It Started With A Whisper….Everybody’s Talking About The Zoya Whispers Collection

A Tibetan proverb affirms, “Goodness speaks in a whisper; evil shouts.” Perhaps this was the mindset behind the creation of Zoya‘s Transitional SS16 collection, an array of muted and creamy nail polishes that exude softness, innocence, and tranquility, but never scream for attention. It’s not a binary good-versus-evil equation, of course, but the overarching idea is that there can be immense power in subtlety.

In typical Zoya fashion, the new Whispers collection deviates from the saccharine color palettes typically seen around this time of year, when all of us buried under snow find ourselves yearning for warmer temperatures, leafy trees, and flower buds sprouting from grassy expanses. Instead, this collection holds the promise and optimism of spring without bringing it to fruition completely. Instead, it perfectly captures that transitional period between the winter and spring seasons, when skies are still grayish, the air is nippy, and snow covers the ground, but spring no longer seems like such a distant phenomenon.

To that end, the six shades represent modern interpretations of neutral hues, all versatile and demure but also reaching beyond the scope of tired old beiges and tans to explore pale sage greens and sky blues. Each shade in the collection retails for $10 at Zoya.com. Check out photos of all six stunners below!

MISTY

In its bottle, Misty looks like a taupe-tinged gray but, once it’s brushed onto nails, the color’s green undertones shine through, making it all the more intriguing. The final result is a color that’s as versatile as a taupe hue without feeling boring or safe and as elegant as a gray tone without feeling drab. The balance between the cement gray, light taupe, and olive tonalities makes for a shade that’s minimalist but modern.

IRELAND

This is probably my favorite shade in the collection because it’s such a delicate but intriguing shade of green. As you can see from the photos above, it’s not quite a light sage hue or a pale mint shade, nor is it a honeydew or olive tone. It’s almost a green ash color, but there is a hint of vibrancy to it that, despite its cool and moody vibe, might remind you of pistachio ice cream.

CALA

I tend to steer clear of nude nail lacquers since, given my pallor, they can sometimes make my hands look like lifeless and mannequin-like. That said, Zoya’s Cala nail polish managed to offer the sophistication and versatility associated with a nude polish without making my hands look monochromatic. The key is that this pale nude shade incorporates warm,  yellowy peach undertones that make the final product much more flattering and wearable.

LAKE

Inspired by a serene lake (hence its name), this polish takes the traditional baby blue color we associate with spring and adding a healthy amount of white to further soften the hue. But it’s the touch of gray added to the shade that truly makes it distinct, adding a slightly icy feel and exuding the desired sense of tranquility. It’s reminiscent of the Benjamin Moore Winter Lake paint color but there’s more joyfulness to this nail polish hue when compared to the latter.

EASTYN

The mauve undertones of this medium gray polish remind me of the chewed-up, grape-flavored gum I’d sometimes find stuck underneath the desks of my elementary school classrooms, which tended to turn gray after gosh knows how many years. Now, this association may seem revolting, but it’s not meant as an insult since, in the end, this polish hue is quite elegant. The dominant color is, of course, a slight dirty gray, something akin to the Pantone Warm Gray 3 hue, but the “wow” factor comes from the muted grape undertones. The final result is not quite as cool-toned as a Pantone Lilac Grey hue, but it’s more unique than a pale mauve or gray-mauve shade.

APRIL

This rosy-toned neutral shade evokes femininity and romance without feeling strictly bridal. The creamy beige undertones really make all the difference here, creating the perfect backdrop for a rosy shade that’s not the traditional blush pink. It doesn’t make you think of ballet slippers, baby girl nursery rooms, or bridesmaid gowns — and that is incredibly refreshing.

All the six nail polishes in the Whispers Collection require 2-3 coats to deliver full coverage, but they look stunning even when used as sheer washes of color. To go for a more muted mani, apply one coat of the Zoya Naked Manicure in Buff Perfector followed by the Whispers shade of your choice. The result will be this hush-hush veil of barely-there color.