Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Zoya Faith


The last Buffy the Vampire Slayer mani I have for you is Zoya Faith. Zoya Faith is a metallic strawberry red with a subtle magenta duo chrome. In comparison to Zoya Buffy and Zoya Willow, I found the formula to be a little more runny and I had a slight problem with flooding. I am wearing three coats here, though two would have sufficed. Compared to the other to BTVS manis, this one is certainly the most vampy and I assumed it would be my favorite of the three. As it turns out I am more of a Buffy girl, both in terms of the character and the polish. Zoya Faith is lovely, but I don't think I love it. I was expecting the red to be deeper, or for the pink duo chrome to be more pronounced. Overall, this is not the most unique shade but is still a fun, wearable red.

As I have stated in my other posts, I am not positive Zoya created the polishes Buffy, Willow, and Faith with the show's characters in mind. But as a die hard BTVS fan, all of the polishes seemed to match up with the leading ladies, both in terms of their style and personality.

Eliza Dushku as Faith in BTVS
Faith is introduced to as a charismatic, assertive, and seductive young slayer. Buffy's friends and family quickly grow fond of her, though Buffy feels like Faith is taking over her life and identity. As the series progresses, Faith becomes an incredibly complex character who struggles to balance her sacred duty as a heroine with her inclination towards the dark side. However, Faith does not team up with the big bad from time to time simply because she is evil. Rather, as an insecure and troubled woman, she seeks power and affection in all of the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. Faith is also the most sexualized character on the show. Dark kohl liner, deep red lips, tight leather pants, and a painted on tank top is her standard garb, and her sex appeal is a weapon she employs to manipulate opponents.



In many ways, Buffy and Faith are foils of one another. Where Buffy is conventionally feminine and "good," Faith is dangerous and "bad." Yet, as it turns out, they are different only in degree, not in kind. Buffy discovers that the line between good and evil is indeed a blurry one that is often difficult to navigate. She and Faith are not so different, for being a slayer necessitates one live outside of the law, enact violence, and meddle in the dark side. Faith is not the only character in the series who struggles to balance good/evil. For instance, Willow, whose interest in witchcraft emerged from a desire to defeat demons, falls into the dark arts and nearly destroys the world. Angel and Spike, too, are both with and without souls throughout the series. The binary between dark and light, then, is largely a fictitious one, and it is the dissolution of this dichotomy that makes the series so riveting and relatable.

Although Faith's character comes problematically close to conflating female sexuality with danger, it is wonderful to see a woman on television who is so frank and unashamed of her sexuality and her desires. With her red lips and tight clothes and multiple sex partners, she is what your mama might call a slut. But this rouge slayer knows what she wants, and she fights for it even if she has to bend the rules to get it. I think that even though most of us think ourselves to be more like Buffy or Willow, there is a little bit of Faith in every woman.






Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Favorites More