The 2009 Limited Edition Suave Seasonals Body Washes are here! (well, sort of)

I have no pictures and I have no review. So what the heck is the point, right? lol.

I just wanted to let you know that a reader emailed me to tell me she spotted the new Suave Limited Edition Seasonals Body Washes at her local Walmart yesterday. Do you want to know what this year's scents are? (Past years' collections have included such cult classics as Buttercream Swirl and Whipped Cocoa.)

Drum roll please:

Toasted Vanilla Sugar

Candied Apple

Holiday Pear

Peppermint Bliss

I don't know about you, but I am SOOO excited to get my hands on Peppermint Bliss. If it's anything like Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint, but for $1.50 a bottle, I'm buying a carton, thankyouverymuch.

So...if any of you lovelies spot these at your local Walmart, Target, or elsewhere, please let me know! I am pulling out the stops and talking to my contacts as we speak and I will not stop until I get these. And when I do, you know I'll review 'em!

PS: If you go to your local Walmart this weekend looking for these, don't look for them in the shower gel aisle. My contact told me that she found hers in a cardboard holiday display near the cosmetics department. :)

Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud: Hard Candy Mr. Wrong's older, more sophisticated sister

By now you've probably heard about the Limited Edition Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Colors making their way through drugstores across the country. In fact, I posted a pic of the display the first time I saw it and immediately I knew that I had to have the stand-out color of the collection, Opulent Cloud.  Of course that was the one color that was already sold out when I spotted the display, so I've been on the hunt for it ever since.

It took me several trips to various Rite Aids until I finally stumbled across a fully-stocked display that had just been put on the shelf.  Finally! This little chameleon minx was mine.  But I never anticipated in a million years to discover this: Opulent Cloud is Hard Candy Mr. Wrong's older, more sophisticated sister.

Allow me to explain.  Both of these shades have that same chameleon quality. Is it silver? Is it purple? Is it gold? It's all of 'em, depending on your lighting.  But here's the key: If you take the gold glitter in Mr. Wrong and grind it down into a fine shimmer, you get Opulent Cloud.  Seriously, these polishes have the same base, but Opulent Cloud's gold shimmer makes it the more mature, sophisticated sister to Mr. Wrong.  So if you love the look of Mr. Wrong but you're not down with the glitter, you have got to find yourself some Opulent Cloud, asap.

Limited Edition Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color in Opulent Cloud:

 

 Now check this out:

In my opinion, Mr. Wrong is the wild-child party girl, while Opulent Cloud is the sophisticated and elegant older sister (who still has an edgy side). The name really fits this polish--it truly is an opulent cloud.

Do you own Mr. Wrong or Opulent Cloud (or both?). I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Are you a sucker for candy and drink-inspired lip balms?

Lip balms that are based on popular candies and drinks have been around for decades now, and they never cease to amaze me. The idea of getting the flavor of your favorite sweet treat, but without the calories or carbs, is just plain fun (and super inexpensive as well).

I don't think that anyone can argue that Bonne Bell Lip Smackers are the go-to for candy/drink flavored lip balms. At around a dollar a tube, how can you resist a lip treat that smells and tastes like Dr. Pepper, Skittles, M&Ms, Starburst or Kool-Aid?

In fact, I was at Rite-Aid the other day and spotted this new collection from Bonne Bell, which seems a little more adult-oriented but just as fun:

Vitamin Water lip balms in Fruit Punch, Dragon Fruit and Lemonade.

I've got to say that I was mesmerized by the fact that each of these balms is the exact color of the actual drink! And also, these balms have SPF 20 and contain vitamin E. If Bonne Bell is trying to appeal to adults with this new line, it's definitely working for me.

And let's not forget that there are other companies who have licensed their brands to lip balm manufacturers lately. The makers of Cinnabon have their own lip balm:

And from the makers of Bubble Yum bubble gum:

And who can forget Dairy Queen:

On the higher-end of the scale, there is the company On10, which offers fun, retro-looking tins of vintage sweets-inspired balms:

There are also some hard-to-find sweets-inspired balms, such as the Ben & Jerry's lip balm, which is nearly impossible to find in the US anymore:

And of course you don't even have to be a sweets manufacturer to get into the lip balm game anymore. You can make a product that just smells good!

And I can attest to the fact that the Yankee Candle lip balm is one fantastic lip balm, even though it's based on a product that is not even edible.

So....what's your favorite sweet-inspired lip balm? I know that I'm not the only one here who's got a mild obsession with these little goodies!

And the winner is...

The winner of my Tabu & English Leather giveaway sponsored by Dana Classics is....

Hotsnotty2!

Hotsnotty2, I will be sending you an email within the hour, so please respond within 24 hours with your shipping address. Congratulations!!

Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway--the turnout was amazing! And if you didn't win, never fear, because I've got some incredible, beauty-filled holiday giveaways that I'm working on right now, including one that you definitely do not want to miss. Please check back soon. :)

Forever 21 makeup: Yay or Nay?

Ladies! Is the new Forever 21 makeup collection, "love & beauty", making you say "Oooh!" or "meh"?

Share your thoughts, please!

Attn: CVS shoppers! Get $40 worth of Revlon products for $9.99 this week!

Holy crap! I was at CVS today and I cannot believe the deal I spotted. This week CVS is running a BOGO free deal on all Revlon products. That's great as it is, but get this: there are some promotional 2-for-1 packs that I spotted in the regular display! 

I bought the following products, which all retail for $9.99 separately, for a TOTAL of $9.99!

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I looove ColorStay eyeliners. They are one of two drugstore liners that don't run or smear on me (Styli-Style is the other) and the shades I bought in this purchase are staples (Teal and Cocoa).

Regarding the mascaras, I am already loving 3D Extreme (I'll be reviewing it very soon) and I decided to purchase Fabulash because it's a Revlon mascara I've never tried before and it's been around forever so I figured what the heck!

So if you're a Revlon girl, you might want to run down to your local CVS asap and see if they have any other promo packs in the regular display before the BOGO free expires.

I am still stunned that I was able to get $40 worth of product for just $9.99!

Essence of Beauty Champagne Celebrations Lipgloss Collection

There's just no denying that I'm a sucker for Essence of Beauty's bath and body line, and especially their lip products (click here for my last moment of weakness). They really know how to package their lip products in a way that is totally irresistible to me. I mean, I'm not even a lipgloss person, really (I always lean more toward lipsticks) but EoB gets me every time.

So when I walked into my local CVS the other day and spotted these lovelies, I knew that one of them had to be mine:

These new dual-ended lip wands come in four champagne-cocktail-inspired flavors: Mimosa Bellini, Peach Bellini, Raspberry Bellini and Strawberry Bellini (retail: $5.99).

You're probably saying to yourself, "Big whoop. Sheer yellow, peach, purple and pink glosses." But no. You have GOT to see these in person, I tell you. They are sheer, tinted glosses, yes, but there is also a super-fine iridescent micro-glitter to these glosses that makes them delicately subtle, yet unbelievably pretty in person. There's something about this combo of sheer, colored gloss with suspended ultra-fine irridescent glitter that totally hypnotizes me!

After standing in the aisle trapped in indecision for about 15 minutes, I finally decided to purchase Peach Bellini, and I am so glad I did. Let's take a look:

It was incredibly difficult to capture the beauty of this gloss in a photo. What you can't really see in the above pic is that the iridescent micro-glitter is actually multi-colored. It is absolutely stunning in the tube.

So what does it look like when you open this gloss?

The colored end has a wand applicator and the gloss smells like peach liqueur.

And surprise! The clear end has a roller ball applicator. And, to my nose, it smells like a cross between champagne and grape Kool-Aid.

So let's get to the glosses themselves. Here's where I become confused. Usually I think it's silly for a lip product to have directions. Who doesn't know how to swipe a gloss on their lips, right? But with this product, I sort of wish it told me what to do. Do I put on the peach gloss first and top it with the clear gloss? That seems like the obvious way to go, but here's the funny part: the peach gloss has flavoring (it actually tastes like peach liqueur) but the clear gloss only has fragrance, no flavor! So if I were to layer the peach with the clear, it would obliterate the fun flavor! I'm actually still totally confused as to how to use these together, so I've decided that I'm only going to use them separately. Plus, they look much better on their own than they do layered.

How's the consistency of the peach gloss? It reminds me of a Bonne Bell wand gloss. Pretty average but very lovely-looking on the lips (I could not capture the look of it on my lips in a picture--sorry). I really can't see the peach tint on my lips, but that doesn't surprise me because it's so sheer. I will say though, that the irridescent micro-glitter leaves a pretty, subtle sparkle on the lips.

How's the consistency of the clear gloss? It totally reminds me of old school Maybelline Kissing Potion! It's got a thin consistency, which is a necessity for the roller ball to work. And it gives a very pretty shine to the lips. The only thing I'm bummed about is the absense of flavor. I really wish the taste matched the fun scent.

So is this gloss worth your $5.99? If you like the look of subtle, sparkly, glossy lips, then I'd say yes. And if you're the type of person who is drawn to fun packaging and sweet, fruity smells, then I think you should definitely check these out.

Less than 24 hours remaining to enter...

Just a reminder that you've got less than 24 hours left to enter my old school/new school fragrance giveaway sponsored by Dana Classics! Click here for the details, and good luck! :)

Canadians! Your e.l.f. products have cuter packaging!

