Lacquer or Leave Her!: Review: Zoya Petals Spring 2016 collection

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Hello!

Guess what I have for you today? A soft, feminine, shimmery collection of flower-inspired spring polishes from Zoya's Petals collection for spring 2016. Did I say shimmery? Oh good, because these polish range from soft shimmer to serious shimmer to a mega-shimmer topper that will shimmer the shazbot out of anything.

That's right. I said shazbot.

Let's jump right in! We're gonna start with the subtle shimmers and move on up through the shimmer spectrum...so first we have Zoya Laurel, a soft bubblegum pink with the teensiest pit of shimmer, so slight you might have to click the picture to full size to see it:

Zoya Laurel

Is there such a thing as a crimmer? If so, this is it. I love that you get the look and feel of the creme with just a flash of teeny light here and there. Every girl needs a pink like this in her polish collection (yes, even someone like me who doesn't normally wear pink), and the bitty bit of shimmer makes it special.

This is two coats with a bit of finagling. I found the formula on this and on Tulip to be a titch on the thick side, and I did get a little bit of patchiness; I'd recommend three thin coats rather than two regular ones.

Next we have Zoya Tulip, a smooth soft peach with a dash of shimmer--a little more than Laurel, but not much:

Zoya Tulip

Ah, peach...this is the feminine spring pastel for girls like me who don't instantly reach for the pink. This is an almost universally flattering color, and it looks rich and sophisticated. What's not to love?

Okay, we eased our way into the shimmer with the first two polishes; now get ready to turn up the volume with Zoya Azalea, a sizzling hot pink shimmer with hints of blue-purple to the shimmer:

Zoya Azalea

This is two coats of perfect formula and breezy application. This frosty effect of the shimmer makes this look like the watermelon daiquiri you want to be sipping out on your porch while you watch the kids hunt for eggs. It's passionate and energetic and just fun--love.

Next we have Zoya Zahara, a cantaloupe-peach shimmer concoction that's my favorite of the collection:

Zoya Zahara

This is like a gorgeous mango smoothie or peach cocktail. The shimmer makes it dance, but again this shade is very flattering on almost anybody--it stays firmly in the peach family rather than the orange. This is two easy coats of exceptional formula.

And then there's Zoya Aster, a light lavender that goes toward periwinkle, and shines with white shimmer:

Zoya Aster

*Sigh*...this is hydrangeas in a country garden while you're being served high tea. There's a gentle smoke to it that keeps it from being a typical pastel--Zoya excels at that, I think--and makes it sophisticated. I love it and I'll be getting tons of use from it.

What's that you say? Those don't have quite enough shimmer for you? Don't despair, because our last polish is the queen of shimmer: meet Zoya Leia, a topcoat that will transform any polish into a shimmering iceberg of awesome. First let's check it out over Zoya Lidia on two nails so you can see the transformation:

Zoya Leia over Zoya Lidia

This is one easy coat; so are the swatches below. If you look around the edges, you'll see there is also a duochrome element to this polish; you can see this best over the next swatch. I love how dramatic this is transformation is, it becomes almost a foil.

Check it out over Zoya Yves, which pulls out the duochrome goodness:

Zoya Leia over Zoya Yves

I can't tell you how much I love this look...amazing shimmer plus blue-purple duochrome shift is the way to my heart any day.

But hey, this is spring, and jewel-tones are not what this season is about. Don't worry, because this polish can work its magic even over lighter colors; here it is over Zoya Tulip:

Zoya Leia over Zoya Tulip

That there is a fairy tale in a bottle, my friend.

So what do I think of this collection overall? I'm a shimmer girl, and this collection certainly delivers that--when even the cremes have a touch of shimmer, you've got my attention. I think the palette is gorgeous--this truly feels like a bouquet of beautiful flowers. The cremes require a touch of finesse, but they're worth it, and the shimmers apply perfectly. This is a soft, feminine, flirty collection that celebrates spring in a freshly floral way.

You can buy this collection directly from Zoya's website; you can also find it on Amazon, or in any store that normally carries Zoya polishes.

Happy polishing,
M.