if you really want a smooth surface, you might even need three coats. In the shine photos below, I used 3 coats of Seche Vite on the first two nails and 2 coats of Seche Vite on the last two nails. I don't know if you can really see the difference in the photos. You could get away with 2 coats. Three just look that much more like a regular, nontextured polish.

CONCLUSION: I would absolutely recommend this polish. The formula is easy to work with and the polish is opaque in two coats. If you like darker polishes, you will probably like Zoya Sunshine. I think the chipping I experienced was probably due to the glue I used as my base coat (to easily peel the polish off for removal) instead of a flaw of the polish itself.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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REVIEW of Zoya Odette With SWATCHES

Hello my lovely cygnets,

I didn't think I was going to have a chance to bring that back after my Orly Lucky Duck review but then I got Zoya Odette in my February ipsy glam bag. Odette was released as part of the Zoya Naturel collection which, let's be honest, didn't make much sense. It was bad. It was a bad collection. Odette is not a color I would have chosen for myself and I ended up having mixed feelings about it. After that stunningly compelling tease, let's get into the actual review.

Color: Zoya Odette is a dusty red-toned purple creme polish. I would describe it as a very dry color. It's muted without being dull. As a purple, I'd say it sits in that space between the light lilacs and lavenders that get released in the spring collections and the rich and dark purples that get released in the winter collections.
Formula: Zoya Odette has a thinner formula.
Application: The formula is very fluid and liquid-y. The first coat went on smoothly though it was noticeably thin and sheer. The second coat glided nicely without drag but I did have to even out the polish with the brush. The polish was actually mostly opaque at two coats but because of the unevenness of the application, there were lighter patches. At three coats, the polish was opaque but again I did have to even it out. Examining the polish afterwards, I did notice there were still patches where the polish wasn't fully opaque.
Wear: There was noticeable tip wear on the first day I wore this polish even though I wasn't doing anything particularly manicure-damaging with my hands. I wore this polish for five days and experienced more tip wear in that time. I seem to be having a bad run of luck with Zoya with Ray and now Odette.

CONCLUSION: I think the color is fine but I'm not in love with it which is to be expected when you don't choose a polish for yourself. You do have to even out this polish and while it is manageable it isn't ideal. Those two factors lowered my opinion on this polish but with the poor wear, I just find it difficult to recommend this polish.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page. I will get a small percentage of anything you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you.

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REVIEW of Zoya Carter With SWATCHES

Hi peanuts,

Today I'll be reviewing Zoya Carter. I wish I could come up with something a little more exciting or enthusiastic but that it is the kind of bland opening that reflects my feelings about Zoya Carter, the latest Zoya Pixiedust polish that I'll be reviewing for you.

Color: Zoya Carter is a purple textured polish. It is a red-toned purple polish (that insists on photographing blue-toned) with purple/pink glitter. By that I don't mean that it contains both purple glitter and pink glitter but that under some lighting conditions it appears purple and under others it appears pink. The base purple color is darker than the glitter. It is clearly purple in natural light but indoors, especially at night it can look very dark. One of my biggest problems with the appearance of this polish without top coat is how flat it looks. It doesn't look that textured. It feels rough but it just looks like a flat glitter. It's rather ugly. I greatly prefer how this polish looks with top coat. It's still not my favorite polish with top coat but the purple is a lot more intense and vibrant and the glitter sparkles more.
Formula: The formula was thick.
Application: First, I should note that I used two coats of Elmer's glue as a base coat for this polish but as always, I don't think it played any role in application. The first coat of polish went on smoothly without any drag though the coverage wasn't even. The first coat was sheer, mainly depositing glitter and the purple pigment that was laid down was not evenly distributed. The second coat went on a little thick. I had to work to even it out and there was an issue at the tips of my nails. I usually don't wrap the tips of my nails with textured polishes because I don't want that grittiness there to possibly scratch my skin or clothes. But it was there anyway because this polish kind of refused to let go at the edge of the nail. It's hard to describe. Anyway, the polish was not opaque at two coats so I added a third. The third coat was similar to the second coat. The polish was thick, I had the same issues evening it out, and it behaved weirdly at the tips of my nails. At three coats the polish was opaque.
Wear: I wore this polish for six days, adding two layers of top coat for the last three days. I experienced some tip wear and growth but no major chipping or damage.

CONCLUSION: I would not recommend this polish enthusiastically. I think there are application issues and I personally don't love the way this looks. However, if you do like the way it looks (because this is a case where someone else could like this polish because they have different preferences and expectations) then I think the application is manageable enough to warrant getting this polish during a Zoya sale promotion.




