Review: New Revlon Luxurious Color Satin and Perle Eyeshadow Singles

Let me tell you right up front that I have never really been a fan of Revlon eyeshadows. There are a lot of things I love from Revlon (like practically everything with the words "ColorStay" in the title) but the eyeshadows, for me, have always just been "meh". On my skin, they just don't seem to have the level of pigmentation that I can find in other drugstore lines, and I also think the powder eyeshadows tend to be a bit chalky.

That said, I want to commend Revlon for the new and improved textures and finishes they've released in this new Luxurious Color eyeshadow collection. They blow any other Revlon eyeshadow I've ever tried completely out of the water.

During a recent Rite Aid BOGO free on Revlon eye products, I purchased these two lovelies for a total of $4.99 ($4.99 is the Rite Aid retail price for one single):

Revlon Luxurious Color Satin Eyeshadow in Nude Slip (left)

Revlon Luxurious Color Perle Eyeshadow in Violet Starlet (right)

Now some of you may be asking why in the heck I bought a purple eyeshadow, since I've said repeatedly that purples don't work on my skintone. Well, aside from the fact that I try to never give up hope that someday I'll find the purple that works for me, I bought this one for another reason as well. I bought it in direct response to the fact that SO many of you mentioned purple eyeshadows when I asked my Wednesday Question a few weeks ago about what your weakness is when it comes to eyeshadow colors. Since I now know that you love your purples, I figured it would be helpful for some of you if I reviewed it. Plus, it was just pretty darn gorgeous in the pan. :)

But let's start with Nude Slip. My, my, my. I really didn't have any expectations about this one, but BOY am I impressed. [Update: HUGE thanks to my lovely reader LipstickChick for recommending this shade to me!] First of all, the texture is nothing like the old Revlon singles. The texture of Nude Slip is beyond dreamy. It's smooth, it's buttery, and it applies like a dream. It totally, TOTALLY reminds me of a Stila shimmery eyeshadow like Wheat. Absolutely amazing pigmentation that you don't need to build--it's just perfectly pigmented on the very first swipe. Plus, Nude Slip isn't so light that it needs to be reserved for the brow-bone area only. You can use this a wash all over your lid for a natural look and be ready and out the door in a few minutes flat. This is one versatile shadow and I can see it being a staple in many a makeup bag. It's just got so much potential in terms of how you can use it--I just can't say enough good things about it. Also, I want to confirm that there is no sparkle in these Satin Eyeshadows. They are true frosty shimmers, so if you're a shimmery eyeshadow girl, I think you will love them. The shimmer is deep and rich and wonderful.

Ugh. My poor little camera just cannot pick up shimmers or microglitters, so here's the best swatch I can give you. If Nude Slip looks blah to you, I promise it's so much more gorgeous in person.

Moving on to Violet Starlet, as you can see in the above swatch, this is NOT the purple of my dreams. Do you see how this swatch makes the entire right side of my hand turn a greenish-blueish color and look bruised? Imagine that look on my eye. Not good. Oh well...I tried!

But let's talk about the actual shadow for a bit. The Perle shadows are more matte in texture and they contain micro-glitter. In the case of Violet Starlet, the micro-glitter is multi-colored and I wish I could have captured it in a photo because it is truly gorgeous. I think purples look so pretty when they're combined with multi-colored micro-glitter, and this baby is certainly no exception. Also, I was pleased that I didn't receive a ton of fallout when I applied this to my lids. The micro-glitter seemed like it would be dense and fly all over the place, but when you apply it to your lid, the glitter actually spaces itself out and creates a very pretty look that's not over-the-top in a UD Midnight Cowboy sort of way. If you're normally a conservative eyeshadow person, I can see you using this as a "going out on the town" or "special occasion" type of eyeshadow because it doesn't make you feel like you're wearing too much makeup when you wear this (due to the matte, almost sheer texture of the base) but it does give a special sparkle to the eye.

All in all, both the Satin and Perle Luxurious Eyeshadows are a HUGE improvement over the old Revlon eyehsadow singles. Obviously my favorite so far is the Satin texture, but the Perle is definitely nice if you're looking for a sheer wash of color that has a bit of zing to it. The staying power of both shadows is excellent in my book, and I was able to wear Nude Slip without a primer for 10 hours straight with no fading or creasing. That baby is well worth the $4.99 price tag and I just cannot recommend it enough.

Do you own any of the new Revlon Eyeshadow singles? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

My dreams come true (really): Brocato Hair Care now at BeautyTicket.com

Several years ago, when the sulfate-free trend in haircare hit the interwebs, the one brand I saw pop up like wildfire across the various hair care message boards was Brocato. Specifically, the Brocato product with the alluring name: Cloud 9. If I had a penny for every time I saw "Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo" mentioned in posts about great sulfate-free shampoos, I'd have a nice little nest egg by now.

Seriously, women just could not stop raving about this brand, until finally one day I cracked. I HAD to see what the fuss was about, so I scoured the internet looking for a retail location near me. Unfortunately I couldn't find one, so I ended up ordering a bottle of Brocato Cloud 9 from a hair care etailer and I remember I spent A LOT of money on that darn bottle (almost 50 bucks with shipping). I will never forget thinking, "Did I really just spend almost 50 dollars on a bottle of shampoo??" But sometimes the hype just...gets to you. Do you know what I mean, ladies? Of course you do.

