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