April 2024 – Adventures in Polishland

Month: April 2024

The Only Yellow Nail Polish I Own | Zoya Nail Polish Darcy

Posted on April 28, 2024April 28, 2024 by Adventures in Polishland

Despite my large nail polish collection, I’ve somehow ended up with only one shade of yellow. This does make sense, as I can’t even remember the last time I reached for a yellow polish. At first I thought it was perhaps 2012 when neon yellow highlighter nails were trendy, but the blog actually takes me back to 2013! Nonetheless, I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and give the lone yellow in my stash a try. Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed wearing Zoya Nail Polish Darcy this past week!

The product in this post was originally sent to me for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Zoya Darcy is a bright yellow cream polish with a very subtle silver shimmer. I applied two coats to achieve opacity. The formula is a bit streaky and patchy. In fact, I kind of roasted this polish and the entire Stunning Collection when I reviewed it in back in 2013. If you looked very closely at my manicure in person, you could definitely see the uneven texture. Thankfully, the Zoya Naked Glossy Seal Top Coat helped to conceal most imperfections. As for the shimmer, it is really only visible in direct sunlight.

I planned to wear Darcy back in March, but ran out of time and carried it over into April. To be honest, I dreaded putting on this nail polish for weeks! I did want to give it a try, though, and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed the sunny shade, and the yellow color was truly a mood boost whenever I glanced at my nails throughout the week. I also think the shade looks nice with my skin tone, which I thought might be an issue.

Overall, while Zoya Darcy does not have the best formula, I really liked this yellow nail polish. I may not reach for yellows regularly, but I can see myself using Darcy in the future. Thus, I’ve decided to keep this polish in my collection until I find another yellow nail polish with a better formula. I’m not sure when that day will come, though, as it looks like Zoya only carries ten polishes in this color family currently! I’ll have to keep my eyes out for yellow polishes more often.

Do you have a favorite yellow nail polish? Share in the comments!

Zoya Nail Polish Candy | April Color of the Month

Posted on April 17, 2024April 17, 2024 by Adventures in Polishland

I was a bit surprised when Zoya Nail Polish announced that its April Color of the Month is a pink cream nail polish called Candy. For the last several months, these limited edition shades have been glittery and quite unique. I was a little disappointed to see a standard pink cream, especially when the Bloom Collection for Spring 2024 contains three pink-toned polishes in a cream formula. Nonetheless, I do love pink nail polishes, so I reached for Candy as soon as it arrived in the mail.

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Candy is a vibrant pink cream nail polish that uses both neon and pastel pigments. The formula is a little tricky to apply. I recommend thick coats, because if the layer of polish on your nail is too thin, the brush will create a plethora of streaks. Candy is opaque in two coats, and dries to a semi-matte finish. I applied the Zoya Naked Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat for a shiny finish.

I absolutely love how bright Candy is on the nails. The formula really does balance a pastel shade with the pop of a neon. I like that Zoya adds white to the base so we no longer have to layer a white nail polish under neons! Unfortunately, I am really disappointed that my manicure began chipping after just two days of wear. I typically go 5-6 days before my nail polish chips, but every once in a while there will be a nail polish that just doesn’t last on me. Since I used the same top coat I usually do, I think Candy’s formula may be prone to chipping.

All in all, while I absolutely love the bright pink shade of Candy, I am a little sad that the Zoya Color of the Month for April is not more unique. I already own a lot of similar polishes in my collection, and since this one is tricky to apply and tends to chip quickly, I do not know that I can recommend Candy. That being said, if you would like to purchase this nail polish, it is only available through the month of April 2024. Use code CANDY at checkout to get free shipping, and 25% off your purchase.

Dare to Compare | Comparing 6 Sparkly Purple Nail Polishes

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Adventures in Polishland

A few months ago, I reorganized my entire nail polish collection by color. Doing so made it obvious that I own a lot of purple nail polishes that have glitter, sparkle or some other special effect. Even though these polishes are all different, I realized I just don’t reach for these shades when I go to paint my nails. I decided it was time to swatch a handful of the sparkly purple nail polishes in my collection to see what I can keep, and what I can declutter. This comparison post will review six purple polishes, and I will let you know which one I decided to keep for future use!

The products in this post were originally sent to me for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

All of the swatches in this blog post were photographed in natural lighting. I used Holo Taco Peely Base as my base coat, and Zoya Naked Manicure Super Glossy Seal as my top coat. As it turns out, all of these polishes are from Zoya. I’ll let you know what collection they are from in each polish description.

Andrea

First up is Andrea from the Fall 2020 Luscious Collection. Andrea is a purple metallic polish with a green duochrome shift. It is opaque in two coats, and the formula is a bit streaky due to the metallic finish. I also had an issue where my top coat pulled the base polish a bit, which can be seen on my ring finger in the swatches. Andrea looks really cool, but I don’t really like how it looks on me. I knew right away I could declutter this polish.

Neve

Next up is Neve, which is technically a blue nail polish but certainly leans towards purple. Neve has a metallic formula that is opaque in two coats. I really love this polish. The formula is smooth and pigmented, and I love the subtle purple shimmer. Neve is from the Fall 2013 Satins Collection, and still performs well to this day. I love this polish, so I couldn’t declutter it right away.

