NOTD: Zoya Shelby

So far, Shelby is the only colour that I have purchased from Zoya’s Summer 2012 Beach Collection. I love polishes in cream finishes and I seem to gravitate towards pink shades during the warmer months so Shelby is the ideal colour for me from this collection.

Upon application, the polish was a bit streaky. Zoya gives Shelby a 5/5 in terms of opacity but, in my opinion, the somewhat streaky formula brought the level of opacity to around a 3.5. However, after three coats, this polish looked smooth, flawless, and perfectly opaque.

I found that it took a little longer to dry than some of my other Zoyas but had a very shiny finish once it was set even without a top coat. After wearing this shade for over a week, I discovered that the drying time was worth the wait because it took a full seven days for any visible chipping to begin. Normally I change my polish every few days but with Shelby’s gorgeous summer shade and lasting power, I waited nine days before reaching for the remover—a record!

As for the colour, Zoya describes Shelby as a “Soft but colorful cherry blossom pink with an opaque cream finish. A light girly pink with enough tint to keep it from looking pastel or washed out.” I usually consider cherry blossom petals to be much lighter and more comparable to polishes like Something Sweet from China Glaze or Essie’s Fiji. Shelby is definitely girly but, as you can see from the photos below, it is more of a medium Barbie / bubble gum pink than a light pink, and is just a shade darker than OPI’s Shorts Story. I agree with Zoya that there is no way that this colour would look pastel or washed out. It is the perfect complement to bright summer clothing and bare feet—that’s why I put it on my toes too! It makes my pale skin look healthy and glowy even though I don’t have a tan.

Overall, Shelby is a must try for anyone looking for a new favourite summer polish!

*click photos to enlarge*