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REVIEW of Zoya Ray With SWATCHES

Hi sunshine,

Get it? Ray of sunshine? Anyone? Anyone? I'll just show myself out.

Oh, wait! No, I won't. Because this is my blog. Mwahahaha. I'm drunk with power. And puns.

OK, enough silliness. Zoya Ray was released as a part of the Fall 2012 Diva Collection. It was a lot less fabulous than I personally though anything called the "Diva Collection" should be. The only other polish I picked up from that collection was Feifei and that was mainly because of peer pressure. So what did I think of Ray?

Color: Zoya Ray is a dark green shimmer polish. You'd think that with all the green polishes I own, I'd be better at describing green polishes but I'm not. Sorry about that. I'm planning to do a dark green polish comparison one of these days but for the moment, I'll say that Zoya Ray seems darker that a more vibrant, saturated dark green like Sinful Colors Last Chance or a hunter green like Zoya Hunter but lighter than a blackened green like Zoya Envy. I think the shimmer is fairly understated but not hidden. Unlike other shimmers that just look like cremes except for the peaks of the curves where the polish catches the light, there is something about this polish that makes it look like a shimmer even though the actual shimmer is not pronounced. Also, as I'll discuss in the "wear" section, this polish dulls quite quickly which makes the shimmer look more understated.
Formula: Zoya Ray has a thicker formula.
Application: The first coat went on very smoothly without any drag. However, it did look a little streaky and uneven. And unusually for a creme or shimmer polish, going over the polish moved the original layer of polish around quite a bit. The second coat applied smoothly as well but I began to notice that the polish was a little thick. At two coats, the polish wasn't opaque so I added a third coat. At three coats this polish was opaque but I began to run into application issues. The polish still went on smoothly without drag but the formula was thick and threading a bit as I pulled the brush out of the bottle. Also, when I examined the polish to check for full opacity I could see a little bit of balding because of the unevenness of the application.
Wear: I wore this polish for six days. I had an event to attend so I touched up this polish and rewrapped the tips and applied an additional layer of Seche Vite before I went on my trip to California. I don't think this polish wears very well. In the first two or three days that I had it on I was already experiencing tip wear. After I rewrapped the tips of my nails and added another layer of top coat, I experienced tip wear again within a day or two and my nails also began to grow dull and exhibit scuff marks.

CONCLUSION: If you really love the color of this polish and you can take advantage of a good Zoya promotion, go for it. But I can't recommend this polish enthusiastically. The application was manageable but not great and I don't think this polish holds up very well. I'm not someone whose polish really chips so if I'm complaining about tip wear and dulling and scuff marks, there's a problem.

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REVIEW of Zoya Tomoko With SWATCHES

Hello darlings,

 

I have another gorgeous textured polish to share with you today. Zoya Tomoko was released as a part of the Zoya Fall 2013 Pixiedust collection. The Pixiedust line is Zoya's take on the textured polish trend. In general, I've found that the Pixiedust polishes have a finer grit and texture than the OPI polishes and other textured polish lines but there is some variation within the line. Let's get into what makes Tomoko a little different from the others.

Color: Zoya Tomoko is a light gold textured polish. Well, actually it's somewhere between silver and a very pale gold. Sometimes it looks like a pure pale silver. Sometimes it looks like a pale gold. And sometimes it looks like a slightly darker gold. I know. I'm being so helpful. Personally I prefer the silver as cool tones work better with my skintone but regardless of what state this polish is in you're going to have a pretty metallic textured polish. With top coat Tomoko appears slightly darker and more sparkly. Unlike other textured polishes, Tomoko is already glittery and sparkly without top coat but the gloss of the top coat makes it blinding. With or without top coat, it definitely pulls a lot of focus so it's probably not work appropriate but on the positive side as a light metallic shade it will go with so many outfits and it's a great shade for a date night or another special occasion.
Formula: This polish has a thicker formula.
Application: First of all, I should note that I again used two layers of glue as my base coat. The first coat two coats of polish went on very smoothly. This polish was so sparkly that it felt like painting with liquid glitter. I did have to even out the polish with the brush because of the thicker formula but it wasn't a big issue. The most important tip I have is to not wrap the tips of your nails and keep the polish away from that edge so it doesn't become rough. At two coats the polish wasn't opaque so I added a third coat. The polish seemed to be a little thicker when I was applying this coat. I had to work harder to even it out though it still wasn't a major issue. My other tip would be to not put too much polish on the brush so you don't have to work as hard to even out the polish. At three coats this polish was still nowhere near opaque but I don't like to go past three coats unless it's necessary so I left it.
Wear: This polish seemed to take quite a while to dry. I didn't feel very secure about it without top coat until the next day. It just had that feel of not being completely dry. Once it had dried, the texture felt quite rough and abrasive. The other Pixiedust polishes did not feel this abrasive. I don't think it's dangerous. If you were to accidentally brush the surface of your nails roughly over your skin, it wouldn't brake the surface of your skin but it might scratch a bit.
Now, this section speaks to the success/failure of the glue as base coat method and not this particular polish. I applied this polish on February 14 very early in the morning. It was more like the night of February 13th. By 6:00pm on February 15th, the polish on the index finger of my right hand had popped clean off while I was in the bath. This was actually on a nail that I had applied top coat to. On February 16th by 5:00pm (but probably earlier) the polish on the thumbnail and middle nail of my right hand had popped clean off as well. I'm not sure when it happened. I ended up taking all of the remaining polish off on the 17th. It all came off cleanly.

