Zoya Dillon Review and Swatches

Hello my lovelies. Today I'm going to talk about a lovely little green color called Zoya Dillon. It's part of their Spring 2014 Awaken Collection. It's sort of a sister shade to Hudson and Rebel (gorgeous versions of purple and blue, respectively).

Zoya Dillon, in the shade

Zoya describes Dillon as a "full-coverage, green mint metallic with a silver shimmer." I'd say that's pretty perfect as far as descriptions go, for the most part. There's definitely a minty quality to it, and it went opaque in two coats; it does have really strong blue undertones to it. My coats were a bit on the thicker side for Dillon than some other Zoya colors. In some lights, particularly artificial, the blue undertones of Dillon make it seem almost aqua, but, for the most part, I think it does read as mint green.

Zoya Dillon, direct sunlight

As I said when I reviewed Rebel, and Tilda for that matter, I don't tend to go for green and blue polishes, because I invariably am disappointed on them on. Tilda was a rarity for me--I didn't even like it in the bottle, but it was so gorgeous on that I'll wear it regularly this summer. Rebel is just straight up stunning, and I don't think I've ever gotten so many compliments on a color. I've worn Dillon two days, and so far, I've gotten a few compliments on it, but no one has made me write down the name of it...yet.

Zoya Dillon, indoors in natural lighting

There's something about the unusual colors that Zoya has been putting out recently that I seriously love. Dillon, Rebel, Muse, Tilda, Rocha, Jesy. They're striking and pretty, and actually wearable in a strange way. They still are very green, blue, and, well, orange, but they have a certain softness to them, or are too striking to look anything but lovely on the nail. They're good polishes for the girl who wants to wear a more daring color but doesn't know how to start.

Zoya Dillon, indoors in artificial lighting

I might do a dupe comparison later on between Zuza and Dillon if people want it. Here's a picture of the two bottles; Zuza is substantially darker than Dillon, in my opinion. Personally, I wasn't wild about Zuza on the nail even if it's a pretty color, but Dillon is quite stunning.

Zoya Dillon on left, Zoya Zuza on right

I love Dillon. It's not going to be one of the polishes that sit in my stash, never to be worn. It's particularly nice for spring and summer months. It's light enough, too, that it won't overpower an outfit, and the undertones are balanced enough that it can flatter most skin tones. It's fun enough and unusual enough to be different and eye-catching, but not overwhelming. Shades like Dillon walk a really fine line between too much and not enough, but Dillon really nails the balance in a beautiful way. I'm definitely a big fan.

Zoya Dillon, taken with a flash

Keep your eye out on the Zoya blog and follow @ZoyaNailPolish on twitter, as they have a ton of promos and contests. Last summer, Zoya was used by a few designers at the Mercedes Benz Swim Week in Miami, and they had a couple of exclusive trios, and the Luli Fama set was the entire Summer 2013 PixieDust collection that you could pick up at a seriously awesome price. Keep your eyes out to see if they do the same again this year; I'll let you know if Zoya sends out any press releases to that effect. If you haven't yet, do check out the Summer 2014 Magical Pixie line that I reviewed and swatched here... they're so incredibly pretty I can't even stand it. Arlo and Muse might currently be in a battle over my favorite pedicure color right now. As always, remember that Zoya is Big5Free, and my fave natural nail polish.

Okay, that's all for now, my darlings. Do consider Dillon. It's quite spectacular. Soon, I'll be going through my stash and swatching some of the colors I picked up during the promos in December. I really did go pretty crazy then. Colors include Zoya Lola, Zoya Purity, Zoya Celine, and then Zoya Pepper, Zoya Noot, Zoya Belinda, Zoya Payton, Zoya Storm, Zoya Ivy, Zoya Posh, Zoya Veruschka, Zoya Dovima, Zoya Savita, Zoya Astra, and Zoya Nova. Be on the lookout, and I'll bring the pretty.

Until then,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Hudson Review and Swatches

Today, I bring to you a seriously fabulous polish, Zoya Hudson. I actually can't believe that I haven't reviewed this polish before. I think, honestly, that I forgot, because I've had the photos done for a while. It's part of the Spring 2014 Awaken Collection, along with Rebel and Dillon.

Zoya Hudson, shaded sun

Zoya describes Hudson as a "full-coverage, purple orchid metallic with a silver shimmer." This is one of those polishes that I think wanted to capitalize on Pantone naming Radiant Orchid as the color of the year. Really, I don't see this as an orchid shade. I've said this on other posts, but my mom actually grows orchids. I think her totals are in the 80s, and most of them aren't even in the purple range, but they tend to be more red-based purple than Hudson is. Hudson has a lot of really rich blue undertones, and the shimmer is nice without being overwhelming.

Zoya Hudson, direct sunlight

Orchid purple or not, I think Hudson is a seriously lovely color. It's balanced, so it doesn't read blurple like so many purples can, and it isn't too silvery, so it's more wearable than some metallic polishes. I think purple tends to toe the line between traditional polishes and the more edgy colors, like blues and greens, and Hudson is bright and metallic enough to fit in perfectly with Dillon and Rebel (the green and blue metallics in the Awaken collection), but soft enough to wear everyday and in more traditional settings.

