In Search of the L’Oreal “Zoe” Collection

I am a regular beauty shopper and I keep up with most of the product launches that occur each season. So I was very excited to see L’Oreal’s Collection Exclusive lipsticks and nail polishes. This collection has nudes, reds and pinks tailored to different skin tones. I’m not sure when the collection launched, but I made sure to check them all out.  I knew that I wanted to try the shades for deeper skintones: the Freida Pinto, Zoe Saldana, and Liya Kebede collections.

My complexion is close to Liya’s, so, naturally, I picked up Liya’s Nude. This gorgeous rosewood brown shade, with just the right combination of sheerness and sheen, instantly became a favorite of mine. However, I made a mental note to try the Zoe and Freida collections, because I didn’t particular like Liya’s Red or Liya’s Pink.

Imagine my shock when I returned to the store a couple of months later and both the collections for deeper skintones were GONE. Worst yet, I couldn’t even remember which actresses were associated with the deeper toned collections (sigh …).

So, I went to L’Oreal’s website to figure out where I can find these discontinued collections. Reading through the comments, I was reminded that Zoe and Freida had collections (thanks to those wonderfully vocal L’Oreal customers!). Their collections were no longer available on L’Oreal and in the stores.

The online hunt was ON.

I went to Amazon, and I wasn’t disappointed. I got ALL of the Zoe shades: the Zoe Red and Pink lipsticks and nail polishes.

I also swatched the shades for your reference.

(Zoe’s Red lipstick on the left, Zoe’s pink on the right)

Zoe’s Red lipstick is a true merlot color. It starts off semi-sheer and builds to a deep, rich color. Zoe’s pink is a soft, pretty bubblegum shade that also starts off sheer and builds to a nearly opaque finish. Both lipsticks are moisturizing and long lasting, and neither dries down to a matte finish.

(Zoe’s Red nail polish on the left, Zoe’s pink on the right)

I wore the Zoe’s Red polish – a pure bordeaux red – on my toes. The polish lasted an average amount of time before chipping (about 3 days), without a base coat or top coat. I haven’t tried Zoe’s Pink yet, because I don’t actually like the shade. It has the faintest twinge of coral that doesn’t flatter my skintone, so I’ll probably pass it along to a friend.

If you’re interested in getting these gorgeous shades for yourself, here are the Amazon links (just click on the photos below):

Have any of you tried the L’Oreal Collection Exclusive shades? Please let me know in the comments below!