When I first saw it on their website I was curious so I looked over their online pamphlet to get more information. Admittedly it confused the hec out of me the first few times I read over it. Eventually though I figured it out. Zoya was very helpful in answering questions on their Facebook page about it. Not only from me but others as well. All in all my questions were answered in one form or another there.
Without further ado here is the Zoya Naked Manicure Kit plus the lavender perfector I bought separately. You can see that in the photo at the top.
The kit comes with everything most will need to get started. Base coat, pink perfector, tip perfector and satin seal topcoat. Like many however I agree that you should have been given a choice as to what "color" perfector came with it. The pink works well for me but it won't for every skin tone. I personally purchased the lavender perfector as well because it helps with yellowing. My nails are not horribly yellow but sometimes after wearing certain polishes they do get a bit yellow colored even with base coat. I also ended up buying the glossy seal top coat because sometimes I want shiny! It's also great for when you wear polish with the kit.
That is actually one question I asked Zoya. How to wear polish with this kit. Their instructions were exactly how I had been doing it. So yay me! For those curious about that this was their answer: "All you have to do is use the base coat, one coat of the perfector (2 only if you have deep ridges or pitting) and then 1-2 coats of your color. You can use the glossy seal top coat or satin top coat over depending on the finish you want but you don't need both with color."
It is important to note that this kit will NOT repair yellowing because it's not designed to do that. In their own words: "The lavender perfector isn't used to treat yellowing, but to cosmetically neutralize it so it's not as noticeable when going bare. It does have all the same treatment benefits as the other products in this line so it definitely will help to restore health to your nails." So don't go into this thinking that it will fix the yellow cause it won't. It does however do a great job of hiding it when you have it on.
I tested this Naked Manicure kit for three weeks because according to Zoya's Facebook rep that's about how long it takes to see improvement results in your nails. Here are photos taken throughout my trial.The top left photo was taken prior to me using any of the kit's polishes. The top right photo was with the polishes in the kit on. Bottom left was taken a week after usage and the bottom right was taken two weeks after. (Note it is not currently on in either of the bottom photos.) I did not take a photo at week three because I've was out of town. However they honestly don't look any different from the end of week two. I will say that this kit did help with the peeling I was having as well as breakage. I've had one or two peels and a break since I started using it about a month ago but it has gotten much better.
Most of the time when I wore the Naked Manicure I wore it with regular polish because I don't typically like naked nails. I like color! lol I did find that some polishes it chipped faster with than others. It of course did last about a week when wearing Zoya polish with it.Not a huge deal breaker for me either way because I tend to change my polish fairly often. Usually before a week is up.
Wearing it with polish does require an extra step and dry time as you have to apply the base, perfector, color and then the top. Really though it's not any more difficult or time consuming than using two coats of base coat. Which I tend to do anyway to help even my nails out. Especially if I know the color in question stains. So this actually works perfect for me. I purposely used a polish I know to stain with this kit and guess what? No staining! It also takes the place of a ridge filler if you use one because it fills those in quite nicely.
I actually really like the freedom this gives you to not wear polish and still have your nails look great as well. Even though it's fairly rare for me to go "naked" sometimes I do. This kit also makes a great base for a french manicure.
Dry time is pretty good overall but the perfectors do take a little longer to dry than the base or top coat. The pink also took longer than the lavender for me. So be sure to allow yourself adequate time for this to dry.
This kit in general is very easy to use. The tip perfector may take a bit of practice but it's not difficult. Zoya recommends painting down towards the free edge (as if you were painting regular polish on) instead of trying to do it like a french manicure. The key here is to keep it looking natural. Remember you are not trying to do a french manicure with this. You're trying to imitate your natural nail.
So bottom line. Do I think this was worth the purchase? In short, yes.
It's especially great for those who work in places where they can't wear colored polish. I know I used to work in a restaurant and they required "natural" looking nails. It could also be used if you simply don't have time to add color but want great looking nails. Plus as I mentioned above it does aid the overall health of your nails as well and provides a great base for regular polish.
The starter kit for women retails at just $25 on the Zoya website. Which really is a great deal considering you get four bottles with it.
There is also the professional starter kit which comes with all of the "colored" perfector shades, the white tip perfector, naked base, both the satin seal and glossy top coats and a stand. It sells for $96.
The perfectors are sold individually for $10 each. They come in Pink, buff, lavender, mauve, and nude. The satin seal top coat, glossy top coat and base coat is available separately for $12 each.
To find out more or purchase it yourself check it out on their website: http://www.nakedmanicure.com/
It is also currently available at ULTA. (At least it was at mine. You may want to check with yours to be sure.)