Zoya Hudson, indoors in natural light

I hate to say it, but there's not really much to say about most purples. It's a mid-range purple, which is generally quite versatile. It's a polish that I'll wear a lot, and that will be in my regular rotation, but I really don't have an awful lot to say about it. It's a color I get complimented on when I wear it; it's not the sort that will turn lots of heads. Perhaps that's actually a plus, though. There are definitely times when I want a nail that will be beautiful, but not necessarily be too flashy or bold.

Zoya Hudson, indoors in artificial light

As always, Zoya is Big5Free (of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor), and natural. It also will give you a good week or so of chip-free wear. Be sure to follow Zoya's blog for contests, giveaways, and promos. They also will tell you about new products and trends. It's worth checking out. Also, follow @ZoyaNailPolish on twitter. Same reasons, and because the fairies are frequently adorable beyond words. You can also follow me on twitter, @manic_paintress. Clearly, you know where my blog is. If you don't, I feel really bad about your internet skills.

Zoya Hudson, taken with flash

That's all for now. I'll be posting about Zoya Dillon soon. Promise.

Until then my darlings,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Rebel: Review and Swatches

Today is brought to you by the color blue... Zoya Rebel blue.

Zoya Rebel, shaded sunlight

I've said it a few times in recent posts: I find it very hard to find blue and green nail polishes that I'll actually wear. I love blue and green as actual colors, but when I put them on my nails, they just look sort of weird. And teal is generally the oddest. Notable exceptions include all other Zoya colors: Muse from the Bubbly collection, Tilda from the Tickled collection, and now, Rebel from the Spring 2014 Awaken collection.

Zoya describes it as a sky blue, which is pretty accurate, if not a bit vague, seeing as how variable the sky is. I'd also go for Robin Egg blue, or Spring blue, but life isn't a box of Crayola crayons, and that's why I take pictures in different color lighting. You can see it for yourself. It has a silvery shimmer to it that runs throughout the polish, picking up light without being too obtrusive.

Zoya Rebel, direct sunlight

To be really honest, I passed up Rebel even after seeing it in press releases. I ordered Hudson, Lux, Vega, and Cosmo, and didn't order Rebel. I also didn't order Dillon. As I said earlier, I frequently order blue and green polishes, only to be disappointed and not wear them. Rebel looked almost Tiffany blue on Zoya's site, and it reminded of a disastrous essie purchase, in the cabana... I still have nightmares. Then, my mom ordered some Get Even, Fast Drops, and a Minicure during a promo, and they sent her a set of Awaken color spoons, and I saw Dillon and Rebel, and was able to put them up against my skin. I don't even think it was an hour before they were in my cart.

Zoya Rebel, indoors in natural lighting

I'd like to say that this was NOT a press sample. I've done a few of those recently, so I wanted to let you know that while I did get Rebel, Dillon, and Dot on a $1 shipping promo through Zoya, I bought the polish myself. That way, when I rave about the polish, you know that I'm doing so because it's just that gorgeous. I actually bought Dot for my mother...my grandmother was named Dorothy, or Dot for short. It's a really sweet light pink that looks lovely--just not on me. It was a nostalgia purchase as much as anything else. I might swatch it if someone says they really want to see it on me, but I don't think it'll look good at all, and Zoya might beg me not to. I wouldn't even touch Cole with a ten-foot pole. Not my color. At all. I winced when I held it up to my skin.

Rebel is the opposite. It flatters my skin to no end, though I have a feeling that it would flatter most skin tones--the undertones are really well balanced, and it's fairly neutral. It's a bright blue that isn't too bright, too pale, or too shiny, though it has enough shimmer to let it get noticed.

Zoya Rebel, indoors in artificial lighting

I don't think I've ever received so many compliments on a nail polish in my life. I was at the mall on the third day of wear, and I had SEVEN people stop me to comment on it in three and a half hours. Three worked at Sephora, and two were at the nail polish section when they stopped me and asked what it was. A couple people actually stopped, got paper, and wrote the company name and shade down so they could buy it. I mean, it inspired more interest than I think any other color I've worn ever has. I love it myself, but it's not even my favorite Zoya.

Zoya Rebel, taken with a flash. Surprisingly accurate.

If you're like me, and love the color blue, but really think that blue nail polish is usually a waste of money, I think you might want to consider Rebel. Of course, if you're like me, you might find yourself singing "Rebel, Rebel" whenever you look at your hands (not that there's anything wrong with David Bowie), or even the Manicanparty song, "Rebels in the Light". I'm pretty sure they've already used Rebel Wilson as a Tune Tuesday clue over on Twitter, so those songs are probably safe for a little while yet...

Which reminds me. Follow @ZoyaNailPolish on Twitter if you don't already. And check out their blog. I got Dot, Rebel, and Dillon on promos, and saw them on the color spoons because my mom had received them after she got her own promo. They run a ton, and contests, and specials. Tune Tuesdays (#TuneTues) are a weekly contest where Zoya gives away free polish for knowing their colors and music. Zoya's all natural, Big5Free, and a great company to boot... Go, play. I'm telling you to.

Until next time, which will likely be a post on Dillon,
Emily, the Manic Paintress