Zoya Naturel Deux Announced!

Did you love Zoya's super popular Naturel collection like I did? Well, get ready for the fabulous Fall-ready sequel, Naturel Deux. The collection will consist of three mauve based creams, and three rich brown creams. Gorgeous! Here's the run-down:

Spencer is a Camel cream

 Emilia is a Dark Chocolate cream

Chanelle is a Toasted Almond cream 

Madeline is a muted Rose cream

Marnie is a  deep, warm Plum cream

Aubrey is a medium Mauve cream

So, what do you plan on picking up? I think Emilia, Aubrey, Marnie, and Madeline are necessary for my stash. Beautiful. I also am really intrigued by Chanelle. Honestly, I think Spencer is going to be like Taylor and Chantal from Natruel Une... lovely, but not on my skin tone, but I will have to swatch to be sure. I am excited to see for sure, though! Yay!

Hopefully, I will have something up for you soon. It's been a manic summer so far!

Until then,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Tickled Collection Summer 2014: Reviews and Swatches of Tilda, Kitridge, Ling, Rocha, Rooney, and Wendy

Zoya Rocha and thumb with dots of Zoya's Tilda, Wendy, Ling, Rooney, and Kitridge, the Summer 2014 Tickled Collection

Okay, kids, here's the cream polish counterpart to the Bubbly collection I swatched yesterday, the Zoya Tickled Collection for Summer 2014. This six polish collection consists of six full coverage cream polishes. They're super bright, super fun, and super pretty. I think it's pretty much the perfect summer collection. While I'm a glitter girl (as we all know), I actually like this collection better than the Bubbly. Shocking, but it's a shockingly lovely collection.

Zoya Rocha, sun

Zoya Wendy, sun

Four of the polishes range in the pink to coral orange shades, with a blue and a green added in for good measure. There were a couple real surprises for me in Tickled, and they were really good ones, actually. Not all were polishes that I would gravitate towards normally, but each had a lot of merit in their own right. I'll start off with Zoya's descriptions, and then move into what I thought of the color and its place in my stash. 

Zoya Tilda, sun

Zoya Rooney, sun

Once again, just as a disclaimer, these were press samples sent from Zoya for review, but that just means that I was able to fall in love with colors I might not have otherwise been brave enough to try. There were a couple in this collection that this would have happened with. All of the colors are Big 5 Free (Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate, and Camphor), and available for pre-order on zoya.com. They're $9 each, and ship May 15th.

Zoya Kitridge, sun

Zoya Ling, sun

Zoya Tilda is described as a warm mantis green cream that is a great alternative to a summer lime. That's pretty much precisely what I would call it. It's a real spring green that works well in the summertime. It's like the leaves on trees when they first open. The coverage was amazing on this polish, and fully opaque in one coat, and it went on super smoothly. I totally could see a really adorable bug nail art... Just sayin'. The body could even stretch in segments over each finger. It'd be so cute.

Zoya Tilda, shade

Zoya Tilda, indoors in natural lighting

I have to say right off the bat that this is the polish in the collection that surprised me most. I wasn't anticipating to like it in the least. I was actually not a fan of it in the bottle, but when I put it on, it was so incredibly happy and flattering that I couldn't help but love it. My top three favorites are all super close, and I think I'll have a different top choice every time I look at them, but Tilda is one of those top picks. It was lovely against my pale skin, but I think it would look amazing against a tan and darker skin tones as well. I would never have picked this up at first, but I really love it. Green is my favorite color, but I generally don't like green nail polish. Tilda is apparently the exception. I do recommend using a base coat, as Tilda wanted to stain my nails a bit; I used Get Even before putting it on, but I'd probably go with Anchor in the future.

Zoya Tilda, indoors in artificial lighting

Zoya Tilda, flash

Zoya Rocha is described as a classic folly red cream with warm undertones that flatter a summer glow. Um... I think it's a dark orange that leans deep coral in a pretty way. I don't know what folled red is. I think it's too yellow for me to classify it as a red, anyways, but I suppose that's as good a description as any other. It's really bright, very summery, and hard to pin point the color precisely, which actually sort of adds to its allure. There's even a bit of a shimmer to it if you look close enough. It sort of absorbs sunshine and spreads it around for a smile when you look on your nails. The formula was super smooth, and covered fully opaque in two coats. 

