The Wednesday Question

This week's question is one that's near and dear to my heart since I am, first and foremost, a bath and body product junkie:

What are your favorite drugstore bath products (soaps, body washes, scrubs, bubble baths, etc.)?

Tell me! Tell me! Am I missing out on anything fabulous? What's in your shower right now? Share your faves with us, please.

Review: Hard Candy Just Nails Nail Color in "Mr. Wrong"

I'm mad at work testing out the other products I purchased during my Hard Candy haul from last week, but I wanted to do a quick review today of the nail color I bought, "Mr. Wrong" (retail: $5). Let's take a look:

First I want to say big thanks to Tanya at The Pink Train Case for doing a review of this a few weeks ago--her review is the main reason I bought this color. And also thanks to Halifax who sweetly asked me yesterday when I was going to review it--I had initally put this at the bottom of my list to review (I'm really excited about reviewing the makeup!) but now I am so glad I busted it out--it's stunning!

As you can see, this color is quite the chameleon. I've got to say, it's one of the most interesting and complex shades I've come across in a while (especially at the drugstore level). Depending on the lighting, "Mr. Wrong" can look like a taupe, a golden foil, an iridescent silver or even a deep purple shimmer. I totally understand why they named this shade "Mr. Wrong" because this color is mysterious and alluring and anything but boring...just like many "Mr. Wrongs" I've met in my life. :)

Here are some swatches (warning, these were taken pre-clean-up because I wanted to get this blog entry up as quickly as possible):

(All pics taken after 2 coats, base coat (Orly Bonder) and top coat (Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat).)

See...I told you it's a chameleon! I've got to say, this color would be perfect those of you who are attracted to dark, vampy colors, and if you've secretly always wanted to wear black nail polish but never thought you could pull it off, try "Mr. Wrong." It's dark and seductive yet the intense gold and silver shimmer manage to keep it lighter and more feminine than your average vampy almost-black shades out there. You know, I'm going to go out on a limb and say I even think is a safe-for-work color. Yep, I really do. Because even though it's got tons of shimmer, the base color makes it almost neutral. In other words, it's not a shockingly bright color in real life. It's subtle from far away, but it sucks you in as you get closer and closer to it. Like I said, it's appropriately named, that's for sure!

Let's talk about the brush and texture. I'd say the brush is on the thin side (which I personally like because it makes it easier for me to paint the sides of my nails). If I had to compare the brush to another brand, I'd say it's quite similar to China Glaze brushes. The texture? Well this is where I hit a minor snag. It's not thick at first, but mid-manicure this polish thickened up on me. Nothing too terrible, but I still want to note it so that it doesn't surprise you. But seriously, this is nothing that a few drops of nail polish thinner can't fix--and really, no good recessionista should be without a bottle of nail polish thinner anyway! It's the cheapest, quickest way to extend the life of your existing nail polish stash, so definitely get some at your local beauty supply if you don't already own some. I bought this one at Sally for like 4 bucks and it's awesome because the dropper is built-in.

As for the staying power, I can't speak to it yet because I've been wearing this for less than 24 hours. But so far, so good. I'll update this post after a few days to let you know how it passes the chip and wear tests.

[10/11/09--UPDATE: To see how my nails looked on day five of my Hard Candy "Mr. Wrong" manicure, click here.]

And here's a bonus shot of my Mr. Right, the boyfriend, modeling the iconic Hard Candy ring, which comes with each bottle of nail polish:

I took this with my Blackberry camera because there was just no way he was going to sit still with this ring on while I ran upstairs to grab my digital camera. :)

So do you plan on picking up some Hard Candy Just Nails polishes? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Is it just me or...

Is it just me or do you think the new Tigi "Love, Peace & the Planet" collection reminds you of the EcoTools bath and body collection?

Granted, they're not extremely similar but...they're kind of like cousins!

And by the way, when I was visiting parispresents.com, I discovered that Paris Presents owns EcoTools, Studio Basics, Ms. Manicure and Mon Image (as well as several other popular drugstore makeup tools brands). Did you all know that EcoTools brushes, Studio Basics brushes and Mon Image brushes were owned by the same company? Interesting!

What's your favorite Paris Presents company? Also, have you tried the new Tigi "green" collection or the EcoTools bath and body products?

Sunday afternoon odds & ends...

Everybody's got a junk drawer, right? The pic of the above junk drawer isn't mine (oh how I wish my junk drawer were this organized) but I'm using it to illustrate my "blogging junk drawer" of bits of information that don't quite fit into other posts. I'm going to compile all of these odds and ends into this one post, so here we go:

1) I have a new feature on my right-hand sidebar. I just put up a widget that is connected to my Google Reader. All of the articles displayed in this widget are articles that I've marked as "shared" in my reader, meaning I want to share them with you! They are mostly beauty-related news articles that I find interesting, so check it from time to time if you like to keep up on new products/lines coming soon. I might also share non-beauty-related articles here, but only if they're really amazing. For my non-beauty-related stuff, definitely check out my other little blog, Nouveau Sweet.

