Review: Zoya Dare Collection Fall 2009

This is the first time I have ever tried Zoya and I must say so far I have been very impressed with the Dare collection (still need to try Truth). The colors are all pretty true to what is in the bottle, they are extremely creamy, opaque and pigmented and they dry quickly which is a HUGE plus.

I did apply 2 coats on all of these swatches but I honestly could have gotten away with just 1 coat in a pinch, and I especially think that if you are someone with "nubbins" aka super short nails that don't go past the nail bed you could probably get away with 1 coat if you had to but 2 is always better.

This is the first time I've ever done nail "swatches" so they aren't the greatest and I realize that I just painted one nail each color but I didn't have time to do a full hand of one color. For now you can see Ibiza here and Pinta will be the next NOTM.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the removal. I'm guessing its the elimination of certain ingredients that causes this but its also the removal of those same ingredients that make this a more "natural" polish so I can't complain too much. With most other polishes (non Zoya) I soak the cotton ball/pad with 100% acetone, place it on my nail, wait a few seconds and wipe off the polish in just a few swipes. With natural/vegan polishes I've noticed that while the polish does eventually come off, the color seems to run and stain my actual skin. It does eventually come completely off, it just takes longer and uses more cotton/polish remover. Not a huge deal but it is something that I have noticed that I thought was specific to a specific vegan brand that I had used in the past, but now I think it has to do with the elimination of the "bad" ingredients. Not a huge deal at all and probably one that I face more than others due to the length of my nails and in turn the amount of product on my nails but its just something to be warned about mainly so that you have enough remover and cotton balls/pads.

Other than that the Zoya Dare collection is awesome! I love the creamy opaque colors and the pigmentation is awesome! I haven't tried the Truth collection yet but will in the next couple of weeks and I am very curious to see how the removal of those colors will be since I have found that creamy polishes always come off differently than pearly ones.

I can tell you that I took a couple colors over to my mom to try and it looks like she's keeping them (she said I can borrow them for the swatches though LOL). She was raving about the staying power and how easily they were to apply. You see my mom is a HUGE OPI fan so she was a little hesitant to try something else. Also I should mention that my mom doesn't have acrylics and she is always working with her hands (cleaning, dishes etc.) so for her to rave about a polish says a lot. I'll elaborate more on that when I review the Truth collection as well as the Color Lock System, but I wanted to share that info just in case you were wondering. According to her the Zoya polishes are great! Good thing she only wears certain shades...

And now onto the swatches :)

Pinta - described as "Inky Violet Cream." I'd have to agree, in my opinion this definitely has some blue undertones, its a beautiful creamy purple and I can't wait to have it on all my nails!

Ciara - described as "Rich Burgundy Plum Cream." I gotta say this is a lot lighter tahn burgundy in my opinion, I think its more of a berry color. Either way its awesome and definitely a color I'd wear year round. What am I saying I'd wear any of these colors year round.

Envy - described as "Gleaming Jade Green with subtle shimmer." Personally I would call it a deep creamy forest green and I didn't notice any hint of shimmer. I can't wait to wear this one either.

From L to R: Demi, Ciara, Pinta, Envy

Demi - described as "Purple Mauve Cream." I would call this more of a plumy mauve but whatever its beaituful, does it really matter what I call it?

Vanessa - described as "Rich Blue Red Cream." Unfortunately due to the lighting this one looks a but more on the pink side but it is more of a bluish red. I can see this easily becoming one of my Winter staples since I love wearing red in the Winter.

And just in case you wanted to see them all again..Oh and the only reason Ibiza is missing is because it I had just posted a NOTM with it and well, who am I kidding I only have 5 fingers and I did these early in the morning and didn't even think to paint just 1 finger on my left hand so that it could be added to the mix.

From L to R: Demi, Ciara, Pinta, Envy

Where to buy: www.zoya.com or possibly some beauty supplies or salons in you area
Price: $6 individually $36 for the entire Dare collection (6 polishes)
Rating: 5 out of 5 for quality, staying power, pigmentation and opaqueness

Would I recommend: DEFINITELY!

So which is your favorite?

*This review as well as any others on my blog are not influenced by anyone or any company, they are strictly MY personal opinions based on trying the products myself. I do not expect everyone or anyone to agree with me. I am simply sharing information and conclusions that I have come to based on trying an individual product and I hope that somehow it helps someone else.