Zoya Rocha, shade

Zoya Rocha, indoors in natural lighting

Rocha is actually probably going to be my most consistent favorite of the Tickled collection. It's really bright, but, to me, it is summer in a bottle. I smile every time I look at it. I don't know if it's one I would have picked in a first order of the collections, but I think maybe it's the same as with Tilda--I don't wear that many straight up red polishes, so I don't have all that many, and that's what I thought Rocha was. It's totally not in person, and I'm so glad I have it. I'm pretty sure it's going to be on my toes all summer long--it seems made for the perfect summer pedicure, but it's going to get a ton of play on my fingers, too. I actually already put it on my toes, and haven't quite decided if I'm going to wear Rocha or Wendy on my fingers first, and that's choosing between all of Bubbly and Tickled. Rocha is that gorgeous. The color also stays pretty consistent throughout different lighting, which is really nice (and unusual).

Zoya Rocha, indoor in artificial lighting

Zoya Rocha, flash

Zoya Wendy is described as a juicy summer melon, deep enough to flatter a tan, but bright enough to stand out. I think that's actually really accurate. It's a pretty salmon that manages to be bright, yet hold a bit of a dusky quality that keeps it from being too cloying. It took a solid two coats to get fully opaque. It went on super smoothly, and the formula is pretty much always amazing with Zoya; Wendy was completely up to their high standards.

Zoya Wendy, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Wendy, shade

Wendy is the other polish in my top three favorites in the collection. It's a sweet and summery color, without being too pink or young. I've become a big fan of Zoya's cream polishes, and I think Wendy is a perfect example of why. Even though they're solid colors with no shimmer, they're not boring or dull. The Tickled collection creams really have a nice glossy finish. I actually didn't use a top coat with any of these polishes, and they have such a nice finish all by themselves. This really did flatter my pale skin, which means I can extend it to spring and early fall with ease, and I probably would even wear it in the winter. It's a versatile shade, and maybe is the most refined of the Bubbly and Tickled collections.

Zoya Wendy, indoors in artificial lighting

Zoya Wendy, flash. Shockingly accurate, if a bit pinker

Zoya Rooney is described as a mid-range magenta pink with balanced undertones to flatter most skin tones. I'd call it closer to a fuchsia or maybe even orchid, though on the definite pink scale. I think there's a definite purple leaning to Rooney, which is really nice. It took two coats to get it opaque, and I briefly debated on a third, before deciding it wasn't necessary. The formula was nice and even. Rooney is dark enough not to be too candy pink, and the purple in it adds a nice dimension to the color.

Zoya Rooney, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Rooney, shade

I really liked Rooney. I had actually pegged it as an early favorite of the Tickled collection, and it did deliver as a solid choice for a happy mani. I think I might have liked it better if it went further towards the purple. It's not deficient in any way, but maybe I'm just not in the mood for such a straightforward pink right now? Both these collections are pink heavy, and Tickled particularly, but Rooney doesn't have that little extra quality like Wendy or Rocha that elevates it into something more special. I do like it, but it's not going to be what I reach for first out of the collection.

Zoya Rooney, indoors in artificial light

Zoya Rooney, flash

Zoya Ling is described as a vibrant royal blue cream that is evenly balanced to flatter most skin tones. That's pretty dead on, I think. It has a dusty quality that really works well to keep it fairly neutral. The formula was the same as in Tilda, and it covered amazingly and smoothly to opaque in one coat. Sometimes, I think some Zoya polishes have better formulas, and I think that Tilda and Ling can't be beaten in that respect. This polish almost looked like it wanted to have teal overtones, like Muse from the Bubbly collection, but if you look at it, it really doesn't have any green. Maybe it's just me that sees that? Who knows.

Zoya Ling, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Ling, shade

I actually was planning on not loving Ling at all. I'm not a huge blue person on my nails, but it's actually a quite lovely shade, particularly on the nail. I wasn't a huge fan of it in the bottle, but it was nice once I had put it on. It's sort of like Tilda in that way, too. I like it when I have really low expectations, and actually like the color a lot. It's not quite the sleeper success for me that Tilda and Muse were, but Ling is quite lovely. I think it'll be amazing around July 4th, for a bit of patriotism in the mani. Very pretty, and a really unique color. I don't have anything like it in my stash; I have Liberty from Summer 2013's PixieDust collection, as well as Sunshine from the Fall 2013 PixieDust collection, but the texture, shimmer, and matte qualities really make them vastly different, and I tend to buy blue shimmers when I buy a blue polish. This is a nice change of pace, and I think I'll like it through the fall, as well.

