Review: NYC Limited Edition Shock Value Blushable Creme Sticks

A few days ago I posted this pic of the newest Limited Edition collection from NYC, Shock Value, which I spotted at my local Rite Aid. I have to say, this is their hottest collection to date (in my humble opinion). I love the bright colors, new products and overall feel of this collection--it is just too perfect for spring/summer!

I couldn't resist purchasing the two blush sticks in this display because, well, the Blushable Creme Sticks in the regular NYC collection are pretty darn awesome (I'll be reviewing them soon, along with some other new NYC goodies, for weheartthis.com, and I'll let you know when that post is up if you'd like to see it).

But back to the Limited Edition Shock Value goodies! Here are the two shades that are available in this collection:

Left to right: NYC Blushable Creme Sticks in Wild Berry and Pink Flash (retail: $3.99 each)

Now as you can see, Pink Flash isn't really pink at all. To me, it's a beautiful, bright, warm peachy-orange-melon shade. Wild Berry, on the other hand, is a very cool, neon-ish berry pink. So really, these shades truly offer something for both warm and cool-toned gals.

What do they look like on? That's the big question!

Here's what these colors look like when swatched on my arm. They are definitely bold and bright, but don't let that scare you! I think both of these colors are PERFECT to apply just to the apples of your cheeks for a wonderful pop of color.

Here's what they look like after I blended them a bit:

Obviously you could blend these even further for a more subtle look, but I actually really like a bold pop of color on the apples of my cheeks, so I've been wearing them without much blending at all.

I am extremely impressed with the creamy texture of these Blushable Creme Sticks, and they really do blend like a dream. They're pretty much fool-proof in my book, and I think either shade would look lovely this spring and summer if you're going for that fresh-faced, glowing-from-within look.

I also want to add that I tried these on top of my powder foundation (which, if you use powder foundation, you know that cream blushes can be a challenge) and they blended with ease! They didn't leave any funny marks or weird patches of color behind when I used them on top of my powder, which is awesome!

As for staying power, that's where I was a tiny bit let down. For the record, it's been very warm here this week, and I have very oily skin to begin with, so cream blushes are usually not my friend in the summertime. I was able to get about 4 hours of wear with these blushes before I started to see some serious fading, but if I use a primer beforehand, then I'm good to go for the entire day. So oily-skinned girls, definitely use a primer with these and I think you'll be very happy with the results.

Do you own anything from this new NYC collection? Please check back soon because I also picked up one of the Lip Gliders and both of the polishes, which I will review very soon.

Oh, and don't forget: if you spot this display, make sure you grab the $1 off coupons that are attached to the display! Use can use them on the Shock Value products AND the regular NYC products!

A small rant...

I just wanted to give you all a heads-up about some issues that have been slightly irritating to me over the past few weeks. It's come to my attention that some of my images have been taken from my site and used on other blogs without a credit back to me. While I know that there is a ton of "sharing" on the internet when it comes to images, I think it's VERY uncool, and really rude, to use an image that is clearly mine (taken with my own camera--not a stock image of a product from a manufacturer) and not credit that image back to me. It's sort of like taking a picture off my desk of my family and putting it on YOUR desk, making everyone believe it's YOUR family. Same kind of thing, as far as I'm concerned (especially if you knew how long it takes me to take photographs of the products I review, and how much cropping and adjusting are sometimes called for. It's a lengthy process and I consider each of my images my own personal "creation").

So if you're going to use one of my images, you don't have to email me first for permission, you just need to credit me on your blog with a link back to my original post (the post you got the image from in the first place). That's it! Pretty simple.

But just in case you don't credit me, from here on out, I'm going to add the dreaded watermark to all of the images that I have taken with my own camera. I promise it won't be obnoxious (part of the reason I have not used a watermark in the past is because some of theme can really get in the way of your view of the product and some are just down right obnoxious). I've tried to make my watermark as subtle and as unobtrusive as it can be, and I hope it doesn't bother any of you.

Oh, and while we're at it, it's also been brought to my attention that someone has actually taken some of the GRAPHICS from my site (in particular, the "Wait! There's more..." button on the bottom of this page). I created that graphic myself, so it's really not cool for you to take it without asking me first (the funny thing is, if you had asked me first, I would have probably been so flattered that I might have said sure, go ahead and use it!). If any of you loyal Nouveau Cheap readers out there happen to see my graphics or photographs on another site, would you kindly email me and let me know where you saw them? Thank you so much!

I put a lot of time and effort into making Nouveau Cheap the best it can be, and all I ask is that you credit me if you use my images.

End of rant. :)

The Wednesday Question

I haven't asked a skincare-related question in a while, so this week's question is long overdue. I can't wait to hear your answers to this one, so please chime in and leave a comment!

When you cleanse your face, do you use a sponge, scrublet, wash cloth, buffer, Clarisonic, Wave, etc., or just your good ol' hands?

I must admit that these days I'm loving my scrublet (not the one that comes with the L'Oreal cleanser, but the one I recently purchased at the Japanese dollar store. I will be reviewing this shortly if you're interested to know more). But before scrublets came into my life, I was doing it the old-fashioned way, and just using my hands. How about you? What do you use?

