Breaking News: e.l.f.'s new website and how to get a free e.l.f. gift card!

e.l..f. fans, I am so excited to finally be able to share with you the news about e.l.f.'s new website (the old site got a fabulously sleek and sophisticated makeover). I was lucky enough to beta-test the site and I think you're really going to enjoy how much more streamlined and easy it is to navigate. I personally love it:

(click the image to be taken to e.l.f.'s new and improved site)

One of my favorite improvements to the e.l.f. site is that now when you click on a category, the customer ratings (stars) show up before you even click on the individual item. So if you're looking for eyeshadow, you can quickly and easily determine the most popular eyeshadow on the site without having to click on each product. Love that!

But the good news doesn't end there.

If you are on Twitter, you may have seen one (or all) of the following tweets today:

e.l.f. is giving away 50 gift cards! Tell @askelf ur opinion on the NEW & improved site to entr http://bit.ly/8iLGp6

4 ten days, e.l.f. is givin away 50 gft cards! tweet @askelf your opinion on NEW site makeovr 2 entr http://bit.ly/8iLGp6

Gifts 4 thoughts!Give @askelf your feedback on elf’s NEW makeovr. Givng away 50 gft cards 4 feedback http://bit.ly/8iLGp6

Give @askelf your likes and dislikes about our NEW site makeover and be eligible for 1 of 50 gft cards http://bit.ly/8iLGp6


If you didn't see those tweets by @askelf, don't worry. The important thing to note is that, for four days straight, e.l.f. is going to give away 50 gift cards (each card is for $10!) to people who provide them with feedback about the new site. All you have to do is tell @askelf on Twitter what you think of the new site and you are instantly entered

Have fun, and definitely come back here and let us know if you win a gift card. Good luck!

New Year, New You: Time to try a new concealer?

Welcome to the first installment of a new series I'm rolling out for January called "New Year, New You" which will focus on popular New Years resolutions, and also popular ruts that we all tend to get stuck in from time to time. Since it's a new year (and a new decade) I'm hoping we can pull ourselves out of these ruts and generally start to treat ourselves a little better, without breaking the bank of course! Sound good?

So today I'm going to be reviewing my new favorite concealer: Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Concealer. But before I begin, I want to give you a little backstory about my history of concealers.

One rut I'm notorious for getting stuck in is the concealer rut. During high school and most of college, I used Max Factor PanStick as concealer and I freaking loved it. It covers everything, and I do mean everything, even on oily skin. But then one day I discovered that the shade I had been using (the only shade that even remotely resembled my skintone) was not a good match at all.  Nobody ever bothered to tell me this except for a passive-aggressive college roommate whose sole purpose in life was to make me feel bad about myself. One day she just said, "You do know that your concealer in no way matches your skin color, right?" What the heck did she expect me to say? "Oh yeah, of COURSE I knew that. I just LOVE looking like a complete idiot!"  Anyway, sorry for my little "Mean Girls" rant but so that's how I came to discover that I was wearing the wrong shade of concealer, and that's what led me directly to MAC. For years and years and YEARS after that, I was a die-hard user of MAC concealer (the one in the pot). I just didn't even look at other concealers--not even a sideways glance.

But then I started to open my mind to drugstore concealers which cost less money, are more easily accessible, and can be just as good (if not better) than my beloved MAC. And that's when I found Revlon ColorStay (the one that comes in wand form).  That was a holy grail product for me for about three years because, well, let's face it, who doesn't love a long-wear concealer? I have oily skin and I don't want my concealer to play slip-n-slide all over my face in the summer. So ColorStay was the answer to my prayers.

But then last summer, along came Maybelline's response to Revlon ColorStay: Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Concealer (click here for my original post to see the display I spotted last June).  This collection of liquid foundations and concealers looked similar to Revlon ColorStay, but what about performance? Could SuperStay possibly be better than my holy grail drugstore concealer?

There was only one way to find out, so I snatched up a Maybelline SuperStay concealer a few months ago (I paid $7.99 for it at Walgreens) and the rest is, as they say, history.  This concealer fits ALL of my needs, every last one of 'em.

Let's take a look at some pics before I get into details:

Now those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I am a MAC NC20. So you might wonder why I purchased such a peachy shade of SuperStay concealer (730 Light is very peachy-pink and has no yellow undertones whatsoever).  Well, thanks to my friend and fellow beauty blogger, celebrity makeup artist (and fellow San Diego resident!) Christina Farrell, I was schooled in concealers a while back  and found out some things that I should have probably known a loooong time ago.  For instance, if you have yellow-based skin and reddish-purplish under eye discoloration (like me), you need to use a PEACH-based concealer. For YEARS I was using a yellow-based concealer because, well, my skintone is on the yellow side. But back then, I really didn't have under-eye discoloration, which hit me in my mid-thirties. So anyway, once I started to see some darkness under my eyes, I just kept slappin' on my usual yellow-based concealer and would get frustrated that it made my under-eye area look almost grayish in color. Ew! I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, so I talked to Chrisitina in a fit of frustration and her words to me were: "Peach, peach, peach!" Well, DUH! It makes so much sense now, right?

Sorry for the tangent....so that's why I purchased SuperStay in 730 Light. It's a light peachy color and perfect for my under-eye area.

So let's cut to the chase and see how this baby works, shall we?

This is my lovely eye with NO makeup on whatsoever. Do you know how much courage this takes? Oh, of course you do. But I'd still like someone to pat me on the back for posting this. lol. :)

And here is my same eye, after applying Maybelline Super Stay in 730 Light and nothing else:

Now, I should tell you that, with the wand, I dab this concealer on in little dots. Then I take my ring finger and lightly dab it into the areas that need it. I use this all over my under-eye region, and then with whatever excess is left, I also dab it onto my upper eyelid area just to make things even up there.  I always do this, whether I plan on using an eyeshadow primer or not. It's just a little extra security.

