Zoya Spring 2014 – Awaken and Monet Swatches & Review
Just as hotly anticipated as the Zoya Magical PixieDusts, Zoya Awaken and new glitter topper Monet bring sparkling power pastels, dreamy creams and a glowing metallic to the spring color table. I’m all about Zoya’s sparkling, flecked finish so I couldn’t wait to play with these new Water Lilies-esque shades.
Formula & Application
Zoya nail polish is 5-Free (free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin & Camphor). Their signature Italian glass bottles have a tapered, shiny black plastic cap that rests comfortably between the thumb and index finger while polishing. The brush is short, round and medium in girth with flexible bristles that allow for ease of control.
Because there is such a variance in finish and consistency among the different finishes, I will address application individually below.
Zoya Brooklyn is a pale, buttery gold with a pearl finish. It applies pretty patchy and has brush stroke issues but with enough finesse, and three coats, you can get a relatively smooth result.
Zoya Brooklyn
Zoya Cole is a peachy creme. It’s not quite as ripe and bold as NARS Wind Dancer, nor is it as deep and pink-y as Essie Resort Fling. Note: It has major application issues. We’re talking sheer and streaky and needing 3-4 coats.
Zoya Cole
Zoya Dillon is a spearmint green metallic with silvery and golden shimmer. I know some people mentioned it reminding them of Zoya Zuza (a personal fave of mine) but this shade is much lighter and not nearly as turquoise. The finish is their only similarity. It applies smooth and even with decent pigmentation. I used three coats but you might get away with two.
Zoya Dillon
Zoya Dot is a mellow baby pink creme with cool undertones. It wasn’t nearly as patchy as Cole and with three thin coats, I achieved a nice, even coverage.
Zoya Dot
Zoya Hudson is a cool orchid metallic with what appears to be pink, silver and gold shimmers. Think of this as the cool version of Zoya Stevie (minus the texture) as its nowhere near as warm but has the same saturation level. Like, Dillon, it delivers full, even coverage in three coats.
Zoya Hudson
Zoya Rebel is a cool, Caribbean blue metallic with silver and gold shimmer. The gold stands out more in the bottle than on the nail. Whereas Zoya Skylar is a faded denim, Rebel is punchy and vibrant in comparison. Again, I felt three coats were necessary. Mainly because the camera can pick up VNL (visible nail lines) easier than the naked eye. YMMV.
Zoya Rebel
Zoya Monet is a holographic, glitter topper. Though unlike other holo glitters that are all silver, these come in a rainbow of hues. Its tinted pink base is VERY thick, to evenly suspend the glitter particles, which makes applying Monet a challenge. One coat doesn’t really deposit that many pieces of glitter but additional coats make for a super thick layering combo. I applied one coat over Dot using my Dab, Dip, Glide method.
Zoya Monet over Dot
Bottom Line: I’m completely smitten with the three sparkling metallics in this collection. Purple, blue and green. I mean, hello, it’s like they were MADE for me. I like to think of this finish as an elevated version of the subtle crystal sparkle I love in Essie polishes. So for me, all three are winners. The formula issues that plague Brooklyn, Cole and Dot earn them a pass and Monet is just too thick to achieve the desired effect.
Zoya Awaken and Monet are available now at salons nationwide including ULTA stores and online at Zoya.com and Amazon.com
So, how are we feeling about Awaken and Monet? Do you plan to pick any of these up? What color would you wear Monet over?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Zoya. Affiliate links appear in this post. When you purchase through an affiliate link, you help support this site. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
Wouldn’t you consider Monet iridescent, not holographic?
Also, I’ve found a way to eliminate brushstrokes in your favourite polishes. You just paint as many coats necessary to become opaque and let them completely dry. You then paint some polish on a cut up piece of foundation wedge or an eyeshadow foam stick and then lightly dab it over your nails. Once you clean up your nails and add top coat, the brushstrokes will be gone and the shimmer will pop!