2) I expanded my Blog Roll to include blogs that I've been reading for a while but didn't have in my blog roll when I had my old template. I had been wanting to do a blog roll overhaul for quite some time, so I'm happy to have finally done it. A lot of the blogs on my blog roll are dedicated to budget-beauty, however I have included other fabulous beauty blogs as well. I've tried to create a good mix to cover a broad spectrum of the beauty blogging community so I hope you find it useful.

3) Info about The Wednesday Question: I want you all to know that I read each comment I receive on my weekly question, and I've been taking your comments very seriously. For instance, I received a ton of feedback on my concealer question, which indicates to me that you are just as curious as I am about new, budget-friendly concealers. This has prompted me to begin work on the "mother of all concealer posts" which I'm working on as I write this. Spoiler: I've received every single concealer that e.l.f. makes and will post a huge compare/contrast post very soon. I'll also be doing a Wet n Wild concealer post, as well as a compare/contrast post with Revlon ColorStay and Maybelline SuperStay concealers. So if you're looking for a new concealer, hold tight! Oh, and I've also got a huge mascara compare/contrast post that I'm working on as well, which was spurred by last week's question.

4) A lot of you have contacted me asking why I haven't done a review of Coastal Scents products. I agree--what kind of budget beauty blog would I be if I didn't cover this famous low-price cosmetics brand? So I'd like to let you know that I recently received my first shipment of Coastal Scents products and I'll be posting a review very soon. I received two of their most popular palettes, several brushes, brush guards, Hot Pots, and mineral samples. So please stay tuned because I'll be posting several reviews of Coastal Scents products in the near future.

5) I don't usually talk about Sephora on this blog because, well, it doesn't usually fit into the theme of budget beauty, but I do want to mention that they've got some great sales going on right now. For Smashbox fans, there's a pretty eyeshadow duo on sale for $5 (retail: $24), and there's also the TooFaced Smurfy-Eyed Liquid Eyeliners for $8.75 (retail: $17.50). Also, did you know that you can just put the word "sale" into the search bar when you're at Sephora.com and all sale items will come up (even the ones that aren't publicized)? Pretty cool trick.

6) For all you Hard Candy fiends, Jeweled Thumb just blogged about those shadow sticks that I mentioned in my post about this new collection. And guess what? They're not pencils!! You have to check this out: Hard Candy Foiled Again Metallic Shadow Stick Review.

7) If you're looking for new drugstore product information on my blog and you want it fast, just go to my labels list and click "Breaking News". I label all of my "new drugstore product" posts with this term, as well as any other information about new products, deals or sales.

8) A few of you have asked me recently why the name of my blog is "Nouveau Cheap." Let me try to sum that up as best I can and without getting too wordy:

"Nouveau Cheap" is a play on the term "Nouveau Chic" which is a term some people use to describe works of art or architecture from the Art Nouveau period (1880-1920). The Art Nouveau movement was a response by artists and architects in America and Europe against the cold, stark, post-Industrial Revolution buildings and objects of the time. Art Nouveau was an attempt to bring back beauty into the cities, and this movement was characterized by flowing lines and curves. Artists took their inspiration from the beauty of nature and it happens to be my very favorite art movement. To put it into perspective, this movement falls right in between two other very popular movements: Arts & Crafts and Art Deco. (For a great collection of Art Nouveau works, click here.)

So "nouveau chic" is often used to describe objects and buildings that are in the style of Art Nouveau. In other words, you can say that "nouveau chic" is loosely translated as a new and fresh type of chic (style, fashion, sophistication). Which brings me to the name of this blog! "Nouveau Cheap", to me, represents a new type of cheap. Yes, we all need to stick to a tight budget these days, but my goal in writing this blog is to prove that, just because you're being "cheap" doesn't mean you have to settle for crappy, low-quality beauty products. We are the NEW cheap, which means we want low-cost products that perform just as well as high-end products. We're not going to be forced to pay a lot of money for quality beauty products because, well, we shouldn't have to!

That's it for now. Hope everyone's enjoying their Sunday!

PS: I forgot to add that I have also recently added a translator widget (see upper left-hand corner). :)

Review: Hard Candy Painted Lady Lip Color in "Crush"

Here's the first of six reviews that I'll be writing in the days to come of my recent Hard Candy haul from Walmart.  To see pics of the Hard Candy display, click here.