I need to warn you about something before I go any further. Maybelline SuperStay concealer dries FAST. You MUST work quickly when you use this, and it's really my only complaint about this product. If you're used to applying your concealer in little dots all over your face before you start blending, you simply cannot work that way with this concealer. You need to apply it to one eye, blend, and THEN apply it to the other eye. Then for any spot-applications, apply it to one imperfection at a time and blend before you start applying it elsewhere. If you don't follow this tip, you WILL be sorry because once this baby dries (and again, it dries quickly) it's on there for good. It simply will not budge.

But ooooh, the payoff! I thought I was concealing flaws with ColorStay UNTIL I used SuperStay. Now I know what true concealing is.  In fact, I went back to ColorStay for a day after getting hooked on SuperStay, and I could not believe how sheer it felt. I felt like it wasn't covering up anything at all, now that I have SuperStay to compare it to. Now that's not to say that ColorStay isn't great (obviously it is or I wouldn't have used it all these years) but if you have serious dark circles, acne scars, etc., consider SuperStay to be ColorStay on steroids. This baby will cover up anything and everything and the best part? It doesn't settle into my fine lines and it lasts...and lasts.

I find that if I blend well after application, I can then apply my usual liquid or powder foundation, set it with a little powder and I am good to go. I don't have to fear that if I look in the mirror a couple hours later, my concealer will have found every last wrinkle on my face and decided to camp out there.  For me and my oily skin, this concealer provides full coverage that lasts and lasts until you take it off, even during the hottest heatwave that San Diego can throw at me (120 degrees was the hottest it got last summer). In fact, this concealer survives long after your foundation and powder have gone by the wayside. Crazy, right?

But again, you need to work quickly because this concealer dries in seconds.  Also, if you have dry skin, be sure to apply a touch more moisturizer to your face (especially your eye area) before you use this. You will be AMAZED at the difference a little extra moisturizer can make.  And if you use a face primer, I've found that this concealer is perfectly compatible with high and low end silicone-based primers as well.

I hope this review helps some of you who may be interested in changing up your usual concealer. It's a new year and I truly want you to treat yourself right this year--without spending a lot of money, of course. So what better way to treat yourself right than with a new, upgraded concealer? Even if you don't think this product is a good match for you, it could be time to change up you current concealer (unless of course you've tried a zillion and finally found your holy grail product, in which case CONGRATS!!). I truly think I've found a keeper in Maybelline SuperStay.

Breaking News about what we'll see from e.l.f. at Target this March!

HOLD THE PHONE! I'm freaking OUT right now!

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you probably know that I was SUPER excited back in October when e.l.f. cosmetics first made its appearance on Target store shelves (I even had a sidebar feature with pics and info which I just removed--I'll post a new one in March).

But what I didn't know at that time was that those e.l.f. single products and sets were part of a holiday promotion and were never intended to be a permanent display (which is why you're probably seeing clearance tags on all of the e.l.f. products at your local Target right now).

Well, the great news, which I mentioned a little while ago on this blog, is that e.l.f. is coming back to Target stores in March of this year. And this time it will be permanent. As I mentioned before, I was told that we could expect more single items when e.l.f. comes back to Target in March, but now I've got even more scoop for you.

A little birdie just told me about some of the products that we can expect to see at Target stores come March, and while I cannot yet disclose that information to you, I CAN say that all of you e.l.f. fans are going to be absolutely BLOWN AWAY and extremely delighted at the variety of e.l.f. and Studio products that you'll be able to purchase in-store. So stay tuned for the complete list, which I'll be able to share with you in February.

In the meantime, which e.l.f. and Studio products would YOU like to see at Target in March? Leave a comment and let me know!

The Wednesday Question

For this week's question, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at our drugstore beauty purchases from the past year. Let's see what we've used up (or "hit pan" as the girls like to say) when it comes to the things we've purchased in '09:

Name one drugstore beauty product that you have used up in the past year.

For must of us, this shouldn't be difficult, but for others, it just might! Is there a drugstore product that you have COMPLETELY used up over the past year? A lipstick that you wore down to the end of the tube? An eyeshadow that now has a very visible pan at the bottom? A cleanser that you've turned upside and squeezed every last drop out of? Let's here it! What did you use up in '09?

Review: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Color in Commander in Chic

I bought this shade back in the beginning of December but somehow forgot to post a review until now. For those of you who are into the gray-brown mushroom type shades that seem to be everywhere these days, Commander in Chic has been compared to Sephora by OPI's Metro Chic (click here to see Steph's Closet's awesome side-by-side comparison of Commander in Chic, Metro Chic and You Don't Know Jacques). After looking at Steph's pic, it's easy to see that Commander in Chic is a total dupe of Metro Chic, but not so much a dupe of YDKJ, which, to me, is the darkest of all the mushroom colors I've seen lately.

As you can kind of see in the above pic, Commander in Chic goes on much darker than what you see in the bottle. This pic was taken after two coats, with no top or base coat. I was really hoping it would be lighter and more similar to American Apparel's Mouse which is, by far, my new favorite gray-brown mushroom.

Also in Steph's post, you can see a side-by-side comparison of the SH Complete Salon Manicure brush, which is extremely similar to the SH Instra-Dri brush (flat, firm and pointed). I'm not a huge fan of this style of brush because, for me, it's extremely difficult to control the amount of polish during application. I have used Commander in Chic about three times since I purchased it and I still don't have the application down--I always end up with either too much polish on my brush or not enough.

