SMACK! Review: Zoya nail lacquer (part 1)

Finally got to take my new Zoya nail color for a test drive the other day. I'm breaking this review up into two parts to cover not just how the nail polish goes on, but also how it stays on. So expect an update in a couple weeks to see how it's wearing. 

Here's how it went down. I decided to get a pedicure and grabbed the bright glittery red 'Sarah' shade to jazz up my piggies.

The stylist at my local nail salon didn't so much as bat an eyelash at the fact that I had brought my own. In fact, as I cozied into the massage chair and thought about it, it increases the margins ever so slightly for customers to provide their own supplies. So if the nasty chemicals in salon brand polishes (OPI, Essie, etc) aren't enough reason for you to BYO three- or five-free colors, think about supporting the small business owners and low-wage workers who have to touch all manner of weird feet things, ew.

Back to the Zoya. I love the color. It's a bright, warm, pinky red with gold shimmer and glitter. Perfect for holiday, or your inner 5-year-old who loves sparkly things. Of your real 5-year-old, since Zoya doesn't have any of the 'Toxic Five' in its formula: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor.

The Zoya brush is a wee small, at least compared to my giant big toenail, but the stylist was plenty skilled to make sure the polish went on smoothly and evenly. Two coats looked great, so under the dryer I went.


Now I wasn't smart enough, when I bought the nail polish, to think about the fact that the top coat and base coat at the salon have just the same junk in them as everything else. I have read or heard somewhere something about 'shrinkage' when you use a five-free lacquer with other high-chemical polishes, so we'll see what happens over the next couple weeks of showers, slippers, the occasional workout and other general wear and tear.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the review!

-- Jazzy