The Zoya Naturel collection features six full coverage rose toned nude polishes. Each shade has a cream formula that dries to a glossy finish even without topcoat. According to Zoya, each polish in this collection is cool toned and has an opacity level of 5/5.
As soon as I saw the press release for this collection, I knew that I needed to put it on my wish list since I love cream polishes and shades of pink and purple. In fact, this is the first time that I ordered an entire collection from Zoya; usually I only want a few colours from each seasonal collection. I purchased my set from Nail Polish Canada for $50 CAD (individual colours are $9.75). I thought that this was a great price since the Zoya website is selling the set for $54 USD.
The polishes came in a clear plastic box with the word naturel written on the front in light grey. The colours are organized in the box by shade from lightest to darkest.
The first three colours, Chantal, Taylor, and Rue, are the lightest. In the bottle, Chantal and Taylor look almost identical; yet, as you can see from the swatches below, they are easy to tell apart when on the nails. I can’t decide which one I prefer with my skin tone. If anything disappoints me about this collection it’s the fact that two nude shades were included. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good my nails but better colour, but I would have preferred to see maybe just one light nude and another unique pink or purple shade. I prefer Rue to the nudes because it is more pink toned.
The three darker colours are Brigitte, Odette, and Normani. These three have less in common than the first three. Brigitte appears to be a darker version of Rue, Odette is a brighter shade of pinkish purple, and Normani is more of a greyed purple. These three, along with Rue, are my favourites in the collection.
Now for the swatches.
Zoya Chantal: Chantal is a French vanilla cream in the nude/beige family. In the swatch above, this shade looks fairly even. However, the first two coats were rather thick and streaky. The third coat smoothed everything out. I would say that Chantal is more peach than Taylor.
Zoya Taylor: Taylor is a light toffee cream in the nude/beige family. Like Chantal, Taylor required three coats to look even. This polish is much thinner than Chantal though and only needed three coats because the watery formula was too sheer after just two. Compared to Chantal, Taylor has more brown tones.
Zoya Rue: Rue is a boudoir blush cream in the nude/pink family. Unlike the first two polishes in the collection, Rue has a very smooth formula. The photo above features three coats but Rue was opaque with just two. I love this shade because it’s a cozy, more sophisticated version of the baby pink polishes that were popular in the summer.
Zoya Brigitte: Brigitte is a bombshell mauve cream in the nude/mauve colour family. This polish has a smooth formula that is easy to apply. The photo above shows three coats of Brigitte but only two are necessary. This classy pink toned nude is very versatile and is the perfect shade to add a hint of colour to the nails without clashing with clothing or accessories.
Zoya Odette: Odette is a sultry orchid maroon cream in the nude/mauve family. This pigmented shade looks flawless with two coats even though there are three in the photo above. The formula is smooth and creamy. Compared to the previous shades, Odette is rather unique with its brighter base and rich orchid tones. It’s the perfect colour to grab when you’re looking for a true pop of colour.
Zoya Normani: Normani is a sable mauve cream in the nude/mauve/purple colour family. I have tried so many of these grey/beige or “griege” shades but most of them are either too brown or too greenish-grey. Normani’s purple tones add a level of chicness that I have never encountered with this type of shade. The colour is soft and understated but also elegant and modern. Like most of the polishes in this collection, Normani’s formula is seamless and achieves opacity with just two coats. There are three coats in the photo above.
Overall, I am very impressed with the Zoya Naturel collection. All of the shades are very wearable and appropriate for all seasons. While I feel that Chantal and Taylor are not as unique in colour and smooth in formula as the other shades in this collection, they are pretty colours that I will use, especially for work.
Have you tried the Zoya Naturel collection? What are your thoughts on it? Which shades are your favourite?
Newly released from CND, the Vinylux system is a weekly nail polish. It claims to last a full week on the nails without a base coat and dry very quickly. It comes with a top coat that must be used over each shade to ensure its staying power, and the polishes are said to strengthen their resistance to chips through exposure to natural light.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try out the Vinylux Weekly Polish Forbidden Mini Collection courtesy of my favourite online nail polish retailer, Nail Polish Canada (NPC). Like all of the orders that I have received from NPC over the years, this one came well packaged and included a surprise treat.