When I purchased Commander in Chic (for a whopping $7.99 at CVS which is pretty steep), I also purchased Plum Luck (a gorgeous deep amethyst purple creme), and I also posted pics of the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure display (click here for that post). Here are my pics of the brush again so that you can see it from the side-view:

brush from the front

brush from the side

So what do I think of the formula of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes? Well according to the display, this formula promises the following fives steps, all in one bottle:

After using these polishes several times in the last month or so, I can tell you that it fits the "color" step but not much else. Without the help of a base coat, these polishes last a day or two on me before I see chipping and/or peeling. Without the help of a top coat, these polishes last a day if I'm lucky, before I start to see lines, scuffs and marks. So the finish is definitely not bullet-proof, that's for sure. Also, within a day or two the shine starts to dull, which again means you really need a separate top coat to extend your manicure and keep it shiny.

I can't really speak to the treatment claims because my nails chipped and broke as usual when I wore these polishes (granted, I'm VERY tough on my hands and I'm constantly chipping/breaking a nail). If I was able to keep these polishes on my nails for more than two days (without using a base or top coat) I could probably speak to you about the strenghtening qualities, but because of its performance when used without a base or top coat, I find myself removing my polish after day two. In other words, I never have this polish on my nails long enough to see if it actually does anything to improve my nail strength.

On the bright side, if you DO use a good base and top coat, you might be able to get 4 or 5 days out of your mani. So in other words, my suggestion is to treat Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes as you would any other polish in your collection. Use a base and top coat for maximum results.

As for the price, I think that might keep some of you away from this collection (understandably). But if you wait for a BOGO, and you want an easily accessible dupe of Sephora by OPI Metro Chic, then definitely pick up a bottle or two when it goes on sale. But if you were hoping that this would be five things in one bottle, I'm afraid that, for me, it just isn't happening.

Do you already own any Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes? If so, how do you like them?

A quick update...

Hello my lovely readers! I just wanted to give you a quick update about a few things...

1) I am very behind on responding to comments but please know that I WILL respond to them (and I thank everyone who took the time to comment on The Eraser review--it means so much to me that you found that review helpful!). The reason I'm behind on responding to comments is because my boyfriend came down with a nasty case of food poisoning, which hit him in the middle of the night last night. If you've ever had food poisoning, you know that it's horrendous for about 24 hours, so thankfully he's finally starting to return to normal but it was pure torture watching him go through that all night and all of today. I'm pretty much a zombie right now because I got no sleep at all last night.  BUT, I'll be back to my regular blogging schedule tomorrow and I hope to be caught up with comments as well!

2) If you have emailed me within the past few months and have not received a response--I apologize from the bottom of my heart and please know I WILL email you back. I love receiving emails from you and I love responding, so I apologize for the delay. My Best of '09 Giveaway Extravaganza required a lot of time and work so that's how I got so behind in emails in general. I hope you understand!

3) I have not been to Walgreens yet to see for myself what kinds of products they're putting on clearance, but my goal is get to over there before the week is over, so stay tuned for a report! And of course if YOU have been to Walgreens and seen the deals, please leave a comment on this post and fill us in. Please!

4) If you've going to check out the clearance deals at your CVS, DON'T FORGET to print out some L'Oreal coupons before you go! Click here to check out the online coupons on CVS.com. On page 8, you will find $1 coupons for L'Oreal face, eye, and lip products. As one of my lovely readers pointed out, if you use this in combination with the clearance items, you can get some L'Oreal products for free or almost free, depending on the sale price! I am kicking myself for having these coupons in my wallet yesterday and NOT using them when I made my purchase. Had I remembered to use them, I could have gotten that HiP eyeshadow duo for 99 cents instead of $1.99 and the lipstick for $1.25 instead of $2.25. Darnit! I guess that means I have to go back to CVS and make another purchase, right? I mean, how can I let a good coupon go to waste? ;-)

5) Also in the CVS.com coupon section, there is a new coupon they just posted for $2.50 off Aveeno Haircare. The Aveeno Nourish+ Moisturize Shampoo is my 2009 Cheapie Award winner for Best Shampoo. If you've got dry/color-treated/damaged hair, I think you might really like this shampoo so be sure to print out that coupon if you're interested. Oh and they also just posted a $2 off coupon for any Clean & Clear product, so if you've been interested in getting my 2009 Cheapie Award winner for Best Facial Cleanser, Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser, now's your chance to snag one!

That's it for now, but please check back tomorrow because I'm working on a few reader-requested product reviews that I hope you'll find interesting. I'm off to feed the boyfriend some plain white rice and water now...poor thing!

Rite Aid Shoppers: Info you need to know!

Guess who just scored a free $10 Rite Aid gift card? Uh huh...that's right, and you can too! I want to be sure you Rite Aid shoppers out there know about the promotion that I mentioned here before Christmas, and for those of you who already know, let this be your reminder:

Shoppers have until Jan. 25 to participate in Rite Aid's Gift of Savings program by tallying receipts dated Nov. 22 to Dec. 24. Customers earn $5, $10 or $20 gift certificates based on total purchases from $25 to more than $100. For details and rules, see in-store brochures or go online to https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/holiday/.

