Tag: zoya

Zoya Nail Polish Khione | January Color of the Month

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Winter is in full swing here in New England, and with the snow falling over this weekend I wanted a winter-inspired manicure to match the overall mood. Luckily for me, the Zoya Color of the Month for January is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Today I have swatches and a review of Khione, along with a bonus review of Boo from the Tutti Frutti Collection, which I used as a base shade for this manicure.

Zoya Boo

Zoya Nail Polish Boo

The products in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate and referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Because Khione is a special effects topper, I began with a cool-toned blue shade as a base. Boo was released as part of the Tutti Frutti Collection this past summer, and is described as a serene Carolina blue cream polish. It has a great formula that applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. Boo is a stunning polish on its own. I am wearing it without top coat in these swatches since I am layering on top of it.

Zoya Khione

Zoya January Color of the Month Khione

After Boo, I applied one coat of Khione, which is described as a luminous white overlay with vivid pink-fire reflect. Khione applies easily and is packed with reflective glitters that really sparkle. I really love the icy finish that Khione gives to the nails. It looks stunning from every angle! Plus, the pink glitters make this topper different from the others in my collection. To complete the manicure, I added the Zoya Glossy Seal Top Coat.

Overall, I am loving the January Color of the Month from Zoya. Khione is a beautiful nail polish, and I feel like I have a really fancy manicure even though I just painted my nails at home. Khione is currently available on the Zoya website for $14.00. You can save $5.00 off your first Zoya purchase by using my referral link.

Holo Taco Combo | Zoya Nail Polish West and Holo Taco Freezer Burn

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

This week I wasn’t sure what nail polish I wanted to wear, so I looked through my recent packages from Zoya Nail Polish and noticed a beautiful green shade from the Fall 2025 Muse Collection that I hadn’t yet tried. I decided to pair it with Holo Taco Freezer Burn, and I was so pleasantly surprised with the results! I thought I would share a review of Zoya West with you, and also show you how a nail polish topper can really transform any manicure into a new and unique shade.

Zoya West

Zoya Nail Polish West | Fall 2025 Muse Collection

Some of the products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I began my manicure with Zoya West, described as a dusky pine cream polish. This is a very dark green shade with blue undertones. West has a great formula that applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. I really like the shade of green in this polish, and I like how shiny it is even without a top coat. You can purchase West on Zoya’s website for $14.00. You can save $5.00 off your first purchase from Zoya if you use my referral link.

Holo Taco Freezer Burn

Holo Taco Freezer Review

Next up I added one coat of Holo Taco Freezer Burn. This is a special effects topper that is a blue iridescent shimmer. I am absolutely loving how my nails are now a deep blue shade with blue and purple shimmer. Freezer Burn is so fun to use, because although I never know what the end result will look like, it always ends up being so cool (pun not intended)! You can purchase Freezer Burn on the Holo Taco website for $14.00. I also used the Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat to seal in the look, which is available at Ulta for $17.00.

I am so happy with my nail polish combination this week! Adding a few special effects toppers to your nail polish collection can help you create so many fun manicures, and I love reaching for Freezer Burn in particular. If you would like to see how Freezer Burn looks over some other shades of nail polish, I have a post where you can see it over purple, and a post where I use it in a holiday themed manicure.

What is your favorite nail polish topper? Let me know in the comments!

Zoya Nail Polish Phoenix | November Color of the Month

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy November! Today I have swatches and a full review of Zoya Nail Polish Phoenix, the Color of the Month for November 2025. I have mentioned this many times before, but I really love Zoya’s Color of the Month polishes. They are not part of a subscription service, so you can pick and choose which months to make a purchase, but the polishes themselves are usually perfect for that time of year. That is certainly the case with Phoenix, which is sure to take us from fall and Thanksgiving, all the way through the end of the year.

Zoya November Color of the Month Phoenix

Zoya Phoenix

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate and referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Phoenix is a crimson red nail polish with gold micro-glitter. It is opaque in two coats and applies really smoothly and easily. I absolutely love how multi-dimensional this nail polish is, and how the gold glitter really catches the light. I added the Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat, and I think it makes the polish even shinier.

