Review: Mezaya Non Toxic Nail Products

Disclosure:  We received these Mezaya toxic free nail products to test free of charge from PR.

It was with great interest and a little trepidation that I opened up this cute little box of non-toxic, water based nail products from Mezaya.  The application and removal of nail polish has always been a stinky yet very necessary ritual for me, and while those of us who love the lacquer have built up a tolerance to the smell, there are those who find it quite horrible.  These water based products are free from harsh chemicals and the solvent smell, making them more pleasant to use and less drying.  The biggest question for me was whether they perform as well as traditional polishes.  Find out how I got on with them after the jump.




The products pictured above are the Non-Toxic Nail Colour Remover, the water based Nail Colour in Big Kisses, and an Essential Topcoat Sealer.  The products are applied in the same manner as traditional nail colours, with the exception that the bare nails need to be wiped over with the Remover just before application to ensure that the water based formula of the polish sticks properly.

Firstly, the remover - it can be used to remove both the water based polish and normal solvent based polishes.  I used it to remove my existing traditional polish and was surprised to find that not only was it effective, requiring no more rubbing than a normal polish remover, it was also completely non-stinky.  No fumes, no husband making disgusted faces.  So far so good.  I'd be curious to see how it fares against a gritty glitter, but for the two coats of shimmer polish I was wearing, it worked just fine.

The nail colour itself is a similar texture and thickness to a traditional polish.  It spreads easily on the nail, but I found the Big Kisses shade quite sheer and a little streaky; I had to apply it quite thickly to get even, opaque coverage.  Three coats later, and the colour was revealed as a pretty red/pink with blue based fuschia flash.  Drying time was a little longer than with a solvent polish, and my nails were touch dry within fifteen minutes.  I then applied a thin coat of the strangely cloudy topcoat (which dried down clear and shiny, thankfully).

Once my nails were completely dry I was impressed with the level of shine and rather unimpressed by the finish.  While the polish had applied smoothly and evenly, once dry there were a number of ridges and uneven patches on the surface of the nail, which my eye couldn't help being drawn to. The wear was decent; two days before the tipwear became obvious, and a further day or so with no chips before I had to remove the colour. 

All in all, these water free polishes are comparable to traditional solvent based polishes with the exception of the glassy smooth finish that you get with the latter.  I've been pleasantly surprised by the performance, colour depth, and wear time.  If you can't bear to use normal nail polish because of the smell, then this is definitely a viable alternative.  I intend to pass my samples on to my five year old stepdaughter; I'd much rather she painted this all over her nails (and fingers!) than the solvent based alternative.

Mezaya water-based products are available from ToxicFreeBoutique.com, where a 10ml polish will set you back £8.95, and a 30ml remover will cost you £8.95.