So get our your wallets, go through your desk drawers and find those receipts! I took a half hour yesterday and went through all my receipts from the holidays and I was AMAZED to find that between Nov. 22 and Dec. 24, I had a little over $50 worth of receipts just from Rite Aid alone (and I swear it wasn't all makeup--not even close!). All you have to do is register on Rite Aid's website (if you participate in their single-check rebate program then you're already registered) and enter a few pieces of info from each receipt. After you're done, they'll tell you how much you get back in gift cards and, in my case, I got $10 back! Hum...I wonder what I'll spend THAT on! :)

Also, I just received an interesting press release from Rite Aid's PR department, and I have to tell you I am very excited about this. With any game, it's always fun to try for a chance at the grand prizes, but I'm actually more excited about the possibility of winning instant coupons for free and discounted merchandise, and of course instant Rite Aid gift cards and cash, no matter how small the amount!

  

RITE AID OFFERS $5 MILLION IN PRIZES INCLUDING MORTGAGES, CARS AND ROOM MAKEOVERS WITH RITE AID THE GAME OF LIFE™

Customers Collect Game Board Markers With Purchases to Win Prizes

Camp Hill, PA (January 4, 2010) – Rite Aid customers have the chance to win $5 million in prizes including mortgages, cars and home makeovers along with numerous other prizes with the new Rite Aid THE GAME OF LIFE™.  Similar to the popular board game, customers must collect and match game pieces to win prizes. Rite Aid is the first drugstore retailer to offer a collect and win game.

 

During January and February, customers will receive one game ticket each time they make a purchase at Rite Aid and can receive one additional game ticket for every bonus item they purchase. Bonus items will be marked throughout the store. A list of bonus items as well as game boards can be found at www.riteaid.com/thegameoflife.  Game boards also will be available at all Rite Aid stores.

 

Each ticket includes four markers for the game board and one coupon. Customers must collect and match all markers for a designated prize on the game board to win that prize. The match and win prizes include $250,000 mortgages, 2010 Infiniti G37 convertibles, mega kitchen makeovers, cash and more. There are also several types of coupons including discounted coupons that offer $.25 to $10 off select products; instant win at store coupons for free items, instant cash win prizes up to $10 and a free coupon for two additional tickets; and instant win prizes of gift cards, cash and a $10,000 room makeover.

 

"Rite Aid is excited to be the first drugstore retailer to offer its customers a collect and win game," said John Learish, Rite Aid Senior Vice President, Marketing. "Not only is Rite Aid THE GAME OF LIFE™ a great way to reward our customers for shopping at Rite Aid, it's a way for them to have fun while doing so and offer them chances to win some great prizes."

 

For details and complete game rules, go to any Rite Aid store or visit www.riteaid.com/thegameoflife.  

So tally up those receipts and get yourself some free Rite Aid gift cards to use on all the new Spring makeup that is starting to surface this month, and don't forget to pick up some game board markers for a chance at more savings, cash and prizes. :)

I found the CVS Semi-Annual Beauty Sale (haul pics!)

[UPDATE: I've got white-hot breaking news for you thanks to a wonderful anon reader who left the following comment on another post: "I am a beauty advisor at Walgreens and I was at work today and purchased a lot of good stuff by Sally Hansen...I was literally paying 50 cents for some stuff. You should really go to Walgreens. There are orange stickers EVERYWHERE and they are releasing 500 new clearance item stickers every week. This is a yearly thing for us and the sales this week are ridiculously good." Thank you, my lovely anon Walgreens employee, for the tip of the century! So if you haven't had luck with the CVS sale, get your bootie on down to Walgreens ASAP!]

OK, if you've been reading my blog this week, you know I've been frantically searching for a CVS in San Diego that actually has the big semi-annual beauty clearance blowout (all three of the CVS stores I visited over the weekend had NOTHING on clearance). Well today I went to another CVS and BINGO! I hit the jackpot!

After reading all of the comments from you on my original post (click here) I knew EXACTLY which brands would be on sale, so I headed straight to L'Oreal and looked for clearance signs. Well here's the thing: there ARE no clearance signs! The only thing that lets you know an item is on clearance is a tiny little green 75% off sticker that's on the actual product itself. There is no yellow tag on the display that calls out that a product is on clearance for 75% off. VERY TRICKY, CVS! I'm wondering now if I just missed these green stickers at my other CVS locations?!?! Also, last year they had big banners in the beauty department, proudly proclaiming the "Semi-Annual Beauty Sale". But this year? There's no fanfare at all. Just tiny little green stickers on individual products. Seriously, blink and you'll miss them. I know I almost did--so thank you to EVERYONE who has posted about what they've scored--it helped me SO much!

Now, on to the goodies. Also, let me know if there's anything here that you'd like me to review. Some of these products are going to be for me, but I also bought some stuff for my mom and a few of my friends. If you have a burning desire to see a review of anything, just leave a comment and I'll do my best! Most of these products are older and there are already tons of reviews on the web for them, but I just wanted to throw that out there in case you'd like to see a review or two. :)

First from Milani:

Three Shadow Wear Quads in Touch of Brown, Wild Violets and Sedona Sunset (sale price: $1.75 each) and one Glimmer Stripes in Honey Glimmer (sale price: $1.87)

From Milani and Rimmel:

Milani Nail Lacquer in Radiant Ruby (sale price: $1.12), Rimmel Lipsticks in Kasbah and Birthday Suit (sale price: $1.32 each)

From L'Oreal:

HiP Eyeshadow Duo in Playful (sale price: $1.99) and HiP Cream Shadow Paints in Secretive and Witty (sale price: $2.99 each)

From Revlon:

ColorStay Lipsticks in Sensuous Spice, Dreamy Dusk and Rich Raisin (sale price: $2.49 each) and Makeup Eraser Pen (sale price: $1.99)

From Revlon and L'Oreal:

Super Lustrous Lipstick in Icy Violet (sale price: $1.99), Moon Drops Lipstick in Gold Dipped Rose (sale price: $2.25), L'Oreal Color Riche Lipsticks in Sienna and Pink Tranquilo (sale price: $2.25)

So the grand total plus tax (tax in San Diego county is 9.5% which SUCKS) was $42 and change. For EIGHTEEN PRODUCTS? Get outta town! That's just plain ridiculous, isn't it? :)

And the best part of the entire haul was getting to try some products that I have been eyeing FOREVER but never wanted to pay full price for. I could never justify purchasing a Revlon Makeup Eraser Pen for $7.99, but for $1.99? HECK YES I'll try it! And I've been hearing forever and a day that the HiP Paints make a great eyeshadow primer, but I have refused to pay $11.99 for them. But since they were $2.99 each, well, I'll take TWO, please! And thank you!

