Zoya Yana Review and Swatches

So, Zoya Yana is getting its own post.

Zoya Yana, outside in sunlight

Why? Because I REALLY love this polish right now, and I want to. That, and I don't have any of her friends. She's part of the Sunning Collection from Summer 2013. I think I only have Tinsley from the sister Irresistible Collection. It was the early day's of my manic obsession with Zoya. I didn't really know that I would fall this hard. Honestly, I didn't even buy Yana until this past weekend, so I'm really out of excuses there...

Zoya Yana, outside in shade

Yana is beyond words, really. Zoya describes her as a "full coverage, Geranium pink cream." I don't really know if I've ever really seen a geranium before. I'm not into flowers on any level. I kill any plant that I come into contact with (I don't try to!) I'm just not good with them. I'd call it a pretty pink with a hint of coral. It actually reminds me of OPI's A Definite Mouse-t Have. There's a very subtle line of shimmer running through it that catches the light every now and again.

Zoya Yana, indoors in natural light

This was a two coats to opaque for me. I saw a definite visible nail line after one coat, but two coats took care of that, no problem. The formula was super smooth, and, as always, Zoya just nailed it. I really love their polish. So premium. I found a shop in the mall that sells Zoya (where I actually bought Yana), and there was a girl debating whether to buy a gold colored OPI or Zoya Ziv, and I inserted my opinion. Clearly, go with Zoya. Not only is it Big5Free (yay non-toxic!), but your mani will last a good week without any chipping, and OPI lasts MAYBE two days if you're lucky.

Zoya Yana, indoors in artificial light

If you think I'm exaggerating about Zoya's staying power, I'd like to draw your attention to these photos. I painted my nails on Monday. These were taken on Saturday. That's FIVE DAYS. Note the lack of tip wear. I didn't touch them up. I know some people like to reapply topcoat to keep the polish looking fresh, but I don't actually bother with that. Frankly, I even forget 99% of the time to wrap the tips. So yeah... Zoya lasts for a really long time. It's why it's all I ever really wear.

Zoya Yana, flash

(Except for the really cute bottles of Yves Rocher that my neighbors brought me back from their vacation in Paris, but that's because they're presents, and I'm not mean, and it's PARIS, people. That stuff lasted oddly well, too, actually...)

So, the moral of this post is to go to zoya.com and pick up a bottle of Yana. It's worth it. As always, hit up blog.zoya.com and zoya's twitter page to see if they have any promos going on, or just to see what is going on in the world of Zoya. It's a magical place, people. I promise you won't be disappointed.

I'm going to be posting a bunch for a while, I think. I have some pics of polish that I've been sitting on, and I should get them up for you all to see, so expect to see me fairly regularly. I also may have gotten my hands on the fall PixieDusts, and will try to preview them for you as soon as I get my hands on some press material from Zoya (like descriptions. We've had zero communication from Zoya about this, so I'll get this up as soon as I'm able. Suffice to say, they're incredible.)

Soon, my darlings,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Astra and Nova: The Ultra Glitter Polishes, Winter 2009 Reviews and swatches

Zoya Nova, outdoors in shade

Zoya Astra, outdoors in shade

Today, I have the two Ultra Glitter polishes by Zoya, Nova, and Astra. Well, I have the two that I own of the collection. Luna is no longer sold by Zoya. It was a silver, I believe. Nova and Astra are pretty darn gorgeous, if you ask me. What's unique about Zoya's glitter polishes are that they actually dry smooth, so they tend not to chip off too quickly. That tended to be a problem for me when I still wore OPI and essie polishes.

 First, let's look at Astra. Zoya describes it as "a deep, rosy warm pink tinted translucent base with lots of dark and light pink glitter." I think the base polish didn't really come out too much for me. It was pretty sheer, but was pink when you could glimpse it. The glitter was both dark and light pink.

