I’m finally starting to get into the Spring spirit! I had to drag my butt to CVS and buy my own Reese’s Peanut Butter egg in order to start feeling festive, but at least I’m starting to pull out my pastel polishes. And when going through my pastels I noticed that one of my new polishes, Zoya “Blu” (review to come), looks very similar to one of my all time favorite polishes, Essie “Borrowed and Blue.” So I had to know, just how similar they actually are.
Keep reading to see if they’re dupes!
Left to right, Index to Pinky: Zoya, Essie, Zoya, Essie
2 coats
Can you tell a difference? Because I can’t. I thought the first picture showed the difference in the 2 polishes, but it turns out it was just the lighting in my apartment (I blame winter and the grey skies). The second picture is more accurate and shows that there is virtually no color difference in the 2 polishes.
However, the formulas are vastly different. Essie “Borrowed and Blue” is streaky, thick and hard to apply. It took 2 coats to get completely opaque but my bottle is also 2 years old. When I first got this polish it was a little thinner and took 3 coats to reach full opacity. Also, the dry time was pretty slow (could be how old my bottle is). Zoya “Blu” is opaque in 2 coats and has a great formula. It is pretty much perfect, which is rare in such a light pastel.
Final verdict? I’m prepared to call them as close of dupes as I have ever found. Which one wins? Hands down Zoya, because Essie’s formula is a challenge to say the least.
What are your thoughts? Which do you prefer? Do you have either of these polishes?
misshollyberries 
I had the essie but gave it away a while back. Of course when Zoya launched the Lovely Collection, I had to jump on the band wagon and get a few, Blu being one of them. I had to look through my Photobucket and Flickr accounts to see if I have worn Blu and I haven’t, so I guess I’ll be taking it for a test drive soon! lol
when you try it out, let me know!! i love the zoya but i think its because i really hate essie formula lol so anything next to essie is like miracle in a bottle for me
They are really simulair! don’t really see the diffrence but i would like the Zoya more.
Don’t like Essie polishes at all
i don’t like em either girl! not a fan of the formula
The Zoya hands down is a much better formula, consistency is important for me and with Essie, I always say its like a box of chocolates…. You know the rest of the saying! Your nails look pretty with that color!
— Judi
so true, essie is like a box of chocolates, you never know the formula you’re going to get. and thank you so much judi!
Pingback: Zoya “Blu” | misshollyberries