Today I'm going to talk about Hard Candy's only lipstick (there are tons of gloss options but only one lipstick to date). "Painted Lady" is a collection of lipsticks with the cutest packaging I've seen in a long while:

 

The shade I purchased is "Crush" and let me tell you why I purchased this shade.  There are a lot of very bold colors in the "Painted Lady" collection.  In fact, there are more bold colors (vampy reds, bright fuschias, dark maroons) than neutral shades, so my decision was pretty easy. I didn't want a nude, but I also didn't want a color that can stop traffic.  So I bought "Crush" which, to me, is a dupe of MAC "O".  It's been a few years since I've owned MAC "O" but I remember it fondly.  "Crush" has that same feel--it's a plummy-coppery-berry-bronze-brownish-pink with gorgeous gold shimmer, just like "O".  It's definitely got the same chameleon-like quality of "O" and, to me, it's a universal shades that would probably look great on anyone.

And from what I can remember of MAC "O", Hard Candy "Crush" looks very similar on my lips:

 

This lipstick goes on pretty sheer at first but the color is definitely buildable.  The texture is thin (as opposed to creamy) and extremely slick (some may even call it a bit greasy). This lipstick almost feels like a gloss at first, but after a while it feels more like a traditional lipstick.  I've been wearing this shade for a few days now and haven't noticed any drying to my lips, but my lips don't feel extra moisturized either. They pretty much feel the same as they always do, with no added benefits but no drying effect either.

As for this product having "manic shine and intense color", it's pretty darn shiny but I don't think I'd call "Crush" and intense color.  However, I am willing to bet that the vampire red I saw in the display would be pretty darn intense.

The fragrance of this lipstick reminds me a lot of MAC as well.  It's a pleasant vanilla scent that isn't too bold or overwhelming.  The flavor is also vanilla but it's not too strong and it fades quickly.

The staying power? For such a sheer, shiny and slick lipstick, the staying power isn't too bad. I wasn't expecting any miracles given the formula, but I was pleasantly surprised that it lasted about two hours on my lips. I was thinking it would be gone in 20 minutes so it definitely exceeded my expectations.

I'd also like to add that, according to the label, Hard Candy does not do animal testing, and their products are made in the USA. Two bonus points for that!

For $6, I would definitely give Hard Candy "Painted Lady" lipsticks a shot. If you're a bold color girl, you'll love the selection of vampy reds, deep purples and bright fuschias (I think I even saw a few intense orangey-red metallics in there).  If you're a neutral lovin' gal like myself, there are less options but don't let that stop you. There are a few pretty shades in this collection for us, and if you're a MAC "O" fan, you definitely need to check out "Crush".

Will you be purchasing any Painted Lady lipsticks? I'd love to know your thoughts.

New Bath & Body Works "The Perfect Autumn" Fragrance Collection Review and GIVEAWAY!

[NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER. THANKS!]

Is there a more perfect way to celebrate the coming of fall than with a Bath & Body Works "The Perfect Autumn" Fragrance Giveaway? I think not!

I don't know about you, but one of the ways that I always know that fall has arrived is when Bath & Body Works releases their new fall scents. They always represent the best that fall has to offer, and this year Bath & Body Works has really outdone themselves!

BBW has just released three amazing new fragrances that really capture the feel, and scent, of autumn.

First of all, I love the sleek and elegant look of these bottles! Ginger Vanilla Fragrance Mist (retail: $11, 8 oz) is an absolutely scrumptious scent. To me, fall is a time to fire up the oven and start baking again, so what better way to get in the mood than with a divine gourmand fragrance? To my nose, this fragrance starts out with delicious gingerbread and nutmeg notes, but then it dries down to a soft, sweet vanilla that almost reminds me of sugar cookies. Don't get me wrong, the gingerbread and nutmeg are still there, but they're much softer because of the vanilla and caramel notes. If you are a gourmand lover with a sweet spot for vanilla, you need this. Enough said.

Next we have Harvest Berry Fragrance Mist (retail: $11, 8 oz). Oh how I adore you, Harvest Berry! Let me put it to you this way: If you're a berry fan but you sometimes find your berry scents to be a little too "young" or sugary sweet, this is for you. Harvest Berry is a sophisticated berry fragrance, but don't confuse that with being dull or boring. No no no! This fragrance starts out with a sweet cassis (black currant) note, but it quickly develops into something magical. After it warms up to your skin, white citrus and jasmine find their way to the top and when those notes mingle with the cassis it produces one of the most beautiful berry fragrances I've ever sniffed. It's sweet, it's tart, it's rich and it just plain makes me happy.

Leaves Fragrance Mist (retail: $11, 8 oz) is autumn in a bottle. If you love it when your home is filled with the intoxicating fragrance of red apples, cinnamon sticks and mulling spices, then "Leaves" is definitely for you. In addition to the apple, cinnamon and mulling spices, Bath & Body Works has added notes of golden nectar and juicy mandarin to the mix to make things even more mouth-watering. To my nose, this scent reminds me of apple pie fresh from the oven, minus the buttery crust. Yum yum yum.

