Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Nail Polish Collection — Lovely and Amazing
Think of springtime as a massive prism, reflecting light in a unique way so that, instead of the typical rainbow shades, we encounter softer, daintier pastel hues. In other words, the season of blooming flowers and sprouting leaves is also the time for pastel-toned fashion and makeup looks. But every year, designers and cosmetic companies attempt to reinvent pastels — whether it’s by hearkening to 1950s fashion, focusing on metallic or matte textures, offering more richly pigmented shades, or muting colors so that they appear more subtle and understated. For Spring 2013, fashion designers focused on washed pastel colors, powdery and slightly chalky versions of the pretty pale colors we associate with the season. Since nail lacquer brand Zoya always has its finger on the pulse, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it would release a spring nail lacquer collection that taps into this trend. The Zoya Lovely Spring 2013 Collection, then, incorporates six nail lacquers that challenge pre-conceived notions of pastels.
The Zoya Lovely collection features slightly moody, Mod-flavored, gray-tinged pastel colors with a creamy texture and sunnier, shimmering shades with silver or gold micropearls for a more opulent look. The nail polishes in the collection are:
- Julie: A pale purple lilac color that with silver-toned shimmer and micro pearls that create a near-metallic finish
- GeiGei: A light carnation pink with silver and pink micro pearls for a shimmering effect
- Blu: An opaque baby clue color with a sumptuous creamy texture that still features a bit of a glossy finish
- Piaf: A light golden yellow hue that’s one part egg yolk and one part golden straw and which is given a regal twist via swirling white gold shimmer and oodles of glittering gold micro pearls
- Neely: An opaque, ultra light mint green with gray undertones for a moodier final feel and a glossy creamy finish
- Jacqueline: A creme brulée-esque light beige color with a creamy finish that’s slightly glossy
Next, check out photos that depict how each shade looks when brushed onto nails.
First, let’s start with the Zoya Julie, my favorite shade in the collection. I absolutely adore this purple lilac hue. It’s very ladylike and pretty, the color transporting you to a lush garden, but the lacquer still feels modern and fresh thanks to the dewy quality created by the shimmering finish. Check it out:
Next, you’ll find another shimmering pastel shade: GeiGei. While I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of light pink nail polishes, this hue is irresistible. It’s reminiscent of pink bubblegum while it’s in a ready-to-burst bubble, of the icing on strawberry frosted donuts, and of airy ballerina tutus adorned with sequins. The princess inside of you will adore both this particular shade of pink and its near-metallic sheen.
Moving on to one of the opaque, creamy colors in the collection, you’ll find photos of the Blu nail polish below. As you’ll see from the photos below, this baby blue hue is quite muted due to the amount of white incorporated into the formula, but that’s part of its charm. Unlike other creamy nail lacquers, this one has a glossy finish even before you apply a top coat. Another surprise: you can attain full coverage with just one coat. I applied two coats for the mani shown in the photos below, but one coat had fully covered my nails.
The third shimmering pastel in the six-piece nail lacquer collection is Piaf, a sunny, warm, golden yellow hue that’s reminiscent of melted butter but which also incorporates both pale gold and yellow gold pearl particles that help to give the shade its near-metallic luster.
Below, you’ll find photos of the Neely nail lacquer, another full-coverage, opaque pastel polish with a creamy texture and a slightly glossy finish. While it’s quite similar to the Blu shade, the Neely color can be described as more of a grayish sea foam green. Because of those cool, slightly moody undertones, the Neely manages to look completely different from the pastel mints we associate with 1950s cars, fridges, and ovens.
Aren’t these shades lovely? Which are your favorites?
