Zoya Daul Nail Lacquer ($8.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “medium red-toned purple base with heavy purple and gold iridescent metallic sparkle.” It’s a medium violet purple with red undertones and plenty of pale gold sparkle. The sparkle particles are fairly large, bordering on micro-glitter but flatter and smoother. Zoya Tru has a similar base color but less shimmer and copper-red-colored shimmer at that. Zoya Dannii is lighter, more lavender.
It’s supposed to be fully opaque (Zoya lists it as intensity five, which is the equivalent of opaque). After two swatches, it’s semi-opaque but there is a lot of visible nail line and an underlying sheerness for the majority of the nail bed as well. It would take at least three coats for opaque color. I think it has a really cool reflective sheen, and it did dry to a naturally shiny finish with some metallic shimmer/sheen, though the texture isn’t completely smooth because of the larger-sized shimmers.
The formula wasn’t not too thick or too thin, and it applied fluidly and fairly evenly–definitely no streaking or pooling along the edges. I typically get a week of wear out of Zoya’s formula with no chipping and minor tip wear.
If you don't mind using three or four coats, you might still like the finish and color enough to make it worth the effort. The lack of pigmentation is bothersome, and I'm surprised to see it as a problem, since Zoya's usually quite good about color payoff.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
7.5/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Zoya’s Surf Collection will make its official debut on April 1st, and each shade retails for $8.00 for 0.50 oz. All six shades have a foil metallic finish: Carly (thalia purple foil metallic), Kimber (magenta pink foil metallic), Rory (lotus pink foil metallic), Myrta (coral orange foil metallic), Meg (mermaid green foil metallic), and Zuza (aquamarine foil metallic).
Carly is a rich eggplant purple with strong magenta-red undertones and magenta-pink and violet shimmer. It was almost opaque in one coat, but I used two for swatches. SpaRitual Shooting Star is actually very similar, but the shimmer is sparser and more golden. Milani Hot Metal is purpler, lighter. MAC So Rich So Pretty is less shimmered and purpler.
Kimber is a coral-red with warm orange-gold shimmer. It’s opaque in two coats, though almost a one-coater. SpaRitual Lustress is similar but has pink shimmer. It reminded me of Zoya RIca, but it has a lot less gold shimmer, so the two do not look so much alike as they would seem. OCC Extravaganza is several shades lighter.
Rory is a silver-shimmered cotton candy pink with strong blue undertones. It was opaque in two coats. The only previously reviewed shade that is similar is MAC Ice Cream Cake, which is darker and has no shimmer. Zoya’s Shelby from this launch would also be close but without shimmer.
Myrta is a medium-dark orange with lighter orange shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. There’s a slightly dusty quality to this shade that isn’t present in a lot of other orange polishes. China Glaze Riveting is much brighter. MAC Oriele Orange is similar in base color, though a bit more intense, but it lacks shimmer. MAC Kid Orange is a bit darker and has no shimmer. Zoya Tanzy has a lighter orange base and way more gold shimmer. China Glaze Life Preserver is a bit darker and has no shimmer.
Meg is a warm, lightened grassy green with chartreuse shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. This shade reminded me a lot of MAC’s Swimming eyeshadow. I couldn’t think of great dupes for this shade–it’s green, not chartreuse, and a lot of shades that might be similar ended up being chartreuses. Chanel Peridot will hint this shade at certain angles. Milani Hi-Tech is the closest I could think of, but it’s a bit lighter and has multi-colored shimmer. Nubar Meadow Sparkle is a bit darker and more translucent–more like a glitter top coat.
Zuza is a blue-based aqua with silver shimmer. It was almost opaque in one coat, but I used two coats for swatches. Like Meg, this also reminded me of a MAC eyeshadow–Aquadisiac (though way better). MAC Salad Dressed is similar but less bright. MAC Ocean Dip is deeper, less blue-based.
The foil metallic finish is always fun, because it dries down faster than your average polish. It does dry down to a more matte finish, though, so you’ll want a shiny top coat to finish it off. Like the Beach collection, the pigmentation on these was excellent. You could almost get away with one coat on some of these shades, though all swatches are with two. These were not as thick as the Beach collection; not watery (because it wasn’t streaky or sheer), but the consistency was thin.