Well I am pleased to say that Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo lived up to the hype. It's an amazingly gentle shampoo that cleansed my hair beautifully and left it soft, springy and full of life but never frizzy. And I would still have a bottle of Cloud 9 in my shower today if it weren't for that darn price. I'm sorry, but $35 + shipping is just insane for a bottle of shampoo. So sadly, my dream of having Cloud 9 as a staple in my bathroom disappeared into the clouds with my last remaining drop, never to return to my shower again.

Until a few weeks ago, when I freaked out--no, I mean FREAKED out---when I saw Brocato products listed in the "New Arrivals" section at BeautyTicket.com. I immediately emailed Jill (one of the owners of BeautyTicket) and all I remember is that my email had "OMG" and "!!!!" repeatedly strewn throughout it.

Needless to say, Jill graciously offered to send me a bottle of Brocato Curl Karma Shampoo for review (yay!) and I've been using it ever since.

Brocato Curl Karma Shampoo

(retail: $35, BeautyTicket price: $14.99)

If you are a gal who has fine hair that's curly or wavy, I think you will absolutely adore this shampoo because it's made exactly for women like us. My hair is very fine in texture and extremely wavy. That combo often results in frizzy, flyaway hair that looks, well, like crap. It takes just the right balance to make my waves look consistent and my hair to look full and bouncy, and I'm pleased to say that Brocato Curl Karma gives me that precise balance every time. I love it, and it's just as amazing as my beloved Cloud 9, which is ALSO now available at BeautyTicket. Yes, they have Cloud 9 too!!

Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo

(retail: $35, BeautyTicket price: $14.99)

Your hair doesn't have to be anything like mine to enjoy the benefits of Cloud 9. If you're looking for a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo that will actually clean your hair (without stripping it), look no further than Cloud 9. It's got a decadent, luxurious lather that you won't believe is coming from a product free of sulfates. Plus, I can distinctly remember that my hair just felt so soft and rejuvenated when I used it. Dare I say it felt... repaired? Yes, it really did. Heck, it's the kind of shampoo that sticks inside my memory banks to this day (and I can't say that for many hair care products).

Once again, I am thrilled and delighted to tell you that the ladies at BeautyTicket.com have done it again--they have Brocato products and they're selling them for less than half the retail price! If you want to treat your hair--I mean really treat your hair--I'd consider picking up a bottle of Brocato while you can still get it at such a low price. Bragains like this don't come around every day--believe me.

Have you ever used Brocato hair care? I would love to know 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 editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

Mr. Recessionista Strikes Again (well...kinda)

My sweetheart of a boyfriend was so overwhelmed by the positive response of his first and only review here on Nouveau Cheap (click here to see his Woody's Meat and Potatoes Soap review) that he felt compelled to write a message to all of you who enjoyed what he had to say. So please read on if you'd like to hear his response (it's pretty funny, if I do say so myself!):

Thank all of you for your kind comments on my Woody’s review. I was reluctant to get involved with my girlfriend’s blog, but after hearing that you enjoyed my review, I don’t feel so reluctant now. That doesn’t mean, however, that I will be doing another one soon. It really depends on what I’m reviewing.

Obviously, I REALLY have to like something to bother writing about it. Since there are not that many products out there for men that are worthwhile [his opinion, not mine. -R], it’s really difficult to get excited about a particular product. Yes, men also experience disappointment in this regard, perhaps more so than women, statistically speaking. This is an essential reason for why men don’t care so much. We simply find a way to function without them (products) because, in a very real sense, it doesn’t really matter to us.

We think about other things like “what’s the shortest way to get to work” or “how to blow up a snowman with a cannonball.” And since saving gas in our vehicles is practical and experiencing the sudden beheading of an inanimate object by a cannonball is AWESOME, our thinking about products – beyond the very barest of essentials – takes the back seat of a very large bus. BUT, if we come across a product that is practical, helpful, and enhances our experience, we’ll pay attention for about a minute or so. That minute is VERY CRUCIAL because that is how we decide things (it’s also why we mess things up so frequently). A minute is the maximum temporal extent of our decision-making process concerning certain things. And products are some of those things. But if we really take our time thinking about something, it means that we care deeply and what we are thinking about is important to us.

So, I will write a review sometime in the future, but it will have to be something that’s worth thinking about for more than a minute. This is why the Woody’s review was particularly important and why I really appreciate all your comments, you made it worthwhile.

Mr. Recessionista

So the next time you see a review on Nouveau Cheap that was written by Mr. Recessionista, you can be darn well sure that he had some very strong opinions on it! :) Thanks again for making his first review experience a great one, and hopefully we'll see another review from him in the very near future.

My favorite budget-friendly sites that are not beauty-related

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, and I struggled with publishing it here (as opposed to on Nouveau Sweet which is my little blog about non-beauty related topics), but since 99.9% of you reading this are all about good bargains and saving money, I decided to just go for it and post it here.

Over the past year I've found three sites in particular that focus on ways to save money in other areas of our lives (yes, there is life outside of beauty. Crazy, I know!). So today I want to share them with you because I honestly think they're flipping FANTASTIC.

So let's get started!

