I received Fifi in Julep’s Cupid’s Mystery Clutch that was available around Valentine’s Day. As soon as I opened the package, Fifi is the polish that first caught my eye since I love to wear pastel pink shades on my nails.
Of the four polishes that were released with Essie’s 2013 wedding collection, No Baggage Please was the shade that most appealed to me. I’m always drawn to pastel baby pink shades and this one is rather unique.
First off, the formula is less of a stark creme like other polishes of its kind, and leans more toward a jelly-like formula. The colour itself has neutral to warm undertones that give my skin a healthy, rosy hue.
While it’s a bit difficult to see in the photos, this polish contains very fine particles of silver micro glitter that are most visible in direct sun light. The shimmers mix well into the formula and they do not make the polish feel rough in any way.
As for application, I was a bit surprised by this polish. Aside from Fiji, many of Essie’s light pink shades are quite sheer. However, No Baggage Please covered most of the nail with just one coat. That said, this polish was somewhat streaky and still looked uneven in spots after three coats. In spite of this, the polish looked smooth for the most part and would complement a white wedding dress.
Overall, I believe that I will get a lot of use out of No Baggage Please. It’s perfect for everyday wear and it makes the nails look neat and clean.
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.
When Zoya’s Feel collection (Winter 2011) first came out, I told myself that I didn’t need it. After all, I already had lots of creamy pastel shades.
This collection features pigmented neutrals that look opaque after only a coat or two. Each time I saw swatches of the polishes, I admired their smooth creamy colours and shiny finishes. The blues, greys, and nudes were pretty but one shade, Kennedy, was my favourite of the group.
In most photos, it looked like the typical pastel pink shade with maybe a hint of pink. I debated whether I needed another polish like this and eventually forgot about Kennedy as new collections were released.
Recently, I purchased some Zoya polishes and remembered to add Kennedy to my shopping basket. I’m really glad that I did as this shade offers so much more than I expected.
Kennedy is not just a pastel pink. Zoya describes it as a “pale, french beige cream”, but, on my nails, it looks like a creamy mocha latte with a splash of lilac. The pictures in this post really do the colour justice and show the unique shade of this polish. It looks great against my cool toned skin and doesn’t pull any red or ruddy tones.
Zoya gives Kennedy a rating of 5/5 for opacity, and accurately so. After two coats, this polish was perfectly opaque. I added a third coat for the photos but it was not necessary. Despite being a bit thick like all Zoya polishes, Kennedy applied very smoothly and did not streak. It also dried quickly and lasted for six days without chipping.
While Kennedy is marketed as a “winter neutral,” I have no doubts that it will be a perfect shade to wear year round.
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*