Also, last year I was FANATICAL about ColorStay lipsticks. I swear they are the ONLY long-wear lip product that doesn't dry out my lips, and I LOVE that they're just one tube of color and not a two-part system of color and clear gloss (Gah! I hate those!). So being able to get these for $2.49 instead of $9.99? I'm freaking OUT because it gave me a chance to try a lot of shades that I was scared to try before. I think, after this haul, I pretty much own the entire collection now! And FYI, the ENTIRE ColorStay lipstick collection (every single shade) is 75% off, which makes me really scared that they're discontinuing the entire line. So if you love these as much as I do, stock up now.

So...if you haven't been able to find the CVS semi-annual beauty sale in your area, don't fret! Just go in and look for these teeny tiny little green stickers on all the brands that I've posted above, and also on the ones mentioned by my lovely readers in this post.

And of course I will be VERY upset if you don't come back here and tell us EVERYTHING you scored!

Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind "The Eraser" Treatment Makeup

Hands down, this is the most difficult product review I've ever had to write. I've been using this product for seven days straight now, and I STILL don't know exactly how I feel about it. So let me just explain to you my experience and hopefully you can figure out whether or not you think this product might work for you (warning: this is a long and rather detailed review so if you're looking for a quick "pros and cons" review, you've come to the wrong place because I just simply can't break it down like that).

If you saw my "Drugstore Sightings" post from a few weeks back, you know that I was very excited when I saw this new display at my local Walgreens:

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Eraser Treatment Makeup SPF 18

Available in twelve shades (plus one primer--the white tube on the far right in the above pic), the "twist" to this new foundation is the applicator, which is the fuzzy little head at the top of the bottle. I HAD to get one!

I purchased 130 Buff Beige (retail: $12.99 at Walgreens), which is the second-to-lightest shade in the range, and turns out it's a pretty good match for my NC20 skin.

Here are some close-up shots of the applicator:

I tried very hard to capture the texture of the applicator but let me just tell you that it's probably my favorite thing about this foundation. It's SUPER soft and fuzzy and it's very padded so no matter how much pressure you apply to your face, it's not going to feel sharp or hurt--it's just nice and soft. For those of you who might be scared that "fuzzy" means you run the risk of this depositing little bits of fuzz on your face, rest assured that this does NOT shed at ALL. It's extremely clean. In fact, the label states that it's a special anti-microbial applicator and it should NOT be cleaned with water--you simply wipe it with a DRY tissue if you need to remove any excess product from the applicator.

Here's a shot of the inside label:

As with your standard click-pen lipgloss (think Stila or e.l.f.) you need to give this foundation several twists (clicks) before the product starts to make its way through the applicator. But unlike a lipgloss pen, you cannot see when this product starts to make its way to the top. In other words, I had no idea that the product was ALMOST about to appear, so I kept on clicking away and accidentally clicked a LARGE amount out of the applicator for my very first use. Great.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to start applying this to my face so I started to gently rub it on...and rub...and rub...and boy I used WAY too much because this thing was slipping and sliding all over the place. I finally decided to wash it all off and start again because it was just ridiculous. So be warned--do NOT overclick (although I have no way of telling when it's time to stop clicking because you cannot see it coming!).

Take two: I clicked TWICE and that seemed like a good amount of product on the applicator. I started rubbing gently and noticed that the foundation is light in both texture and coverage. During application, this feels very much like a tinted moisturizer to me (it's got that same weightless quality). For something called "The Eraser" I guess I was hoping that it would instantly cover all my imperfections, but that's not the case (at least for me). For any of you hoping that this might take the place of your current concealer and foundation, I'm afraid to have to tell you that you will most definitely still need to use concealer before using this product (unless you never used concealer in the first place, in which case you have flawless skin and I don't think I want to know you. Just kiddin'!).

A picture's worth a thousand words, so I'm now going to show you a VERY scary shot of the skin on my cheek area (including the under-eye area and closer to my nose) so that you can see what my skin looks like without any makeup at all:

As you can see, I have old acne scars on my skin, dark under-eye circles, a few wrinkles under my eyes (hey, I'm 39!) and like a lot of you, enlarged pores on the skin closest to my nose. NOT a pretty picture, indeed.

Here is what that area looked like immediately after applying The Eraser (no concealer was used before-hand):

As you can see, it DID cover up some of the redness, and it filled in my pores, which I LOVE. But as for the dark circles, not even close to being "erased". Nor were the wrinkles, but I never really had high hopes for that.

Something VERY important that I want to tell you at this point is that The Eraser's applicator makes it so you really do NOT EVER have to use your fingers, a foundation brush, sponge, ANYTHING to further blend this product once you apply it. I literally could apply this and blend, blend, blend to my heart's content with the applicator without ever having to use my finger for additional blending. For that, The Eraser ROCKS.

