Nail Polish Stress Test: Zoya Tilly

My first introduction to textured polishes was when Zoya first came out with their original PixieDust collection. I loved the sandy finish and the sparkle, and for a time, I had every single one Zoya came out with. Then came the UltraPixie dusts and Magical PixieDusts that I liked a little less. Between the jelly finishes, chunky glitter, and colors that were too similar. I was starting to sour on the concept for a bit. They also didn't last as long as the originals. However, I was still sad when they announced they weren’t coming out with any more Pixies though. Then, Zoya announced their Seashells collection which is made up of all PixieDusts. I went and ordered the whole set, including today’s test subject, Tilly.

Tilly is a silver textured polish with some holographic glitter and darker silver particles thrown in for extra sparkle. It’s a great combination of sparkly and shiny. I used three thin coats to get full coverage and let each one dry before I applied the next one. I did not use any top coat. The texture is fairly abrasive, but it smooths out a bit after you’ve worn it for a while.

As a textured polish it’s not suitable for stamping or water marbling. It’d be fun to use with nail vinyls though.

So how did it hold up?

It did great! I made it three days. This is the PixieDust I know and love. It didn’t chip at all, merely wore down. Mostly it was at the tips of my nails.

Verdict: Excellent

If you love textured polishes, holographic glitter, or silver, you need this polish! It can be ordered from Zoya’s website for $10, although they have promotions often enough that there’s no need to pay full price.

Nail Polish Stress Test: Zoya Thea

I love Zoya’s Pixie Dust textured polishes. The glittery matte finish is gorgeous, and the wear time has been fantastic.  Sadly, Zoya is discontinuing them. They’re declaring the moment is over, time to move on. I grabbed Thea during a sale Zoya had to clear out some of their Pixie inventory. Was this a good idea? Let’s find out!

From the Wishes Holiday 2014 collection, it’s most definitely not like the Pixie Dusts of the past. I would call this a Pixie Dust in name only. It looks like it should be comparable to one of the Magical Pixie Dusts like Arlo, but this doesn’t dry to a matte finish, nor is it textured. Thea is a purple jelly with lots of different sized holographic glitters. You could say this is what you get when you remove the matte texture and leave everything else. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with this, it’s just that I really liked the texture and I miss it here. 

This polish dried to a somewhat shiny finish. I actually went back to its product page to make sure I wasn’t supposed to top coat this. Sure enough, that’s what it says, so I didn’t. Like most glitters, it's not going to stamp or water marble.

So, how did it hold up?

 Not well at all. It was wrecked in one day. This polish is pretty darn brittle once it’s dried. 

I really wanted it to do better than this. I decided to try again, but this time, I added a coat of Seche Vite on top. In my opinion, it looks better shiny. 

 

This time, it survived two days before it was done in.

 Verdict: This is not a Pixie Dust Good

As long as you use a good top coat, curb your expectations, and only buy it when it’s on sale, this is a solid addition to your polish collection.

Nail Polish Stress Test: Zoya Posh

Matte polishes are pretty, but they’re known to not last as long as traditional polish. I tend to not buy them unless they legitimately interest me. Zoya Posh is something I probably wouldn’t buy on my own. As luck would have it, I got a bottle in a shipping mistake I was allowed to keep. Woohoo!

Posh is a lovely shade of wine red, with a red shimmer. It almost seems to glow on the nail. I used two coats with no top coat.

It doesn’t stamp or water marble. You also can’t stamp on it either. Something about the matte finish prevents the design from sticking. I suppose if you put a top coat on first it might work, but that seems beside the point.  

Does this one perform better than others of its kind?

Sadly no, although I was really hoping it would. After one day of work, it was obviously chipped.

Verdict: Party Polish

This is another great polish for special occasions that doesn’t hold up to everyday life.