1) Budget Bytes. Aside from being absolutely adorable, Beth M. is a whiz in the kitchen. She not only provides her readers with step-by-step photos and instructions for each of her recipes, but she also breaks down, to the penny, how much you can expect to spend on each recipe, and also each serving within each recipe. THAT, folks, is dedication (have you tried to estimate how much a 1/2 cup of frozen peas costs?). I've cooked probably a dozen or more of Beth M.'s recipes over the past few months and each one is tastier than the next (for my all-time fave, click here).

2) Dollar Store Crafts. If you love to craft but you're on a tight budget, THIS should be your go-to blog. Heather is a crafting goddess and her blog is full of amazingly cute projects that can all be made with--you guessed it--items from the dollar store. She's even got her site broken down into "$1 and free", "$5 and under" and "$10 and over" projects, so that literally, no matter how broke you currently are, you can still get your I-need-to-make-something-cute-with-my-own-two-hands fix. One of my favorite in the "$1 and free" category is this ring made from a pink eraser.

3) More with Less Today. If there is a sale, promotion, printable coupon, freebie or other deal going on somewhere in the US, Lori has got it COVERED. I have yet to find a more comprehensive site when it comes to retail shopping deals and promotions anywhere on the web. Definitely worth a spot in your bookmarks, I particularly love Lori's Birthday Freebies post, which lists basically everything you can snag for free just by turning one year older.

So there you go! My top three non-beauty-related budget-friendly sites on the web! Do you know of a great budget-friendly site that I didn't mention? If so, please do us all a huge favor and list it in the comments!

Review: New NYC Smooth & Natural Matte Powder Foundation

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a HUGE fan of powder foundations. Nothing beats a good powder foundation if you like to apply your foundation quickly, and also if you've got oily skin (like me). 

So whenever I see a new powder foundation hit the drugstore, I am ALL over it. I had amazing luck with the new Physicians Formula SPF 50 Powder Foundation recently (click here for my review) so I guess I wanted to press my luck with this new version by NYC.

At just $4.99 at Rite Aid, I couldn't pass it up:

NYC Smooth & Natural Matte Powder Foundation in 731U Urban Light

The first thing I noticed about this foundation is its embossed quilted design, which seems to be a theme we're seeing a lot of in new drugstore products for 2010.  It's pretty and definitely sets it apart from other drugstore powder compacts.

I used this foundation for seven days straight, with various combinations of different moisturizers, primers and concealers beforehand.  Unfortunately, as much as I really wanted to love this, I just could not find a combination that worked with my skin. It seemed as if, no matter what I did beforehand to prep my skin, this foundation just didn't want to give me the coverage I need.  I don't need a full-on mask with my foundation, but I do prefer a more full-coverage look, which powder foundations are known for delivering. Sadly, this product gave me light-to-medium coverage at best.

In its defense, I will say that the color was a nice match for my NC20 skintone, and the powder itself applied smoothly. It's not chalky or cakey, which is wonderful. It also has a nice, smooth texture that gives it a lot of slip when you're applying it to your face (which can probably be attributed to the dimethicone in this product, which is the third ingredient after talc and mica). However, even in conjunction with my beloved Maybelline SuperStay concealer, I found that this foundation just didn't provide the coverage I need, and it definitely didn't last throughout the day. On most days that I used this, I saw my skin imperfections come through in a matter of 2-3 hours.

It was really difficult to photograph a swatch of this foundation because it actually does blend effortlessly into the skin. In the above pic, the foundation is on the back of my hand and you can see my bare skin on the left and right sides of the image. As you can see, it does cover well and it's not cakey, however I just couldn't find a way to get that coverage to last, even with various primers beforehand.

Perhaps this foundation is just not for oily skin like mine. But if that's the case, it kind of defeats the purpose of powder foundation, which is really made for us oily-skinned girls, right? 

I will say that I did have better luck with this product when I used it as a finishing powder after liquid foundation. When applied sparingly with a kabuki brush after applying liquid foundation, it did a nice job of setting my foundation and giving a little bit more coverage than my usual setting powders. So maybe it's not a total waste after all. 

If you're looking for a new, inexpensive setting powder to put on top of your liquid foundations to give you a tiny bit more coverage, this new NYC Powder Foundation might be just the trick.  But if you're an oily-skinned girl who loves full-coverage powder foundations, I'd probably skip this one.

Have you tried this any of the new NYC products launched this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The prettiest pastel lilac shade in my nail polish collection...

So I normally don't do back-to-back nail posts, but after removing my Sally Hansen Bubblegum Pink last night, I rummaged around in my stash for another pretty Valentine's Day-inspired color to use and I came across a beauty that I had somehow forgotten about. And I have to share it with you.

If you haven't heard of the brand Tropez, it's a super-affordable drugstore brand geared toward Latina women and it's owned by Markwins (the makers of Wet and Wild and Black Radiance). I am lucky enough to have a full display of Tropez cosmetics at my local Rite Aid, and I looooove their polishes because the colors are vibrant, unique and well, they're as inexpensive as the polishes from Wet n Wild and Black Radiance! [Update: thanks to my wonderful reader, I can now confirm that Tropez Nail Enamel retails for 99 cents per bottle, which is what I paid for this bottle. Their other line of polishes, Tropez Super Pearl Nail Enamel, retails for $1.99 a bottle.]