I saw a pic today of what the e.l.f. collection at Zellers in Canada looks like, and I have to say that I like the Canadian packaging better than the US packaging for the products now sold at Target:

The way that companies choose to market products from country to country is always fascinating to me. What do you girls think? Do you prefer the minimalist black, or the cutesy purple and gold?

PS: Can anyone tell me what that product is on the far left?

[UPDATE: The lovely Halifax has identified the mysterious product on the left. Click here for more information.]

Review: e.l.f. Eye Encyclopedia, Part I

If you saw my previous posts about the new e.l.f. products debuting at Target this month, then you know I have been the most excited about this lovely little book:

Thanks to the folks at e.l.f. I received this eye palette in the mail yesterday and I literally had to tear it open on the spot and take some pics. So this is Part I of a two-part review. Today I'm going to show you swatches and my initial thoughts about the Eye Encyclopedia, and next week I'll follow up with performance, staying power, and give you a few eyes looks. So please check back for the second part of my review coming soon.

If you haven't spotted this palette at your local Target yet, the retail price is $5. And here's what you get:

Twelve powder eyeshadows, two cream shadows, one black eyeliner pencil and a dual-ended applicator (sponge on one end, brush on the other). Can you believe this is only $5?

To give you some perspective, I put a MAC shadow on the palette so that you can see how large these e.l.f. pans are:

See what I mean? That's a lot of product for five bucks!

Also, on the other side of the palette is a little instructional guide:

So let's take a look at some swatches:

My initial reaction to these shadows is that the colors are totally practical and wearable, which, if you're a fan of this blog, you know I love. But I do want to note that the darker, more shimmery shades seem to be more intense with better pigmentation, while the lighter, matte shades have a slightly weaker pigmentation. But as always, a good eyeshadow primer should help the lighter shades along. Also, the darker, shimmery shades seem to be a little smoother to apply, while the lighter, matte shades have a slightly chalky consistency (not the worst I've seen, by any means, but not as good as the shimmery shades).

Let's take a look at the cream shadows:

I love these colors, and I am definitely going to try wearing them as highlighters in addition to using them on my lids. Heck, I'm even going to try using them has an eyeshadow primer and of course I'll report back!

That's it for my initial thoughts on the e.l.f. Eye Encyclopedia. I am so excited to start using these and let you know what I think after I've actually tried a few looks and experimented a bit. So please stay tuned...

In the meantime, are you tempted to pick up one of these the next time you're at Target?

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.

The Wednesday Question

Alright, so I know it's not yet Wednesday here on the West Coast, but I thought I'd get a head-start because this week's question is a good one and I hope to get as many responses as possible. Do you hear me, lovelies? I neeeeed to see some answers here. I beg you!

What's your favorite eyeshadow primer?

Obviously, given the nature of this blog, I'd love to hear about your drugstore favorites, but if you are a die-hard UDPP or TFSI girl, then please share that as well. I am in desperate need of an eyeshadow base that works all the time, not just for certain shadows and most of the time (my beloved Sally Hansen Carmindy Fast Fix has been letting me down lately). So thank you, thank you in advance for contributing your ideas here!

My sad journey through Maybelline mascaras (with a happy ending!)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I've got the worst lashes ever. They are fine and short and it takes a lot of time and effort to bulk them up. My holy grail mascara for years has been Max Factor Volume Couture, but since Max Factor is no longer going to be available in the US starting next year, I have been on the hunt for a new favorite, trying so many different drugstore mascaras it would make your head spin.

My results have been great (Prestige My Biggest Lashes), and also not so great. Basically what I look for in a mascara is volume, volume and more volume. Of course I want good length as well, but volume, and the ability to actually SEE my lashes is more important to me than lashes that will graze my eyebrows. Also, I actually want a little clumpage. Don't get me wrong--I don't want spider lashes or anything crazy, but a little clumpage and thickness are exactly what I require to make my lashes visible. If the formula is too thin (usually what you get when you buy a mascara that "separates" lashes) then I'm afraid that, for me, that also means that it won't look like I'm wearing any mascara at all.

Also, I have oily skin so my dream mascara cannot run, smudge, or flake (I'm talkin' to you, L'Oreal) and it also cannot fade or disappear after a few hours (I'm talkin' to you, Rimmel). And if I can avoid it, I don't like to use waterproof formulas because I'm not big on using eye makeup remover unless I really have to.

So if you share any of my mascara requirements, read on, please!