vibrant royal blue cream that is evenly balanced to flatter most skin tones. - See more at: http://www.zoya.com/content/category/Zoya_Tickled_Bubbly_Summer_2014_Nail_Polish_Collection.html#sthash.KDrZe6yZ.dpuf

Zoya Ling, indoors in artificial light

Zoya Ling, flash

Zoya Kitridge is described as a summer bubblegum pink cream, and is universally flattering, with enough white to pop against a tan. It's very pink. It's like what most Barbies wore for clothes, accessories, cars, and horses. I almost wanted to start singing the Aqua song when I painted it. It's pink, and makes no excuses for it. The formula was actually less consistent on Kitridge than the other Tickled polishes; it took three coats to reach opaque, and even then, I thought I probably should have done another to be safe. It's a very summery color, and the undertones are balanced beautifully.

Zoya Kitridge, indoors in natural lighting

Zoya Kitridge, shade

Kitridge looked quite lovely against my skin. Super pale to tan to very dark skin tones will be able to wear this well, I think. It's just so unabashedly pink that I couldn't quite warm up to it. It has a definite place in my stash, and is legitimately beautiful, but it's just not a polish that I can see myself wearing. I don't know if I could take myself seriously wearing it, but I think, in reality, that it takes some serious confidence to put yourself out there with something so unapologetically girlie, and I don't quite have it. I think maybe it's a bit too young for me. Then again, isn't summer the time when you can kick back and just wear something that is fun and makes you happy? If you're a pink lover, I think Kitridge is absolutely a must have color. It's the most confidently sweet, fresh pink I've ever seen in a polish. Definitely not something in my stash before now, but it owns its pinkness with pride.

Zoya Kitridge, flash

Zoya Kitridge, indoors in artificial light

The Tickled collection is absolutely stunning. The colors are well coordinated, and all really do scream summer to me. My faves are by far Tilda, Rocha, and Wendy. Since I started writing this beast of a review, I have come to the decision that Tilda has won the battle for my fingers. It's the first to fully debut of the collection as a mani, and Rocha is my pedi color. So stunning. I adore Wendy, as it's soft and sophisticated, but very fun at the same time. Rooney really is quite pretty, and will be worn often. I love Ling, and, while I really have to be in the mood for funky, will definitely be in the rotation from the collection. Kitridge is a lovely polish, but not something I can pull off easily. I think people with darker skin tones (anything beyond freaky pale and pink) will be able to wear Kitridge with pride.

As always, I encourage you to check out zoya's blog and follow @ZoyaNailPolish on Twitter. They always have tons of contests and promotions going on, and fresh ideas for nail art, new trends in colors, and in fashion. It's amazing that they are so environmentally friendly and natural, but even more so since they have the longest wearing polishes with the best formula I've used. They're my favorite for a good reason, and they definitely showed their stuff with the Tickled and Bubbly collections this summer.

Happy painting, kids! Until next time,
Emily, the Manic Paintress

Zoya Bubbly Collection, Summer 2014. Swatches and reviews of Alma, Binx, Harper, Jesy, Muse, and Staasi

Today, I am bringing you swatches and reviews for the new Bubbly collection from Zoya Nail Polish. Every polish in the collection features what Zoya calls an exclusive liquid-metal holographic jelly formula. I think that's a pretty accurate description for this, as they really are quite juicy, and have a lot of metallic glitter throughout the collection. The holographic glitter is more obvious in some than others, but I think you'll understand once you see the swatches.

Zoya Binx, sun

Zoya Jesy, sun

I have to squee a bit here, as I actually received these as a press sample, so that I could review these collections. My first press samples are actually from my favorite polish company, so I had to let you all know that. All the previous collections reviewed were ones I picked up on my own over time (or as a Christmas present, like the Naturel collection), and if you see polishes older than Summer 2014, they're all polishes I totally needed to buy. That being said, I'd say I would have purchased a good chunk of the Bubbly collection on my own, though I was completely surprised as to which polishes were my favorites from Bubbly.

 

Zoya Muse, sun

Zoya Staasi, sun

Let's do this alphabetically for a change. I usually go light to dark, but feel like a little variety. As always, the first descriptions are Zoya's, then I write my impressions of it.

