When I went to the Contessa Awards 2016 on the Sunday that just passed, I wore Zoya Hannah from the Focus Collection. (Yes, 2016, not 2015. No, I didn’t go ‘back to the future,’ Marty McFly…although just drop the ‘t’ and you’ll get MARY McFly. It has a ring to it, don’t you think?) 😉

Red is a nail colour that isn’t my first pick in the bunch, but I’ll occasionally get the strong urge to wear a spicy red, especially closer to Christmas.

If you followed me on my social media, particularly Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (under the username ‘swatchandlearn’), you’ll remember that for the Contessas, I wore all black, except for my gold statement necklace.

I reserved the pop of red for my lips with MAC RiRi Woo (which is extremely close to MAC Ruby Woo), and for my nails with Zoya Hannah.

As I get older (“Hand me my cane there, Sonny Boy!”), I find myself enjoying the combination of black and gold in my wardrobe a lot because wearing bright and bold lip and/or nail colours becomes more dramatic!

While in the car in the parking lot, about to walk over to the Westin Harbour Castle for the Contessa Awards, my friend, who I invited to join me, noticed my red nail polish. Haha, he’s not the type of guy to comment on nail polish (at least not with me), so I was somewhat surprised that Zoya Hannah caught his eye. (I say ‘somewhat’ because the colour red is psychologically known to attract attention. That’s why you’ll notice it strategically used for call-to-action prompts in marketing campaigns.)

He grabbed my hand and inspected my nails suddenly and unexpectedly. (Whenever people do that, whether they’re friends or strangers, I always feel shocked. I’ll never get used to that, and I never grab people’s hands, unless I’ve asked first.)

After studying each nail at an unforgiving three-inch distance, he asked me if they were press-on nails! Hahahahahaha! I laughed so hard and told him that they are my natural nails. He replied, “But they’re all so perfect!” He looked at me like I was telling a tall tale before carefully inspecting my nails again.

I told him that there are most definitely imperfections. And, as I always tell my readers, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being happy, trying your best, and learning how to get better! 🙂 (I don’t really believe in anything being ‘perfect’ because I don’t believe that anyone should stop trying to improve.)

I’m sure that if he were to look at the photos in today’s blog post that are magnified to larger-than-life proportions, he’d easily see the flaws on each nail…and I am totally comfortable with it.

P.S. If you haven’t already entered, you still have until Friday November 13, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST to participate in my Canadian giveaway for your chance to win 12 Hard Candy nail polishes!

Zoya Hannah Pictures

Zoya Hannah Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener – Maintenance version (Used as a base coat)
• 2 coats of Zoya Hannah
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Artificial Light Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claims: TRUSTED

• Deep red cream (Yes)
• Warm undertone (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Zoya Hannah
• Collection: Zoya Focus Collection Fall 2015
• Press Release: Click here to see the official Zoya Focus Collection & Zoya Flair Collection press release
• Quick Look: Click here to see quick swatches & bottle shots of the Zoya Focus Collection & Zoya Flair Collection
• Colours in the Zoya Focus Collection: Desiree, Charli, Hannah, Janel, Sia & Lidia
• Colours in the Zoya Flair Collection: Tris, Cinnamon, Aggie, Estelle, Giada & Ember
• Amount: 15 mL (0.5 oz)
• Retail Price: $9 USD
• Disclosure: This was provided as a press sample by Zoya.
• Where to Buy: Zoya website & NailPolishCanada

Zoya Hannah Review

Colour

Hannah by Zoya is rich and warm-toned, reminding me of a retro cherry red. That’s why I chose to wear it. I wanted a red that was bright, so it would pop against my black outfit, but that would still appear classy. It fit the bill!

My complexion is fair with yellow/warm undertones, so because Zoya Hannah leans on the warmer side, I found it to be quite flattering.

Finish

Simplicity rules like a manicure monarch.

The creme finish is my first choice for a red nail polish, even though I love sporting shimmers, glitters, holos, and the works. I think it’s because, to me, a red creme is classic. It’s loved by nail enthusiasts of all ages – no generation gap! (While my favourite nail colour is green, I know that green can’t trump red in terms of long-term mass appeal.)

Another thing I enjoy about wearing a creme nail polish is that it is typically easy to remove, unlike chunky glitters that you have to scrub your paws raw.

I’d say that Zoya Hannah is a crelly (creme-jelly hybrid) because while it covered nicely, in some lighting, I could slightly see my nail line peeking through. (This probably could’ve been rectified by adding another coat, but I was comfortable with two layers.)

Does It Stain?

Some of you may wonder if it stains or not, as reds sometimes can. As I’m currently writing this blog post, I’m still wearing Zoya Hannah, so I can’t comment yet. However, I’ll be removing it soon, and I’ll update this section to let you know if it stained or not.

Edit: When I removed this polish, it didn’t stain my nails, but the colour tended to want to cling onto my cuticles. To get rid of it, I just had to go in with an extra cotton ball in nail-polish remover and carefully rub around there. Then, after washing my hands, more came off. So, as long as you wear a reliable base coat and use a good remover, you should be fine with Zoya Hannah.

Application & Formula

As I’ve come to expect from Zoya, the formula was amazingly smooth and goes on evenly without much effort. (Zoya wrote the book when it comes to buttery nail polish!)

Application was a breeze, and I used two coats. As I mentioned earlier, my nail line showed a bit, but it’s not glaringly obvious, so unless that’s the kind of thing that bothers you, you can get away with just using the standard two coats for good coverage.

Ingredients & Vegan-Friendly

Zoya nail polish is a great choice for those who are conscious about wearing healthier lacquer because they don’t contain Toluene, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or DBP.

Also, Zoya nail polishes are vegan-friendly.

Pros Bright warm-based retro cherry red Creme-jelly finishes are typically easier to remove than chunky glitters Smooth formula & even coverage No Toluene, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or DBP Vegan-friendly

Cons Creme-jelly finish can show slight nail lines (If it bothers you, applying an additional coat helps.) If you don’t like shopping online, buying Zoya nail polish in Canada can be challenging.

Final Verdict: 9/10

If you like a classic nail polish that’s fuss-free and may even score you compliments from people who think that your nails are press-ons (haha!), then Zoya Hannah may be The Nail Polish Chosen One! 😉

I recommend this if you don’t already have a similar red or if you want to experience the joy of painting with Zoya, which I’ve found consistently produces quality formulations.

Will you be wearing red nail polish more, as we approach Christmas? Do people ever just grab your hands without you expecting it, just so they can inspect your nails? Which red lacquer do you wear that makes you think of the holidays?