CONCLUSION: The sheerness of this polish annoyed me but it ended up looking so gorgeous in spite of it that I have to recommend this polish. Application isn't perfect but it's pretty good for a thicker formula. You do have to even out the polish a bit but I don't expect that you'll run into any complications.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

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REVIEW of Zoya Hunter With SWATCHES

Hello peanuts,

I was going to make some kind of reference to Artemis but it wasn't coming together in my brain. Today I have another polish that I picked up when Zoya was having some kind of offer (isn't that when I buy all my Zoya polishes?). Hunter is from the Zoya 2013 Cashmere collection. As far as I know, "cashmere" has nothing to do with the finish of the polish. It seems like a normal creme polish to me. Well, normal is probably underselling it a little. Let's break it down.

Color: Unsurprisingly, Zoya Hunter is a hunter green creme polish. Now, I feel like this still needs a bit more explanation as everyone doesn't agree on what hunter green looks like. They really need to come up with a standardized color naming system that everyone agrees on but let's not get into that right now. Zoya Hunter is a medium green. It isn't as light as a pistachio green but it isn't so dark that it veers towards black like Zoya Envy. Regardless of what the lighting is like, this polish always looks green. Now for me, Zoya Hunter has a bit more yellow in it than blue which is important because it'll affect how flattering it is for your skintone. While the darkness of the color makes it feel like a deep, rich green, the yellow makes it look a little drier than a forest green which is more blue-toned. I find it to be a very grown up looking green polish. If you're looking to step out of your comfort zone of reds and pinks and nudes but you don't want something too bright and colorful or too vampy, Zoya Hunter would be a good choice. It does sometimes have more of a blue-tone in natural light but I would say that for the most part, yellow dominates. This sounds like ridiculous quibbling but that's what you come to this blog for, isn't it?
Formula: Zoya Hunter had a thicker formula.
Application: Although Hunter had a thicker formula and I saw it threading a bit, it didn't apply like a thick, gloopy polish. Application went very smoothly. I applied three coats of this polish. All three coats glided on easily without any drag. As the polish was on the thicker side, I did have to even it out but it wasn't difficult. At two coats, this polish appeared fully opaque on my short nails minus a few spots. I applied three coats anyway to get full opacity for the swatches. I think you could maybe get away with two coats on short nails if you were careful with your application but you'd probably need three coats for longer nails. Application was also easy when I was painting with my nondominant hand. I have no issues to report.
Wear: I wore this polish for six days. In that time, I experienced a little bit of tip wear but if you wanted to extend the life of this polish, you could just wrap the tips again. However, there was also some growth (my nails grow rather quickly), a slight loss in shine, and a bit of scuffing on a few of my nails.

CONCLUSION: Yes, I would recommend this polish. It is on the thicker side but I had no issues with application. Because of the scuffing and loss of shine I don't think this is a polish that you could wear for more than a week but it is a very flattering color in my opinion and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Zoya Veruschuka With SWATCHES

Hello darlings,

Today I thought I'd share my Christmas manicure with you but I'm afraid I don't know what this polish is called. Is it Veruschka? Is it Veruschuka? The internet refuses to confirm one name over the other. This has been very frustrating. For the sake of this post, we'll go with Veruschuka because that's the name on the website. It's possible they changed the name with the re-release. Speaking of the re-release, Zoya Veruschuka is now available for a limited time with the rest of the Zoya Matte Velvet polishes. I pre-ordered mine because I'm a crazy person and I've been wanting to try this polish out for a while.