Zoya Astra, indoors in natural light

Zoya Astra, outdoors in full sun

For me, I like Astra, but not as much as its sister polish. I think the light pink glitter really comes off as rather silvery, and almost looks polka-dotted, rather than a cohesive color. I really wanted to like it more than I actually did. It's pretty bright, and looks really nice for a night out, though. Perfect for a party.

Zoya Astra, flash

Zoya Astra, indoors in artificial lighting

Astra is available on zoya.com for $9. Again, it's a pretty pink color, more leaning towards the red and berry side. Very, very shiny and sparkly. Not for the faint of heart.

I am not even going to pretend that I don't love Nova more. Zoya describes it as "a medium royal fuchsia-purple tinted translucent base packed with dark and light pink glitter." Pretty accurate description, really. I love, love, love Nova. While the light glitter is still pretty silvery, it seems to meld with the dark glitter better, and doesn't look quite so polka-dotty as Astra. Maybe the base overlays better and actually tones it down?

Zoya Nova, outdoors in sun

Zoya Nova, flash

Either way, Nova is sort of what I will always reach for if I'm looking for a super shiny Holiday polish. Recently, I've tended towards the holos, mainly because they're amazing, but glitter polishes do have their place. Sometimes a girl just needs to legit sparkle. When that call hits you, Nova is my clear choice. The color is such an interesting plummy pink. They call it fuchsia-purple, but I don't know if I'd say that. It's almost more wine. Either way, it's stunning and sparkly.

Zoya Nova, indoors in natural light

Zoya Nova, indoors with artificial lighting

Nova is available on zoya.com for $9. It's super glittery, super pretty, and super necessary. Go out and get yourself a bottle.

The Ultra Glitter polishes are really unique in that they're not annoying to touch like a lot of glitters--they're smooth, not gritty, and they don't really chip so easily. Zoya really nailed the formulation for these, as usual. I think, if you try them, you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

I'll be back quite soon,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

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

Dupe Check: Zoya Ginni and Zoya Bar against Zoya Tomoko, Zoya Godiva, Zoya Cosmo, Zoya Lux, and Zoya Miranda

Hello my lovelies,

I know it's hard to rationalize buying polish when you know you have something similar sitting in your stash at home. And when I looked at both Ginni and Bar from their Summer 2014 Magical Pixie collection, I have to admit that I was a little surprised that they were doing two polishes so close to others that they have already made. Then they arrived on my doorstep, and I realized that they aren't really dupes, and that I probably should prove that to you all, since I know I was worried about that, myself. I mean, at $10 a pop, I myself wonder if it's really necessary to have three "nude" polishes, and three in the pink family.

Miranda, Ginni, Lux, sunlight

I compared Zoya Ginni against Zoya Miranda and Zoya Lux (from the Summer Texture PixieDust 2013  collection and Spring 2014 Magical Pixie collection, respectively). I didn't think that Miranda would be too close to Ginni, in all honesty. That being said, however, Miranda dries pretty light, and I wear it most often with only one coat, so I thought it might be good to really rule it out as a dupe once and for all.

Miranda, Ginni, Lux, natural light

Miranda, Ginni, Lux, artificial light

The photos are as follows: From pinky to index, we have Miranda, Ginni with two coats, Ginni with only one coat, and Lux with two coats. I know I'm going to be wearing Ginni with only one coat pretty frequently, so I wanted to show that it still has a lot more pink pigment than Lux, even with only one coat. See how silver Lux is in tone? I still think Miranda is a stunning color, personally. There are only a select few polishes that I have a backup bottle of, and Miranda and Godiva are among them.

Zoya Miranda, Zoya Ginni, Zoya Lux, natural light

Zoya Miranda, Zoya Ginni, Zoya Lux, artificial light

Zoya Miranda, Zoya Ginni, Zoya Lux, sunlight

Cosmos, Tomoko, Godiva, Bar, natural light

The next pics are comparing Zoya Bar against Zoya Godiva, Zoya Tomoko, and Zoya Cosmo. I threw in Cosmo in the last minute because they have always called Tomoko a champagne silver, and Cosmo a real silver, and I thought I'd set that to rest once and for all. I'm just going to step up off the bat and say that there are no dupes here, either. Not even a little bit. They're all pretty distinctive in their own way, even the two I've always felt were the closest: Tomoko and Godiva. Bar is certainly very different from both Tomoko and Godiva, and Cosmo is almost white in comparison with the other three. It sort of doesn't belong in the dupe check, but I want it here, so it's staying.