Tropez Nail Enamel in Blossom

At first glance you might be thinking, "Eh. It's a standard pastel lilac with some shimmer." But no no no. Once you put it on, look what happens:

Do you see all of that gold shimmer that magically appears? THIS is what sets Blossom part from your average pastel lilac shade. It is 100x more gorgeous in person, I tell ya! The baby-fine gold shimmer running through this gives off almost a holographic dual-toned effect that makes this color look like it's glowing from within. It's got this delicate, ethereal quality to it that makes it, BY FAR, my most favorite lilac I have ever seen. I just cannot think of even one other shade in my collection that comes close to this (from the drugstore at least--perhaps there is a high-end color that I'm not aware of that is similar but I'm not a high-end nail gal so I have no clue).

Seriously, if you're a purple nail fan, or a gold nail fan, or a pastel nail fan, or even just a fan of feminine, delicate shades, you owe it to yourself to try and find this little lovely. It will knock your socks off. Pinky swear!

In the above pics I used 1 coat of Orly Bonder Base Coat, 2 coats of Blossom and 1 coat of Sally Hansen DiamondShine Top Coat.

Tropez nail colors are toluene and formaldehyde-free and are available wherever Tropez products are sold.

Do you own any products from Tropez? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A natural, yummy chocolate body scrub that you can get at the drugstore??

Yup. It's true! Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub is natural, amazing, and can be found right at your local drugstore. If you're a body scrub person, and a chocolate person, please allow me to explain why I think you might really, really love this one.

I'll tell you up front I am already a huge Giovanni fan, but I primarily associate this brand with hair care (and one of the most awesome leave-in conditioners of all time--click here for my past review of Giovanni Leave-In Direct). For some reason I had yet to try their body care products, so when I was approached to try one for review, I totally jumped at the chance. Let's face it, if Giovanni can magically transform my hair, then I just had to see what they could do for my skin.

Before I go any further, I have to tell you that the Giovanni website makes me cry! Yes, cry. You see, they have their products broken up into little categories, and each category has its own theme. If you go to the body care category, which is called Four Dreams, Giovanni will take you on a little journey through four dreams, each one filled with beautiful images, words and music. I don't want to spoil it, so if you're interested just check it out here: Four Dreams. There's something about the storytelling of the dreams that is just quite powerful and moving, and I swear it makes me tear up (in a good way!) when I watch it.

Whew! Sorry for the tangent--let's get on to this scrub, shall we?

Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub (retail: approximately $13, 9 oz)

First let's start with the packaging. This scrub comes in an asymmetrical frosted plastic tub that is modern, sleek, and looks pretty darn cute in the tub.

Now let's cut to the chase and talk about the scrub itself, which, to me, is worth every single penny of its price.

Let me just back up a minute and tell you that I was around for the first wave of oily body scrubs that dominated the mid-1990s. I remember when everyone and their mother came out with a version of a body scrub, and 99% of them were goopy, oily messes that turned your entire bathtub into a danger zone.

So fast forward 15 or so years and I cannot TELL you how thrilled I am with how much scrubs have improved, and how many amazing choices we now have. No longer do we have to worry about busting through the shower door as we slip on the oil slick that old-school scrubs leave behind.

So ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce to you Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub, otherwise known as my perfect scrub:

Now, why am I calling this my perfect scrub? That's easy. First, it's thick and on the dry side (witness its thickness above, as it is not sliding like sludge down my finger). Thick scrubs that aren't overly oily do what they're supposed to do: buff dead skin off your body. Also, it's packed with "scrubbies" and the scrubbies (walnut shells) are coarse enough to exfoliation but not too big, and definitely not sharp or jagged. And lastly, it's a sugar scrub. I'm sorry, but the majority of salt scrubs out there STING if you've got any nicks, cuts or imperfections on your legs. Ouch! Sugar scrubs don't sting at all.

This is a winning combo in my book, folks! This scrub has just enough oil in it to make my skin feel soft, but not nearly enough oil in it to make me have to scrub my tub every time I use it. And the thick texture and perfect amount of scrubbies make this one ideal for me when I really want to give my body a good overall exfoliation.

And I haven't even gotten to the smell yet! Oh boy. When you open up the jar, I swear you'll think you're inhaling a cup of hot chocolate. Giovanni really nailed it with this one because, being a hot chocolate lover myself, I immediately thought: "It's hot chocolate!" when I sniffed it. It is pure, decadant chocolate without any weird plastic notes because, HELLO, it's made with cocoa beans! This yummy scrub makes your bathroom smell like luxurious hot chocolate when you use it! Yum YUM.

The ingredients:

As you can see, this baby is packed full of good-for-your-skin ingredients like honey, kukui nut, shea butter and vitamin E. And it's paraben-free to boot.

This Valentine's Day, I think Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub would be the ideal gift to give to yourself or maybe a girlfriend who needs a bit of extra TLC and pampering. Heck, I might even ask Mr. Recessionista to stop ignoring this in my shower and actually give it a whirl (as you know, he ignores all products in my shower unless I specifically ask him to try them). :)

Gionvanni body care products can be found at Rite Aid, CVS, Target, Ulta and many other retail outlets across the nation. Or you can also purchased directly from Giovanni via their online store.

Have you tried any products from Giovanni? As always, I would 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 editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

New winner selected for Montagne Jeunesse Giveaway...

I don't want to sound like a broken record (but I am): You have GOT to check your spam folders OR add me to your address book if you are going to enter my giveaways. As extra insurance, you can always set a reminder for yourself to come back to this blog the day after a giveaway ends, because I will always post the winners' names here so that if, for any reason at all, my email doesn't get to you, you can still contact me to claim your prizes.