Color: Zoya Veruschuka is a matte dark green polish. I would call it an emerald green with brighter green microglitter. In its matte phase, the microglitter is a bit duller and gives the polish a kind of quiet depth so it looks a little different from a simple green creme polish with a layer of matte top coat. It's almost as though the shimmer is trapped inside the matte emerald green polish. The photos below communicate this quite well. In person, you do see that depth but I find that it's less apparent in dim light. Indoors, especially at night, this polish does look a little flat and like a basic matte polish. I'm not sure you'd even notice the shimmer across the table from someone wearing this polish. With top coat, this polish comes alive and seems very festive to me. It's a beautiful shade for Christmas but there are plenty of times when this color would be appropriate. A beautiful polish is always appropriate.
Formula: Zoya Veruschuka has a thicker formula.
Application: The first coat glided on smoothly without any dragging though I did have to even out the polish a bit and it didn't apply perfectly. I found that it helped to have a bit more polish on the brush so I didn't have to even it out as much. When I adjusted my technique, the polish applied more smoothly. You can work with this polish a little and go over it with the brush to even it out but as this is a matte polish it starts to dry more quickly than a regular creme polish so you don't have a ton of time to work with it. By the time you finish painting all the nails on one hand, the nail you started with is dry to the touch. I didn't find that the thickness of the polish affected how smoothly the polish glided over the nail. On my second coat I didn't have any application issues. However, the polish was still not opaque and alight test revealed some streakiness. I added a third coat, again without any application issues. The polish was fully opaque at three coats.

CONCLUSION: Yes, I would recommend this polish. It applies beautifully and glides very smoothly over the nail as long as you have enough polish on the brush. I think it looks nice matte or with a shiny top coat. Also, I have a personal love of greens and I find this very flattering for my skintone.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Zoya Dahlia With SWATCHES

Hello darlings,

First of all before we start the review I just wanted to say hi. I know I've been quiet for a little while. I've been around. I've just been working on other projects and also it's a little harder for me to get posts up when I'm working on my desktop computer. Yes, my laptop is still not working. Rage! OK, enough of that. Let's get into the review. I have another Zoya Pixiedust polish for you today.

Color: Zoya Dahlia is a black textured polish containing silver microglitter. It is very similar to the rest of the polishes in the Pixiedust formula line. It's a little sheer and the texture is a finer grit than the OPI Liquid Sand polishes as well as (I imagine) a lot of the other textured polish formulas. There isn't much to say about the color besides that it's a black base with silver microglitter. I do like the way it looks but it doesn't have a great amount of depth with or without top coat. I think personally I prefer it without top coat as it has more of a subtle edge whereas with top coat it comes across as a bit more flat. If you're looking for a lot of texture you might be disappointed.
Formula: The formula is on the thicker side though it's also sheer which... is what it is.
Application: I applied three coats of this polish. I could talk about the application of each coat of polish but they were all pretty much the same. The formula is thick but the polish applied fluidly without any drag though I did have to even the polish out with the brush quite a bit. However, it didn't really present that much of an issue and I was able to get fairly even coats, though of course they weren't as even as the coats I would get with a good creme polish. The first coat was already fairly glittery but when you build up the polish it doesn't end up looking like a glitter bomb. As it is a textured polish it does apply shiny when wet and dry matte. I would only use three coats of this polish. For me, it's opaque enough. It's not as opaque as a creme and it might still be too sheer for some people but I personally wouldn't go beyond three coats.

For my right hand, I used two layers of glue as my base coat. The next day I was able to easily peel the polish off of my nails. I see no reason why this wouldn't have still worked if I kept the polish on for longer but in the interest of full disclosure I probably only had the polish on that hand for 12 hours at the most. I would recommend using glue as a base coat as removal was much easier. Though removal wasn't terribly bad with nail polish remover and not as bad as it would have been with a foil or another type of glitter, I did have to use a fair amount of pressure and scrubbing and there were a few stubborn pieces of glitter than lingered. I will just save myself the trouble and use the glue method next time for both hands.

CONCLUSION: I would recommend this polish but I understand that it won't be for everyone. It is not completely opaque and it might too much for some people and not enough for others but I like how subtle it is. It's nice for those times when you're not in the mood for a basic creme but you don't want something too out there either.