Cosmo, Tomoko, Godiva, Bar, artificial light

Cosmo, Tomoko, Godiva, Bar, sunlight

The colors are as follows from pinky to index: Zoya Cosmo (one coat), Zoya Tomoko (two coats), Zoya Godiva (two coats), and Zoya Bar (one coat). Note that both Cosmo and Bar only have one coat versus the others. This is because I think both of these Magical Pixies actually lend themselves to single coats really well, particularly Bar. Cosmo with two coats is very opaque, and almost white-silver in color. Bar is more opaque and darker, as well, but I'm pretty sure that in my everyday wear, I'll mostly be using just one coat of Bar. Again, I really don't think there's a single dupe in the bunch here. Tomoko is much more yellow than all the others. Godiva and Bar are the most similar, but Bar is darker, browner, and the holo glitter really sets it apart, so I don't see it as a dupe in any way. Cosmo is just in its own galaxy.

Zoya Bar, Zoya Godiva, Zoya Tomoko, Zoya Cosmo

Zoya Bar, Zoya Godiva, Zoya Tomoko, and Zoya Cosmo, artificial light

Zoya Bar, Zoya Godiva, Zoya Tomoko, Zoya Godiva, sunlight

The moral here is that you really can buy these with confidence, my darlings. Bar and Ginni are nothing like the other PixieDusts and Magical Pixies before them. The Zoya fairies? They did some very nice work with this Magical Pixie collection.

As always, I feel obliged to tell you to head on over to Zoya's blog and follow @ZoyaNailPolish on twitter, as they have frequent promos, contests, and giveaways. They're pretty awesome like that.

I'll be back soon, my lovely ladies. Until then, happy polishing!

Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Bar, Zoya Ginni, and Zoya Arlo: The Zoya Summer Magical PixieDust 2014 Collection Review and Swatches

Okay my darlings, the lovely fairies at Zoya saw fit to send me this summer's Magical PixieDust collection, and I must say that it is STUNNING. Yes, these are press samples, but no, I didn't have to love the heck out of all of them.

Zoya Bar, shaded sunlight

Zoya Arlo, shaded sunlight

Zoya Ginni, shaded sunlight

Before I go into my descriptions, here are the outdoor shaded pictures of Bar, Ginni, and Arlo, so you can go onto www.zoya.com to order all three right now. You really won't be sorry. If you like shiny, feminine, beautiful polishes, these are all must-haves. No joke. The photos are all taken with two coats of polish--no top coat, so you can really see the texture and finish of the polish.

First up is Ginni. I have to admit, I was originally looking forward to Ginni quite a bit when I got the press release back in April, as I like soft, pink colors. After receiving, swatching, and wearing Wendy, Rooney, Kitridge, Harper, Binx, and even Jesy and Rocha, I sort of was over anything pink, or even pinkish. I was also a bit wary of the fact that Zoya tended to go super bright and candy/ girlie in lieu of rosy this summer, and I thought Ginni might have been a textured version of Harper, but without the gold tones. It in no way is. As a note on the pics, Ginni didn't want to photograph in the sun well. At all. This was the best I could do, and I know it's blurry. The holo glitter kept kicking it out of focus, which actually wasn't a problem for the other Magical Pixies, luckily. Just Ginni. Sigh.

Zoya Ginni, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Ginni, direct sunlight

Zoya describes Ginni as "a glittery pink tourmaline in the best-selling, ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula." I appreciate that Zoya is trying to use gemstones in the descriptions of these polishes. I do. Really. Except that they're not particularly accurate--not in this case. Pink tourmaline is frequently super bright, and would have pretty much been close to Rooney in terms of color--bright, blue-toned pink. I find Ginni to be really well balanced. While it is definitely feminine, it's not overly bright.