Well, I guess it can go either way. When I originally saw the bottle images, I thought it was iridescent but I always think of iridescent top coats as being more like cellophane-esque shards. In this case, the solid glitters do reflect a rainbow of colors.
I’ve done the sponge trick with chromes before but when I’m reviewing a polish, I like to show how it looks without special techniques.
Pretty collection!!
The peach-y nail polish is so pretty and sweet! Love this collection!
Thanks for the swatches. I have been stalking the blogs looking for them before I ordered. I really only like Dillion and Hudson and feel safe ordering them now.
These are really petty colours for 2014
I wonder if Monet and the other thick polishes can be thinned out..? I’ve been on the fence about these for some time. Will have to consider holding off on these. Thanks for the swatches!
You’re welcome! I’m not a fan of use thinner unless it is absolutely necessary to revive a polish. Even though thinner works, I feel like, over time, it can deteriorate the polish. So I’m not going to try it in Monet.
Lately I’ve found a number of well-known indies to be too thick, so have had to use thinner from the get-go. On a couple I couldn’t even finish the first coat and had to even add some base so I could continue using it! I wish I didn’t have to reach for the thinner right away but the polish wasn’t workable without it. Thanks for the great review and swatches! I’m willing to battle the application issues with this collection. The colors are TDF!
I love your swatches! My favorites are the metallics but as these are all very ‘Water Lily’-esque I find myself compelled to have every one! But then my favorite painter has always been Monet, so it wasn’t a hard sell for me! I can’t wait to get these in and start playing! Oh, and your picture of Monet is fantastic, that’s not an easy topper to capture in camera, you got the range of colors beautifully
Thank you Julie! Monet is hard to capture. I tried photographing it over the other colors and you really couldn’t see the glitter pieces.
Thanks for the swatches – Love Monet! I was thinking over Dot for sure, but possibly Rebel and Cole as well. Not sure about getting Cole since it’s streaky, but still a possibility. Any chance you tried Monet over any of the other colors? I’m wondering how much effect the pink base will have on the overall look? Also, thanks for the tip on glitter top coats – your dab, dip and glide method is awesome
I did try it over the sparkle shades but it really didn’t add much. That’s why I photographed it over Dot. I’ve heard it looks great over black.
I just got Monet last week, and I love it! My favorite thing about it is how 3-D the glitter flecks look, as if they’re floating in layers above and below each other.
That, or my depth perception has completely conked out.
I am stalking Ulta. I can’t wait to get Monet! Love the swatches and your blog!
Thank you for the swatches! Your pictures are always so “true” and reliable! Hmmm. I’ve been waiting to see swatches of Dillon and Rebel. I’m glad I waited. They aren’t quite was I was hoping for.
oh maaaan, i am definitely going to pick up dillon/hudson/rebel. the other day, i was browsing the sudden massive influx of spring pastels on sephora’s site (and complaining loudly about how boring they all were to anyone who would listen to me), but these ones are so punchy! plus the fact that they’re in my FAVORITE zoya finish doesn’t hurt.
thanks for swatching these! ??
thank you THANK YOU for your honesty. I am always wary of buying when
“no really, all of the polishes were great!” It is nice to see what is actually worth spending the money on! Like Dillion. Dillion looks awesome.
You’re so welcome, Eva. I try to be objective in my descriptions and leave my opinions to the Bottom Line section. Though that doesn’t always happen when I really love/hate something. I know not everyone will agree with my thoughts on polishes but my overly blunt nature forces me to tell it like it is.
Dillon and Hudson are gorgeous shades! It’s nice to know that they have good formulas. Cole looks like a lovely shade but if the formula is as bad as you say, it won’t be going on my wishlist. Thank you for an honest review.
Thank you so much for this blog post.
I’m anxiously awaiting for these to arrive in Canada. It’s wonderful to get the real dirt on how they perform as I only have access to them by ordering online. Your services are greatly appreciated. Cheers!
