Hi there, my darlings! They're HERE! The much-awaited new Magical Pixie Dusts from Zoya Nail Polish and Treatment. The Pixie Dusts were the first textured polishes that I fell in love with--Chyna won my heart with all its red, sparkly glory! So I was really excited to try these new Magical Pixie Dusts, especially since, oddly enough, I don't own any of the previous Magical Pixie Dusts. I'm going to fix this over sight shortly because if they are as beautiful as these three, I MUST have them in my stash! This set of three consists of Arlo, Bar and Ginni--take a look!




Before we get started, let's talk a little about the formula and application of these polishes--I was actually quite surprised by the fantastic formula of all three, not too thick, not too runny. Despite being absolutely FULL of holographic glitter and textured to boot, they applied beautifully--opaque in 2 generous coats and dried in mere seconds. All my swatches below show 3 thin coats by itself and then, because I love the look of textures but not the feel so much, a shot of how the polish looks with 2 generous coats of G&G's HK Girl top coat. Alrighty then! Let's get down to swatches!

Ginni is a lovely pale pink textured polish with a matte finish and tons of holographic sparkle. This is the perfect balance between ultra-feminine and edgy!


Zoya-Ginni


Zoya-Ginni


Zoya-Ginni


With top coat!


Zoya-Ginni


Bar is a gorgeous golden nude textured polish with a matte finish and tons of holographic sparkle. This nude is so far from boring! Look at all that sparkle!


Zoya-Bar


Zoya-Bar


Zoya-Bar


With top coat!


Zoya-Bar


Arlo is a stunning magenta-violet textured polish with a matte finish and tons of holographic sparkle. Could this be Zoya's textured spin on the Pantone Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid? Maybe! But this one is definitely my favorite!


Zoya-Arlo


Zoya-Arlo


Zoya-Arlo


With top coat!


Zoya-Arlo


So there you have it, my darlings! My review of the beautiful Magical Pixie Dusts collection for Summer 2014 from Zoya! If you want to add any of these textured beauties to your stash, you can find them on Zoya's website HERE for the price of $10 for a full-size, 0.5 oz bottle. Just a reminder--the Zoya social media fairies are also FABULOUS about releasing surprise coupon codes so be sure to follow them through the social media outlets below :

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
Youtube
Blog

Do you like the Magical Pixie Dusts? Which of these three are YOUR favorite? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****



Hi there, my darlings! First of all, let me apologize for the mega late update this week. What with a long-awaited Indian lunch with colleagues in celebration of the last week of labs, followed by the Memorial Day long weekend and then getting deathly sick with the flu right after, I've been scrambling to keep up with all my commitments and definitely scrambling to keep up with the program. Needless to say, this will be a rather short update today. Last Thursday, my colleagues and I celebrated the end of a very long semester, but more importantly, long year of labs with an Indian lunch--naan, chicken tikka masala and rice does not constitute watching what I eat. Then, the long weekend saw a wedding reception for a beloved colleague who's a huge foodie just like me--let's just say, "light refreshments" turned out to be a taco station, an Asian station AND a Mediterranean station...followed by a DESSERT station. Just as I started back on the program, I started to feel sick and lost all my appetite--nothing appealed to me, not my Nutrisystem meals, not the food that I ordered to try to whet my appetite. All I've done for the past 3 days is sleep. Sigh. But Monday is a new week--I hope to beat this icky flu AND get back on the program. Because it's already June and I leave for the wedding in just four short weeks! EEK!

While I recover from this bug, if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the program, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments below OR email me through the contact form found in the ABOUT ME section. I'd be happy to chat!


Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-800-435-4074 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com




Until next time,
<3

B


****Food provided to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****



FOREWORD :

Welcome to the FRIEND-AN-INDIE-FRIDAY giveaway series! Every Friday, I'll be featuring a brand-new indie maker whose shop has been open for LESS THAN ONE YEAR! During this eventful first year of ColorSutraa's existence, I have had the privilege to work with so many amazingly talented indie makers, even when I was just the new kid on the block, that I just had to find a way to share the love and discover some new brands in the process! There's nothing I love more than stumbling across beautiful creations from a maker I've never heard of and the excitement is pretty much akin to finding gold! =D So what better way to share my love of discovering hidden treasures than showcasing a new indie brand EVERY SINGLE WEEK! This means that, my beloved readers, this is also YOUR chance to win and try some goodies from a brand-new maker every single week! Oh what fun this is going to be!


Each week's giveaway will last a total of 96 hours ONLY and all entries must be submitted within those 96 hours to be eligible to win! After the giveaway ends, winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is picked. Each maker will send prizes to their winners directly! Some of the giveaways are OPEN INTERNATIONALLY, while other are US ONLY. Please make sure to CAREFULLY read the Terms and Conditions to avoid being disqualified!

Today's giveaway is sponsored by the lovely Tennessee of Bear Pawlish! I've seen some swatches of Tennessee's products, in other words, HOLOS around the nail polish community and I'm very excited by what I've seen so far! As always, along with the giveaway, I will have an interview AND my very first review of some of her products up for you all shortly! For this giveaway, Tennessee has generously offered 3 winner's their choice of 2 full-size polishes from her store!


***THIS IS OPEN TO THE US ONLY***









Good luck, my darlings!!!

<3
B





Hi there, my darlings. I'm still REALLY sick but I really want to show you all my swatches and review of China Glaze's new Off Shore collection for Summer 2014! This is the first time I'm officially working with China Glaze as one of their bloggers AND this collection is composed of 12 shockingly bright neons, which I absolutely LOVE, so this post is doubly exciting! Today, I have for your 6 of those 12 neons and all I have to say is that if you love neons, you will flip for these! Without further ado, let's get right to those swatches, shall we? =)


Sun Upon My Skin is a bright yellow creme. This polish is a bit tricky, formula-wise, and requires a little bit of patience to apply. The first coat was a bit streaky and patchy but I waited til each coat dried completely to apply subsequent coats and by my third coat, it all leveled out quite nicely. The swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat. It's been awhile since I've seen a yellow this bright and perfect--I can't wait to put this to use in some nail art looks I have in mind!






Be More Pacific is light lime green creme. The formula of this one was similar to Sun On My Skin above, but it also leveled out after the third coat. The swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat.






Shore Enuff is a medium green creme. The application and formula on this polish was much better--I didn't have any trouble at all! The swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat. Another fantastic, bright green for all you green lovers out there!






Float On is a bright neon pink creme. Again, no issues with either formula or application and the swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat. Now, many shades of pink can be challenging with my complexion but I absolutely LOVE how this bright neon looks on me!






Dune Our Thing is a dark neon berry creme--I do believe this shade is very close to Pantone's Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, don't you? Great application and formula--the swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat but that was just out of habit. You could definitely slap on two coats and be done! This is hands-down my top pick of this collection! Such a vibrant shade!






X-Ta-Sea is dark neon eggplant purple creme. Fabulous application and formula--I had no issues at all. The swatches below show 3 generous coats, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl top coat but you could definitely get away with 2 coats with this one. LOVE this shade of purple! One of my faves in this collection!






So there you have it, my darlings! My very first review for China Glaze! And what a fabulous collection! If you need to add any of these beauties to your stash, make sure to check out your nearest retailer!

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide.To find more products or to locate the closest retailer near you, please follow China Glaze through the social media outlets below :

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
Website

Which of these are YOUR favorite? Tell me all about it in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****


Hi there, my darlings! So much to do, so little time but here I am, stuck at home because this weird NYC weather finally caught up to me and brought me down! Womp. Yup! 80 degrees one day and unseasonably chilly the next is NOT good for one's health. But, to cheer myself, and hopefully you to, I have some more swatches of Sally Hansen's new Triple Shine collection to show you! This post is a bit of a mixed bag--the finishes range from metallics to semi-sheer shimmers to shimmery microglitter. Each one has a unique formula so I'll discuss them separately. However, ALL of them have been topped with one smooth coat of Triple Shine Top Coat, shown below.




