(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)
Hello!
Summer is right around the corner, peeking out at us with lighter skies in the evening and warmer temperatures during the day. Soon it'll be time for picnics, days at the beach, and long weekends frolicking in the warm--and that means it's time for bright, happy, fun polishes! The first summer collection I have to show you is
Zoya's Sunsets summer 2016 collection, a set of six saturated cremes designed to cover in one coat.
 |
| Zoya Sunsets summer 2016 collection |
First up, we have
Zoya Brynn, a bright rosy pink creme:
 |
| Zoya Brynn |
 |
| Zoya Brynn |
 |
| Zoya Brynn |
This applied well, with good formula; you should be able to get coverage with one coat if you're careful. If you get a teeny bare spot, the polish will most likely level to cover it as it dries; if you get a larger bare patch, take a quick second stroke over it and you'll be fine. I did that in some places, so I'm calling these two coats in all of the pictures here and below.
While this is a bright pink, it has an elegant rose quality to it that I love--it makes me think of azaleas or pink hibiscus blossoms. Perfect for the season without going full-on bubble gum.
Next up is
Zoya Cam, a tangerine orange creme with a slightly burnt quality to it:
 |
| Zoya Cam |
 |
| Zoya Cam |
 |
| Zoya Cam |
The formula on this was fine, and I didn't have problems with application, however, Cam didn't cover for me in one coat. This is two coats, and even with that you can see a little patchiness on my ring finger, although to the naked eye, it wasn't very noticeable.
I love the luscious tropical feel to this orange--it reminds me of bird of paradise flowers and yummy dried mango (Trader Joe's has some coated in chili which is amazing, btw...but I digress). Super pretty with a sophisticated edge.
Next is
Zoya Dixie, which I can best describe as a muted cherry creme:
 |
| Zoya Dixie |
 |
| Zoya Dixie |
 |
| Zoya Dixie |
This is a red for people who like the dash of sass that comes with a red, but not the over-the-top-more-likely-to-get-pulled-over-by-a-cop quality of a red. It's sexy, it's subtle, it's summer. I love it.
The formula on this was excellent, and application was good--you can get coverage with this one in one coat if you're careful, as with Brynn.
Next is
Zoya Dory, a sky blue creme:
 |
| Zoya Dory |
 |
| Zoya Dory |
 |
| Zoya Dory |
Great formula and application, you should be able to get coverage in one coat, with care. This color is a go-to for summer--it's bright summer skies and robin's eggs and cool swimming pools.
Next is
Zoya Liv, a smoky lilac creme and one of my favorites from the collection:
 |
| Zoya Liv |
 |
| Zoya Liv |
Good application and formula with this one as well--with a little care you can use one coat with this. The color is flirty and flowery with a touch of elegance--I love how Zoya adds a little touch of smoke to some of their colors, it gives them that added oomph. This is orchids and fields of lilac and somehow--just somehow--it makes me think of unicorn kisses. So there.
And finally, we have
Zoya Ness, an avocado creme and another of my favorites from the collection:
 |
| Zoya Ness |
 |
| Zoya Ness |
 |
| Zoya Ness |
 |
| Zoya Ness |
The formula on this one was approaching the thick side--nothing bad but not quite as free-flowing as the others, and certainly not enough to make application difficult. I did also have difficulty getting coverage with one coat on this one, although two coats evened everything out perfectly for me.
And the color--oh, the color. Fields of clover and ferns in botanical gardens and meadows. It's soft and fresh and free, like running until your legs can't go anymore. If you love greens, you'll love this.
Because these polishes are so saturated, I figured they'd be good for stamping--so I tested them out:
 |
| Zoya Cam, Zoya Brynn, Zoya Dixie stamped over black and white |
 |
| Zoya Liv, Zoya Ness, Zoya Dory stamped over black and white |
Each of these stamped brilliantly over white. They were less successful over black, although Ness and Dory worked beautifully over black, too--so you can definitely work with all of these over lighter colors and can use the green and blue over dark colors, too.
So, what do I think of this collection overall? The colors are saturated and they do cover well, better than most cremes. You may have to finesse a single coat a bit, but with an extra stroke or two, you can make most of them work. The exceptions are Cam and Ness, which both needed two coats for me--but they were two easy coats that leveled easily, and you'd have to do at least that with most cremes. I also think these colors hit a full range of tropical fun colors that will keep you going through the season.
You can find these polishes on
Zoya's website, on
Amazon, or any retail store that sells Zoya polishes; they're on sale now. You can also follow Zoya on
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter.
I'll be back soon with the second half of Zoya's summer offerings--the Seashell Pixie Dust polishes!
Happy polishing!
M.