Agh! I still stand behind my IG statement that the combo of finishes make Awaken so fun and girly. But, I am so disappointed with the application issues with the cremes (and Brooklyn)! And poor Monet – so pretty in photos.
I’d much rather Zoya put out an all-metallic collection. Those are my fave, anyway, and are Zoya’s signature.
At any rate, thanks for the review! I love all of your posts! Now I know that Brooklyn looks way different than I’d initially thought. It seemed to be the same metallic finish as the others. I’ll definitely skip it now, but will likely buy Hudson and Rebel. (I mean, really? Could I possibly skip out on a nail polish named Rebel? Especially one that’s so pretty?!)
I’m sad to hear that Cole is so problematic – it was my absolute favorite from this bunch. I’ve been wanting a peachy creme nail polish in that exact shade for a while now. Deborah Lippmann also came out with a peach color for spring, so I wonder how they compare. I wish Ulta would let us test Lippmanns like they do with Zoya!
Thanks for the swatches. Zoya gave me a coupon for a free Monet if I buy 2 of the Awakens, and I was holding off to see swatches. I was leaning towards Cole until you told of the application issues. So I think I’ll go with Dillon and of course, Hudson!
Hmm, I didn’t think I wanted any of the Awaken colors until your post!!! Now I think I might want Dillon and Rebel. I thought of Zuza, too, so it’s great to hear there are no dupes!
Well, I’m sunk. I’ve been waiting and waiting for these to come in. If I had a custom collection made just for me, this would be it. I confess that I’ll be picking up each and every one. I’ll use Monet over all, it’s so pretty. Can’t wait!
A friend of mine actually got Dot a few weeks ago. She’s not a pink gal so she gave it to me. And yes, it’s on the streaky side but definitely worth it for such a classic pink! And now I know I MUST have Monet!!!!
Such pretty polishes! Too bad the ones I was really interested in have application problems. I might end up getting them anyway – I have patience and focus when the polish is pretty enough and interests me (and a full day to mess with it, heheh!).
They are so pretty
Rebel, Hudson, & Dillon are so so pretty!
Have you ever tried any Rainbow Honey polishes? I feel like that gorgeous level of shimmer within her colors is one of the things she does best!
Hi Anika! I have not tried that line but thanks for the recommendation.
i like that monet!
I’m not a huge fan of these, they seemed pretty on their site, but the longer I look, the less I like them. I am still tempted by Monet, but am glad I didn’t shell out $10. Maybe I’ll still get it, but I think I’ll pass on the rest.
PS – All Zoya oranges are that way for me – peaches, the coraly ones, weird.
I love the look of Dillon. That’s going to be on my nails as soon as I find it. Perfect color to welcome spring (or make it come out of hiding).
Hudson is my kind of color. I’ll def be getting this one!
It’s a shame that Cole as application issues, it was the only color I liked. I’ll have to pass on these.
Oh! Lovely Swatches! Thank you so much! And I would like to second the “thank you” for your direct and honest opinions! It always makes me feel much more comfortable that to know that while a polish might look gorgeous… it might not with less skilled hands like mine! =) Or… it might take a lot of work to get there! =p
Honestly, I’m a little heartbroken over Cole! I don’t know why but the color just grabbed me when these came out! And Zoya is usually SO solid with their cremes… I literally almost just purchased it without even looking at a single swatch! But, then I figured that wasn’t the best idea, and low and behold! Warning! Warning! I would have been so bummed!! And especially when there are many other lovely colors to snag that have such a better formula!
So thanks so much for both your beautiful swatches and honest reviews! They are so very helpful!!
I love Brooklyn and Cole, but the application issues are turning me off
Thank you for your honest review, your swatches are all amazing!
Dillon is SO beautiful!!
I feel exactly like you! I just got this and cole is streaky while monet is way too thick to work it out .have i known i wouldnt get those from now on ill watch your reviews before buying!
Thanks for swatching! Cole is my personal favorite of all. Looking at the photos I am worried the shimmer formulas might be a bit tough to work with…