Zoya Nail Polish Phoenix November 2025 Color of the Month

What I really love about Phoenix is that it really is a great nail polish color of this time of the year. The warm, red shade is not only suitable for the fall, but I can definitely see this polish working well for both Thanksgiving and the Christmas season. You can wear Phoenix on its own for a stunning manicure, but you can also pair it with a shimmery green for a holiday look. Now that I’m thinking about it, this polish also works well for Valentine’s Day! If you like nail polishes that can be used over and over, I think Phoenix is a solid addition to your collection.

As I write this blog post, Phoenix is not currently available on the Zoya Nail Polish website even though it was scheduled to be released on November 1, 2025. I recommend visiting the Color of the Month page online HERE to see if it is for sale.

Musical Manicures | Honeymoon in Vegas Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have the eleventh installment of my Musical Manicures series to share with you. If you are keeping track here on the blog, you may realize I did not post about the tenth installment, as it featured Operation Mincemeat, which I just shared a review of not long ago. However, you can visit me on Instagram to see the manicure! This time around, I picked Honeymoon in Vegas out of the random jar of shows, and got to work picking multiple polishes from my nail polish collection to create a manicure inspired by the show.

I saw Honeymoon in Vegas back in November 2014 with my friend who was visiting me in the city. I was especially keen to see this show because it starred Tony Danza, who I loved watching in Who’s the Boss? growing up. We bought $32.00 rush tickets, and had mezzanine seats on the left side that were so uncomfortable I can still remember how squished our legs were. Unfortunately, this is one of those situations where I remember more about our seats than the show itself! Looking at the Playbill, I know we saw an incredible cast, but the music is so forgettable that I could not tell you a single song. I do remember a number with the cast all dressed as Elvis, and notes from my old blog let me know I overall had a good time. Sometimes shows just do not stick with you even if you enjoyed them in the moment!

Musical Manicures | Honeymoon in Vegas Nails

Honeymoon in Vegas Manicure

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

For the Honeymoon in Vegas nails, I definitely wanted to focus on the sparkly gold background of the Playbill. I also decided to incorporate the iconic red and white Las Vegas sign, so I used an accent nail for that purpose. For the gold nails, I actually used three different nail polishes. I started with a base of Zoya Moki, which is a metallic gold polish. Then I added one coat of Holo Taco Gold Flake Taco, a yellow gold glitter polish, and one coat of Zoya Vienna, a gold metallic polish with holographic glitters. Layering all three shades really gave me the glittery look I was hoping to achieve!

As for the accent nail, I did one coat of Zoya Soko, a red cream polish. Then I layered LVX Fantom, a white nail polish, on top leaving the red peaking out like a reverse french manicure. I had to apply 2-3 layers of the white polish letting it dry in between so I did not smudge it with the red shade. I then added a “love” nail sticker from the Le Mini Macaron Joli Emoji set. Finally, I sealed my entire manicure using the Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat.

Broadway Themed Nails

Overall, I think my manicure does a great job at capturing the essence of the Honeymoon in Vegas Playbill. I may not remember much about the show itself, but at one point I will listen to the Original Broadway Cast recording and see if it rings any bells. For now, I will spend the week admiring my gold sparkly nails!

Take a look inside the Playbill in this week’s Reel video on Instagram!

Zoya Nail Polish Tempest | October Color of the Month

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy October! Today I have swatches and a review of the Zoya Nail Polish Color of the Month for October, Tempest. If you are new to Zoya, it is a cruelty free brand with vegan nail polishes. Most months, they release a Color of the Month that is a seasonal shade only available for purchase during the month of its release. I really enjoy this feature because it is not a subscription service, so you can choose to purchase the Color of the Month if you like the polish, but you do not have to sign up for anything. I often really enjoy the monthly polish, and that is true of the October shade. I wanted to put it on my nails as soon as it arrived in the mail!

