Zoya Gems & Jewels Collection includes three shimmery shades along with three glittery shades. Each color retails for $8.00.
Izzy is a darkened pink with bright fuchsia-pink shimmer and a metallic-like finish. I used two coats for opaque color. China Glaze Endurance is similar but has silvery-white micro-glitter so the finishes are quite different. It’s not as red-based as Zoya Gilda.
Holly is a luxurious emerald green with lighter green shimmer. Really rich and decadent–opaque in nearly one coat but I used two for swatches. Very Christmas-y green. It’s not like China Glaze Mistletoe Kisses, which has a lot of silvery-white glitter, nor China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, which has a much darker base. It is darker and smoother compared to Zoya Ivanka.
Noel is a metallic medium-dark silvered blue with silver shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. The base color seems similar to Zoya Crystal, but Crystal has gold sparkle in it.
Kissy is a pink and ruby red glittery layering coat with holographic bar glitter. I used two coats, and it was mostly opaque.
Rina is an emerald green shimmered base with emerald green and teal bar glitter. I used two coats, and it was more opaque than not but you could see some nail visible in spots.
Twila is a medium-dark blue shimmered base with brighter blue bar glitter.
The formula on the shimmery shades (Izzy, Holly, and Noel) is beyond phenomenal. I don’t know if I’ve ever used such a perfectly applying polish before. Each coat is extremely pigmented (I used two for all six shades here, but one is almost enough on the shimmery shades), but the consistency is fluid and flowing without being watery nor thick. I had really good wear out of Holly layered with Twila (seven days with minimal tip wear and no chips).
I was surprised at how opaque the layering shades were, actually. You could easily wear them alone, though I think they work really well layered, too. The only downside is removal is a bit messy–you can see as I swatch through more and more combinations using the glittery shades how I still have residue on my skin. It’s not impossible, but they take a little more work and time than a cream finish (which is par for the course).
I found the bar glitter to be fun and something I’ve personally never tried before, so I had some experimenting to do (will have a whole post up next with various combinations and layering, so stay tuned!). It’s perfect for the holidays, and it reminds me of tinsel. You’ll need to make sure to take care of the edges so you don’t have any stray glitter pieces extending past the edge of your nail, but the glitter spreads evenly without trouble. I can’t wait to rock these closer to the holidays!
The glitter shades are the most unique out of the bunch, but I still think the way the shimmery shades came out is great--and not necessarily shades I have dupes of. The formula is so easy to work with. I knew when I saw these at Cosmoprof, they would be good, but they're even better.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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:
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 Mirrors Collection contains metallic nail lacquers, including: Jem (sparkly fandango pink metallic), Yara (sparkly olive green metallic), Neeka (sparkly amethyst purple metallic), Marina (smoky steel blue metallic), Tao (smoky slate gray metallic), and Nimue (smoky rich thistle metallic).
Jem is a rich, jewel-esque pink-shimmered purple-red. It has both pink and gold shimmer. I used two coats for opaque color coverage. It’s similar to Zoya Valerie but the base is less black.
Yara is an olive green base with green-gold and green flecks of sparkle. I used two coats for opaque color coverage.The sparkle portion is similar to the type in China Glaze Zombie Zest, but the base of that polish is very murky and dark olive in comparison. The base of Yara is similar to Dree (but greener) of the Smoke collection.
Neeka is a slightly dusted grape purple with flecks of gold shimmer and sparkle. I used two coats for opaque color coverage. I couldn’t think of similar shades for this one.
Marina is a steely blue with silver micro-shimmer. This one read the most metallic to me, because the shimmer threads through the color base. I used two coats for opaque color coverage. Butter London Lady Muck came to me first, but it’s much lighter.
Tao is a silver-shimmered medium gray. I needed three coats with this shade to get opaque color. NARS Full Metal Jacket is similar but darker.
Nimue is a silver-shimmered purple-mauve. I used two coats for opaque color coverage. Nubar Vaso is similar but more metallic and pinker.
Overall, the formula on these was on the thinner side but not difficult to use. I needed three coats on Tao, but I felt two coats were appropriate for opaque color on the other five shades. Marina, Tao, and Nimue have a stronger metallic finish than Jem, Yara, and Neeka, but they definitely all look more metallic in brighter light. I wore Jem for a week to test out the wear, and I had only minor tip wear, which is consistent with my past experience with Zoya’s metallic formula. The darker shades (like Jem) are very pigmented and almost opaque in one coat. The metallic finish does result in brush strokes, which were easy enough to control but may be a turn-off for some. I used Zoya’s Anchor + Armor for base/top coats.