And with that, I am sad to announce that one of the winners of the Montagne Jeunesse Giveaway failed to respond after 24 hours (magic5905) so another winner was just drawn.

Congratulations to tedoni who has just snagged a 5-piece skincare kit from Montagne Jeunesse!

Tedoni, I have just sent you an email so please respond ASAP to claim your goodies!

That's it for this Valentine's Day Giveaway Series, but I really hope that you'll check back in a little while because I have got two incredible giveaways planned for February and I promise you'll love 'em! And once again, if you enter, check your spam folders the day after the giveaways ends, or add me to your address book (my email's in my profile) to ensure that you do not miss my notification if you win!

Review: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Bubblegum Pink

So if you saw my China Glaze review from a few days ago, you know that I am totally into pinks and reds during this time of year. And since Rite Aid currently has a BOGO 50% off on Sally Hansen nail products, and since I *just* ran out of my beloved MegaShine top coat, well I couldn't pass up getting another one of the newest Xtreme Wear colors too (how could I pass up 50% off of the already low price of $2.99 a bottle??).

Naturally, given my Valentine's Day addiction to pinks and reds, I went straight for Bubblegum Pink. Oh how I love thee!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Bubblegum Pink 

(retail: $2.99 at Rite Aid but I paid $1.49 since SH is currently BOGO 50% off)

The following pics were all taken in various forms of lighting (without flash, with flash, florescent lighting, etc.). I would say that the true color isn't as blue as the w/o flash pics, but not exactly as warm as the flash pics. 

Without Flash

Apologies for my horrible cuticles (blame the weather!) but the important thing I'd like to note about ALL of these pics is that there were taken FOUR days into my manicure. FOUR DAYS! I used Orly Bonder Base Coat and Nailene Top Coat (the little bottle that came with my Nailene Skinny French Tip Pen!).

I also want to mention that if you look very closely, this shade has a very, very subtle silver shimmer running through it. I honestly love this color so much that I'm sad to take it off tonight.  I've been wearing it since Sunday morning and NO chips. 

And just to prove how awesome the staying power of this polish is, here's my other hand, also after four full days:

Can you believe? I can barely believe it and I've been wearing it for four days! In fact, I tried to pick at this polish just to see if I could, and today, on day four, I couldn't get it to lift at all (you know how when polish starts getting old it will begin to peel right off your nail? Not this one!).

I highly, highly recommend Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes (especially the creme formulas like this one) because the staying power is fantastic and the colors are just so pretty.  If you haven't seen my reviews of some of the other shades from the newest collection of Xtreme Wear, click here for Wet Cement and Pacific Blue, and here for Purple Pizzazz.

Do you own any Xtreme Wear colors? If so, do they perform as well on your nails?

Review: New Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes

If there's only one thing that you're going to take away from this review today, I hope it's this: matte eyeshadow fans, you NEED one of these Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes. If you really trust me, you can just stop reading now and get one the next time you're at the drugstore. But if you're not fully convinced, by all means, please read this review! :)

As you all probably know by now, I received several different products from the Wet n Wild 2010 makeover to review (so you can expect more reviews to come), but these palettes were the first products (aside from the nail polishes!) that I had to immediately try:

Wet n Wild Color Icon Lust (with flash)

Lust (without flash)

I've mentioned many times on this blog that I have a hard time pulling off plums and purples, but that certainly didn't stop me from tearing into this palette. Especially when there are three lovely mattes and three lovely "effects shades" in each of these palettes. I don't know about you, but I think these shades are gorgeous, especially this little lovely:

I know there's a MAC shade that's very similar to this. Anyone? Anyone? What is the name of that darn shade?

Anyway, unlike the new Maybelline Plush EyeStudio palettes (click here for my review of those), I am VERY happy to report that the effects of these shadows are not surface-level only. When you swipe these for the first time, the prettiness does NOT disappear.

Here are some swatches on my arm:

And of course a close-up of the shimmers:

Now what you can't see is that the first "effects shade" at the top of this swatch (the cream shade), has teeny tiny silver sparkles blended throughout. So it's a matte with just a hint of specialness. The middle shade is that gorgeous black with tons of plum micro-glitter, and then the bottom shade is the deep blackish-silver shimmer (the only true frost in this palette).

So let's talk about those mattes, shall we? They're AWESOME! And this is coming from a longtime matte eyeshadow fan. Over the years, I've come to find that the best matte eyeshadows for me are Bobbi Brown, Avon, and MAC. Personally, those three brands give me the least amount of trouble when it comes to finicky mattes that sometimes need special attention when applied. If you're a matte eyeshadow person, you know that mattes can sometimes leave little ugly patches of inconsistent color on your lids, even if you're wearing a primer. So it is with all the excitement I have in me that I tell you that the mattes in these new Color Icon palettes are freaking AMAZING. They are buttery smooth and they glide across your lids like they were made especially for YOU. And the best part? I didn't need a primer with these babies. Seriously, I applied them to bare skin and they were perfection. So easy to blend, so easy to work with, I am amazed that WnW can sell them for so little money. Matte girls, you need these.