SWATCHES

Zoya Nail Polish Haul

Hello darlings!

I placed another naughty order a while ago. I think instead of sending me into a state of hibernation, the cold weather is inspiring me to shop. I've been pinning (on Pinterest) Zoya polishes from the newest collections for a while and when I saw two, yes two, sale offers I just couldn't help myself. I used one offer to get a free Pixiedust polish and another to get a free green nail polish. I am filled with shame.

But that's a conversation for another day.

You're already met Seraphina. I loved the idea of a light silver polish for the winter but sadly the finish and formula left something to be desired. I'm happy to have it in my collection but I wouldn't mind seeing another brand create a dupe for this polish that was more a traditional shimmer and that wasn't as sheer. Sorry about the bare nails, by the way. They look so naked without polish. 

This is a Dream. She's a stunner, isn't she? I can't wait to try this polish out but at the same time, I'm waiting for the right occasion. I think this will be a polish that is sure to get compliments.

Maria Luisa was my other unconventional pick. It reminds me a little of OPI Goldeneye. I think I'll try this as both a polish and a top coat for the review. I thought I was over gold leaf top coats but I couldn't resist this one after I saw it swatched.

Now for the Pixiedust polishes. This is Chita. I can't imagine her being named for anyone other than Chita Rivera. I don't think will be as vibrant of a green on my nails as it appears in this photo.

This is Carter. She looks a bit pink/magenta in the bottle but all the swatches I've seen have been more purple so hopefully she'll apply as a true purple to the nail.

It really doesn't seem like this polish should be called Sunshine, does it? It's a medium blue polish.

Now for some boring cremes. And if you can't tell, I favor cool colors over warm oranges and reds and pinks and nude shades. This is Hunter. Yes, I know I already have a ton of green creme polishes. But maybe this one will be different. At the very least it means I can do another comparison post. Stop judging me.

This is Sailor. Yes, a hunter green and a sailor blue. How clever. I'm hoping this won't be a dupe for anything I own either. 

And finally I thought I'd throw in a little surprise. The packaging on this polish was a little excessive. This is the outer box. 

This is the inner box. 

Yes, I finally got my hands on Veruschuka, that oh, so elusive matte velvet green polish. This was a limited edition re-release and I had to pre-order it. I hope it'll be worth the anticipation. I'll be using the color for my Christmas manicure.

I hope you enjoyed this quick little haul post. Let me know in the comments if you like this kind of thing or if you'd just like to see more review posts in the future. 

REVIEW of Zoya Seraphina With SWATCHES

Hello angels,

Today I have a nice wintery polish from Zoya's Holiday 2013 Zenith Collection. Other than Dream (which I also picked up and which I will be reviewing at a later date) and Seraphina nothing else in the collection really appealed to me but that's alright as Seraphina and Dream seemed like knockouts. I decided to try out Seraphina after filing my nails short in a fit of pique and then belatedly remembering that I had a holiday party to attend. I think it would equally as good on longer nails but this is one of those colors I don't mind so much on short nails. Anyway, let's get into the review before I continue rambling.

Color: Zoya Seraphina is a pale silver polish. I have no idea if I should call this one a shimmer or a foil. It doesn't have the depth of foils I've tried in the past but it was more difficult to remove than your typical shimmer polish and the formula did seem different from a typical shimmer. It went on a bit sheer and almost like little flakes of glitter. But I wouldn't call it a flakie either. I suppose it's a hybrid between a shimmer and a foil. I actually love the color. I'm not sure how unique it is, but it seems unique to me. I think you usually see basic white or cream shimmer polishes and darker silver shimmer and foil polishes but this is the first time I've seen a pretty light silver like this. It's very shimmery without attracting too much attention so it's a bit more sparkly than would probably be appropriate for a very conservative work environment but it's understated for a holiday party. It's very shimmery in a kind of greasy looking way. I was expecting something icy and cool and clean so this threw me at first but I gradually grew to like the polish more as I wore it.
Formula: The formula is on the thicker side in terms of consistency though it is also quite sheer.
Application: Application of the first coat was relatively smooth though I did have to even out the polish with the brush. The second coat was a little harder to even out though I still wouldn't call the polish gloopy. It was absolutely not opaque by the second coat so I added a third coat. The third coat went on about as smoothly as the second coat though it was still not 100% opaque and failed a light test. But I was over it at that point and refused to add a fourth coat.
Wear: I only wore this polish for three days. It was a bit tough to remove. I would say it was more difficult to remove than your typical creme or shimmer and somewhere between the difficulty of a dark polish and a foil. I should also note that it is very hard to get all of the glitter off your nails. There always seem to be a few patches left behind.