The set includes six Vinylux Weekly Polishes and one Vinylux Weekly Top Coat. These mini bottles contain 3.7 ml. I tried out the shades and was surprised to find that each polish has a different formula and finish. Also, the package directions recommend using just two coats of polish which was enough for some shades but not all. That said, it’s true that the polishes dry very quickly. I found that if I accidentally got a bit of polish on my cuticles, by the time I reached for my orange stick, the polish on my skin was dry and I had to get some remover to clean my skin. This is a bit frustrating for those who like to clean smudges while painting; however, I did not have to account for any drying time between coats and I was able to paint my nails rather quickly. Another benefit of these polishes is their scent. They do not smell nearly as harsh as most polishes that I have tried and the faint smell quickly dissipated as soon as the polish dried rather than lingering in the air for hours. Also, from what I have observed, all of the shades in this set (with the help of the top coat) do last for at least a week (usually longer).
Here are my thoughts on each shade:
Burnt Romance: For me, this shade was the most difficult to work with. The first coat looked very smooth upon application but the next coat was rather streaky. I added a third coat to attempt to smooth out the streaks. It helped a bit but I was not completely satisfied with the finished product. This polish had the thickest formula of all the cream finish shades in this set. As for the colour, I would describe it as a reddish-orangey brown with a cream finish. Normally shades like this don’t complement my cool toned skin but I like how the colour of this one looks on my nails.
Tinted Love: This creamy berry shade applied smoothly and dried to a glossy finish. Only two coats of this one were needed since it is very opaque and dries evenly. The formula was thinner than that of Burnt Romance and it glided on the nails effortlessly. My only complaint is that this one left my nails and cuticles with a light berry stain that took a few days to fade once I had removed the polish. I was expecting this though since colours with red or dark pink undertones are often difficult for me to remove and I did not use a base coat with this one so it had more direct contact with my nails.
Dark Dahlia: This polish is my favourite in the set but it did surprise me a bit. First of all, it looks very dark in the bottle and in the photos above, but it was the thinnest, sheerest formula in the whole set and it required three coats to reach opacity. These three coats were very even and smooth and dried very quickly. Like Tinted Love, Dark Dahlia was not streaky, very easy to apply, and it dried to a shiny finish. The colour looks black upon first glance but it is a beautiful deep creamy blackberry that flashes its purple undertones when it catches the light.
Blue Rapture: In my opinion, this medium blue cream is the most unique shade in the collection. I do not own anything like it and it was the first polish to catch my eye when I opened the package. It’s a brighter shade compared to the others but it is very winter appropriate and would look nice during the warmer months as well. The formula of this one is very interesting. It required only two coats to become opaque and even but it dried to a sheen-like finish rather than a gloss. It almost looked like damp wall paint when it was dry and I could see some subtle brush strokes even after it was set. The brush strokes melted away once I applied the top coat.
Night Glimmer: Out of all the polishes in the set, this one had the thickest formula. The polish is so thick that it is almost impossible for a drop of polish to fall from the brush. However, the polish is in no way sticky and it had the fastest drying time. Night Glimmer is also incredibly opaque which is quite surprising considering its glittery finish. It was opaque after just one coat but I applied two. The colour is a bit difficult to describe. The base is a dark grey with pewter shimmers. Sometimes when the light catches it, I see hints of tan coloured glimmers. Whereas most of the polishes dried to a naturally glossy finish, this one was rather flat and reminded me of the suede polishes from OPI. The topcoat helped add a bit of shine.
Steel Gaze: This glitter polish is much thinner and sheerer than Night Glimmer. It applies very smoothly and does need three coats. It can be worn on its own though and does not need to be applied over another polish to show up. This shade has a silvery green base with gold and silver glitters. It dries to a glossier finish than Night Glimmer and the shimmer is much brighter and more eye catching.
The last polish in the set is the Weekly Top Coat. While this product does help extend the life of the polishes and prevent chipping, it does not provide the glossy finish that I’m used to. It gives a bit of shine but doesn’t leave a glassy, reflective finish like Seche Vite or Poshe. It’s also not as thick as those top coats but it is very fast drying. This top coat needs to be applied quickly to avoid streaks.
