Zoya
Zoya Holiday 2007 – Utopia
Releasing in November for the holiday season, the Utopia collection from Zoya is a group of fun, bold shimmering metallic shades that will add a splash of color and glitz to those dreary gray winter days. And All Lacquered Up is fortunate to be the very first to see it, outside of the Art of Beauty family.
This is going to sound silly but whenever I hear the word Utopia I think of that Drew Barrymore movie Ever After. It’s a feminist take on the tale of Cinderella and in it the heroine (played by Drew) loves the book Utopia by Thomas More. I still have my copy of Ever After on VHS and even though I haven’t had a VHS player hooked up in years, I refuse to get rid of it. I love that movie.
Ok, so either someone at Zoya loves me or green nails is a trend that I didn’t see coming. Of all the jewels tones green is the color I least expected to become mainstream. Outside of our small online nail community I’ve never seen anyone else wearing it. But you certainly won’t hear me complaining. Bring on the greens!
My one and only complaint with this collection is the pigmentation. The majority of the lacquers needed three coats to become completely opaque and achieve the bottle shade. Similar to Suvi and Kotori from the Downtown Collection. I wonder if it’s because the extra pigment would thicken the formula and Zoya’s polish is already thicker than the typical non-Big 3 Free brands.
Austine is a muted brushed gold. On the nail it has the appearance hammered metal and the silver shimmer keeps the color from becoming too peach. Austina is more metallic than shimmery which sets it apart from the other shades in Utopia but thankfully it doesn’t affect application.
Tama is the least “me” shade of the bunch. I’m not anti-pink or brights but I feel there’s something in this shade that doesn’t work with my skin tone. It’s a pretty color and definitely more rosy in the sun but it’s just not something I would intentionally buy for myself.
Kamilah is luscious crimson shade with a hint of gold shimmer that comes out in sunlight. As you can see in the individual swatch pics of this and some of the other shades, these polishes seem to have a slight duochrome effect. The color doesn’t completely change but it’s definitely more intense in direct light.
In the bottle Juno looks very much like a duochrome. The polish looks blue all along the edges of the bottle, similar to how Ki looks in the bottle. However on the nail, the blue isn’t that apparent which is a shame. A purple/blue duochrome would be amazing. Of all the purples I have, I feel that Juno will make my top 10 for sure, possibly even top 5. It has incredible depth, pigmentation and gloss. If you love purple, get Juno.
Akyra reminds me of a peacock feather. It’s not as bright but in the same vein. In the sun the green takes dominance and it’s the green that makes Akyra different than Kotori.
I saved the best for last. Irene is a stunning mossy sage green sprinkled with gold shimmer. This green is probably better suited to warm skin tones but a shade this gorgeous should not be limited by skin coloring. In case you haven’t guessed, this is my #1 pick from Utopia and a must have for anyone that loves or appreciates the beauty of green polish.
Which polishes will you be adding to your wish list?
Zoya Suvi Comparison
A pal on the Makeup Alley Nail Board asked me if Zoya Suvi is a dupe for OPI Jasper Jade. In fact she hopes, for her wallet’s sake, that it is. Well Deni, I’m both happy (for me) and sad (for you) to say they are different.
As the pictures below will show, Jasper Jade is more blackened than Suvi. While Suvi is the shade of a flawless deep green emerald, Jasper Jade is the color of an emerald with some carbon deposits.
Oddly enough Suvi and Jasper Jade both have sheerness as an obstacle but it’s easily defeated with 3 coats of color. So while I will continue to covet and lovingly hoard my bottle of Jasper Jade as I do with any and all green polishes I find, I do love Zoya Suvi more for it’s vibrancy.
Wear The Rainbow
“Skittles Nails” is a trend that’s been popping up on the Makeup Alley Nail Board. Partially inspired by our constant multi-colored swatching of new nail polishes and also by the Zoya Candy collection, this look is for the bold and whimsical.
I’ve seen it done on toes and I think it’s totally fun for summer. The look I’m sporting below is using 5 of the 6 Candy shades; (thumb to pinkie) Sweet, Yummy, Creamy, Tangy and Juicy.
So, what do you think? Over the top? Fun and fashion forward? The look of a psych ward patient? Let’s hear what you have to say.
Top Coat Challenge – Zoya Armor
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Zoya polishes. Not only because they are a local Cleveland family owned business but because they make an excellent polish with an incredible range of colors.