CONCLUSION: I do really love the color of this polish but I wish the formula and the final appearance of the polish were nicer. It's just a touch too sheer and I wish they had gone with a different finish. If you love the color as much as I do, it might be worth it to get this polish but be warned that the formula isn't great and it's not as nice as some of the swatches you might have seen online.

Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you would like to help support this site, please consider making your next purchase at amazon.com through the links on my page.

SWATCHES

REVIEW of Zoya Mason With SWATCHES

Hello bunnies,

Zoya is really killing me with the names. How am I supposed to come up with adorable endearments? Anyway, I received Zoya Mason in my October Ipsy Glam Bag so I don't really have a story to tell you on why I wanted to purchase it. But I am happy to have received it in my Glam Bag. So far I'd say it's the best product I've gotten from my ipsy subscription (with the caveat that I still haven't tried most of the products yet).

Color: Zoya Mason is a deep fuchsia shimmer polish with red microglitter. I would call it a mix between purple and pink without it being a duochrome. It just happens to look more purple indoors (especially in the late afternoon and at night) and more magenta outdoors.
Formula: The formula is on the thicker side.
Application: Application of the first coat was very smooth so I believed that the thickness of the formula did not affect the application. Application of the second coat was also smooth but I noticed the thickness of the formula more with this coat. The brush dragged if there wasn't a sufficient amount of polish on the brush and I did have to even out the polish with the brush though I didn't have any issues with dragging or streaking while evening the polish out. Two coats appeared opaque but failed the light test so I added a third coat. Examining my nails after the third coat I could see that the polish had not applied completely evenly. I found the finish to be a bit odd. The polish does not dry matte but it doesn't dry shiny either. I wouldn't call it a satin finish either. It's more like the polish just isn't shiny. Anyway, I added a layer of Seche Vite as I always do so you won't notice this in the swatches below but I felt like it was worth noting. Seche Vite also helps smooth out the uneveness.

CONCLUSION: I don't mind this polish and I'm still happy that I received it in my ipsy bag but it's not my favorite Zoya polish and I can't enthusiastically recommend it because the formula and application weren't great. It's alright but if you purchase this full price you might be disappointed.
SWATCHES

October Ipsy Bag

Hello my dears,

My October Ipsy bag came in the mail two days ago. I was getting a little worried that it wasn't coming this month but it is here. I'm not thrilled with this month's ipsy bag but I can't say I'm all that disappointed either. It's still beating my two month subscription to Birchbox. I like that there's an eyeshadow brush and I'm really happy there's a Zoya nail polish and a Zoya promo code but other than that I could kind of take or leave the other products. There's nothing I would really want to switch them out for in this month's ipsy bag but I'll have to use them before I'll know if I'm happy to have received them. Also, I kind of hate eyeshadow pigments. Let me stop rambling and show you the products.

I don't mind the actual bag this month. The material is a little stiff but it feels sturdy. The quote is the kind of meaningless gibberish you find on posters at school book sales and plaques you hang up in your kitchen. I don't love the way it looks but it's always nice to have another makeup bag.

Let's start with my favorite product, the Zoya nail polish. Instantly, I felt like I had gotten my money's worth. I did also place two impulsive orders at Zoya because of the promo code but we'll get to that when my orders comes in the mail. The polish is called Mason. It seems to be a deep magenta shimmer with little flecks of glitter. It's not a polish I probably would have chosen for myself but I don't hate it. By the way, if you want to take advantage of the offer, as far as I know the promo code is non specific so it should work even if you aren't an ipsy subscriber. The promo code is "IPSYZ3." If you buy two polishes, you will be able to purchase a third polish free. Unfortunately if you want free shipping, you will have to spend $55 to qualify as you cannot stack promo codes. This offer will work on the Pixiedust polishes, so if you buy three Pixiedust polishes as I did, you will be able to get the third one free. I'm mentioning this because some of the other promo codes excluded the Pixiedust polishes.

The next product I'm happy to see is a Coastal Scents medium shadow brush. It looks a lot like the Sigma eyeshadow brush I already own. I haven't washed it yet, but it feels reasonably soft. I can always use more eyeshadow brushes (even though I already have a bunch of them from elf) because I'm lazy and I don't always like to wash out my brushes immediately after I've used them (especially if I've used a cream shadow).