Besides noticeable brush strokes, it's a nice collection of metallics for fall. Only Tao needed three coats, while the rest were opaque in two, and the formula flowed evenly and the shimmer/sparkle distributed well.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9.5/10
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:
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 Smoke Collection contains six cream nail lacquers, including: Anja (smoky palatinate purple cream), Cynthia (smoky Prussian blue cream), Dree (smoky camouflage green cream), Jana (smoky mauve quartz cream), Petra (smoky eggplant mauve cream), and Codie (smoky brown taupe cream).
Anja is a deep, burgundy-wine cream. It was opaque in nearly one coat, but I swatched it with two. It looks extremely similar to Rescue Beauty Lounge Drifter. Zoya Stacy is redder and browner.
Cynthia is a deep, forboding gray-blue. It was opaque in two coats. I detected the faintest hint of micro-shimmer that only was noticeable under very, very bright light. The only shade I could think to compare it to was Chanel Steel, but it doesn’t have the same blue tone.
Dree is an olive green with a cream finish. It was opaque in two coats. Chanel Khaki Vert is greener, less yellow-based, while Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War is darker and greener–Dree appears almost muted in comparison. Zoya Gemma is greener, less olive, and has lots of shimmer.
Petra is a dark, gray-casted purple with a cream finish. It was opaque in two coats. China Glaze Below Deck is closer to Petra than it was to Jana.
Codie is a dark, cool-toned black-brown cream. It was opaque in two coats. Essie’s Little Brown Dress is similar but a little warmer and lighter.
All six creams applied nicely–even flow, good color coverage (two coats used for all swatches), and the formula wasn’t too thick or thin. I tested out Jana for wear, and it wore for a week with minor tip wear, which is my normal experience with Zoya’s cream formula. I used Zoya’s Anchor + Armor for base/top coats.
Oddly enough, I see the smokiness that Zoya went for with these polishes. It's most apparent in Cynthia, which ended up looking really complex despite its cream finish.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
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:
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 Mod Mattes Collection includes three limited edition, matte shades for summer. These shades include: Phoebe (shimmered blue with a matte finish), Mitzi (chartreuse with a matte finish), and Lolly (pink with a matte finish).
Phoebe is a bright cerulean blue with very faint white micro-shimmer and has a matte finish. It was opaque in two coats.
Mitzi is a bright yellow-based chartreuse green with a matte finish. I used three coats, but I still could not get a nice smooth, even finish. This shade was the hardest to apply without getting an uneven surface.
Lolly is a medium-dark pink–almost neon but not quite there–with a matte finish. I used two coats for opaque color, and this shade applied the smoothest of three, because it was also the most pigmented.
Make sure you check out the swatches for my final attempt with Mitzi–hopefully you can see the difference between the variations of coat thickness and use.
my thoughts on the formula: I had a lot of trouble with these; I could not figure out the trick to an even, smooth finish. I expected some of the contouring of my natural nails to peek through but didn’t expect so much unevenness as a reslt of the polish drying down. Even though the shades are opaque on the nail, they look almost streaky. After five or six attempts, I did find that thick coats were key–one thinner coat followed by a much thicker coat (and maybe even another) gave it a must smoother finish. Mattes, without a top coat, tend to wear for shorter periods of time; I wore Mitzi for three days before it chipped a bit (no top coat).
I love the colors themselves, because they're gorgeous and perfect for summer, but I couldn't get the formula to work on me.Lolly was the best, followed by Phoebe, with Mitzi being the most difficult. If Phoebe was more pigmented, I think it would be as easy to work with as Zoya's Matte Velvet shades. These take patience and some willingness to trial through to find a method that works.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
7.5/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
3.5/5
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:
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 Summertime Collection includes six cream finish shades for the summer. The shades include: Areej (pink with an opaque cream finish), Breezi (soft, dusty medium cerulean blue with an opaque cream finish), Kieko (warm, red toned dusty oilght purple with berry tones with an opaque cream finish), Mira (blue-toned medium purple with dusty lavender tone an an opaque cream finish), Sooki (bright, clean, crisp cool cherry red cream with subtle jelly finish), and Tamsen (medium warm brick red with strong orange tones with an opaque cream finish).
