Woohoo! I’m finally getting some posts out here that have been sitting in my drafts forever! Zoya is a brand that I have never shared here on my blog before. For me, in the early days of my nail polish obsession (~2014) Zoya was fairly easy to obtain in the Netherlands. However, it was also super expensive, and I was a student. I obsessed about them for hours but never purchased them. When I finally started working, Zoya disappeared from the dutch market and I couldn’t get my hands on it anymore.
Fast forward to 2023, when Zoya decided to open their US website (Zoya.com) for international customers. Sure, you pay an international shopping fee, but the sales on the Zoya website are so nice that I was able to purchase these shades for a better price than what I would have paid when they were still available in the Netherlands.
I just picked up some random shades that I really wanted to have for a long time, and I got the whole Zoya Spring 2023 as a free gift. That resulted in this random blogpost with random Zoya swatches!
Zoya Blaze
One formula I really wanted to try from Zoya is their scattered holographic formula. They have these scattered holographic shades in all sorts of colors, but I ended up picking this magenta one called Blaze.
Let me tell you, it definitely did not disappoint. The formula was so nice and was opaque in two coats. I’m obsessed with this formula and I want to buy all available colors!
The Zoya scattered holographic finish reminded me a lot of Picture Polish’s holographic finish. Therefore, I had to compare Zoya Blaze to Picture Polish Bordeaux. The particles in Blaze are slightly bigger and more holographic than the particles in Bordeaux. Bordeaux is also a bit more true red while Blaze clearly has pink undertones. I also had to compare Blaze to ILNP Diablo, which is probably my favorite holographic red polish ever. Diablo has a much stronger holographic shimmer and is also a bit darker.
Zoya Sansa
Zoya Sansa was another color that I had my eye on for the longest time. It was originally released as part of Zoya’s Fall 2014 collection and I remember that I was obsessed with this shade ever since I saw swatches back in 2014. My first impression of this shade was that it was a lot darker than I expected. It almost constantly looked black. The gold shimmer really stands out nicely.
I’m wearing two coats here in the picture. My ring finger and pinky look a bit patchy, so in hindsight I probably should have used three coats.
Zoya Tink
Zoya Tink was one of the colors that I got for free, since it was part of the Zoya Daydreaming sale. I was really surprised by this shade since it is just described as an amaranth magenta infused with micro-shimmer by Zoya. However, I noticed that the micro-shimmer actually looks holographic/iridescent. It’s something I have never seen before in a polish and I think it really gives an interesting spin on this shade!
Tink is a bit sheerer. I’m wearing two coats in the pictures, but I applied a third coat after I took the pictures. It deepened the color a bit.
Zoya Merida
Zoya Merida has the same scattered holographic finish as Zoya Blaze. It was released for Fall 2016 and it has been living rent-free in my head ever since. It’s perfect for the holiday season but it also look awesome during fall.
I’m wearing two coats here and the shade was incredibly easy to apply.
Zoya Sipsey
Finally, I’m ending with another ‘free’ shade. This is Zoya Sipsey from the Daydreaming collection. I’m going to be honest and tell you that I wouldn’t have purchased this one if it hadn’t come for free. It’s described by Zoya as a red amber with micro-shimmer. It’s definitely not the same micro-shimmer as the shimmer in Tink, so it’s not holographic. It does have some small gold flakes, so maybe that’s what Zoya is referring to?
I’m wearing three coats in the picture, this shade was a tad sheer.
Conclusion
This was my first time trying Zoya, and overall I’m really excited! I’m kicking myself for not ordering more shades because now I have to pay for another round of international shipping. I’m especially enthusiastic about the scattered holographic shades (Blaze and Merida) and I hope I can add more to my collection soon.
Something that I want to mention is that Zoya now comes with a thin brush. When shopping at the Zoya website you can add a thicker Zwide brush for 0.50$. I ordered the Zwide brush for Merida, Sansa, and Blaze and it really makes a huge difference. The brush is wide but also very flat which makes the polish very easy to apply.