Oyster Bar is a metallic silver polish. I didn't have any trouble with either the formula or application and the swatches below show just 2 smooth coats. But do remember that metallic finishes tend to emphasize any flaws in your actual nails so remember to lightly buff before you paint! =)






Make Waves is a semi-sheer, light blue with a gorgeous green flash. The formula of this, despite being sheer, is lovely--the polish applies so smoothly and easily. The swatches below show 3 generous coats. I absolutely love this polish! So ethereal and shimmery!






Blow Bubbles is a sheer, light pink polish. The formula of this os very similar to Make Waves above and just as easy to apply. The swatches below show 3 generous coats. This one was slightly more sheer than Make Waves hence you do see some visible nail line even after 3 coats. I don't mind a little visible line but if it's not something that you enjoy, this polish would be great layered over your favorite pink creme!






Sparkling Water is gorgeous, aqua-teal shimmer polish with what I do believe is fine teal microglitter. Fantastic application and formula--the swatches below show 2 generous coats. This is hands-down my favorite of the 9 Triple Shines I've reviewed so far! Absolutely to die for!






If you would like to pick up any of these beauties yourself, you can find it at your local CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart or Ulta (among other fine retailers) for the price of $4.99 (prices may vary in different states) . Remember to follow Sally Hansen through the social media outlets below to learn about their latest products :

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
Youtube
Website

Which of these is your favorite? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****








Hi there, my darlings! This afternoon, I have for you my very first polish review for Sally Hansen! Along with a few nail art pens and nail treatments, such as the wonderful Cuticle Rehab which I reviewed HERE, I was also sent lovely selection of polishes from their brand-new Triple Shine collection, as well as their new Triple Shine Top Coat. Since the selection of polishes were of such a varied range of finishes, I had a hard time figuring out how exactly I wanted to show them off to you but I finally decided that this first post would focus on the cremes and crellies while the next post would focus on shimmers and sheers!

Before we get into swatches, I'd like to mention that the formula of these cremes were really nice--most of them were opaque at 2 coats and quite nicely self-leveling, although a couple colors looked best with 3 thin coats, which I've mentioned below. All the swatches below have been topped with one thin coat of Sally Hansen's new Triple Shine Top Coat, shown below. I must admit, though, that I was really rather concerned about the brush that each of these polishes come with--it's a thick, wide brush, angled slightly in the center. But I'm happy to report that these brushes actually help, rather than hinder, application--it allows you to get close to the cuticle without making a mess! Very impressed!




Alrighty then, let's take a look at swatches, shall we?

Red Snapper is a warm strawberry red crelly with orange undertones. This, being a slightly thinner formula, required 3 generous coats. I absolutely love this shade of red! So sexy!






Kelp Out is a bright green creme. As you know, I'm not a big fan of green but this is a great shade for all you green-lovers out there!






Vanity Flare is a dusty purple creme. Completely opaque in 2 coats, depending on how you paint, you could even get away with one! One of my faves!






Sparks Fly is a slightly blue-tinted, glitter topcoat full of silver microglitter and silver hexes in various sizes. The swatches below show 2 smooth coats over Vanity Flare above and 1 coat of Triple Shine Top Coat to bring it all together. If you don't mind a bit of visible nail line, this actually looks gorgeous with just 3 generous coats by itself too!








Statemint is a shockingly bright chatreuse creme--not quite green but not quite yellow! A shade just a tad shy from neon and totally perfect for summer!






If you would like to pick up any of these summer-ready products yourself, you can find it at your local CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart or Ulta (among other fine retailers) for the price of $4.99 (prices may vary in different states) . Remember to follow Sally Hansen through the social media outlets below to learn about their latest products :

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
Youtube
Website
Will you be picking up any of these shades to add to your stash? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****

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