Currently, my nail polish collection tops 300 bottles. I haven't counted in a few months, because every week I seem to have a new line-up of colors waiting for me. I used to store my bottles in small Sterlite containers from Target. They were clear and stackable and five usually were enough. Eventually my collection exploded to new levels and this makeshift storage option was no longer viable. Not only did I have hundreds of the colorful bottles, but I hated that something I have put a substantial amount of money in was not properly on display. My polishes belonged on a stage! About a year ago I purchased a DVD display case with glass doors. I was able to line up my polishes in 4 x 8 rows. They were organized by color (because of course they were) and the finished product was beautiful. Unfortunately, my collection continued to grow and I was no longer able to sort them by color (which drove me mad). I've now come to the point where they don't all even fit in the case. I've reached critical mass.
Anyway, I like to think I'm an expert on all things nail polish. I take very good care of my hands and nails and am dedicated to keep them looking sharp. I like to think that you can tell a lot by a person based on their hands. Disagree? Well, I don't much care. That said, I have never had a professional manicure done simply because my work is equal, if not better. Also, my entire collection contains no duplicate polishes. While a few of the colors may look identical, the brands and line-up certainly are not. Almost all bottles are salon brands (OPI, Butter London, China Glazer, etc.) because quality trumps all. Roy G. Biv would be impressed.
I had only recently become acquainted with the Zoya brand. For some reason the brand had never crossed my radar. What turned me on to Zoya were the nature of the colors. Their reds weren't just reds, they had a depth that seemed slightly less typical than what I had become accustomed to. After becoming comfortable with Zoya I began to explore its range of options.
A few weeks ago I picked up a bottle of Zoya Pixie Dust. This line was one of the many popular polish trends that touted a unique texture. I like to think these trends came of the heels of the atrocious cracked nail polish top coat abomination (more on that later). When running out of unique color combinations, brands could now explore a facet of their polishes that was almost entirely untapped. This meant that caviar, velvet, fuzzy, magnetic, and sandy finishes were being added to brand repertoires.
I'm not a huge fan of textured finishes simply because, while the idea is novel, the texture doesn't translate. Ten individual and centimeter wide swatches don't lend themselves well to illustrating these unique finishes. That aside, the sand like finish found in the bottles of Zoya Pixie Dust were well-articulated and fun to play around with. The best way I have found to describe the Pixie Dust finish is like that of dried cement. The texture is rough, hard, and a has glimmers of sparkle interspersed. It is definitely different.
My favorite thing about this line was that the colors were purposefully selected. Zoya didn't opt for anything overtly bright and eye catching. I can't imagine that bright greens or royal blues would translate particularly well with this finish. Rather, the line features what I would dub as "dusty" colors. The shades are a clear representations of the rainbow, but are almost washed out in nature. This plays well with the texture making the polish well-rounded.
Vespa (featured below) proved to be the most stunning because the shade of green was unlike anything else I had ever put on my fingers before. I have yet to be disappointed with the colors I have used. I will admit that I might like the idea of these a bit better than I like them in reality. I am primarily enamored with the colors themselves rather than the finish, but this brand does both well.
I would like to add three notes that might be worthy of knowing before you commit to these polishes. First, the texture is definitely a bit off putting. I noticed that I was constantly rubbing my nails against my skin, and vice versa, because the feeling was so different. It was by any means bothersome, but it did take some getting used to. Second, like most textured polishes, removing it practically requires a vat of acid and Herculean strength. I always used a 100% acetone remover to get rid of my polishes and usually don't run in to many difficulties. The acetone is absolutely necessary for removing this polishes and a pre-soak wouldn't hurt either. Finally, if you have brittle nails this might not be the best option for you. The texture doesn't translate when paired with a base coat or top coat. This means that is does not stand the test of time and may not allow you to protect your nails.
I currently own the following colors (shown below): Vespa, Dahlia, and Nyx.
Zoya Pixie Dust can be purchased here.
