En Couleur @ Cal

Roxy by Zoya

At this point, half of our previous 10 posts have featured Zoya polishes. I wish Zoya were somehow compensating us for our reviews, but the truth is that their frequent promos make it too easy to acquire their polishes, and Zoya is steadily occupying a greater and greater proportion of our collections. When you see beauties like Roxy, it’s not hard to understand why. The magnificence of this magenta glitter polish has to be witnessed in person. It’s so glittery that it gave my camera trouble with  focusing, hence this blurry picture. This is two coats, but perhaps three would have been better since the glitter is not packed too densely into the jelly base. If I had to name the perfect color to wear to a club, this would be it. Just be warned: it dries semi-matte, so top coat is absolutely necessary.

Persiphony by Zoya

Seeing as Zoya is doing another generous promo (details here), I figured it was time to feature them on the blog again. The oddly-spelled Persiphony is a warm, coral-rose frost that is safe rather than unique, but I mean that in the best possible way. Persiphony is a great choice when you want a bright splash of color, and the frosty finish makes it reflect a lot of light. Unfortunately, it may not be the best polish for people who are not big fans of frost (myself included), but on the upside, brushstrokes are very hard to see.

Sea Spray by China Glaze

Reflective of the dreary weather, Sea Spray is a gorgeous piece from China Glaze’s Anchors Away collection. It’s a creme with barely-there shimmer. It’s pale blue and almost dove gray. But what it really is is absolutely lovely. Given my well established delight in delicate pale colors, perhaps my take isn’t such a surprise. Although I would hesitate to wear Sea Spray at a conservative office, it is subtle enough to be paired with virtually any outfit. 

Plummy by Revlon

Like Frankly Scarlet, time has treated this old bottle of Plummy well. It went on without any problems and just look at that high gloss finish, sans topcoat! I find the name misleading, as this is more of a red-violet than a true plum. Vibrant though it is, I could imagine wearing this creme to work. Plummy is versatile enough to go with most outfits, but I bet it really pops against a darker backdrop; I’d definitely pair it with an LBD.

Frankly Scarlet by Revlon

Frankly Scarlet is one of the few Revlon colors worth giving a damn about. This brilliant tomato red reminds me of a lot of Zoya’s duochromes because it’s got the same smattering of gold glitter. Unlike many Revlons, Frankly Scarlet applied beautifully—I suspect because I got an older bottle, and time has allowed the normally watery Revlon formula to thicken to the consistency I prefer. I never thought I’d compare nail polish to wine, but age has definitely allowed Frankly Scarlet to come into its own, like a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Interestingly enough, this means that Revlons have a different life cycle than most other polishes, which tend to get less usable over time. Lest readers think this phenomenon is an anomaly, I got my hands on another older Revlon which also applied very well, review coming soon!

Demi by Zoya

Despite being a pigeonholed as a fall color, this red-hued purple color has a timeless quality to it. It isn’t so dark that it appears black in low-light environments, but it definitely looks like a true purple in natural light. Flawlessly glossy (evidenced by the reflections on my nails) and opaque on the first coat, there is little fault to be found with Demi. What is interesting about this color is that it brushes the line of work-appropriateness; I wouldn’t recommend it for an interview, but you could probably get away with wearing it in a business casual office.  

Erika by Zoya

I always feel like I’m raving about the perfect pink, so I won’t use that appellation with Erika, lest I strip all meaning away from the concept of perfection. But there is something about Erika which makes it come wonderfully close. The delicate cotton-candy hue and brilliant gold shimmer flatter most skin types, adding a dash of feminine class while remaining unobtrusive at the same time. Though it’s a sheer color, three coats is sufficient—four wouldn’t hurt if you want absolutely zero VPL.