Oh and one word of advice about matte eyeshadows: In my experience of using matte shadows for oh, well, 20+ years, mattes apply best when you use a sponge-tip applicator. You can definitely use a brush for blending, but for initial application, try using the applicator that comes with this palette. It's great. Oh, and here's a pic of the applicators that come with each palette:

Let's move on to the other palette I received, which is Vanity:

Vanity (with flash)

(without flash)

Again, you get three matte shades on the left and three "effects shades" on the right. Ladies, I am straight up addicted to this palette. If you've an earthtone girl, you will love this one. It's just so versatile and like the other palette, you do not need a primer to get beautiful results and these babies last all darn day without a primer, even on my oily, crease-prone lids.

Here's a swatch on my arm:

Unlike the Lust palette, the three "effects shades" in Vanity are true frosty shimmers through and through. And I'm telling you, they can hold their own against MAC frosts any day of the week. In my humble opinion, they are just as shimmery, just as pigmented, and just as effortless to work with as MAC frosts (and I own a lot of MAC frosts, let me tell you). If I were blindfolded and someone handed me a brush loaded with one of these WnW frosts, and then handed me a brush loaded with a MAC frost, I would not be able to tell the difference when applying them to my lids.

And as for the mattes in Vanity, well, I am going to tell you something you may not like to hear, but I know I'm not alone in this because a dear reader echoed what I'm about to say in a recent comment. These mattes perform better than MAC mattes. There. I said it. And I mean it. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm a matte eyeshadow person and have been for over 20 years. I know my mattes, and these WnW mattes are pure perfection. I defy you to find a matte that is more buttery smooth, easier to apply and has better staying power than these. I have had several issues with MAC mattes in the past, and I have not had ONE issue with any of the mattes in either of these WnW palettes. The quality of these mattes just cannot be beat, which make the low price even more insane.

So like I said at the beginning of this review, if you're a matte eyeshadow fan, you NEED one of these palettes. And remember that the key to applying the mattes in the palette is to use the sponge-tip applicator that comes with them. I think you'll be amazed by the ease of application, the pigmentation, the quality and the staying power of these little eyeshadows.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts--and please chime in if you already own a new Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette!

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 editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

And the winners of the Montagne Jeunesse Giveaway are...

Congrats to the following lucky winners who just snagged themselves a 5-piece gift pack compliments of Montagne Jeunesse:

janetsbreeze
magic5905
melissavnk

Congrats, winners! I have just sent you each an email, so please respond ASAP to claim your prizes!

And for those of you who didn't win any of the Valentine's Day Giveaways, don't worry, because I have two VERY exciting giveaways planned for a little bit later in the month. Hint: one of them is for a VERY nice collection of makeup from a major drugstore brand we all know and love, and the other is in celebration of my one year blog-a-versary (March 1st) and it will feature a collection of my own personal favorite products from a brand I've raved about on Nouveau Cheap many, many times. You do not want to miss these giveaways, I promise! So please check back soon. :)

Mr. Recessionista gives you HIS Valentine's Day gift idea!

My dear boyfriend (aka: Mr. Recessionista) has grown tired over the years of my constant "Did you try that new soap in the shower?" and "What did you think of that shampoo?" questions. Believe me, this started way before I began blogging, and I'm afraid it's just probably never going to end because, let's face it, we love to buy beauty products for our significant others, right? And we REALLY love it when THEY love something we bought for them!

So when I received a bar of men's soap recently for review, it took me all of about two seconds to yell, "Honey! Honey! Come try this cool bar of soap!" and at first he gave off the usual response, "OK, OK, please just leave it in the shower and I'll try it the next time I'm in there."

But then something happened. He tried the soap and he came out of the shower a changed man. Well, not really changed, but he came out of the shower more excited than I have EVER seen him about any beauty product I have ever lovingly forced upon him.

So instead of just having him tell me about his experience with this soap, I asked if he would write down his thoughts. He agreed (what???) and he said that he wanted to write the following review not for YOU, but for the man in your life. He actually said, "I want your readers' boyfriends, husbands, dads, brothers, friends and significant others to read this."

So let me start by showing you some pics of the soap-in-question.

Woody's Quality Grooming Meat and Potatoes Soap (retail: around $10, 12 oz)

How CUTE is this soap? It actually comes wrapped like meat from the butcher, which I think makes it an adorable gift for the meat & potatoes person in your life (and I promise, it doesn't smell ANYTHING like meat or potatoes--in fact, it's loaded with tea tree oil, hemp oil, essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants).

And just to give you an idea of how BIG this bar of soap is, here's a pic of it next to a normal bar of bath soap:

So....without further ado, here's Mr. Recessionista's message to your hubby, boyfriend, dad, brother, significant other or friend. I hope you enjoy it--I personally find it hilarious, entertaining and actually quite helpful (and I promise I'm not saying that just because I love him!). And for the record, I have not edited or changed a word of his review but I did add one note, which you will see in a minute:

OK, I’m sure by now that you are sick and tired of your wife, girlfriend, significant other, or friend endlessly asking you questions about what soap or shampoo you like to shower with. I have a suggestion for you and I’m going to tell it to you for two reasons: so you can have an answer to end those persistent questions and because it’s simply a really good all-around soap, seriously. The soap is called “Woody’s Quality Grooming Meat and Potatoes Soap for Hair and Body.”