Nisha

Shifting gears slightly, we have Nisha from the Holiday 2020 Intriguing Collection. Nisha is very similar to Neve, but with a deep purple metallic base shade rather than blue. This polish is opaque in one coat, and applies beautifully to the nails. It’s rare that I find a true one coat polish, especially a metallic formula with a shimmery base. I set Nisha aside to consider keeping.

Gardner

Next up is Gardner from the Fall 2018 Element Collection. Zoya describes Gardner as a deep periwinkle shade with a vibrant magenta shimmer in a foil finish. This polish is opaque in two coats. The formula is a little tricky, as it tends to bunch up during application. I do like how sparkly Gardner is, but I’m not a huge fan of foil nail polishes. As such, Gardner is a polish I am decluttering.

Isa

The next purple polish is Isa from the Summer 2015 Paradise Sun Collection. Isa has a metallic-pearl finish with an aqua shimmer. The formula is on the thinner side, but it is opaque in two coats. I did find that Isa was a bit uneven, but the top coat really helped to smooth out the look. I really like this polish, so I set it aside while swatching.

Adara

Last but not least is Adara from the Winter/Holiday 2023 Enchanted Collection. Zoya describes Adara as a lapis blue with rose gold and blue glitters, but to me it looks like a royal purple. This polish is opaque in two coats. It has a pigmented formula that is on the thicker side. While I think Adara is a beautiful polish, I personally wish it would dry to a more even texture. Even with top coat, it looks bumpy to me. For that reason, I am decluttering Adara.

Side by Side Comparisons

After swatching, I narrowed down my top three choices to Neve, Nisha, and Isa. I tried on those polishes side by side in that order. It immediately became clear to me that I could declutter Isa. While I do like how the polish looks on me, the formula just isn’t as good as the other two. In the end, it came down to whether I wanted more of a blue or purple polish. While I do really love Neve, I decided to keep Nisha since it does have a one coat formula. I also think the purple shade looks a bit better with my skin tone.

I’m so excited that I was able narrow down my sparkly purple nail polish collection quite a bit. While all of these polishes were unique from each other and not dupes, at the end of the day if I am in the mood for a glittery or metallic purple, I’m only going to need one. That being said, this post only featured a portion of the sparkly purple polishes in my stash. I could probably do another entire blog post with more! If you would like to see more comparison posts, either of dupes or just similar colors like this, please let me know in the comments.

Zoya Nail Polish Bloom Collection | Review and Swatches

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Adventures in Polishland

Spring is officially here, and today I have a full review of the Zoya Nail Polish Bloom Collection for Spring 2024. This line of six nail polishes features three micro glitters and three cream polishes. Designed to be a garden party for your nails, the Bloom Collection features bright and sparkling shades. While the polishes look pretty in the bottle, I am left feeling a bit underwhelmed with how they perform during application. Let me share my full thoughts on the Bloom Collection with you, and let you know if I recommend purchasing it.

Zoya Nail Polish Bloom Collection | Review and Swatches

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

All of the swatches in today’s post are photographed in natural lighting. I used Holo Taco Peely Base as my base coat, and Zoya Naked Glossy Seal as my top coat.

Hyacinth

First up is Hyacinth, a pink polish with microfine pink and white glitters. I applied two coats of Hyacinth, and found the formula quite thick and patchy. I did not get an opaque look, but because the polish is so uneven and tends to bunch up during application, I did not add a third layer. I wish Hyacinth had a pigmented pink base, so I could achieve a full coverage manicure.

Rhiannon

Next up is Rhiannon, a blue polish with aqua and white glitters. Similar to Hyacinth, this polish has a patchy formula that is difficult to apply. However, Rhiannon is more pigmented and is opaque in two coats. I do enjoy the icy shade, which reminds me of a blue raspberry slush.

Violetta

The last of the glitter polishes is Violetta, a purple polish with aqua and rose gold glitters. Violetta has the best formula of the glitters in this collection, though it is still tricky to apply. I am wearing two coats in the swatches, and find it to be full coverage. I do think you can still see how uneven the finish is, though, which is disappointing.

Zaria

Now let’s look at the cream polishes in the Bloom Collection starting with Zaria, described by Zoya as a spring rose pink shade. This polish has a good formula that is opaque in two coats. I find it reads more red on me than pink, but it’s nonetheless a nice, bright shade.

Fleur

Next up is Fleur, a bright pink cream polish. Fleur is opaque in two coats and has an excellent formula. I love how vibrant this nail polish is! If you are looking for a really pigmented pink polish, Fleur is a great option.

Phoebe

Last but not least is Phoebe, a coral polish with a cream formula. Phoebe is also opaque in two coats, and has a good formula that applies smoothly. Once again, I’m impressed with how vibrant this nail polish is! We no longer have to layer white nail polish under other shades to get a bright, neon look.

Final Thoughts

While the Zoya Nail Polish Bloom Collection does contain three beautiful cream polishes, I am overall disappointed with this collection. The three glitter polishes have lackluster formulas that are patchy and difficult to apply. This surprises me, because Zoya has released some glitter polishes recently that I’ve really loved, so I’m confused why these formulas are so different from Love and Lucky, for example. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the three glitters in the line, and therefore cannot recommend the Bloom Collection as a whole.

If you do like any of the cream shades, they are worth purchasing separately on the Zoya website. That being said, I do not find the cream polishes to be unique to my own nail polish stash, so make sure to see if you already own similar shades like I do.

Adventures in Polishland

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