Zoya Tempest

Zoya Nail Polish October Color of the Month Tempest

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate and referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Tempest is described as a deep blackened green polish with golden shimmer. It has an excellent formula that applies smoothly and is opaque in two coats. Similar to Octavia from the Muse Collection, Tempest looks very sparkly, but it does not have a gritty or textured formula like a glitter polish would. I really love the dimension in this nail polish, and love that is applies so easily. To complete the look, I used the Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat.

Zoya Tempest | October Color of the Month

Tempest is such a great pick for the October Color of the Month. The deep green shade is very autumnal, and works well for the Halloween season, but it is perfect for the holiday season, too. I really like the combination of very dark green with the shimmer mixed in, as when the light hits my nails the color is transformed. If you like shimmer polishes, Tempest is a great option! It is available on Zoya’s website for $14.00. You can use my referral link to save $5.00 on your first purchase.

Musical Manicures | Hairspray Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am excited to share the ninth installment of Musical Manicures, the series where I create a nail polish look inspired by a Broadway show that I’ve seen in the past. This week I picked Hairspray out of the jar, which is another show I got to see with my dance class on a trip to New York City. We saw the musical in March of 2006, and were super lucky to see an amazing cast that included Diana Degarmo, Tevin Campbell, and Andrew Rannells. We also took a dance class with a member of the Broadway company before we saw the show, and learned the choreography to You Can’t Stop the Beat. It was such a fun experience!

Me, Diana Degarmo, and my friend at the Stage Door!

Not only did I really enjoy the upbeat music, joyful choreography, and colorful costumes of Hairspray, but we had a wonderful stage door experience as well. I remember many of the actors thought my friend and I were sisters, which we got a kick out of at the time. We were able to get a picture with Diana Degarmo, who had recently been in American Idol. I remember we wished we had taken a photo with Andrew Rannells, as we loved him as Link Larkin, but selfies at the stage door were not as popular back then! Fun fact, the above picture was taken on a regular 35mm film camera I was still using!

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

For my manicure this week, I decided to create a simple skittle inspired by the colorful Hairspray logo. I had a lot of fun finding nail polishes in my collection that matched up with the colors in the lettering. I will list the polishes I used here, and link to them if they are still available for purchase.

  • Zoya Nail Polish Janie, a bright pink
  • Priti NYC Fireglow, a pumpkin orange – BUY
  • Zoya Nail Polish Willa, an onyx black – BUY
  • Zoya Nail Polish Hattie, a blush mauve pink – BUY
  • Zoya Nail Polish Becca, a deep plum purple – BUY
  • Zoya Nail Polish Tucker, a bright sky blue
  • LVX Fantom, a bright white – BUY
  • Zoya Nail Polish Chiara, a jewel toned purple – BUY

I added two coats of each shade on my nails, and sealed in the manicure with a layer of the Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat. This manicure was so easy to create, and I really enjoyed looking at my nails all week long. I never would have put together this color combination if not for this project!

This week reminded me how much I love skittle manicures, as it can be quite fun to paint each nail a different color. Plus, I got to revisit a Broadway musical that I really enjoy. Now that it’s been over 15 years since the original run of Hairspray closed, I hope that we will see a revival production at some point in the near future. I love listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording, and I think the story is evergreen, too.

See inside the Playbill and learn more about my manicure on Instagram HERE!

Musical Manicures | Movin’ Out Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Welcome back to Musical Manicures, the series where I create a nail polish look inspired by a Broadway show I’ve seen in the past. This is the eighth installment of this series, and I am really enjoying revisiting so many of the amazing shows I’ve seen all while using polishes from my collection that I may not reach for on a regular basis. This week I picked Movin’ Out from the jar of musicals, which brings me back to January 2004. This is the second show I ever saw on Broadway, and I got to visit with my dance class on our first trip together to New York City. Not only did we get to see the Movin’ Out, but we also got to take a master dance class with one of the Broadway dancers, who taught us choreography from the show. I wish I could remember which performer it was, and I also wish I had photos to show you from the time. Alas, this was over 20 years ago before I had a digital camera!

