(You know how it works, you have big plans for working through a blog’s backlog, and then you get a lovely little sinus infection, and just want to lay around. Such is life.)
Alright! Let’s continue one with catching up on winter collections. Sure, it was 70 degrees today, but tomorrow is supposed to drop to TWELVE degrees, so clearly Chicago isn’t out of Winter yet either. It’s like it just WANTS to match my blog posting habits as I also swing between different nail seasons here.
And okay, while it is full spring on my Instagram, we can’t go out of order here on the blog (not like I can fully adjust the date it was published to make it in order). It’s just the PRINCIPLE. I have to finish up a brand’s winter release before posting their newest spring one. You get it. It makes sense to me, okay.
So yes, winter first! This is Zoya’s release for Winter 2023. Zoya switches between 12 and 6 bottle collections, and this one gives us just 6 shades. Easy for me to swatch. This collection is called ‘Magical’ and you know, it DOES feel magical. We have some cremes, some more shimmery shades and some glittery moments.
Of course these are available on the Zoya website – and I do love that they’ve started offering both full sized bottles as well as “petite sizes” – which are half the size and of course, discounted. So if you have a large collection like me, and know you won’t be using a full bottle, the petite bottles could be a great option.
Now let’s get on into the swatches!
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This collection is book-ended by 2 similar looking glittery shades. The first one is ‘Bisoux’ and it’s a soft, almost orchid pink shimmery base filled with rosy flakes and scattered holographic glitters. This one has a more dense shimmer appearance, while ‘Farleigh’ at the end has far more holographic glitters and just looks more glittery and textured overall. They’re a very similar base color, so it is interesting to have both in one collection.
Formula-wise, this one felt more like a jelly base filled with that dense shimmer mentioned above, but it built up surprisingly well with just 2 coats. I did use a thicker application for those 2 coats, so if you use thinner coats, or have longer nails, you’ll probably want a 3rd to fully cover and make it opaque. But it did paint on smoothly overall and I loved that final finish.
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Next up, we have our 2 creme formulas. This first one is ‘Vixen’, and that’s truly the most fitting name for it. It’s a super deep burgundy red cream shade. It looks basically black on the nails, but you can see those red tones peeking out around the edges.
With a color this deep, while it is very pigmented, that 1st coat shows more of the red tones than you see in the bottle. That 2nd coat layers on it and builds up to match and bring out that boldness. Now with that intense pigment, it can be messy with both removal and cleanup. So I would definitely be careful with application or you can end up with some red fingers.
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For our 2nd cream we have ‘Cherri’ and as you can guess, it’s a rich warm cherry red. Perfect for the holidays – or you know for anytime of the year, we’re not stopped by seasons here.
This one had a beautiful and pigmented formula, basically being opaque in just 1 coat. I will always do 2 coats for every swatch, and that 2nd coat did help smooth out any ridges I had still showing. This did surprise me by drying with more of a satin matte finish – that did help the coats dry more quickly, and a good coat of top coat will bring back that shine. It takes a touch more cleaning up as any red can, but I didn’t notice any staining.
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It seems that each shade in this set has it’s own little friend, they’re all in little pairs. So the next pair we’re looking at are the two more flecked finishes. This one is ‘Inez’ and it’s a bright fuchsia pink base filled with silvery flakes all throughout. There are some purple tones to it, but it’s very much a bright pink.
This was another gorgeous formula! It painted on so smoothly and was practically opaque in just 1 coat, though of course I always do 2. It’s so smooth and I always love that more speckled, flakey finish.
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Now for it’s partner, this is ‘Adara’. This one is a deep cobalt blue jelly base with both pink and silver sparkly flakes. The flakes are smaller and more subtle in this one, though it still has the some vibes as ‘Inez’ above.
This had another lovely formula and was easily opaque in 2 coats. It painted on smoothly and that jelly base built up so well.
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And last up, we have the aforementioned glittery bookend. This is ‘Fairleigh’ and she’s just perfect for any sort of party all throughout the year. It’s a cool-toned shimmery pink base filled with larger scattered holographic sparkles.
As with any sort of jelly base, it’s just about layering the coats to get to your desired opacity. I was able to fully cover any nail line with just 3 thin coats, with it building up so well upon itself and creating a gorgeous dimensional look. It’s glittery without being too chunky and a top coat will smooth out any last texture from the glitters.
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And that’s the set! These shades felt like they went so well together, and I truly get that “magical” holiday color palette from them! I had no issues with formulas and I loved the range of finishes.
Are you interested in any of these shades?
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Glam Polish Over the Pastel Rainbow • Pleasing Twinkle Toes collection • Holo Taco Declassified shades • Mooncat Midnight Rodeo collection • China Glaze Love & Kisses Collection
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Gorgeous collection.
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