Historically, I have not had good luck with Maybelline mascaras. Like a lot of you, my first mascara was Great Lash, and I used it really because I just didn't know any better. It was so wet, and it ran and smeared miserably on me. Recently I tried Maybelline Lash Stiletto, which has a formula that's waaaaaay too dry for me. Also, it didn't give me any volume whatsoever (I shouldn't have been surprised about that, really, because it's a lengthening formula). Next I tried Maybelline XXL Volume + Length Washable Microfiber Mascara, which promised me 11x the volume. Yeah RIGHT. Even after applying the basecoat carefully and to every single lash, it provided no additional volume at all to my lashes. This one was probably worse than Lash Stiletto for me.

So right as I was about to quit Maybelline mascaras for good, I happened to watch this video where Lauren Luke does a super clean and pretty eye look and mentions how much she adores Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara (around the 8:20 mark in the video). She actually says that she is loving this mascara more than her beloved MAC mascara, which made think, "OK, she knows a thing or two about mascaras, and I'm really liking how this looks on her. Dare I try ANOTHER Maybelline mascara?"

And ladies, that's when my love affair with Colossal Volum' Express (retail: around $6) began. Let's take a look at some pics:

My eye, without mascara (see, I wasn't lying about having nonexistent lashes)

My eye, with two coats of Colossal Volum' Express

And here I am again with two coats of Colossal Volum' Express

For around six bucks at your local drugstore, I am telling you, this mascara is the bomb! It thickens, it lengthens, and it gives just enough clumpage to nonexistant lashes to make them actually stand out and be visible without looking like a gunky mess. Also, this formula doesn't smear, streak or flake on me, and it removes with my regular cleanser! I even like the brush--let me show you a pic of it in case a mascara's brush is a make-or-break deal for you.

I put some other brushes in this pic just for comparison:

As you can see, it's a little thinner than the Prestige brush, and not as long as the Lash Blast Length brush. In my book, this brush is just right.

Also, for all you ladies out there who apply mascara to their lower lashes, this one is fantastic for that! It separates and gives volume and length perfectly.

And one last thought: Don't be fooled by the first coat! Collossal Volum' really scared me when I was done with my first coat. It seemed like it was going to another letdown, but WOW, the second coat was amazing. For some reason, that second coat really makes your lashes pop, so don't give up or get frustrated after the first coat. Give it another coat and I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

Do you already use Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Coastal Scents 56 Blush & Eyeshadow Palette is a dupe-making MACHINE!

You guys know that I love discovering dupes, but I had NO idea what I was in for when I received the 56 Blush & Eyeshadow Palette (retail: $19.95) for review from Coastal Scents recently. This thing is BANANAS for making dupes, so please stay with me while I try to explain it all.

First let's take a look at the actual palette:

(click images to enlarge)

You get six generously-sized blushes and 50 smaller eyeshadows in this palette. There is a beautiful combination of colors here and some are matte, some are shimmery and some are sparkly.

Right off the bat, I have to say that I've read a lot of reviews about this palette and one of the most common complaints is that the blushes aren't very pigmented and they don't have good staying power. But I've got to say, my experience was the total opposite. I'm quite picky about my powder blushes, so I had low expectations for these. Boy was I surprised to find out that the pigmentation was GREAT, and the staying power was right up with the best drugstore blushes I've owned. Seriously, I don't understand why these get a bum rap because they're definitely one of my favorite things about this palette. Oh and don't let these pics fool you--the colors of the blushes are SO much prettier in person. Here are my favorite three:

Now let's get to the eyeshadows. First I will say that my only criticism is that not all of these colors are created equally. Some of them look like they're going to be shimmers, but when actually applied they turn out to be sheer matte shades with a tiny bit of sparkle to them. Also, some of these shades are a lot more powdery and fragile than others that have a harder, almost baked consistency.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me tell you that this palette has a TON of potential to create some pretty darn amazing dupes! First let me show you some obvious dupes that needed no help at all:

Left = MAC Electra. Right = CS silver (location on palette: 1st row, 5th eyeshadow down).

Left = MAC Romp. Right, CS bronze (location on palette: 8th row across, 3rd eyeshadow down).

IMPORTANT:

When I discovered the two dupes above, I also realized that these two CS shades are the two most important shades in this palette if you want to create some other dupes. Let me explain.

If you want to make a dupe of MAC Tilt, just follow this formula:

Take two CS shades and layer them until they match MAC Tilt!

So easy! Here's another one:

Here's one more:

The possibilities are endless with this palette and I know that I have only scratched the surface with these dupes. So just remember: the shimmery silver and the shimmery bronze are KEY to making dupes by layering different colors. Also, if any of you want the exact location on the palette of the other shades I used, just let me know and I'll leave that info in the comments for you.

Do you own any Coastal Scents palettes? Do you find that they're as rich with dupe potential as I do? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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.