Zoya Mira and Pahlish Dark Paradise

Zoya's Mira is a well-pigmented medium-dark neutral purple creme. The formula has Zoya's lovely liquid but dense consistency with easy application and clean up. It's not the most forgiving polish from Zoya that I've experienced: if you apply it partially over already set polish it won't melt into the surface like the best self-levelers will, the overlay will show even after topcoat. But with a little care you can achieve trouble-free opacity in two smooth easy medium coats. Mira dries naturally in average time to a glossy finish.

It turns out I have a few nice medium purple polishes in my collection. Barielle's Grape Escape is the one that is closest to Mira, so close that they are practically dupes. The other two are OPI's A Grape Fit, which is a little lighter and a touch greyer than Mira, and China Glaze's Spontaneous, which is also a little lighter and a little bit muddier or more red-based than Mira. I know there are others out there that I don't have that are kissing cousins to Mira as well like OPI's Funky Dunky and China Glaze's Grape Pop. 

If finding this color in a well-formulated polish isn't difficult, there's probably a good reason for that. Purple is a color that with a slight swing towards red or blue becomes something entirely different. For my coloring and preferences, I'll take a blue swing over a red swing -- Mira is Goldilocks just right for me.

Photos show two coats of Mira over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite to hasten the drying process. Apologies for cuticle tatter and general skankiness of the nail environs, an appointment with some cuticle remover and Lush Lemony Flutter is imminent.

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

Zoya Mira

A rich and vibrant purple with a bit of creaminess to it. I like it very much.

I used my Mira manicure as a base for Dark Paradise from indie polish maker Pahlish. Shannon, owner and creative force behind Pahlish, describes Dark Paradise as having a "deep violet jelly base with violet glassfleck shimmer and a mix of color-shifting orange iridescent glitter." It's part of Pahlish's core line and went on my wish list the moment I saw it. 

The color-shifting glitters in Dark Paradise, hexes and squares in various sizes, are to die for. They are a highly reflective coppery orange with a shift from bright orange and hot pink to turquoise and spring green. The colors are stunning against the vivid violet jelly base, which in turn tempers them in a brilliant fashion to deep magenta and dark aquamarine. Violet glassfleck shimmers sparkle like crazy in the sun and throw tiny sparks of pink, purple and turquoise that complement the larger glitters. Just an amazing composition of all kinds of shimmering colorful goodness, this polish. Prrrrecious!

Application was great, the glitters disperse beautifully across the nail. I had a few free edge glitter protrusions but that could probably have been avoided had I not been applying the polish with the kind of wild abandon better used to decorate college landmarks for homecoming. This polish dries naturally to a glossy finish with occasional areas of texture where a glitter has come to rest at the surface. Photos show two delicious coats of Dark Paradise over my Mira manicure with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Zoya Mira and Pahlish Dark Paradise, bottle shot

Pahlish Dark Paradise, bottle shot detail with color shifting glitters

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira, Dark Paradise in the Bottle

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira on the nail, Dark Paradise in the bottle

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

Pahlish Dark Paradise over Zoya Mira

In case you're wondering how Dark Paradise looks on its own as compared to this layering combination, I whipped up a swatch palette to show this. 

On the left, three thick coats of Dark Paradise by itself with topcoat, on the right two coats of Dark Paradise over two coats of Zoya Mira with topcoat

I honestly don't know how to describe how crazy I am about this polish. If it was a man, it'd be a heartbreaker for sure. All I can say is that it revs my synapses into high gear, big time, and I can't stop looking at my nails. 

love,
Aunt Liz