NATURAL FLASH, SPARKLE AND SHINE
WORDS: Judith Ecochard
Backstage at several fashion shows, we noticed some of the best shaded talons were adorned with the ZOYA brand of polishes ($7 each) ----and treated with related products like Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat, Hurry Up Drying Drops, Armor Top Coat, Anchor Base Coat…
Founded by Art of Beauty salon owners, this brand of over THREE HUNDRED NAIL COLORS, plus four seasonal collections is amazingly long wearing, a problem we have with other polishes…
Particularly those deemed ‘natural’---meaning free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Like ZOYA.
We had a chance to put the longwearing claim to a test…and can honestly say, ZOYA lives up to the claim.
We rocked the matte look (that is big for Fall but we love year round)…specifically the Metallic Loredana---a medium gunmetal gray (with a slight shimmer)--- on our nails that are constantly under assault between a chlorine laden pool, rock climbing jaunts…and we know bad, washing the dishes without protective hand gloves on.
It didn’t see to matter…our Mani, with occasional touchups at the tips…solidly lasted ten days.
Our toes got dipped with a sparkling LUNA (moon glow that just looked great even on our pale skin).
Part of the UltraGlitter Collection that packs in more glossy glitter than other brands that seem to just have a few specks here and there, this high shiner really pops…and we are on week three already, without a chip.
We had a gal pal try the intense ultra bright neon- magenta pink Charisma that actually is matte without a glossy topcoat. Amazing.
Another friend dabbed on Harley---an amazingly complex light concrete gray with subtle flecks of gold, copper and silver.
ADDED PLUS: Deciding on a nail polish color by Zoya is akin to a candy junkie visiting Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory. The number of options is daunting.
BUT the functionality of the ZOYA website helps immensely…one can search by color, shine, opaque or sheer on a scale of one to five, by theme, tone, seasonal collections, etc. WOW!!!!
Fortunately, the ZOYA NAIL PLUS REMOVER, an Allure Magazine Beauty award winner…gets off the polish, conditions, fortifies, moisturizers and preps the nails for color swaps. And that’s a good thing as we can see gals wanting to try out sooooo mmmaaaaannnnyyyy of these polishes.
We tested the remover ourselves. Our different brand polish was easy to remove actually, and we were surprised. Saturating a cotton ball with the Nail Plus Remover, …and encasing our nail for a few seconds with said cotton ball--- we wiped off the old stuff. Unlike some brands, there was no sting…and we didn’t have to scrub away either.
BONUS: The no spill top of the remover and the elegant curved shape of the nail polish bottles…nice.
LIP GLOSSES:
Zoya extends its brand with a shiny lip gloss assortment, amusingly dubbed “Hot Lips.”
Perfectly sized in a thick tube that easily fits into the front pockets of our jeans---- these glosses are high shine without the stickiness and impart enough color, even the sheer shades--- that we don’t even bother with lipstick underneath.
Paraben free too! The lightly berry scent is long lasting…and a tiny dab goes a long way. We tried the Sweet Tart shade, a sheer plum ---with a light shimmer to it…and we think, all skin tone friendly. Like the nail polishes, there are options galore!!!($6)
Perfectly sized in a thick tube that easily fits into the front pockets of our jeans---- these glosses are high shine without the stickiness and impart enough color, even the sheer shades--- that we don’t even bother with lipstick underneath.
Paraben free too! The lightly berry scent is long lasting…and a tiny dab goes a long way. We tried the Sweet Tart shade, a sheer plum ---with a light shimmer to it…and we think, all skin tone friendly. Like the nail polishes, there are options galore!!!($6)
Frankly, an entire line of colors that outdoes the rainbow is incredible, but Zoya really nails it…pun intended.
No wonder they are becoming nail polish staples for major fashion designers when it comes to the all important--- head to toe, runway romps.
Backstage at Toni Maticevski/J. Ecochard