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Zoya Color Lock System review

Zoya. Zoya. What can I say? You move me.

I finally got around to using the Zoya Color Lock System.

From the Zoya.com website.

Put perfect nail color on lock down. The Zoya Color Lock System surrounds polish with a protective barrier against moisture, bubbling, chipping and UV damage. This kit, which comes in a super-cute, zip-lock handle bag, has everything you need to perfect your polish and make it look better longer.

Zoya Color Lock System Kit Contains:

1 - 1oz Zoya Remove Plus
1 - 0.25oz Zoya Anchor Base Coat
1 - 0.25oz Zoya Zoya Armor Top Coat
1 - 0.25oz Zoya Fast Drops Polish Drying Drops

The idea of the system is one I'm sure everyone is familiar with if you've ever used any type of skin care/make up system. Use it in order for the best results, etc, etc. But in my opinion all the products in the system weren't created equal.

The Remove Plus smelled quite pleasant, though I didn't use it to remove my polish, just to prepare my nail. I didn't notice this step improving the application of the polish.

Next came the Anchor Base Coat. I'm of two-minds with this. One part of me really liked it. It really "anchored" the polish. I could tell while painting my nails that it seemed to "grip" the polish better. The thing I didn't like about it is that it didn't dry "smooth". When I ran my finger pad over my nail it created a different tactile sensation then what I was used to with my base coat. It wasn't unpleasent, just different.

Color was next. I was going to use a different brand, but I decided to follow the rules exactly and use a Zoya brand color. I used Megan which I got for free with the Color Lock System.

Finally Armor TC and the Fast Drops Polish Drying Drops.

I am used to Seche Vite which drys fast. What I found with the Armor top coat and Drying Drops was this: the Armor TC does not dry quickly. At all. The Drops have an oily feeling to it. Now if you can cover your entire nail with one drop of the oil, good for you! I was unable to and it ran down and missed my tips. Which later came back to bite me in the ass. My tips took FOREVER to dry and I wound up smudging the hell out of them and getting bubbles where the drops hadn't covered.

But despite all of the issues I had, the proof is in the swatches. They're unbelievable. Can you see how shiny that turned out? It's almost perfect.

My verdict is this: If you have the time to add a few more steps to your manicure, use the system. It really seemed to make a difference.

Now let's see how well it wears.

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How it started.

I really like checking out other people's stashes and set-ups. Last week on Facebook I saw a few photos of the "before the addiction set in". So I went through my stash, since I was arranging it in its new double-Decker home, and revisited the polishes that have been with me for awhile.

Last year this is what my "stash" consisted of. Mostly drugstore brands: Pure Ice, Revlon, Sally Hansen, and some unnamed ones I got as a pack.

Then I found China Glaze, and then OPI, and then Zoya, and Essie, and Julep--oh my.

This is what happened then. 

China Glaze drawer.

Zoya, Ulta, Julep, Essie, and my base/top coat drawer.

Nail art drawer - Rhinestones, striping tape, tools for art, nail pens, dotting tools, stamping plates, etc.

OPI and Nicole by OPI

Drug store brands - Revlon, Sally Hansen, Art Deco, etc.

My manicure drawer - Files, oils, etc.

The very top. The removers, lotion, my water-marble bowl, and my Nfu Oh cause I don't know which drawer to put them in. I usually toss other odds-and-ends there too. Like cotton-balls.

The good thing is I still have room to grow ;) I better not let DH hear that though.

Oohhhh Nfu Oh!

Many months ago I saw a photo of Nfu Oh 61 and I fell in love. It was beautiful lineal holographic yumminess. Then I saw OPI DS Original and fell even harder. I love the look. It is so sparkly and shiny. I couldn't wait to get my hands on them.

Alas, everything I read said you needed an Aquamix base, and everywhere I looked they couldn't be found. The Nfu Oh Aqua Base was constantly out of stock. For months I anguished. There was Make-Up Store aqua base, but no place to order online (You have to call the store and they charge $10 flat rate. Expensive if you only want one bottle of polish).

So I waited and I stalked Fabulousstreet.com. I despaired for months that I'll never get my hands on them. Ebay was charging over $50 a bottle.

I refused.

And then glory of glory last week I saw fabulousstreet's facebook.

AQUA BASE WAS IN STOCK.

Oh. My. God.

So I went. I saw. I bought.

And then...

...this arrived on my doorstep.

There is no photo of the box because I demolished it trying to get to the goodies inside. Oh Fabulousstreet how you tormented me. So much tape. It took me 10 minutes to get inside, and another 5 to peel the bubble wrap off.

Finally! A bottle!

I had just did my nails, and I couldn't convince myself to waste the weekend mani. So I swatched instead. So pretty.

Nfu Oh Victorian polish Number 066

Nfu Oh Victorian polish Number 065

Nfu Oh Victorian polish Number 064

Nfu Oh Victorian polish Number 063

 

 

 

Finally, today it was time to change my manicure. The Aqua Base is amazing. This was a dream to use and only took two coats. I also have a coat of Seche Vite on. Some say it dampens the holo strength, but I am too dazzled by my nails to notice. I also stamped with BM21 because this polish is a star.

Sunlight

Indoor light

Indoor light

Indoor lighting

Indoor

Look how gorgeous this bottle is. The detail is like a work of art.

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Swatch-ilicious

 Oh swatching how I love thee. Here's a few swatches of the OPI Holland and Touring collection and some Zoyas I have that I wanted to compare. (click on the photos for larger view)



 
1: OPI I have a Herring Problem
2: OPI Did you Ear about Van Gogh?
3: OPI A-Taupe the Space Needle
4: CND Copper Chrome
5: OPI Wooden Shoe Like to Know?
6: OPI Gooda Gooda Two Shoes
7: OPI Are we there yet?
8: OPI I eat Mainely Lobster
9: OPI My Adress is "Hollywood"
10: OPI Pedal Faster Suzi
11: OPI Vampsterdam
12:  Zoya Katherine
13: Zoya Kalista
14: Zoya Kasey
15: Zoya Tess
16: Zoya Happi
17: Stargazer 317
18: Zoya Evvie

 

Some zoomed-in sun views.

 

Where I try to do a half-moon mani

I've been wanting to do a half-moon mani for awhile. I finally picked up some of those round reinforcement things awhile back and today I decided to go ahead and do it.

So this is my first attempt and my first quasi tutorial. Be gentle!

 

For a half-moon mani you need something like these circular reinforcements. This works like a scotch-tape mani and if you want it to be in a rounded shape these work awesome. I think I paid like $2 for a sheet of 560,

 Next you want to pick the color you want to put over ysour base. I chose OPI's Road House Blues to go with my base of OPI's I have a Herring Problem/CND Sapphire Sparkle from my earlier post.

 You peel off one of the stickers and put it on your nail where you want the base color to show through. You can make it very short or very long. I chose a medium length.

 Then you take your 2nd color and paint your nail from the edge of the stickie down.

 Pull the stickie off (I used tweezers) and you have this!

 Repeat the stick-and-paint step until all your nails are finished. Do some clean up and this will be your finished product!

Of course this being me I couldn't leave well-enough alone. So I added a very thin French tip using China Glaze Sea Spray.

Slap on a layer of top coat (I use Seche Vite) and you're done!