Zoya Alma, sun

Zoya Harper, sun

Alma is described as a golden peach metallic. When I think of peaches, I generally think of the outside of the fruit, which has a lot of pink running through it. Zoya was clearly looking at the flesh, which is generally a bright, orange-y yellow. Alma is super bright, and the gold metallic really catches the light. I think the holo glitter in Alma actually gets overpowered by the gold in it. There definitely is holo glitter in it, don't get me wrong, but it's a little swallowed in this shade. The formula covered to opaque in two coats, and went on the nail beautifully.

Zoya Alma, shade

Zoya Alma indoors, in natural light

Alma isn't a color I normally reach towards in a polish. I think it might be fun on the toes, but I don't know if it's right for me. Oddly, because my skin leans so pink and pale, Alma actually flattered my skin tone pretty well. I could see it being a seriously funky accessory for a fancier event: a little black dress, yellow gold jewelry, and Alma on the nails. I also think that on people with darker skin tones, or even those with deep tans, this would be an incredible polish. I could see Lupita Nyong'o rocking Alma like it was made just for her--the contrast of really bright on really dark would be so gorgeous.

Zoya Alma, flash

Zoya Alma indoors, in artificial light

Binx is described as a spicy orchid purple dappled with gold metallic and holo sparkles. I would place this more on the pink side with purple notes. Maybe fuchsia? It definitely is spicy, though. The gold is evident in direct lighting, lending an interesting quality. I don't normally see much gold in purple polishes, but this does really work. The holo glitter really comes through, particularly in natural lighting.

Zoya Binx, shade

Zoya Binx indoors, artificial light

Binx is one of my favorites in this collection. I don't know which I would put higher--this, or Jesy. It's definitely fun and bright, but it's dark enough to fit with everyday wear. The collection is pretty bold, overall, and while Binx certainly can fit that descriptor, it's a bit more versatile. I was a bit disappointed that it doesn't have more of a purple tone, but honestly, I think that's more a product of the gold metallic and holographic glitter. Still, it's a beautiful color, and definitely on trend. I used two coats for the swatches, though I almost only used one. It wasn't because one wasn't well sufficient, but rather that I wanted to see if the purple would come out more with more coats. It did, and I'm glad to see that. It's clear that Binx is based on a Radiant Orchid, and is actually closer to the Pantone color than I expected it to be, given how pink it looks in some lights. It didn't photograph as beautiful as it is on the nail, but I think you can still see how lovely it is.

Zoya Binx indoors, artificial light

Zoya Binx, flash

Harper is described as a cotton candy pink with a spun gold shimmer. This is a pretty accurate description. The formula was thicker than the others in the collection in Harper. I'm not sure if it was just my bottle, but I could probably have used just one coat of this. The pink is pretty unashamed of its pinkness, but the gold in it actually tempers it nicely. Harper has the strongest holo presence. I don't know if it's because it's paler, but the rainbow in the sparkles really catch the light often, making a very nice effect. Also, the gold is enough to add a bit of metal, but doesn't overpower it.

Zoya Harper, shade

Zoya Harper indoors, natural light

I was a bit scared of the pink when I saw Harper in the bottle. It's fairly bubblegum, and it makes no apologies about it. Once I painted it on my nails, Harper really gained beautiful dimension. It's still pink, and there's no way around that, but it has a lot of other notes and interest in the polish. It might not be the polish I'd pick out first, but it is quite lovely. I think that this against a tan, or darker skin tones, might make it seem more sophisticated, or at least temper it a bit. It's quite pretty, but I think I'll be saving this for bold moods, or fun occasions. It grew on me the longer I wore it, which is a nice thing. It'll probably enter my rotation more as the days get warmer.

Zoya Harper indoors, in artificial light

Zoya Harper, flash

Jesy is described as a fiery coral orange metallic holo. The photos Zoya put out for Jesy made me think it was going to basically be orange, despite the coral description. I don't always agree with what companies say things are (case in point, OPI's A Definite Mouse-t Have, that claimed its coral color was fuchsia), but Zoya did nail Jesy perfectly. The metallic orange and red tones really do look a bit like flames. Like Alma, I think the gold and orange metallic shimmer sort of overpowers the holo particles, though you can see them, especially if you look for them. Sometimes, when it catches the light just right, those holo sparkles really throw pretty colors into the polish. The formula was perfect, as I've come to expect from Zoya. Two coats made it opaque.