Areej is a medium-dark magenta pink with a creamy finish. I used two coats. It reminded me of Barielle’s Daring Dahlia without the shimmer.
Breezi is a medium-dark cerulean blue with a creamy finish. I used three coats. It is a dustier, more muted version of SpaRitual’s Crystal Eyes. It is darker and more muted than Zoya’s Robyn.
Kieko is a medium magenta-tinged purple with red undertones and a creamy finish. I used two coats. It seemed similar to an older limited edition shade by MAC called For Fun.
Mira is a dusty grape purple with a blue-base and creamy finish. I used two coats. It darker and less blue-based than Orly Charged Up and SpaRitual Illume.
Sooki is a bright cherry red with a creamy finish. I used two coats, but it was almost opaque in one. It’s similar to China Glaze Cherry Pie without the shimmer and China Glaze Hey Sailor.
Tamsen is a rich, orange-based red with a creamy finish. I used two coats. Essie’s Red Nouveau and Rescue Beauty Lounge Chinoise are a touch lighter and China Glaze Ruby Deer and Butter London Pillar Box Red are quite similar.
my thoughts on the formula: Zoya’s cream formula is beautiful here–thin without being runny or watery or too sheer. With the exception of Breezi, they applied in two coats for a creamy, opaque look.
The six shades are a little reminiscent of last year's Flash collection, but upon a closer look, they aren't very similar. I did find that Sooki and Tamsen are similar to each other, with Tamsen only slightly more orange-based, and as they are both red creams, easy shades to dupe.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
9.5/10
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:
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 Sunshine Collection includes six metallic finish shades for the summer. The shades are: Apple (luminous yellow-toned apple green packed with gold metallic sparkle), Faye (bronzed mauve with purple and brown undertones flooded with rich gold sparkle), Kimmy (gleaming metallic candy apple red brightened by gold sparkle), Reva (cool-toned strawberry red with glowing golden metallic sparkle), Rica (warm light coral with pink and orange tones and heavy gold metallic sparkle), and Tanzy (light, bright tangerine orange with yellow gold metallic sparkle).
Apple is a lightened apple green with green and gold metallic sparkle. I used two coats, but I think three would have been better. Zoya’s Ivanka is a much darker shade of green — more emerald, while this is more spring-like.
Faye is a red-based a magenta mauve base with golden copper sparkle. I used three coats, but there was still some visible nail line. I couldn’t think of a dupe for this shade.
Kimmy is a bright pinky red (almost cherry red) with gold sparkle. This one was really rich and opaque–I used two coats but one was almost sufficient. It reminded me of Duri’s Bombshell but with more gold shimmer. It is similar to Zoya’s Nidhi though this has gold sparkle and is less orange-based. Nubar’s Rosso is also similar but it has less pronounced gold sparkle–more glass-flecked finish.
Reva is a plummy raspberry with red and copper sparkle. I used two coats. Zoya’s Alegra has a similar overall feel but they’re less dupes and more cousins–Alegra is lighter, pinker, and less nuanced. Zoya’s Gloria is a lighter, more multi-colored variation of Reva.
Rica is a darkened coraled pink with bright gold and copper sparkle. I used two coats, but the result wasn’t quite opaque. It’s a sparklier version of China Glaze Strawberry Fields.
Tanzy is a brightened, tangerine orange with orange-copper sparkle. I used three coats. It’s a sparkly version of China Glaze Cruisin’.
my thoughts on the formula: The formula here seemed a bit inconsistent. A couple–like Kimmy and Reva–were good with two coats while the majority needed three coats. I felt that these really required a full wait between coats, because otherwise the glitter looks patchy and some bald spots can appear–while shades from the Sparkle collection had a glitter formula that spread really evenly no matter what. These seemed more finicky.
I wish some shades were more pigmented--they tended to be on the sheerer side and several needed three coats for a more opaque look. I like the shades themselves and the overall concept but the formula didn't feel as well-executed as Zoya's formula usually is. The shades from the Sparkle collection (which was extremely well-done) did need three coats for the most part but the glitter spread so evenly that it wasn't difficult to do three even coats, and you could easily do thin or thick coats without concern. I do like these quite a bit, but I'm a little less enthusiastic as they fall short of the Sparkle shades.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9.5/10
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:
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!
