Zoya Professional Lacquer in Temperance (mini), swatch

Zoya — Temperance (Professional Lacquer) Swatch & Review

2017-06-23 fivezero2 Comments

Collection: Zoya 2015 Summer, Mystery Trio

Zoya occasionally releases Mystery Trio nail polish sets, and I don’t often get a chance to pick them up since the Canadian shipping cost can be a bit high for my liking. However, back in April, Zoya ran one of their Earth Day Exchange and I was able to get some of their “fun size” mini lacquers at 3 for $10. Temperance, from their 2015 Summer Mystery Trio, was one of the options and I snapped it up.

I actually swatched this last week, but accidentally deleted the photos in my coffee-deprived stupor. This morning, I got fully drenched in the downpour here in Toronto and was inspired to pick up a rainy day shade for today’s blog post.

Temperance (ZP8102R) is described by Zoya as a “cool medium gray with a pink shimmer”. This is pretty spot-on, except I find that the pink has a magenta tint to it, possibly because of the cool tone of the surrounding gray.

Zoya Wanderlust Collection (Summer 2017)

New Release: Zoya — Wanderlust (Summer 2017)

2017-05-15 fivezero8 Comments

Collection: Zoya 2017 Summer, Wanderlust

Zoya has released their Summer 2017 collection, Wanderlust, consisting of eight opaque cream and four (slightly less) opaque shimmer polishes.

Is Scout a reference to the classic American novel To Kill a Mockingbird? (The author, Harper Lee, passed away last spring.)

These are beautiful, bright summer shades, though I confess not many are unique enough to call to me, and the olive greens just don’t suit my skintone. I might go for Sonja, Journey, and Mandy. Scout might find its way into my collection just for the novelty of having a shimmery yellow-olive!

Happy Shopping!

Zoya Professional Lacquer in Zahara, swatch

Zoya — Zahara (Professional Lacquer) Swatch & Review

2017-04-262017-05-22 fivezero3 Comments

Collection: Zoya 2016 Spring, Petals

I posted three nail polish swatches on Monday in a 3 Spring Favorites post, and today I’m reviewing one of them.

Zahara (ZP838) is described by Zoya as a “brilliant shimmering coral made modern with an opalescent effect”. It’s from Zoya’s 2016 Petals collection, which included four shades with shimmery, glass flecked finishes. I love a glass fleck effect (some of China Glaze’s older ones are particularly stunning) so I bought three of the shades.

I describe Zahara as a gentle, translucent pinked peach with a mixture of pink and silver glass fleck shimmer. It is semi-opaque.

Zoya Professional Lacquer in Zahara

[Incidentally, Zahara is not the last of all Zoya’s polishes, alphabetically! There are not one, not two, but at least seven Zoya polishes that come after Zahara, though some are discontinued. Zoya’s Z polishes are: Zahara, Zanna, Zara, Ziv, Zoe, Zooey, Zsa Zsa, and Zuza. I’m waiting on Zelda and Zinnia… Seriously, how have they not done Zelda, yet? Or Zoya, for that matter? I guess the owner is a modest woman!]

3 Spring Nail Favorites (Collaboration)

2017-04-242017-04-24 fivezero9 Comments

Today, my blog is dipping a toe into uncharted territory! This is my first ever collaboration, with the lovely Kanza of Faded Rouge. We’re each sharing three favorite nail colors for the spring.

I’ll review each of these selections in more detail later this week, but here are my current top 3 picks for delightful, spring-inspired nail colors! I’ve selected them from Orly, SinfulColors, and Zoya.

Coming into spring from the icy winter, I always love pastels and brights on the nail, with a touch of crisp sparkle.

Zoya’s Annual Earth Day Exchange 2017

2017-04-152017-04-15 fivezero6 Comments

Just a reminder to everyone that Zoya’s annual Earth Day Exchange is running from April 10–May 10 this year. Earth Day takes place on April 22, 2017.

Donate or safely dispose of your old nail polish—older polishes are particularly bad for the environment due to toxic chemicals like toluene and phthalates, which leach into the groundwater. You have the option of donating your old polish, mailing your old polish to Zoya, or dropping them off at your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) location (EPA link, Canadian link). My city, Toronto, holds Community Environment Days at various locations, and I like to save up my electronic waste and HHW for when an event is held in my neighborhood.

Details from Zoya:

Once you receive your order, decide if you are going to send in your unwanted polishes or donate them to a local cause. We are using the honor code to make sure you get your Zoya Nail Polish as quickly as possible! Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish. If you do choose to send us your old polish, we promise to properly dispose of it according to environmental guidelines. If you choose to ship back polishes, please include a copy of your invoice with your order and make sure to comply with the shipping guidelines by your carrier of choice. You do not have to send us the exact amount of bottles that you are ordering, there is no limit! Please note: You will need to check with your carrier of choice for guidelines and restrictions on shipping nail polish.

Use the code EARTHLUV to receive 50% off your purchase of 6–24 bottles of nail polish (salons must purchase 12–48 bottles). Excluded from the promotion are Zoya Treatments and Naked Manicure Base and Top Coats. Shipping is free, though there is an ~$10 processing fee for Canadian addresses. This promotion is open to Continental US and Canadian customers only.

I’ve just placed my order (Amira, Claudine, Lacey, Logan, Millie, and Zara; I also got 3 “fun sized” bottles—Cece, Neely, and Temperance—from their Easter promo, which are 7 mL and $6 each, though the current deal is 3/$10 and the Earth Day 50% off doesn’t work on top of that; the mini bottle of Remove Plus is a freebie). I didn’t realize until just now that I got a lot of green in my order! Earth Day must have been on my mind! 🌎

Zoya Earth Day Exchange 2017, fivezero's order

fivezero’s Zoya Earth Day Exchange order, 2017

As I’m not yet ready to organize old polishes to toss/donate, I will be making donations to the Environmental Defense Fund (US-based) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada for my part of the exchange this year.

Today, it has become especially imperative that we fight for our planet.

Climate change is not a hoax, nor is it a joke.

[Relevant xkcd.]

Zoya Earth Day Exchange 2017

Images: zoya.com

Zoya Professional Lacquer in Tallulah, swatch

Throwback Thursday! Zoya — Tallulah (Professional Lacquer) Swatch & Review

2017-04-132017-05-22 fivezero3 Comments

Collection: Zoya 2009 Summer, Ooh-La-La

It’s Throwback Thursday again, and here is one of my all-time favorite blue polishes. That’s saying a lot, because I have a lot of blue nail polish!

Tallulah (ZP481) is a beautiful, fairly true blue with a touch of cornflower. It doesn’t read overly cool, so it still works well on my warm skintone. The superfine silvery aqua shimmer also has an iridescent violet flash.