Zoya Jesy indoors, in natural light

Zoya Jesy, shade

Jesy actually managed to be a real favorite in the collection. Based on how orange it looked on Zoya's site and the press releases, I don't know if I would have bought the bullet and ordered this for myself. Seeing it in person was such a nice surprise--the coral is really pronounced, particularly in comparison to Alma. It has a softness that I wasn't expecting; it's what I wanted the Summer 2013 PixieDust Beatrix to be--coral, but not too in-your-face. Beatrix clearly is a different color, but it has the same softer feel that Jesy does, but Beatrix doesn't have any of the pink or coral tones that Jesy does. This looked beautiful against my super pale skin, but I think it will flatter tans very well, too. This is a perfect pedicure color, too. This is a fantastic summer color. I think Zoya knocked this one out of the park. My neighbor (and art buddy) noticed this color right away, and thought it was lovely, and trust me when I say that he isn't the sort to notice a woman's nail polish.

Zoya Jesy indoors, in artificial light

Zoya Jesy, flash

Muse is described as a blue raspberry holographic fizz with a subtle vein of gold. I think that's pretty accurate. It does remind me of blue raspberry Pop Rocks. It has an interesting effervescent quality that isn't easy to describe, and I had really thought Zoya was being flowery when they used "fizz" as an adjective for it, but they weren't. It's almost a royal blue in some lights, and electric in others. Then again, there's also an almost teal note to Muse that's lovely--maybe the holo glitter glinting green? All I know is that it's super complex and the depth of color is amazing. It's definitely the darkest of the Summer 2014 polishes, but it's still definitely fun enough to fit itself in the season. Needless to say, the formula was amazing, and is even enough with the first coat to act as a topper itself. It was perfectly opaque in two coats.

Zoya Muse indoors, in natural light

Zoya Muse, shade

Muse is actually the biggest surprise for me in the collection. I was instantly drawn to Jesy when I saw it, and had been looking forward to Binx and Harper from the onset, but Muse might be the most stunning of the Bubbly collection. In the bottle, it's pretty, but on the nail, it's so striking. It didn't photograph nearly as beautifully as it is on. Personally, I think of the band Muse when I hear the name, because I actually really like them, and I oddly think they would totally approve. I know Matt Bellamy has worn some flashy pants in concerts, and I could actually see him owning this as a namesake and wearing it. It's very fun, and it wants to be noticed and worn by me all the time. I'm not really a blue nail polish person, but it's so beautiful, it'll be in my regular rotation.

Zoya Muse indoors, in artificial light

Zoya Muse, flash

Staasi is described as a brilliant citron green with a gold metallic glaze and holographic finish. It's pretty much the perfect key lime green (the fruit, not the pie) to me--lime, but not quite as dark as a regular lime. It would work well through the holiday season, too, even though it's not quite Christmas green. The gold metallic is mostly present in direct lighting, but the holo really comes through well. They seem to catch the blue colors the most, which adds a bit of an edge to the color. The formula was awesome on this. I actually could see this as a top layer on another color, because it was super even.

Zoya Staasi, shade

Zoya Staasi indoors, in natural light

Green is my favorite color, but I have to admit that I'm not usually a huge fan of it on the nails. Staasi is really pretty, but I'm not sure it'll be a frequent friend on my nails. I do completely plan on breaking it out for the holiday season, though. It's very summery and happy, though. I do think I'll play with it on my toes, though. I tend to stick a bit more traditional on my fingers, and play with my pedicures, and I think Staasi will fit that bill perfectly. Beautiful, but not what I gravitate towards on my fingers.

Zoya Staasi indoors, in artificial light

Zoya Staasi, flash

Tomorrow, I will be posting swatches and reviews of the Tickled collection. Last thoughts are that I think Alma and Staasi are lovely, but not what I'd reach for first. Harper and Binx were my early faves when I first glimpsed them in the press releases, and they remained very pretty--with Binx totally living up to my expectations of beauty. Jesy and Muse are the surprising standouts of the collection. They're gorgeous, and so eye-catching and dynamic. Zoya really nailed this collection, in my opinion. Perfect for the season, and full of lovely, fun color.

As always, Zoya is Big 5 Free: Free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate, and Camphor. I strongly urge everyone to go follow @ZoyaNailPolish on Twitter, and to check out Zoya's Blog. They frequently have great contests and promotions, and they offer tons of great tips and advice there, too.  All of the Bubbly collection is available to pre-order on zoya.com for $9 each. They are scheduled to ship out on May 15.


Until tomorrow, my darlings,
Emily, the Manic Paintress