Would you like a chance to win all three of these amazing fall scents, courtesy of Bath & Body Works? Ginger Vanilla, Harvest Berry and Leaves Fragrance Mists (retail value: $33) could be yours--all you have to do is enter!

PLEASE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING RULES BEFORE ENTERING:

1) To enter, you must leave a comment on this post telling me which of these three fragrances you will try first if you win. If you leave more than one comment on this post, you will be disqualified.

2) You MUST leave me your email address in your comment OR I must be able to clearly identify your email address in your profile. If I cannot contact you directly, you will be disqualified. REMEMBER: Double check your Blogger profile settings to make sure your email address is visible in your profile!

3) This contest is open to residents of the continental US only, ages 18 and over. Void where prohibited.

4) This giveaway begins today, October 2nd, and will end Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 11:59PM. I will select a winner via random.org's random number generator and notify the winner on Friday, October 16th. The winner will then have 24 hours to respond. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, he or she will forfeit the prizes and another winner will be selected. If you are going to be unable to access your email on Oct. 16, 2009, please do not enter this giveaway.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation, and I wish you all the best of luck! :)

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

New limited edition products by Revlon and NYC (plus lots of other new goodies)

Tis the season! The new fall and winter products are starting to hit our local drugstores and, as you can guess by the loads of new product posts I've been writing lately, Nouveau Cheap has got you covered!

If you didn't get your new product fix yesterday with my Hard Candy post, here are some more new goodies to tempt you:

(click to super-size)

Revlon Passion Fusion collection

I spotted this collection at Rite-Aid yesterday and it contains SIX new lip colors, FOUR new nail colors (plus one new top coat), a Limited Edition eyes/cheeks/lips palette and a new ColorStay eyeshadow palette. These colors are gorgeous in person (lots of amethysts and plums) and hopefully these shades will make it into the permanent collection (especially that dark purple nail color!).

Also, I want to add that Rite-Aid has a deal this week where if you buy one Revlon lipstick, you get a bottle of nail color for free. :)

Here's the new NYC "Frankly Scarlett" collection which contains some new and limited edition products with red being the predominant color.

This collection includes a new Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder that has a deep, fire-engine-red shade in the mix (this one's gorgeous in person). Also, there is a Limited Edition set of false eyelashes, a new volumizing mascara, two new longwear lip shades, Limited Edition jewel decals for nails, and two new nail colors (scarlett red and silver).

Here's a line called "Giovi" that I've never seen anywhere before. I googled it and discovered that Giovi is owned by a company called Shany, which is known for making TONS of colorful palettes and brushes (very similar to Coastal Scents). Click here to see other Shany products (some of them look really cool, like the 45 color Magic Blender palette for $15) . I spotted this display at Rite-Aid yesterday and it looks kind of interesting. There are three different body glitter palettes and three different eyeshadow palettes. If I remember correctly, these palettes are only $3 a piece and feature a ton of fun colors.

Next we have a new display of Jesse's Girl Shimmering Pearls Eye Dusts. I'm not a huge fan of Jesse's Girl so maybe one of you can tell me if any of these shades are new? One of them (the one in the upper left corner) was very pretty in person. It's a buttery yellow gold with iridescent shimmer.

Lastly, when I was at Walmart yesterday checking out the new Hard Candy line, I spotted two new body washes. The first is by Dial and it's called "Natural Radiance". What drew me to it was the packaging and the pretty silver beads floating around. It smells like your usual body wash (clean and slightly floral).

Next to the new Dial body wash is the new Softsoap body wash: Cherry Blossom & Wild Bamboo. Ladies! This stuff smells AMAZING! I am already a huge fan of Softsoap body washes (their fragrances rival high end body washes--click here for my review of Honeysuckle and Orange Peel body wash) and this one is a fantastic edition to the line. To me, it smells like sweet and slightly tart cherry blossom mixed with the lush, green, fresh note of bamboo. It's slightly sweet and slightly herbal and it would be an amazing pick-me-up in the shower. Can't wait till it goes on sale because I will definitely be picking up a bottle.

That's it for now, but please check back because I know this is only the beginning of the new drugstore products launches for the holidays!

Is there anything here that you're interested in purchasing? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

L'Oreal's new roll-on foundation (hey, if it works for painting houses...)

I just saw this on The Nhuch and I had to share. L'Oreal is coming out with a new roll-on foundation that comes in a little roller like the kind you use to paint walls. Apparently the L'Oreal True Match Roll'on Foundation is now available in the UK but there's no info on when it's going to launch in the US. UK ladies, have you tried this yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Check out this out:





Click here for more information.

Will you be trying this new foundation once it's available near you?