First, this thing is a brick, a heavy brick. It looks like it will last about 2 months, maybe 3, and it takes two hands to pick up after its wet. I’ll say this, if you drop it, make sure your feet are out of the way. (Yes, these are positive attributes. ) [Sorry, I asked him to add that last line because I wanted it to be clear that he wasn't complaining because, in fact, he loves the size of this soap. -R.]

Second, the smell isn’t over-powering and it doesn’t have that “lilacs in a field on a sunny ‘fabric softener’ afternoon” or “vanilla cake with melted butter, topped with sugar and cinnamon” kind of smell. It’s slightly musky, with a cedar and citrus mixture of scents (I’m not sure cedar is in it but so what, it smells like it does. Or, at least it does to me).

Third, it actually washes off! I couldn’t believe it. When I first looked at it, it looked a bit like those other funky, greasy glycerin soaps – you know, those weird homemade clear soaps that leave a waxy film on your skin like you had a bath in melted saran wrap – but it’s not. You can actually see the soap’s thick lather wash off and your skin is left feeling like it has been lightly moisturized. The lather takes awhile to form, but when it does, it’s like a barber’s shave cream.

Forth, and this is my most favorite part, you can use it everywhere… literally, everywhere. It’s an “all-in-one” kind of thing and you can use it on your hair, your beard, banana and coconuts, whatever. If only we could brush our teeth with it, it would take care of everything! I currently have a beard and this soap didn’t leave it feeling like it was dry pile of straw and kindling that could start a campfire all by itself. It also didn’t leave it feeling like I had a thin coating of bees wax delicately smoothed onto every single hair. I also used it on my scalp and hair. I lathered my hands with the bar and gently smoothed the lather on. I then used my fingertips to massage my scalp and it lathered as mentioned. My hair was clean and it felt like it was conditioned, but not in the way where it feels like I had waterproof skin lotion stuck in it.

Fifth, the price is right. (It’s seems like a lot, but when you look at it and break it down, I think you actually save some money.)

All in all, this is a really good soap. I strongly suggest it to men (and women) who like to wash themselves all at once without having to use 5 products to do it. I also suggest it just so you can surprise your significant other with an answer to those persistent questions, once and for all.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed Mr. Recessionista's message as much as I did, and I hope that you find this helpful if you're scrambling to find a good, inexpensive Valentine's Day gift for the special person in your life. If you want to get something beauty-related for a special man and you want him to actually use and love it, I would definitely consider getting him a bar of Woody's Meat and Potatoes Soap. You can find Woody's products online at Amazon and other various beauty supply sites throughout the web. You can also visit their website here.

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 editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

The Wednesday Question

This week's question is one that I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. I really hope that you'll take the time to leave your reply in the comments because I am SO curious to see your responses!

When you put on your makeup on an average day, how many different makeup brushes do you use?

On a regular day, I find myself using no more than 5 brushes (2 eyeshadow brushes, 1 liner brush, 1 powder brush and 1 blush brush). And I've always been curious if the number of brushes I use is considered low, high, or right in the middle when compared to the rest of the world. How many brushes do YOU use on normal makeup day (special occasions don't count in this question)? Let's hear it!

Carmex Giveaway winners, new winner for Sugar Kiss and a VERY important message!

In this post I will be announcing the winners of the Carmex Giveaway, and also announcing one new winner in the Love's Sugar Kiss Giveaway. But before I do that, please take a minute to read this if you enter any of the giveaways on Nouveau Cheap:

I want remind you that I always give you TWO ways to find out if you won.  In addition to emailing the winners directly, I also post the winner's names right here on Nouveau Cheap after every single giveaway.  So if for any reason my email gets trapped in your spam folder OR lost in cyberspace, you ALWAYS have an alternate way of finding out if you won.

So if for any reason you did NOT receive my email (or it got trapped in your spam folder, etc.) check here on the day after a giveaway ends and you will ALWAYS see a list of winners.  Also, if you see your name in the list of winners for a giveaway and you are concerned that either you did not receive my original email or that I did not receive your reply, you can always leave a comment here on my blog that says something like: "Hey, I never got your email but I want to claim my prize!". Just be sure you leave that comment within 24 hours of when I post the winners in order to claim your prize (as per the rules of my giveaways).

Now, on to the winners of the Carmex Giveaway! Congratulations to the following three winners who each snagged themselves a 13-piece kit compliments of Carmex:

lilritagrl

andraruscoe

tmoobc

Winners, I have just sent each of you an email so please respond ASAP (and of course see the info above if you have any issues or questions!). Thanks so much!

Next, I want to announce a new winner in the Love's Sugar Kiss Giveaway. Unfortunately, bubblegumgirl failed to respond to my notification email within 24 hours, so a new winner has been chosen.  

The new winner of the Love's Sugar Kiss Giveaway is:

 musicxisxlovex19

Congrats!!! I just sent you an email and you have 24 hours to respond so please get back to me as soon as you can to claim your goodies!

Thanks again to everyone who has entered my giveaways, and remember that you've got one more Valentine's Day Giveaway left to enter but hurry because it expires tonight!

Spotted at CVS and Rite Aid: New Rimmel Eyeshadows, Color-Changing Nails and more!

I found some new products at my local CVS and Rite Aid locations so of course I had to snap some pics to share! Let's get right to it:

First, at Rite Aid I spotted these new color-changing nails:

Broadway Fashion Diva Color Changing Nail Kit

I don't know if I'll ever get around to trying these, but I'm always intrigued by anything that changes color. :)

Also at Rite Aid, I saw a new Sinful Colors display, but sadly, the colors are all from the existing Sinful Colors inventory. I looked and looked for a NEW shade but I didn't see one. Why does Sinful Colors get our hopes up like this??