Overall, I really like the concept of these long wearing polishes and and they are a great option for someone looking for polishes that don’t need to be touched up or reapplied often. The colours are perfect for a range of skin tones and they are very appropriate for the current season. I would love to see if CND comes out with a Vinylux collection for spring and summer.
The CND Vinylux Weekly Polish Forbidden Mini Collection and other CND Vinylux products can be purchased from NPC: http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/categories/cnd-vinylux.html
For a limited time, NPC is offering FREE SHIPING on ALL Canadian orders (no minimum). USA orders over $50 ship free too!
*Although I was sent this product to try out and write a review on, all opinions are honest and are my own*
Now that spring is in the air and clothing stores and makeup counters are bursting with colour, I thought that it would be the perfect time to thank my followers with some pretty polishes.
As far as I know, Joe Fresh polishes can only be found in Canada at the present time, so I wanted to give away some polishes from this line so that one of my followers could try them out. The giveaway is open worldwide and will end on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 12:00 AM.
To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
Good Luck!
Zoya describes Erika as a work appropriate soft pink with a shimmery twist. I believe that this is the ideal description for Erika as it is the flecks of gold shimmer running through this polish that make it stand out in the very large sea of pastel pink polishes.
I was very impressed with the texture of the shimmer particles. They are incredibly fine, and make me want to call them “micro flakies”. Even with just one coat of polish, the glitters remain smooth and do not alter the texture or feel of the polish. As you can see from the photo, the polish is very saturated with the shimmer particles. In most shimmery polishes, the shimmer is usually only visible when the light hits it. That is not the case for Erika; the shimmers are easy to see in any light. This type of shimmer also appears in some of the other polishes that were released with Erika in the Chit Chat Collection (Summer 2008).
Erika’s base is a milky baby pink shade that is surprisingly very opaque. Judging from the colour in the bottle, I assumed that it would take at least 3-4 coats for this polish to show up on the nails. The Zoya site gives it a 4/5 on the opacity scale. I think that maybe a 3 or 3.5/5 would be more appropriate because it did take two coats for Erika to be completely opaque.
That said, I had to apply a third coat because this polish didn’t apply as evenly as my other polishes from Zoya. After two coats, it appeared streaky and uneven in some spots. For the most part, the problem was resolved with a third coat.
In addition to the pretty gleam that the shimmer emits, Erika is a shiny polish in general. In the photos below I am not wearing any top coat and there is still an obvious glassy shine. In spite of this, I recommend using a top coat because, in my experiences, this polish does not seem to wear as long as other Zoyas (it started to chip within 3 days).
Overall, If you love pastel pinks and are looking for something a bit unique, Erika just may be the shade for you. It’s a beautiful colour worth trying if you aren’t afraid of a few streaks.
Are You Single?, Pink-A-Dot, and Tart Deco
Zoya Jaime is my new favourite light pink polish. It’s unique because it’s not the typical light pink cream-finish polish; it has a bit of shimmer and is categorized by Zoya as a metallic polish. It’s also fairly opaque despite its light colour and shimmery finish. In fact, Zoya gives it a 3/5 for opacity. I used three coats of this colour in the photos below but could have gotten away with two. Zoya describes this colour as a pale light milky rose pink with lilac tones and a strong pink pearl duochrome shimmer. I wouldn’t say that the duochrome is particularly strong but the polish does flash a lilac sheen in certain lights. It is a milky colour that almost looks jelly-like, giving the nails that squishy, marshmallow effect. Overall, it’s a perfect colour for Spring, Summer, and year round!
*click photos to enlarge*
I’m always on the search for an opaque pastel pink cream-finish polish. Many of you have recommended that I try Fiji by Essie and I thought that spring was the perfect season to do so.
The polish is a beautiful milky pink shade with maybe a slight hint of lavender. While it is fairly opaque, I found the formula a bit thick and streaky. As a result, I had to apply 3 coats to ensure that the colour applied evenly. Once it dried, I was quite happy with the results and have no doubts that I will get a lot of use out of this polish. It gives the nails a very clean, polished look that is very versatile.
