Zoya Sparkle Collection Swatches & Review
 The Zoya Sparkle collection has completely wowed me. I predicted when I saw the promo images that I would find some must-haves in the bunch but seriously they’re all winners. Even the reds and pinks which is so unlike me.
With this first of two Summer 2010 collections, Zoya has combined the twinkling beauty of the China Glaze glass flecked formula with the foil-like metallic glitter as seen in the Orly Foil FX collection. Together they make for one killer combo of bling and glitz that will razzle dazzle you a la Chicago. I want to break out the jazz hands and fan kicks just thinking about it. Check out the girls, Ivanka, Charla, Mimi, Alegra, Nidhi and Gilda, after the jump! |
What makes the Sparkle collection stand out amongst other colors in this genre is the pigmentation. The problem with glitter polishes is that if the base gets too thick with pigment, the glitter fades to the background or leaves you with a chunky, bumpy mess. So it’s a fine balance and Zoya has definitely toed the line.
The Sparkle formula is still semi-sheer but with three thin coats, they are completely opaque. Of course, if you’re more heavy handed with your polish application you could probably get away with two coats but I find that thicker layers lead to chipping so I prefer to keep them thin. Nidhi is the lone exception to that rule as she is much more pigmented though slightly less flashy.
The polish applies much like the China Glaze glass flecked formula except that when it dries it loses its jelly quality. That’s when the metallic glitter comes into play, giving them more of a foil-esque finish than the ChG glass flecks with that “lit from within” look.
I knew Ivanka would win my heart before I even saw her in person. It’s hard for me to not love a green. Though the fact that I have not one green that matches its light emerald base was surprising. I swatched a bunch of different shades trying to find a base color match and the closest I found would be if I combined Sally Hansen Emerald City and Rimmel Camouflage though neither one has Ivanka’s glamour. How very fitting for a polish that shares a name with Ivanka Trump.
Charla has that watery “mermaid” look like the blue-green glitter Deborah Lippmann will be debuting this fall. Of course they look nothing alike, they’re just variations on a theme. Charla’s deep aqua base is similar to Color Club Emerald Depths but with a teal green shimmer that reminds me of China Glaze Watermelon Rind.
Mimi is pure, purple perfection; very rich and grape-tastic with what looks to be light purple/pink metallic micro-glitter. A purple shimmer this vivid and true is hard to come by, at least in my stash. To me, Mimi has no real match. It’s warmer and more vibrant than Milani Totally Cool and when compared to China Glaze Grape Juice, Mimi pops. Grape Juice actually looks kind of dull standing next to Mimi and I LOVE that polish.
Alegra is a radiant fuchsia gem. Think of it as an electrified version of Tama from the Utopia collection. The base color reminds me of China Glaze Sass in a Glass though the glitter is different. Alegra has a dark pink glitter as compared to Sass’s cool, light pink sparkle.
Gilda is kind of like Alegra’s brighter, lighter sister. The relationship is similar to those two OPIs in the Brights collection, Flashbulb Fuchsia and Ladies & Magenta-men. With a base color that’s somewhat like OPI Can’t Help Falling In Love, Gilda is a power mix of the three with bit more punch and heck of a lot more pizazz.
Nidhi is definitely the most subdued Sparkle in the bunch. With its dense pigmentation, the red and gold micr0-glitter seem to be more of an accent than a statement piece. The warm tomato red tone is reminiscent of last summer’s China Glaze Cherry Pie but with much more opacity and depth of color. This was the only two coat-er in the collection.
Bottom line: If you even remotely like the glass-flecked look or the foil finish, run, don’t walk, to buy this whole collection. And if you’re like me and flock to the shiny and sparkly like a moth to a flame, I don’t even know what you’re still doing here unless you’re placing your order in another browser window! If I had to pick a Top 3: Ivanka, Charla, Mimi (in that order). I know, I know big surprise!
The Zoya Sparkle collection is available for pre-order now with an expected ship date of April 1st (and that’s no joke!). Order online at Zoya.com. Polishes retail for $7/ea OR buy the whole collection for $36/set and save $6.
So Fanatics, did the Sparkle collection live up to your expectations? Exceed them? Disappoint? Which shades will make it onto your polish shopping list?
And totally off topic but I’ve been growing out my nails just to see if I could shape them more round but I feel they’re getting too long. Should I take ‘em down or maintain the length?
Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me by Zoya. For more information view my Disclosure Policy.
Oh my – gotta have em all, except for Nidhi – I feel I can skip that one.
Awesome swatches!!!
What can I add? My list (in order) would be Charla, Mimi and Ivanka
Oooh I’d like them all bar the green (ain’t a green fan!). Pretty!
ooooh just preordered my set after seeing the swatches! whoohoo! gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!
Wow! My favorite colors are Charla and Gilda.
P.S. Right now I am wearing OPI’s “OPI Ink.Suede” on my fingernails.
Thanks for taking the time to post a pic of each color. I really like using glitter nail polishes as the base coat and adding designs on top of that. It creates depth.
Hey, are there any dupes or colors close to charla or ivanka? Thanks!
Gorgeous!
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I need all of them!
4 me, ivanka is the only one that stood out. so if i ever had the chance to buy it, i would. im soo sad that i would have to go on a bus that would take 4ever.
Wow, they all look amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything similar to Charla or Mimi. I’d love to see how Ivanka compares to China Glaze’s Emerald Sparkle.
Awesome collection, I especially love Gilda and Charla!
Regarding your nails, take them down. I used to do nails and I think the longer rounded nail makes women look older. Just my opinion tho. I love the length you always wear. I wear mine that way too.
Oh wow…
So I just got my shipment in and the only thing I can think the whole time I’m painting Charla on my nails is “the person at Zoya who came up with this collection should get a HUGE raise!!” I loved them in your pics and per-ordered right away, but they are surprisingly even more spectacular in person! I’ve never felt the need for backups, but I think I need a backup SET of these.
Wow, Zoya… Wow!!
Just got Ivanka, Charla and Alegra. Alegra is the closest to conventional, but that means I can wear it to federal court and get away with it.
Ivanka is a green traffic light late at night. Never seen anything like it in a bottle.
Charla, similarly, is something I’ve never seen before. What the Caribbean is supposed to look like.
I swatched the two separated by CG Watermelon Rind and it would make a cool duochrome ombre mani…except not even CG glass flecks light up like these two.
Oh, these are awesome! I’ve never ordered from Zoya before; Do you know if the 36$ sets are full sized bottles or mini bottles?
The 6 piece “sampler” sets are full size bottles (.5 oz each).
I went and bought Alegra and Gilda just now. Charla looks unbelievably amazing in person, but I’m not sure it would work on my skin color. Mimi too is gorgeous. I was a little disappointed when I saw Ivanka in person, but it looks great in your photo!
I like your nails shorter like you usually have them. I think it’s a very modern look.
I couldn’t decide which colors, so I had to order the whole set! Can’t wait to get them! It is so nice to have the pics with your nails to see what the polish looks like on.
I think your nails look fabulous in these photos. They don’t seem too long to me. I think the shape they are here is nice, not rounder.
These are all STUNNING. Alegra and Mimi are right up my alley and even though I never wear reds or pinks, I’m really looking forward to trying Gilda and Nidhi. There’s something about the gold shimmer in Nidhi that makes it so much more special than other reds.
i want all of them (except maybe Mimi)! Ivanka looks so cool!