Movin’ Out is a jukebox musical set to songs by Billy Joel and with choreography by Twyla Tharp. Although there is a Piano Man who sat above the stage and performed all the music, the show is otherwise told through dance. I remember that we did not have the best seats in the Richard Rogers Theatre, and I also remember that the show was definitely a bit too mature for us at the time. Looking back, I think Movin’ Out it a musical I would appreciate a lot more now as an adult than I did as a middle school student!

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

For my manicure, I decided to do an abstract take on the Movin’ Out street sign logo. I began with a bright blue shade as the primary color using Zoya Sia, one of my all time favorite nail polishes. For my accent nail, I used LVX Fantom, which is a white nail polish, as the base. I let the white nail polish dry completely before I sectioned off my nail using striping tape. I then used Zoya Soko, a bright red nail polish, to act as the top of the street sign, along with more of Zoya Sia as the bottom of it. Make sure to let your nail polish dry completely before adding a top coat! Unfortunately, I wasn’t patient enough and smudged the nail art when I added Zoya Ultra Glossy Top Coat to seal in the look. Luckily, the Movin’ Out street sign is a bit banged up, so I don’t think my manicure needs to be perfect!

Overall, it was really fun to revisit a Broadway show that I saw over 20 years ago with this Musical Manicures installment! I feel like Movin’ Out is a more niche show that you may not have heard of before this post. It will be interesting to see if this musical ever gets revived on Broadway. Musicals that are primarily dance revues are not as popular, but they can be really beautiful to experience. You will have to let me know in the comments if you’ve seen or heard of Movin’ Out, as I would love to know!

Join me on Instagram to see the behind-the-scenes of this manicure HERE!

Musical Manicures | The Addams Family Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I have the seventh installment of my Musical Manicures series, where I create a nail polish look inspired by a Broadway show that I’ve seen in the past. I began by picking a random musical out of a jar, and this time I got The Addams Family, which I saw in March of 2011. This was the first show that I saw during the semester I lived in New York City for an internship during my junior year in college, and it definitely kicked off a bit of a Broadway binge. I got a student rush ticket to The Addams Family, and paid $37.00 for a seat in the mid mezzanine. I also bought the souvenir program book, before I realized that it wasn’t sustainable to keep purchasing them on my college budget!

When I think back to my experience at The Addams Family, I remember really loving Jackie Hoffman’s comedic performance as Grandma. Otherwise, a lot of the show was forgettable to me. I recently listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording, and I do enjoy the songs One Normal Night and Pulled. That being said, I looked back at my old blog from 2011, and I was surprised at how much I loved this show at the time. I completely forgot that this version of The Addams Family is set in current times, and featured a lot of pop culture references. All that to say, I think if you have the opportunity to see this show on tour or at a local theatre, it’s fun for the whole family, but not necessarily the best musical out there.

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

For my nails, I decided to create a look inspired by Morticia’s purple dress with black lace overlay. I began with a base of Zoya Lidia, which is a dark purple cream polish. To replicate the black lace, I used the Zoya Leopard Spots Topper, which is a special effects nail polish with a crackle design. I then used Holo Taco Glossy Taco to give the manicure a shiny finish and even out the layers. While you can definitely see the crackle effect in direct sunlight, the purple and black kind of blend in as one dark shade in natural lighting. While I am a bit disappointed that you can’t see a strong differentiation between the shades of polish, I still think I captured the essence of Morticia’s gown.

Moreover, it is also a lot of fun that I got to create a nail polish look based on more of a Halloween coded musical as we head into the fall season. I think dark purple is a great shade for this time of year, so I’m glad to wear it this week. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever used the Zoya Leopard Spots Topper before, so it was fun to put that to use. My dark and vampy nails certainly match the theming of The Addams Family, too!

See more #MusicalManicures content on Instagram by viewing this week’s Reel video HERE!

Musical Manicures | Hamilton Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

It’s time for the third installment of Musical Manicures, the series where I create a nail polish look inspired by a Broadway show I’ve seen in the past. This week I was surprised to pick Hamilton out of the jar, as the musical is celebrating its 10-Year Anniversary in just a few days! I saw the show on Broadway in January 2024 for free by using my credit card rewards points. I got a sketchy link in my email to access my ticket and was worried it would be fake, but luckily it was from a group ticket sales platform and I had an amazing seat in the front mezzanine! It was so exciting to be in the room where it happens after so many years.