But because of my oily skin, I could not walk out of the house wearing just The Eraser. For me, an application of powder afterward is a necessity. I really wish Maybelline had included a new Instant Age Rewind setting powder to go along with this foundation because it REALLY needs it. And here's why:

Do you see the improvement of my pores in this pic? That's because I used a light dusting of one of my current favorite powders, Palladio Rice Powder in "Natural" which is a yellow-hued, finely-milled powder that really does a great job of locking everything in place. Plus it minimizes pores and keeps my skin shine-free for hours without giving my skin a cakey makeup look or feel to it. But again, I would love to see what Maybelline could come up with had they chosen to release an accompanying powder in this new line.

So after wearing The Eraser with my Palladio powder, I knew I had to try with a good application of concealer beforehand. I currently use Maybelline's SuperStay concealer, which I love (review to come) and that made QUITE the different. I could conceal my dark circles, old acne scars and general redness so that I could focus on what The Eraser brings to the table (which is not a deep concealing of skin flaws).

What The Eraser DOES is bring a lightness and consistency to my skin. It's got sheer to medium coverage on its own, which could be a deal-breaker for those who prefer full coverage. BUT, I need to tell you that for what it is, this is a very nice foundation. After seven days of use, I can tell you that it gives the skin a sort of soft-focus prettiness. Things look softer when you wear this, and it does not settle into fine lines. More mature skin will appreciate that this foundation won't give you that cakey look (don't you hate it when foundation seems to FIND your flaws and camp out there?).

Also, I want to talk about the "Treatment" part of this foundation, which I think is just stellar. After one hour of wearing this, I happened to touch my face and was BLOWN AWAY but how SOFT it felt. As the day progressed, it was as if my skin had turned to silk, which is something I've never experienced with any other foundation. It actually feels like this foundation is improving the texture of my skin, which is a little mind-blowing. I attribute this to the "concentrated formula of goji berry + collagen" which, after seven days, seem to be working wonders on my dry, winter skin. I find myself actually looking forward to the feeling of having this foundation on, because it's feather-light and it truly makes my skin much softer than before I applied it. And that soft feeling intensifies for me the longer I wear it.

So for whom do I think this foundation would be a perfect fit? I'd say that if you have mature skin and you already have a good concealer that works to cover up any major skin flaws, you should try The Eraser. I think you might be quite impressed with the softness and brightness this can give you face, and with a light dusting of powder, this foundation did not fade or change color throughout the day.

For those of you with younger skin, I think you will love this foundation as well, if you are already accostumed to wearing tinted moisturizers or foundations that have a feather-light feel to them. Plus the SPF 18 is always a great, added bonus.

Regardless of your skin needs, I can recommend this foundation for one thing: the "Treatment" part of it. It really is amazing and you will probably be surprised at how soft your skin feels after wearing this for a little while. That is really the thing that I can't seem get over--it's amazing what this does for my skin.

But for those of you who require full coverage, that's where I'm conflicted. I am a full-coverage kind of girl, and because this doesn't instantly "erase" everything that needs to be erased on my face, I can't tell you that you will love this. I tried building for more coverage but it was a dicey process because the more you rub on, the greater the chance that it DOES become cakey. I found that when I laid it on thick, this foundation sat in little puddles in my pores. Not a good look.

So the trick with The Eraser is to use the smallest amount possible (which is actually recommended right on the label) and blend like crazy. If you already have a good concealer and powder, then by all means I think it's worth giving this product a try--especially if you prefer a very light, feather-like quality to your foundations.

I hope this helps some of you better determine whether or not you'd consider giving The Eraser a shot. I know I'm not definitively saying "Yes!" or "No!" but if you've already a fan of my blog, you know it's just not that simple for me to do. Especially with something as personal as foundation. :)

I got The Scrublet (and some Maybelline EyeStudio stuff too!!)

OMG, I am exhausted! I went to three different CVS locations today looking for the semi-annual beauty clearance sale, and I'm SO sad to report that it's not happening in San Diego (yet). I spoke with several different employees and some said, "Huh?" when I mentioned the sale, others said, "Oh yeah, I remember that from last year. I don't know when we're having it again this year" while others said, "I don't think we're having it this year." So if you have the sale going on in your area right now, consider yourself lucky! Just take a look at what my lovely readers are reporting that they've scored (click here). I am sooooo jealous!

My CVS locations didn't have ANY clearance stickers on ANYTHING (well, I did score a full-size bag of Christmas M&Ms for 99 cents because I just so happened to be standing there when the guy was changing the 50% off signs to 75% off!). But other than that, no clearance goodies for moi.

BUT, I was able to find The Scrublet display! (Click here if you have no idea what I'm talking about.) And since I had that $1 off any L'Oreal product coupon that I got in the mail, combined with the $1 off any L'Oreal product that I printed out from the CVS website, I was able to save two bucks on The Scrublet! Whoo hoo! I paid $4.99 (regular price: $6.99).

Now, I stood at the display trying to figure out which formula to get for about 10 minutes. To be perfectly honest, the ingredients in each formula didn't really wow me. The clear formulas (there's a green, normal formula and an orange exfoliating formula) each contained not one, but TWO different types of SLS, and the exfoliating formula had menthol in it, which sometimes causes breakouts on my skin. So I moved over to the creamy formulas and I didn't like that the regular cream cleanser also had menthol, which left me with one choice: the creamy cleanser for sensitive skin. This formula only contains one form of SLS and it's the 7th ingredient on the list, so it's not like it's loaded with it. Also, it contains shea butter and no menthol. Yay! I should also add that none of these cleansers contain parabens, which is great.