Zoya Ginni, indoors in artificial lighting

Zoya Ginni, taken with a flash

I should note that I also have Lux from the Spring collection, which I have swatched in the past. It definitely is not a dupe. They're both pale pinks, but Lux reads super silvery on me, to the point where I've confused it with Cosmo. Ginni manages to be soft without washing out in color--the pink doesn't overpower, but it also is quite present. The holo glitter in Ginni is also really quite pretty, adding a nice fire to it, and complimenting the pink in interesting ways. It's a very feminine polish that isn't over-the-top or overwhelming. I think the larger hex glitter is both holo AND pink in Ginni--not just holo, like in Lux.

Zoya Bar is described as "a glittery nude topaz in the best-selling, ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula." I'm not going to lie here: I read Twilight, and, like most everyone else who did, have no real idea what topaz really means beyond a general gold-like hue. Actually, I also know that there is a topaz in pretty much every shade of the rainbow, and I'm assuming that when Zoya said nude, they meant gold-ish like Stephanie Meyer. Competing with that mental image, however, was the nude descriptor, which made me think of Godiva, Zoya's nude PixieDust from their original Spring 2013 collection. It's one of my all-time favorite polishes, but I was a bit afraid that Bar was going to be a holo, chunkier version of Godiva.

Zoya Bar, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Bar, direct sunlight

I was mostly wrong on both accounts. I find it really hard to gauge how a polish will look on Zoya's website, as we all know, so I really was expecting Bar to be a bit lighter, especially since there was the "nude" descriptor. It's almost a light brown, but with nice warmth, but not too yellow. It'd work really well with a tan, I think, as a flesh tone. I have to say, I think this looks absolutely stunning on me. Godiva is more yellow than my freakishly pink skin, and Tomoko isn't really trying to be nude, but Bar actually looks the most natural on me, perhaps because it's not too close to something it's clearly not. It brings a warmth to my skin tone that really flatters in a surprising way, without being yellow, which actually might be the key here. My skin is never yellow, and that's what Godiva really is, in essence.

Zoya Bar, taken with a flash

Zoya Bar, indoors in artificial lighting

I always have scoffed at the descriptions of Bella falling into Edward Cullen's topaz eyes, but if topaz is actually as pretty as Bar, I'd get lost in topaz, too. The holo glitter really makes Bar pop on the nail, too, which pretty much goes without saying, but shouldn't be ignored, either. Again, it doesn't overwhelm the color itself (and there appears to be larger hex nude glitter along with hex holo glitter, too), despite Bar being in the nude family. I hate to admit it, but these swatches are actually me with a bit of a tan, so I will be interested to see what I think of Bar in the middle of the winter, when my skin is hard to distinguish from the snow outside. For now, it's a surprisingly serious love for me.

Zoya Bar, one coat in direct sunlight

Zoya Bar, one coat in shaded sunlight

As an FYI, Both Ginni and Bar look absolutely amazing with only one coat, as well. I went a bit too heavy on the first coat with Ginni to provide pics of that, but Bar is seen here with only one coat... it's dainty, right? You get enough color without it being overwhelming, and enough sparkle without it being too much. I'm sure it's how I'll wear it 90% of the time.

Zoya Bar, one coat indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Bar, one coat indoors in artificial lighting

Side bar--after wearing it for a while, I've decided that it's like wearing the beach on your nails, a bit, too, which is fun. Seriously--what's a better summertime mani than wearing the beach on your fingers? Right now, I'm wearing Muse from the Bubbly collection on my toes, which is a mermaid blue, and I think it might be the most amazing summer beach mani/pedi combo ever.

