Zoya Crystal

Crystal is described by Zoya as a "light, silvered shiny blue metallic foil with sparks of brilliant yellow gold." Now I'm not typically a wearer of gold -- it just doesn't look all that great with my coloring. But when the gold comes encased in a shimmery sky blue foil, that is MONEY and I am all over it.

This is a medium-light steel blue metallic shimmer with bountiful antique gold glitters that sit happily at the surface of the smooth foily finish. To paraphrase one nail polish blogger,  it is as if someone floated molten gold onto the surface of an ocean. The steely blue metallic reflects silver, the antique gold glitters reflect a tarnished slightly greenish gold, and the two combine in a beautiful richly-nuanced chromatic display.

 Crystal applies like a dream. Doesn't clean up like one though so once again I have glittery remnants decorating my nail surrounds in the photos. I used two coats of Crystal over treatment/basecoat plus Seche Vite for the first section of the photos, most of which were taken outside in the early morning. When I came back in, I added another coat of Crystal... just because I could, mostly. And, well... I just really like looking at this polish in its liquid state. How weird is that, I know. So anyway the rest of the photos, the last bunch, were taken indoors without topcoat. I'll just note on each photo whether it has topcoat or not, how about that?

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

 Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, with topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat, macro shot on the nail

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

Zoya Crystal, no topcoat

How freakin' gorgeous is this polish? I love and adore it. I think I like it best without topcoat even though I am loathe to go without the protective benefits of a fast drying topcoat aka manicure security blanket. Crystal retains it's foily splendor with topcoat but it's not quite as deliciously flaky and raw looking as it is without, if that makes sense. 

I do bow down before Zoya's glitter foils, they are so stunning. I am newly amazed each time I try a different one. And to think I once harbored an aversion to foils. Bah. 

Eleanor, you know, I think it's time we did some shopping at Ulta Cosmetics. Ulta is like Sephora's grown up married older sister with a family and a busy job, a bit more worldly but a little less focused. There's one at Barracks Road there in Charlottesville, I've got it on a Google map. Let's go soon m'kay?

love,
Aunt Liz