Here's a sneak peek at The Scrublet itself:

It really does pop right out and it easily fits back in the hole when you're done. I've got to say, I am obsessed with the texture of The Scrublet. It's this SUPER soft, very pliable, jelly-like rubber. It's got such a cool texture that I just want to keep playing with it like it's Silly Putty or something!

Anyway, I am going to test it tonight and continue using it for five days. After I'm done I'll post my review, so definitely check back here next week if you want to see how it goes!

So even though I didn't see tons of clearance goodies at CVS today, I did get The Scrublet and I also FINALLY saw the Maybelline EyeStudio displays! Yay!!!! CVS is having a BOGO 50% off on Maybelline right now, so I picked up two items. Here's what I got:

Maybelline Lasting Drama By EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner in "Brown"

I apologize for the crappy condition of this product in the picture, but my CVS insists on wrapping everything in clear packing tape to affix their security stickers. If I peel off the tape, the label will come off too, so I had to keep it intact to take this pic.

Anyway, this gel liner retails for $9.99, which I think is steep compared to the two gel liners I currently love (Wet n Wild and Coastal Scents). But the packaging says that it's "Intense Color, Waterproof and Smudgeproof" so how can I NOT test this? Plus it comes with a good-sized brush. So please stay tuned because I'll definitely post a review after I've tried it a few times.

Next I got one of the EyeStudio Quads:

Maybelline EyeStudio Quad in "Irresistibly Ivy"

First of all, these darn CVS anti-theft stickers are driving me BONKERS. I tried so hard to peel this one off but it was impossible (I guess if they made it easy to peel off then it would defeat the purpose, right?). Anyway, the first thing that shocked me about these quads is the size. They're so small for $9.99! I guess after only seeing pics online, I had it in my head that these were much larger. I put a tube of Revlon lipstick in this shot so you can see how it compares. I'm not joking when I say that three of the pans in this quad equal ONE CoverGirl eyeshadow single. And I don't like that you get almost double the amount of the lightest shade in the quad, compared to the darker shades. I don't know about you, but the lightest shades of eyeshadow in ANY palette I own are the ones that barely get used. It doesn't make sense--they should have made the medium shade the biggest pan of all, right? Kind of a bummer, but the colors are flipping gorgeous so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they have good texture, pigmentation and staying power, which will make this purchase very worthwhile. Of course I will review this after I've tested it out a few times, so check back if you're curious.

I also saw the EyeStudio Baked Eyeshadow display, but to be perfectly honest, none of the colors really wowed me. I can't even believe I'm saying that since I'm a baked eyeshadow NUT these days, but $6.99 for one eyeshadow seemed kind of steep when I already had these two $9.99 products in my basket. My luck, it will turn out that the baked shadows are the MUST-HAVE product from the EyeStudio collection. lol. Please tell me I didn't make a bad decision today!

I also want to let you guys know that the winner of my Cheapie Award for Best Body Wash released in 2009, Tone Blueberry Antioxidant, is on sale for $3.99 at CVS this week (regular price: $4.99), and if you purchase it you get two CVS Extra Bucks. Yay! You know that went RIGHT into my shopping basket!

So that's it for now, but I obviously have a lot of testing to do this week! In the meantime, what do you think of the products I purchased? Do you already own any of them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

L'Oreal's new "Scrublet" and other "Top Secret" info from CVS...

Sometimes it really pays to have a CVS card (if you don't have one by now, I HIGHLY recommend signing up since it's free and you can get those very handy CVS Extra Bucks). 

Obviously CVS pays attention to what you purchase, because yesterday I got this in the mail:

This is a brochure of the latest and greatest new L'Oreal products (which surprised me because you would think that the Roller Foundation is probably the most interesting new product from L'Oreal yet there's no mention of it in this mailer).  Anyway, the products mentioned in this brochure are ones that I have seen in-store recently (in fact I posted some pics of the giant "Lash Boosting Technology" display I spotted a while back) but I wanted to post the info here in case you haven't heard about these goodies yet.

I have to say I'm intrigued by this new "Scrublet" and I might just have to pick one up for review soon. It's hard to see in this pic so let me show you a close-up of how the Scrublet actually fits INSIDE the bottle of cleanser:

I have to say, I like the concept of having the tool come WITH the cleanser. Not only for convenience, but it also is a great way of not having to remember to replace your cleansing tool. You just buy a new one when you've run out of cleanser.  Pretty neat.

Also included in the brochure is a $1 off coupon:

It would have been great to have a $2 or $3 off coupon, but I'm not complaining. I can still make this savings work for me by using a few Extra Bucks, right?

So again, if you don't have a CVS card, it's time to sign up and start taking advantage of these deals.

Did you get one of these "Top Secret" brochures in the mail?  Are you interested in picking up any of these new products? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Get your booties on down to CVS today!

 I know I'm not the first beauty blogger to mention this, but I cannot let this go without sending you a big "HURRY!". 

CVS is holding their semi-annual beauty blowout clearance sale right now (many items 50-75% off) and I want you all to have a chance at these goodies before they're all picked over.

I'm getting ready to scoot on down to my CVS right now (and of course I'll report back) but I have heard that tons of L'Oreal HiP stuff is marked down to 2 bucks each, as well as select Almay and Revlon stuff. I'm SURE that's not all, but that's what I can confirm at this point (if you've been to a CVS this weekend, please leave a comment and let us know what you've scored!).

Also, before you go, be sure to visit CVS.com and go to the coupon section because there are printable coupons that you can take with you to get even more money off your purchases (there's a $2 off coupon for any L'Oreal face product, a $1 off coupon on any L'Oreal eye product, a $1 off coupon for any L'Oreal lipstick, and TONS of $2 and $5 coupons for Lumene stuff).

