Zoya Smoke & Mirrors Nail Lacquer Collection — A Look In the “Mirrors”

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, which Zoya polish is the fairest of them all?

Zoya introduced two nail lacquer collections for Fall 2011, one sultry and enigmatic and the other sparkling, reflective, and boasting a seductive sheen. The Zoya Smoke & Mirrors collection captures the dual-sided nature of any fairytale. The black cape and Merlot-colored lipstick of the Evil Queen, the shroud of smoke that envelops the scheming sorceress, and the sinister purple and plum tones affiliated with such iconic villains as Maleficent are all juxtaposed against the icy blue of an arctic sea, the sparkling metallic lavender exterior of a princess’s horse carriage, and the gold-sprinkled olive you might find in an enchanted forest.

The six new shades in the Zoya Mirrors collection ($8 per lacquer at Zoya.com), then, all boast the high-wattage luminosity of a diamond surface, some enriched with glimmering pearl particles that add a fairy dust-like sense of wonder and other formulated to convey a subtler luster.

The Mirrors collection, then, incorporates the following shades: Jem, which resembles a Thai garnet in its bottle but, when applied to nails, takes on more of a rubellite color with more visible purple undertones to the deep red color; Neeka, a grayish lavender shade with an even, icy polish; Yara, a Spanish olive color saturated with gold micropearls that give the shade an aura of warmth; Marina, a pale steel blue with a glacial feel and a mirrored finish; Nimue, a true purple chock full of silver glimmer particles for a mystical, cosmic effect; and Tao, a metallic gray color that’s half way between sterling silver and gunmetal.

Next, you’ll find swatches of these nail lacquers so you can appreciate the mirror-laden beauty mirage! And stay tuned for swatches of the Smoke shades!
Below, you can see what the Yara color looks like on nails. The Yara is reminiscent of Zoya’s fabulous Gemma shade in that both have an olive green basis but, unlike its predecessor, the Yara is imbued with glittering particles. These gold speckles make the Yara shade look sun-soaked and radiant. While I personally prefer the Gemma lacquer, it’s really just a matter of personal preference since they’re both quite pretty.

Next, check out the Neeka shade, a violet purple loaded with silver glitter. These silver particles look like stars in the distant sky, swirling in a purple Nebula.

The Jem nail lacquer is one of my favorites in the Zoya Mirrors collection. This vampy, siren-worthy shade boasts the luster and depth of a natural gemstone. On the nails, it looks like a more intense red tourmaline color, with a robust Merlot red base and corpulent purple undertones. specks of magenta and ruby red glitter add a dose of magic.

The Marina nail lacquer is another one of my favorites. Though it might look like a silvery shade, it’s the icy blue tones that really mesmerize here, recalling the color of the sea surround glacial formations in Alaska or similarly icy regions. Unlike Jem or Yara, the Marina lacquer doesn’t have tons of glitter — just a dab of teal blue speckles to give the shade a demure sparkle to match its frozen-looking finish.

The Nimue nail lacquer reminds me of Zoya’s Adina shade except that it doesn’t have the iridescence of the latter but, instead, amplifies the lilac tones via a swirl of silver and a pinch of silvery, dew-like particles. On the nails, then, this medium lilac polish features the gleaming metallic finish that makes it worthy of inclusion in the Mirrors family.