Unfortunately, not everyone shares my opinion. I’ve read complaints about wear. I’ve even heard it from my own nail tech and esthetician. The main issue is that the polish peels within a day or two of application. However, that seems to be that case more often when using a quick dry top coat like Seche Vite.
I guess I’ve been fortunate to never have this issue when using my usual combo of Creative Super Shiney top coat with Qtica 1/2 Time drying drops. Though I started thinking about this as it’s not just an issue for people using Seche Vite.
After speaking with reps from both Zoya and Nubar, it makes sense that using a non-Big 3 Free top and base coat with a Big 3 Free polish would cause peeling, bubbling or shrinkage (pre-mature pulling back from nail edge). So I decided to give the entire Zoya family of products a trial run to test the theory. I used Zoya Anchor base coat, Zoya Sweet nail lacquer, Zoya Armor top coat and Zoya Hurry Up quick drying drops. Here are the results after 5 days of wear.
As the pictures show, there was very little tip wear after 5 days and no chipping. Even though Armor took a little longer to dry than the popular quick dry top coats, I still didn’t have to wait more than 30 minutes before I could function. I may have even waited too long, I was just being cautious. In fact, I did this mani before bed and woke up with no sheet marks, just pure glossiness.
So for those of you out there that gave up on Zoya polishes or haven’t tried them because of performance reviews, I would suggest giving them a try with a Big 3 Free base and top coat of your choosing. I hope you get the same results I did.
**** UPDATE – After speaking with a rep from Zoya it turns out that ingredient that is causing peeling problems for people is CELLULOSE ACETATE BUTYRATE. “Zoya lacquer will not adhere to base coats containing it. Top coats containing it must be formulated carefully to not cause problems when used with Zoya lacquer.”
Additionally, I must make a correction. Poshe is Big 3 Free which is why I haven’t experienced peeling when using it.
All Lacquered Up Feature
Art of Beauty, makers of Zoya, Qtica and Nocti products, featured All Lacquered Up in their July/August Salon & Spa magazine. Check it out!
Name: Michelle
Role: Nail polish blogger — “All Lacquered Upâ€
Blog: http://www.alllacqueredup.com
A nail polish collector that reports on the latest nail news, trends and products.
Q. What made you decide to start a nail polish blog?
A. As a nail polish fanatic, I’m always searching the web for news and information about the industry and new products. I felt that in the world of beauty and fashion blogs there wasn’t a central resource for nail info; trends, upcoming collections, advice, tips etc. I started my blog to fill that void and share my passion with others.
Q. How many readers do you have? How often do you post?
A. I get between 300-500 visits a day and I try to post at least 5 times a week. I’ll post more if time allows or there is a lot going on in nail fashion.
Q. What is the most exciting/interesting thing to come out of your blogging experience?
A. All of the amazing people that have contacted me. I have readers from all over the world; South Africa, Russia, Australia, Sweden, etc. Hearing their positive feedback, chatting with them about the trends and products of their countries and realizing how many other fanatics are out there is so rewarding.
Q. What do you see as the most important nail colors/trends right now?
A. I see this summer as being about 3 big trends, Blues, Whites and Brights. From baby blue to navy, blues are everywhere and the darker shades are a great transition for people hanging on to the black trend. Of course brights and summer go hand in hand but this year, instead of the more traditional bright pinks and reds, there are fabulous oranges, yellows and teals. Now I always used to think of white polish as either too sheer and grandma-ish or too chalky and mod but this year’s whites are sparkly and fresh.
Q. How do you see them transitioning into fall?
A. I don’t actually. I think the fall will be filled with luxe, velvety colors. I know people were predicting metallics for the summer but I think they’ll be bigger in the fall along with red, plum and gunmetal gray.
Q. What do you like best about the ZOYA/NOCTI lines?
A. I love that the formula applies so smooth and even without having to include toxic chemicals. It’s something other brands have tried to achieve lately but haven’t worked out yet.
Q. If you were stranded on a remote Island with one ZOYA/NOCTI color (and basecoat and topcoat of course!), which one would it be?
A. As much as I adore greens like Tangy from the Candy collection, I’d have to choose Yasmeen. It is one of the most unique shades I’ve ever seen and it works perfectly with my skin tone.
Q. Create the “All Lacquered Up collection†— 6 shades, what would they be?
A. Divincia, Yasmeen, Tangy, Nip Tuck, Bailey and Raven
image and interview used courtesy of Art Of Beauty
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