An Accent Nail: Swatchathon: Zoya Cool edition

Well, it's time to wrap up Zoya week here at An Accent Nail, and we'll finish out the color showcase with the cool-toned Zoyas.

First off we have Edyta and Yara, two deep greens with gold shimmer. Edyta is a blackened forest green, while Yara is a dark khaki-olive green. I'm amazed both of these colors work with my skin, as you'd think one or the other would clash, but I think the shimmer in both softens the base colors enough to make them much more universally wearable Both have fabulous coverage and very easy-to-work-with formulas.

Index/Middle: Edyta, Ring/Pinkie: Yara

Next up, Frida and Ki. While these look slightly similar in the bottle, they're night and day on the nail. Frida is a teal jelly polish; it's great for layering, but on its own it'd take 4+ coats to become totally opaque. It also has a fabulous sheen to it when it dries, much shinier than most polishes without a topcoat!

Ki is a purple/sage duochrome that is metallic in finish. The color shift is noticeable both on the nail and in the bottle, and this polish is an awful lot of fun to wear. I love a duochrome, as it makes gazing at my manicure (which I often do when bored) much more interesting.

Index/Middle: Frida Ring/Pinky: Ki

Our next head-to-head is Skylar vs. Tallulah. Skylar really surprised me when I got it; I was expecting a dusty blue with a hint of shimmer, but this polish really sparkles! It's not glittery, more of a glassfleck-like shimmer, but it definitely packs more of a punch than meets the eye. Tallulah is a wonderful saturated blue raspberry color; it's a great color for nail art, and really pops.

Index/Middle: Skylar Ring/Pinky: Tallulah

These next polishes are some real gems. Kotori is a sheer-ish blue shimmer with a blackened base; the depth to this polish is just incredible. I did need 3 thin coats to get rid of visible nail line, but the dry time isn't too bad and the punch this polish packs is worth it. Akyra is a teal shimmer, with smaller shimmer particles, in a blackened base. It's also sheer, took 3 coats, but is such an unusual color that I again think it's totally worth it. It's like a robins egg at night!

Index/Middle: Kotori Ring/Pinky: Akyra

Let's look at the green shimmer twins in Zoya's retinue, shall we? Ivanka and Apple look super similar in the bottle, and while they're "similar" on the nail, they're definitely not duplicate colors. Ivanka is an emerald or jungle green with a fair amount of gold shimmer involved, while Apple is more of a lime green with more gold shimmer than Ivanka. Apple had fuller coverage at 2 coats, but I think Ivanka has more depth of color. I'm glad I ended up getting both; this is similar to the Tiffany/Rica duo where one color (Ivanka) would be better for fall/winter, and another (Apple) for spring/summer.

Index/Middle: Ivanka Ring/Pinky: Apple

Purple time! Neeka and Dannii have similar finishes, a metallic shimmer, but are totally different color-wise. Neeka is a dusty plum with gold and micro-purple shimmer, while Dannii is a light metallic violet-lavender with gold and silver shimmer. I liked Neeka so much with my skin that I promptly did a full manicure with it once I was done swatching!

Index/Middle: Neeka, Ring/Pinky: Dannii

Next, our summer duo. These two are nothing alike, and technically Creamy is a warm tone, but I had nothing comparable to either of these so I slapped them together. I think they're fairly complimentary, actually. First we have Creamy, a yellow polish. This one has a tricky formula, with patchiness even at 2 coats, but a third would fix that up. Zuza is a metallic turquoise that people blew their stacks over this summer! It is a very nice color, but I found that application required a gentle hand to prevent dragging and bald spots. However, the color payoff in both of these is great, so I'm overall glad I have them both in my collection.

Index/Middle: Creamy, Ring/Pinky: Zuza

That's all folks! That's all the Zoyas I own (for now, hah!), I hope you enjoyed Zoya week as much as I did!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Swatchathon: Zoya Cool edition

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