I headed over to the CVS across the street and discovered that they were starting to put out new Milani, L'Oreal and Rimmel stuff, but I was a bit early because there were boxes and boxes of unopened new goodies that they hadn't even touched yet. The boxes from Milani didn't have product titles printed on the them, but the ones from Rimmel did. The ones I saw said "Lasting Finish Nail Color" and "Royal Gloss" so I guess we're going to see some new shades in those collections (hopefully!).

Anyway, there was one new Rimmel display up:

Rimmel New Glam'Eyes Eye Shadow

I've noticed a new trend with these quilted pressed powders and I kind of like it (NYC's new powder foundations have the same quilted design, and of course the new Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks have a quilted case). The color selection in this display was OK, but hopefully there will be more shades available when they become apart of the permanent Rimmel display. Also, is it just me or do you not care for the look on Kate Moss in this photo? I don't know...she looks a bit off to me.

I also spotted a new eye concealer by Neutrogena, and it looks like they're trying to give us a dupe of the legendary YSL Touche Eclat. Similar brush, similar size and similar design of the tube (except YSL's is gold and Neutrogena's is silver):

Neutrogena New Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector

Close-up from the package

There is a slight difference in this product's claims though. According to the display, it promises to conceal, de-puff and treat undereye circles in one week. YSL Touche Eclat promises to "banish shadows and erase signs of fatigue" but does not mention anything about de-puffing. Hey, if the Neutrogena product works, I'd spend $9.99 or however much it costs (I'm assuming it's around that price but I didn't see a price tag on this display) for it since that sure beats $40 for Touche Eclat! But again, Neutrogena REALLY needs to step it up with their color selections. I'm sorry, but four shades just does not cut it--for any makeup line.

That's it for this report, but as always I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Get your booties over to Big Lots ASAP!

Thanks to my lovely reader, Miss-Tearious, for the fantastic heads-up about the abundance of name-brand drugstore makeup items currently surfacing at Big Lots! After I read her comment, I immediately headed to my closest Big Lots yesterday and yep, I spotted them too!

I think that those of you who don't have a CVS in your area will be very happy to hear that many of the products that are currently on clearance at Big Lots are the same products we've seen at CVS as well. And even if you do have a CVS in your area, you might want to stop by your local Big Lots too, because some of these prices are even BETTER than the CVS clearance prices, AND, they have different color selections.

So let's get to the pics:

Clockwise from the top left: Mabelline Sky High Curves Mascara ($3), Maybelline SuperStay Silky Foundation ($1.50), Revlon Age Rewind Face Primer ($3), more Maybelline Sky High Curves Mascaras ($3), Maybelline Shadow Stylist Loose Eyeshadows ($1.00)

Clockwise from the top right: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder ($1.50), Maybelline Mineral Power Bronzer ($1.50), Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation ($1.50)

Revlon Age Rewind Makeup and Concealer Compact ($3.50)

Various shades of Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick and Super Lustrous Lip Gloss ($2 each)

From left to right: Revlon Beyond Natural Cream Lipgloss ($2), more Maybelline Shadow Stylist Loose Eyeshadows ($1), Revlon ColorStay Sheer Lip Liners ($2)

I have to tell you that I was VERY excited to see these because I've read a lot of great things about this foundation. Sadly, the full retail price ($14 at CVS) has always stood in the way of me trying this, so now I think I can finally give it a go! Almay Line Smoothing Compact Makeup ($5)

WOW, this is a fantastic deal: My beloved Revlon ColorStay Eyeliners (and they just so happy to be in the color Cocoa, which is one of my alltime fave shades!) WITH an accompanying ColorStay Mineral Eyeshadow Trio ($5). This eyeliner alone is $9.99 at most drugstores! Also, to the right, there are 2-packs of Revlon Renewist Lipsticks and ColorStay Clear Lip Liners ($4)

And of course, because I'm just a bath & body junkie, I had to mention that I also spotted some fun Method Kids products ($3, 10 oz) at my Big Lots. They had 3-in-1 cleansers in Fuzzy Peach and Crisp Apple, as well as Squeaky Green Bubbly Bath in Rice Milk and Mallow (which smells *amazing* btw). I like these because they're gentle, paraben-free and smell amazing. BTW, these retail at Target for $5.50.

Also, totally off-topic but since I know a lot of you are Crystal Light drinkers, I also spotted the big cannisters (the ones with 5 tubs each) in Cranberry Apple for $3 each (I know that at my local Albertsons these retail for $6.49). Oh! And I also have to tell you that they had full-size jars of Prego (multiple flavors including the Heart Healthy ones) pasta sauce for $1.50. Whenever I'm too lazy to make my own sauce, I am a total Prego girl (something about the flavor just makes it way better than other jarred sauces to me). So I just wanted to give you that heads-up in case you're a Prego girl too. :)

In my experience, Big Lots can be hit or miss in terms of really good deals, and right now it's HIT HIT HIT so I hope you can get to your local Big Lots soon to take advantage of these great deals.

In the meantime, please tell me if you've already scored at Big Lots recently--it would be SO helpful for all of us to know what beauty products you've spotted at your locations!