Zoya Beach Collection Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:24 +0000

Zoya Beach Collection

Zoya Beach Collection

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).

Reagan is a dark fuchsia pink with blue undertones. I used two coats for swatches, but it was almost opaque in one. MAC Toco Toucan is pinker, less fuchsia. OCC Palare is a little lighter and has shimmer. Essie Super Bossa Nova is redder, darker, and shimmery. Urban Decay Woodstock is brighter, more neon. China Glaze 108 Degrees is redder, darker, and shimmery. SpaRitual Color Trip is more magenta, less pink.
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!
Wednesday is an aqua blue cream. It was opaque in two coats. Essie Mint Candy Apple is much lighter, almost chalky-looking in comparison. MAC Salad Dressed is closer but a little darker. Chanel Nouvelle Vague is a touch lighter and has shimmer. China Glaze For Audrey is a hint bluer and lighter.

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.

Which shade is your favorite?