Arlo is described by Zoya as "a glittering violet amethyst in the best-selling, ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula." Arlo is a polish I knew I was going to love. I have a few pieces of amethyst, and all of them admittedly lean a bit more blue than Arlo, but there is a lot of variety in the stone, so I'll give them this one, begrudgingly. It's definitely an on-trend color, leaning a bit towards Radiant Orchid. I'll be really honest here: Arlo is the color I really wanted Binx from the Bubbly collection to be. Binx ended up much more pink than I thought it was going to be, and had strong gold metallic glitter that really subdued the purple tones that I was excited about.

Zoya Arlo, direct sunlight

Zoya Arlo, indoors in natural lighting

The hex glitter in Arlo is both purple and holo, like in the other summer Magical Pixies, and it really helps keep the integrity of the shade, while adding the dimension of the holo. It's stunning in Arlo, truly. I don't know if I see any of the violet aspect in Arlo that is in the description, but I also don't know that I care. It's much darker than the other two, though still remains pretty and feminine. The purple still has a lot of pink in it (again, I think it leans towards the Radiant Orchid spectrum) so it's a rather versatile color.

Zoya Arlo, taken with a flash

Zoya Arlo, indoors in artificial lighting

Some people get scared of purples, as they can be rather assertive, but despite the fact that Arlo is a textured polish with heavy glitter, it really isn't overwhelming. Arlo is a bit on the juicy side, compared to the other two. I could see it being quite lovely with a top coat over it--almost like a grape jelly with glitter and loveliness. The darker background colors in Arlo really fade nicely when dry, though, and the colors sort of melt on the nail. Quite lovely. Because it's darker, it will also hold up on toes well, too, for a nice, sparkly pedicure.

This Zoya collection was incredibly gorgeous. I thought the colors were really well balanced. The Spring Magical Pixies had a bit too much holo glitter in them, and you really lost the matte look. They also were a bit too textured then, too, and I think they've evened out a bit on that aspect, as well, though they are a little more coarse than the regular PixieDusts from Zoya. These three polishes are a big improvement over the Spring's collection, which were already a nice line that sold out amazingly fast. I think the biggest improvement is adding hex glitter in the polish's base color instead of just holo; while I adore holo glitter, it tended to swallow the colors on the Magical Pixies before, and these shades are allowed to come through beautifully, while still having a substantial amount of holographic glitter in them.

I've always been a huge fan of the textured polishes-particularly Zoya's PixieDusts, but was a bit less enthusiastic about the Magical Pixies from the Spring. Zoya came back stronger than ever with this summer collection, though, and my only compliant is that it's only three colors. I wasn't as sad about the quantity in the spring, but I am missing the six color collection right now, man...big time!

Next post is going to be a dupe check for these Magical Pixies. I'll be comparing Bar against Godiva and Tomoko, and Ginni against Lux and Miranda. I figured it'd be nice to see them side by side, both in bottles and on the nail, so keep a look out for that.

Pretty soon I will have a post on Zoya's Rebel, which I bought during their $1 shipping promo. I keep telling you guys to watch Zoya's blog and twitter (@ZoyaNailPolish) pages for a reason. They decided to have a promo for expedited shipping for $1 with any $15 purchase... the code was JUSTBC, which pretty much sums it up for you. They're always running promos like that. I snagged myself Rebel and Dillon, as well as Dot for my mother. I had passed over these three polishes when I saw the press releases for Spring's Awaken collection, but when Zoya sent color spoons out with a minicure promo, I realized that I had dismissed these babies too quickly. I always seem to find myself disappointed in blue and green polishes, but these are NOT to be missed. Reviews and swatches will come soon.

Until then, stalk Zoya's twitter and blog like I do. I really don't think you'll be sorry! Oh--and BUY ARLO, GINNI, and BAR! Right now! They're amazing!

I'll see you soon, my darlings!

Emily, the Manic Paintress

a glittery nude topaz in the best-selling ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula. - See more at: http://www.zoya.com/content/item/Zoya/Zoya-Nail-Polish-in-Bar-ZP761.html#sthash.T4ibcjbQ.dpuf