Zoya Ash

Like Alicia, Ash was released in mid-August this year by Zoya as part of the Urban Grunge collection for fall 2016. Officially described as a vibrant cherry with red and gold metallic shimmers, the color is a deep cool pinkish red, a ruby or more specifically a rubine red. It bears abundant ultrafine metallic shimmers that read as magenta and red through the base, adding a twinkling metallic underlay to the vibrant color. Vivacious and irrepressible with a bright magenta flash, it's cooler and not as heavy as a traditional Christmas red but has a festive feel and a natural exuberance that really reminds me of Christmas and holiday parties. 

Application was fabulous. The consistency of Ash is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a weightless, fluent, self-leveling flow over the nail. It is easy to control with Zoya's round flexible brush, which is a good thing because this puppy is very well-pigmented, a solid one-coater! Because I always have lines that need trueing, I used two for the photos. Cleanup is a little tricky -- the pigment travels and has the capacity to leave some trace staining in sidewalls especially. Easy does it! Ash dries naturally in good time to a smooth, fairly shiny finish. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and highlights the presence of the shimmers. I'll add that my topcoat brush did pull color from this polish. I have a bottle that's very slightly tinted from use with similar polishes that I use over reds -- comes in handy when you have a bleeder!

Photos show two coats of Ash over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

 

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

 

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

Zoya Ash

Although the shimmers create a metallic underlay, Ash doesn't have the mirror reflectivity of a true metallic. What does have is a gorgeous inner glow that gives it a bit of that "lit from within" quality. It is so much prettier on the nail than it is in the bottle, where it looks a little dingy and tired and not very special. On the nail, it springs jubilantly to life, ready to add its brilliance and high spirits to any and all occasions! Very nice!

love,
Liz