Gorgeous shades for summer! These all had fantastic color payoff--all were opaque in two coats--and application was so easy. I loved that the drying time on these is a little quicker, too!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Zoya’s Beach Collection will make its official debut on April 1st, and each shade retails for $8.00 for 0.50 oz. This collection features creamier shades, with the exception of one, which has shimmer. These shades include: Reagan (deep cerise pink cream), Lara (vivid cerise pink cream), Shelby (soft pinky pink cream), Arizona (soft coral orange cream), Tracie (sea glass metallic), and Wednesday (soft aqua cream). Surf features foil metallics (coming up next).
Lara is a medium-dark bubblegum pink with blue undertones and a cream finish. It’s opaque in two coats. OCC Palare is a little more fuchsia and has shimmer. Zoya Jolene is similar but slightly lighter. Lancome Ms. Perfectly Pink is fairly close, perhaps a little less blue-based.
Shelby is a blue-based cotton candy pink with a cream finish. It was opaque in two coats. It’s a little like a Pepto Bismol pink, actually. MAC Pinkly Fresh is several shades lighter. MAC Ice Cream Cake is similar, perhaps a bit darker–this shade was troublesome, too.
Arizona is a warm, light-medium orange with a cream finish. It was opaque in two coats. Sinful Cloud 9 is a little brighter and has shimmer. China Glaze Papaya Punch is a couple of steps darker. China Glaze Sun Worshipper is brighter, more neon, and yellower.
Tracie is a soft pastel green with subtle yellow undertones and threads of white metallic shimmer (so there are some brush strokes). It was opaque in two coats. Barielle Myrza’s Meadow is the only shade I have reviewed before that is similar, but it’s a bit lighter. I haven’t reviewed it yet, but Essie’s Navigate Her is closer, but it is a little less yellow toned to me and doesn’t have shimmer–it’s very close, though!
Perhaps the most impressive characteristic of Zoya’s polishes is the pigmentation; most shades are almost opaque in a single coat, though I always prefer doing two to ensure smooth, even results. It just seems so odd to leave it at just one! All of these felt a smidgen on the thicker side as far as consistency went. Shelby was the hardest to work with, and I’d describe it as an average polish (the others are good to great); it was streaky on the first coat and thick yet watery (perhaps why it was streaky). You will see brush strokes in Tracie, because it has metallic shimmer–if you think of the way brushed metal looks, it looks like that, and I know some love it, some hate it.
I haven’t tested the wear of these particular shades, since they just arrived yesterday. I have tested many, many Zoya polishes and finishes in the past, though, and I’ve always had seven-day wear with them. Admittedly, I can’t think of a brand that does chip on me aside from matte nail polish (with no top coat!). Though I haven’t worn Wednesday extensively, it did stain slightly even after just a half hour or so of being on.
The only shade I wouldn't recommend is Shelby--it was a little streaky for my liking and had a weird consistency that made it more difficult to apply. The other five shades were much better, and all of them were opaque in two coats (some could almost be one coaters).
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Zoya’s True Collection include six spring-time shades: Cho (full coverage, vanilla shimmer metallic), Farah (full coverage, latte beige cream), Bevin Full coverage, pale sage green cream), Tru (full coverage, gilded purple orchid metallic), Lotus (full coverage, light lotus purple metallic), and Skylar (full coverage, silvered slate blue metallic).
Cho is a warm, light beige with very subtle shimmer. It looks almost like a cream finish in natural light. It was opaque in two coats. Zoya Minka was the only similar shade I could think of, but it is warmer and a bit darker.
Farah is a neutral-cool light beige with a cream finish. At a glance, it seems similar to Cho, but it doesn’t have shimmer and lacks the warmth. It was opaque in two coats. Essie Sand Tropez is warmer, almost pink-tinted in comparison. Rescue Beauty Lounge Jane is a touch darker and has subtle shimmer.
Bevin is a cool-toned green–kind of like seafoam green to me but a couple of steps darker–with a cream finish. It was opaque in two coats. I couldn’t think of any dupes–Essie Sew Psyched is much, much darker and greener while Rescue Beauty Lounge Diddy Mow is grayer and much darker.
