Zoya Giada should move in with The Royal Family because a dark, glossy purple this impressive deserves a crown and a majestic title like “Her Royal Grapeness, Concordia van Winereesa!” But, okay, Zoya Giada will do.

You know the feeling you get when you’re in the close proximity to a polish that you’re itching to wear? Your pupils dilate to focus on the sheer beauty, your palms get a little sweaty, and you even start to plan the next day’s outfit to complement your fresh manicure! (Any fellow nailphiles relate to this? Hehe!)

Giada was one of the nail polishes in the Zoya Flair Collection that caught my attention when I saw it in person.

While it’s dark and vampy, this purple doesn’t tip-toe into black or near-black territory. Instead, it frolics after hours with the fairies a few minutes before the stroke of midnight, so it remains purple and doesn’t sway to liquorice.

Yes, I saw them frolicking. I got in trouble for trying to Instagram the secret event.

They saw me peeking from behind a giant red-spotted mushroom in the enchanted forest, and the Fairyland Mayor (who wore the cutest olive-green suede jumper, by the way) approached me sternly, and told me to leave the premises. He said that the fairies’ rituals were not to be documented on Instagram, so unless I was a board member of the Secret Magical Society and had a rare press pass, I had better take my business elsewhere! 😉

He softened up a little when I told him that I blog for SwatchAndLearn.com and when he learned that green was my favourite colour. (When he smiled, his cheeks bunched up, and I felt the urge to pinch them, but wisely refrained from doing so.) He said that in order to preserve the magic of nail polish, I had to leave.

So…just trust me when I say that there’s magic in every bottle of nail polish! 😉 Hehe!

P.S. Remember, the Zoya Black Friday promotion is still going on until November 30! If you want some colour inspiration, click here to see all the Zoya nail polishes I’ve featured on my blog.

Zoya Giada Pictures

Zoya Giada Swatches

All swatches have:

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

Artificial Light Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

• Dark purple shimmer (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Zoya Giada
• Collection: Zoya Flair 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 fl. oz.)
• Retail Price: $9 USD
• Disclosure: This was provided as a press sample by Zoya.
• Where to Buy: Zoya website & Nail Polish Canada

Zoya Giada Review

Colour

Giada by Zoya lives up to the claims of it being a dark purple shimmery polish. One glance at the bottle, and you’ll see a beautiful and subtle pinkish shimmer running throughout a sea of inky purple!

While the shimmer is less noticeable on the nail than in the bottle, it’s still there for you to enjoy.

Giada by Zoya is the kind of purple that dreams are made of. It’s everything you love about vampy shades – seductive, mysterious, and makes you fantasize about what it must be to live like Maleficent. 😉 (She’s my favourite Disney villain, by the way. Ursula would probably be my second favourite.)

Finish

The subtle shimmer keeps Zoya Giada from looking blah. When the light hits your nails on an angle, that’s when you notice the magic!

Application & Formula

The formula is excellent, which is what I’ve come to expect from Zoya nail polishes. The pigmentation is superb, the coverage leaves nothing to be desired, and I didn’t experience any staining, despite this being a dark shade.

One coat covered exceptionally well, but I used my usual two coats out of habit. (You won’t require more than two coats for full coverage.)

It has a forgiving formula, so you can use the brush to go over the same area a few times to evenly distribute the colour. There was no clumping, and you have some time to work.

Ingredients & Vegan-Friendly

Zoya’s vegan-friendly nail polishes don’t contain any Toluene, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or DBP.

Pros Dark purple doesn’t appear black or near-black Has some subtle pink shimmer Smooth, opaque formula that’s easy to paint with Fully opaque in up to 2 coats Vegan-friendly No Toluene, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or DBP

Cons If you don’t like to or can’t order online, it can be very challenging to find Zoya nail polishes in brick-and-mortor stores

Final Verdict: 10/10

The top-notch formula combined with the rich shade of purple swayed this nailphile, so I must give it a perfect Final Verdict score!

If you want a purple that applies like a dream, delivers an intense purple, and doesn’t give you any hiccups, then Zoya Giada is the one for you!

Do you think I should’ve disobeyed the Fairyland Mayor and documented the polish magic on Instagram? Who is your favourite Disney villain? What is a polish you wore recently that WOWed you in terms of colour and formula?