Back around Earth Day (aka forever ago), Zoya once again held their nail polish exchange: half price and free shipping on all colors + safe disposal of any old polish you sent back to them, minimum order of 6 bottles. I was only going to order six, but figured a deal like this wouldn’t come around again until probably next year, if ever, so I bumped it up to all nine colors on my wishlist at the time. Trying all the colors I have even once should keep my nails covered through the rest of summer. The first picture above are all of my Zoya polishes, minus Richelle, which I got in another promotion later.

from the Flame Collection (also known as Fire and Ice, winter 2010)
Tiffany can be best described as a peach, metallic dust base, which gives it a foil-like finish, with gold flakes. Crystal is a powder blue, metallic dust base, giving it the same foil-like finish as Tiffany, also with gold flakes. Valerie has a dark, eggplant purple base, with deep magenta metallic dust and gold flakes. Its finish is the standard Zoya “sparkle” polish look. I was slightly disappointed in Valerie, since it was a lot more dimensional, giving off glints of purple, magenta, orange, and gold, in the bottle than on the nail.

from the Sparkle Collection (summer 2010)
I’ve seen Charla described as a mermaid blue before, and the description fits the color completely. It’s a deep aquamarine that glints in light gold, spring green, and teal. It also stains like nothing else. A base coat is definitely a must with this one, unless you want your nails to look like long-lost Smurfs relatives.

from the Mod Mattes Collection (limited edition, summer 2011)
Speaking of Smurfs, Phoebe is a Smurf blue matte, with a super slight shimmer courtesy of silver-colored dust in the formula. The consistency takes some getting used to—this is my first experience with a matte—but once you get the hang of it, it isn’t difficult to work with. My problem with it is that it shows every bump and ridge on my nails. Although you’re not supposed to wear it with a base coat, if visible ridges bother you, I would suggest investing in a bottle of Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat. Alternatively, buff your nails very well before painting.