While I may be late to the party when it comes to Hamilton, I’m so glad I finally saw the show. I was honestly shocked to find tears streaming down my face as the show came to a close. The cast does an amazing job of performing such a difficult show. I still cannot get over how talented they are to rap and sing the score! If you haven’t experienced Hamilton yet, I highly recommend it whether you can see it on Broadway, on tour, or via the proshot on Disney+. I think this show will remain a powerful force on Broadway for years to come!

Some of the products in this post were originally sent for my unbiased review. This post includes affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Now it’s time to show you the Hamilton inspired manicure I created. I wanted to match the gold and bronze background of the Playbill cover, so I began with Zoya Nail Polish Moki and Amara, which are metallic nail polishes. The cover goes from light and fades to dark on the bottom, so I created the same affect by using the saran wrap nail art technique to adjust the shade of polish on each nail, as well as give the nails a textured effect. I attempted to recreate the Hamilton star logo on my ring finger, but pivoted after two failed attempts. Instead, I used a black nail polish and a dotting tool to write “10” to celebrate the anniversary, and did dots around the perimeter to mimic the stars on the current Hamilton logo. I unfortunately smudged my top coat right at the end, but I still think the look came together well!

Overall, while I struggled to achieve my desired manicure result this week, I think I was still successful in capturing the essence of the Hamilton Playbill. In fact, I think the metallic polishes are quite a close match in terms of color! How fun to randomly choose this show out of the jar when it has such a big celebration this week, too! You’ll have to let me know in the comments if you are also a Hamilton fan, as I would love to know.

Join me on Instagram to see this week’s corresponding Reel with an inside look of the Playbill HERE.

Musical Manicures | American Idiot Inspired Nails

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Today I am excited to begin a new series that has lived in my brain for a while. It’s called Musical Manicures, and combines my love for nail polish with my love for musical theatre. I wrote down every Broadway musical I’ve ever seen (that’s 45 unique shows!) and put them in a jar. Each round, I will randomly pick a show from the jar and create a nail polish look inspired by the musical. I think this will be a really fun way to look back on shows I’ve seen years ago, all while challenging myself to create manicures using polishes from my stash that I might not grab for on a regular basis. For this first round, I picked American Idiot out of the jar!

Image courtesy of Playbill

American Idiot is a rock opera based on the concept album of the same name by the band Green Day. I saw the show back in April 2011. I remember I wasn’t a huge fan of the show, but was excited to see the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong live, as well as Justin Guarini from American Idol fame. I found my old blog review from 2011, and it’s honestly quite funny. These are my thoughts as a 21-year-old after seeing the show.

Despite my snarky post, I’m so glad I preserved my thoughts on the show! I really miss in-person ticket lotteries, and I can’t believe I got a seat in the orchestra for only $37.00. That being said, I think I agree with my younger self, as I don’t know that I would go see American Idiot again if the show gets a revival. Nonetheless, I’m excited to create a nail polish look based on the red, black, and white cover art of the Playbill.

The products used were originally sent for my unbiased review. Some links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I decided to use a red nail polish as the main color, and then do an accent nail of white with black stars. I used Zoya Soko for the red polish, but you can use any true red shade you have. For the accent nail, I began with LVX Fantom, which is a white polish. I let that dry completely, and then used an old Born Pretty Store stamping plate to add the stars with Zoya Willa, a black polish. I don’t think this stamping plate is for sale anymore, but I found one with a similar design on Amazon. I completed the look with Holo Taco Glossy Taco.

I am really happy with how this first round of Musical Manicures came together! I think the nail polish really matches the vibe of the Playbill, and I definitely went outside of my comfort zone with the look. Of course, it was also fun to take a trip down memory lane and revisit a Broadway show I saw over a decade ago now. I hope you also enjoy this series. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Each blog post will be accompanied by an Instagram Reel with an inside look of the Playbill and the manicure process! See this post’s reel HERE.