Skylar is a purpled blue with silver shimmer (the shimmer is almost more like sparkle–it’s not as fine as the other metallics in the collection). It was opaque in two coats. The texture reminded me of Essie Smooth Sailing (which also–initially–seemed like something similar, but it’s much darker and purpler). The color is a bit bluer compared to Zoya Caitlin.
Tru is a rich red-toned eggplant purple with copper-red shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. Zoya Kieko was the closest shade I could think of, but it is lighter.
Lotus is a dusty, medium-dark purple with pink-red shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. Rescue Beauty Lounge Insouciant is grayer, less purple.
The creams were a little thick; I really felt like I had to wipe off excess color more than I do normally with polishes, because it was easy to overapply color and get too thick of a coat. There’s really no need for really thick coats with this polish, because they were all really opaque, and semi-opaque in a single coat at that. The metallics had a better consistency and applied easily without any concerns. The color coverage is really good, though, which is great, since Zoya describes all six as “full coverage.” I’m always surprised when I’m unable to quickly find dupes of polishes; it’s just totally unexpected that there are still original shades to be made sometimes (and I suppose that goes with all color cosmetics). It’s very spring-esque without being perfectly pastel; there is a soft, muted quality to all of the hues in the collection, but they aren’t washed out.
I'm always surprised when I'm unable to quickly find dupes of polishes; it's just totally unexpected that there are still original shades to be made sometimes (and I suppose that goes with all color cosmetics). It's very spring-esque without being perfectly pastel; there is a soft, muted quality to all of the hues in the collection, but they aren't washed out.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Zoya on January 13th, 2012, $8 each
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Zoya Fleck Effects include three shades that feature mylar flecks, which can be worn alone or layered over another polish: Maisie (blue tint with mylar green fleck effect), Opal (green tint with mylar green fleck effect), and Chloe (pink tint with mylar green and gold fleck effect). Each shade retails for $8.00 and will be available online on January 13th.
I swatched all three shades alone (two coats each) and then each shade over a darker base color for layering. The formula on these is thicker, more jelly-like, similar to many glitter polishes on the market. It distributes the flecks evenly for the most part, and you won’t find yourself doing really wacky things with the brush, like dabbing and laying it flat across the entire nail and swirling it.
Maisie consists of green mylar flecks suspended in a blue-tinted clear base. The flakes shift from iridescent green-blue to green to purple, depending on the angle, and then at more of a head-on look, some of the flecks look pink-ish (and under flash, you’ll see what I mean). Layered, it’s a deeper green and shifts to blue around the edges.
Opal consists of green mylar flecks suspended in a green-tinted clear base. The flakes in this are just like Maisie. When worn alone, you can see the difference between the two, as this tints the nail bed green, but the color and shift of the flecks are the same. Layered, it’s the same story as Maisie as well, but it’s even harder to detect a difference.
Chloe consists of mostly coppery-gold mylar flecks with the occasional green fleck (which I didn’t notice in natural light when worn alone, but layered, I saw a few) suspended in a pink-coral-tinted clear base. This one was the most wearable alone, because it gives the nail a healthy tint, whereas the blue and green look unnatural with such a soft tint (but nothing is to say you can’t wear either of those alone!). Layered, it looks almost orange, rather than gold, and you can see the green flecks show up. This seems softer compared to popular layering shades like Essie Shine of the Times, but I haven’t swatched that myself yet so I can’t say for sure.
Alone, Maisie and Opal look different, but when they’re layered over another polish, I couldn’t tell the difference. I suspect over a really, really light base color, you might see the blue vs. green tint come into play, but if you anticipate layering over mostly darker bases, having both is superfluous. Because of the thicker, jelly-ish consistency, I felt like these took longer to dry down. I tested the wear of Chloe layered over Zoya’s Tru, and I had minimal tip wear after a week with no chips.
Alone, Maisie and Opal look different, but when they're layered over another polish, I couldn't tell the difference. I suspect over a really, really light base color, you might see the blue vs. green tint come into play, but if you anticipate layering over mostly darker bases, having both is superfluous. Because of the thicker, jelly-ish consistency, I felt like these took longer to dry down.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
8.5/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Zoya on January 13th, 2012, $8 each
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
As promised, here are several different layering combinations using Zoya’s Gems & Jewels Collection. I also layered the bar glitter shades over gold, silver, and black. I like the shades layered best over Izzy from the holiday collection, but overall, I prefer it over silver!
