Zoya Midori: What Did I Do Wrong?

First off, Nail Fans, did you see this article? My Bestie in Florida forwarded it to me. A high school football team in Utah has partnered with a cosmetic saleswoman to raise money for their training. One player said, "I don't know what most of this stuff is except the nail polish." Aw! It's a fun read even if you're not a sports fan.

And did you see All Lacquered Up's China Glaze Cha Cha Cha review? She's the Queen of Polish Blogs. I've been reading her articles for years now and I'm dead jealous of her mad polishing skills. But I'm wondering if Midori and Cha Cha Cha are twins. Check out her gorgeous swatches and let me, okay?

Onto my NOTD, Zoya's Midori. When Zoya had that awesome exchange promotion in late April for Earth Day I knew I was going to buy boatloads of polish. Greens are lacking in Helmer #1 (#2 is empty, *sniff!*) and I didn't want Apple from their summer collection. Midori, with her rich green with golden shimmer, caught my eye and boy, is she a beauty!

I really need a photo set-up if I'm going to keep at this. At my desk, morning sun. Look at that shimmer!

After wiping off 11 layers of polish (Ohmygawd, hilarious!) I used one coat of CND Ridge Out, my new bottle since my old bottle is old and it's hard to get filler on the brush. Midori went on like a dream!

Okay, you need to know something...I've heard that Zoya's polishes don't play well with Seche Vite due to some chemical reactions. I have't experienced it myself but I know first-hand that SV and OPI's I Juggle...Men do not play well at all. It puckers up the polish and makes it look like brain coral. So I went to my local Blooming Beauty Supply and picked up the miniature Zoya Color Lock system for $20.00. I didn't use Anchor for this mani but I used the Armor and the drip-dry drops for Midori. The result?

If you enlarge the picture you'll see bubbling on my ring and index finger. Grrr! There's also minor fish-eyes on my left thumb, right thumb, and right ring finger. This happened before with another Zoya polish and using their color lock system.

As for Seche Vite and Zoya? I noticed a bald spot on my right index finger before bed so I slapped another layer of Midori on and a coat of SV. I had no reaction whatsoever between the two brands. Lesson learned? Always use Seche Vite as my top coat!

I'm fairly new to the world of Nail Polish Obsession. If anyone has any advice for me regarding the Zoya system please let me know. Otherwise I'm going back to my tried-and-true routine. I've been avoiding using my Zoya stash for this reason but now that I know SV plays well with Zoya I have a whole new world to show you.

Edited 13:00 06/03/11: So I went on a mission at lunchtime to the mall to check the similarities between Midori and China Glaze Cha Cha Cha. Turns out they are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Midori is a bit richer green with golden swirl. Cha Cha Cha is a smidgen lighter and has tons of golden yellow flecks. I took this picture at noontime, full sun. Granted, a tape sample isn't the best but hey, work with me here!

I'd say if you have one, don't rush out for the other. I can say I'm now a smitten kitten for ChG's Blue Iguana. *swoon!*