Also, I want to mention that in addition to these crazy savings, CVS currently has a BOGO on all Revlon foundations, blushes, powders, concealers and lip products. PLEASE NOTE: THIS BOGO ENDS TODAY, JAN 2!

So if you saw my reviews on the ColorBurst and Matte lipsticks, now is the time to pick some up if you've been tempted! Also, if you've been wanting to try the new PhotoReady foundation and powder, definitely get those today.


Other notable sales that end TODAY, Jan. 2nd:

BOGO 50% OFF:
All CoverGirl Cosmetics
Palmers lotions
Ardell lashes and Kiss nails
Sally Hansen nail polishes and treatments

Get THREE Extra Bucks with any Biore purchase

50% off ALL fragrance gift sets

All St. Ives and Noxema products $3.99 each with card

CoverGirl Lash Blast $4.49 with card

Happy shopping, and don't forget to come back and tell us what you scored!

New Year's Day odds 'n' ends!

First of all, Happy New Year, my lovelies! I hope you're all enjoying the day and that you had either a magical, crazy, exciting night last night, OR a warm, quiet, peaceful one, depending on your taste and lifestyle. :)

As for myself, the boyfriend and I had ourselves a couch picnic and enjoyed a Mad Men marathon (I'm only up to the end of season 2 since we're watching it for the first time on DVD so pleeeeease no spoilers!). For dinner we made noodles with steamed broccoli, carrots and baked tofu--we poured a homemade peanut sauce over the whole thing and it was deeeelish. For dessert, I tried making some vegan chocolate lava cake (I'm not vegan but I like the idea of not using dairy products in dessert because, well, desserts are bad enough for you without the fat and cholesterol, right?). So back to the chocolate lava cake--it was a DISASTER. The banana I used was overripe and had a funky taste to it, then I misread the ingredients and added 1/2 a TABLESPOON of salt instead of 1/2 a TEASPOON, so the whole thing ended up tasting like a weird salty banana with bitter chocolate mixed in. We tossed it in the trash and ended up eating butterscotch chips (purchased to make cookies) straight out of the bag like candy for the rest of the night. No wonder I feel sick right now. :)

Right now I'm being incredibly lazy and switching back and forth on TV between the various marathons they're running: Barney Miller, Myth Busters, The Next Iron Chef and Most Shocking. And I can't wait for 8:00 tonight when E! airs Office Space, which I have probably seen 5,000 times but can never miss whenever it's on TV. [Office Space fans: I can do the BEST impersonation of "Corporate Accounts Nina Speaking JUST a moment" you have ever heard!]

But before I go back to being a couch zombie, I'd like to share some odds & ends with you! :)

1) My awesome pal Amber at Beauty Junkies Unite just did a fantastic review of the brand spankin' new Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous, which one of my readers informed me is a dupe of a Lancome mascara. Check out Amber's review here, and while you're at it, please send her warm wishes as she recovers from bronchitis. Get well soon, girlie!

2) PLEASE, if you haven't already, vote in my poll at the bottom of this page. I would LOVE to know from you, my dear readers, what you would like to see more of from me in 2010, so the results of this poll are extremely valuable to me. Please vote, ok? And thank you!

3) I've got an e.l.f. at Target update for you! The display that appeared at Targets across the nation back in October was actually part of a holiday promotion and it was never intended to be permanent (I just found this out last week). So if you've gone into Target recently and seen crazy clearance prices on e.l.f. stuff, that's why. But the great news is that e.l.f. WILL be back in Target stores PERMANENTLY, beginning in March of this year. I spoke to the Chief Marketing Officer of e.l.f. recently and they are very excited about what will be available--lots of single items, and the products will be from the e.l.f. line and the Studio line (no Mineral line products yet). I will be receiving a complete list very soon of what you can expect to see at Target in March, so please stay tuned. The minute I get it, you know I'll post it!

4) I want to apologize for really lagging on responding to comments lately. I LOOOOVE hearing from you and I treasure each and every comment I receive. I usually can respond to comments the same day they are received, but it's just been extra crazy these past few months. I know that when I leave a comment on a blog and I don't receive a response, I kind of take it personally. I always think, "What, did my comment not matter to the person? Did he/she just totally ignore what I had to say?" So BELIEVE me, I never want YOU to feel that way if you leave a comment here and I do not respond. I read ALL comments left on this blog, and I have every intention of responding, but sometimes I'm not perfect and life gets in the way. But I want to assure you that this is the ONLY reason for my lack of response. It's not because I don't find your comment valuable or unworthy of a response--I assure you that's not the case at all. I love you guys so much and I am constantly amazed at your wonderful, thoughtful, and insightful comments. So please, if a comment you have left here has gone unanswered, do not let that stop you from commenting again in the future, ok? Thank you!

5) Can you tell me if you are you enjoying the feature on my right-hand side bar, which is the articles from my Google Reader? I try to update it every single day with new beauty news that I discover from the various websites that I subscribe to, but if you don't find it interesting and you find yourself never even looking it, I want to know! I'd rather devote my time to things that YOU find useful, so please leave a comment here telling me if you love it, hate it or are just "meh" about it, ok? Thank you!

Thanks to everyone reading this for making '09 one of the most fulfilling years for me on a personal level. It was a big, scary step for me to start a beauty blog and I could not have done it without you. The fact that you spend even a second of your day on Nouveau Cheap makes me so happy that I want to skip around in circles and throw faerie dust into the air! :)

Bursting with love and gratitude,
R. xo