Review: Palladio Herbal Mosaic Powder

With the weather starting to warm up and springtime upon us, it might be time for many of us to ease back into our bronzers for some healthy color. But what do you do when you're a pale girl like me and most bronzers are, well, a bit too bronze to be rocking on pale winter skin?

I think I might have the perfect product for girls like me, and you can find it right at your local Sally Beauty.

Palladio Herbal Mosaic Powder in Spice (retail: $9.99 at Sally, $9.79 with Sally Club Card)

Last year I was lucky enough to be sent several Palladio products for review (click here to see my review of Palladio's eye and lip products). It was then that I discovered that several of you have heard of this brand, but not all of you have actually tried their products. I've got to tell you, Palladio is one of those hidden gems that you might not notice when you first walk into Sally, Ulta, or your favorite local beauty supply store, but upon closer inspection, you just might find some holy grail products within the line (for example, many people think their Lip Ink is far superior to Cover Girl's Outlast Lip Stain--and I definitely agree with them).

So why has it taken me so long to review Palladio's Herbal Mosaic Powder? Well can you believe that it's become such a staple in my permanent makeup collection that I totally forgot I needed to review it? It's literally one of those products that I just totally take for granted, and can wear with such ease that I've kind of been on auto-pilot about using it.

But now, with the weather warming up, I want to share my little secret with the world. Pale girls, this product might be able to give you the subtle glow that we dream of--it's not too intense, yet it delivers one of the most gorgeous peachy-bronze shades I've ever seen from such an affordable cosmetics line.

If you look at this powder up close, you'll see that each color is pretty darn wearable on its own. Four out of the five colors are mattes, while the peachy one on the far right has a nice but not over-the-top shimmer to it. When you swirl all the colors onto your brush, it imparts such a lovely, peachy-bronze glow to the skin, and the magical part is that it's soft and subtle, yet you can still see it. It really gives the perfect balance of warmth and subtlety that is desperately needed (and appreciated) when you've got pale winter skin like mine.

Note: the pictures above were taken today, and I've been using this product for several months now. Notice how it barely looks like I've scratched the surface? Yay! This product truly lasts...and lasts. Bonus!

For me, this is the the perfect powder to use as a transitional bronzer for this exact time of year. Also, I have used this product as a blush, and I've also used individual colors in this compact as eyeshadows. It's so versatile that you really do feel like you're getting your money's worth.

Here's a swatch on my arm, after having swirled my blush brush around the entire surface of the compact:

Now I applied it very heavily so that you could see it well in this photo, so please note that you can definitely wear it lighter. But notice how the shimmer is so subtle, but just gives the color a nice glow? You can really see the peach and bronze in person, and I love how the colors mix to form such a pretty overall shade.

I love this color!

You can purchase this and other Palladio products directly from Palladio's website, and also at your local Sally Beauty (online and in-store). Also I know that Ulta carries Palladio, and if you're in San Diego, Empire Beauty carries Palladio as well.

Have you tried anything from Palladio? Do you have any favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

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.

Spotted at Big Lots!

I really hit the jackpot at my local Big Lots yesterday, so I wanted to post some pics of the great deals that I spotted in case you have a Big Lots in your area and you'd like to try to hunt these down. There are tons of great name-brand goodies at excellent prices at Big Lots right now, so let's get started!

(click any image to enlarge)

Remember these Sally Hansen mini polish sets that I first showed you back in November at Walgreens (I think it was November...)? They were holiday sets that retailed for $4.99, but now they're at Big Lots for just $2! Whoo hoo!

Well I'll be darned. These are the Maybelline Eyeshadow Singles that I talked about last week (click here for my review of Cinnamon Spice). As you can see, these say "New Formula" and the color on the right is the exact shade I just reviewed after purchasing at CVS. I purchased this during a 40% off sale and I used a coupon, and now I'm regretting wasting that coupon because the exact same shade with the new formulation is now just $1 at Big Lots.

Here are some Limited Edition WnW lip sets for just $3.

I remember paying about $6 for one of these Sally Hansen tinted lip balms when they first came out. Now Big Lots has packs of two for just $2.

I was shocked to spot these Nature's Gate Rainwater Organics body lotions in various scents for just $1.50. I think I've seen these at my local natural food store for $9.99 each.

If you're an Olay skincare fan, get your booty on over to Big Lots ASAP because there is a TON of Olay stuff available right now. Everything is either $10 or $7, which I think is at least half the retail price for these.

These "Vanilla Creams" Lip Smackers caught my eye. I had never seen these in regular stores and the balms themselves are swirled (like ice cream!). The flavors in each pack are Strawberries & Cream, Cookies & Cream and Bubblegum Vanilla. Sounds delish! Have you tried these?

This is the first time I've ever spotted Burt's Bees at Big Lots! Lip Shimmers for $3 each.

I also spotted 4-packs of various Burt's Bees goodies for $6.50 each.

Are you a fan of the Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser? You can snag a new one along with a pack of their famous Oil Absorbing Sheets for $12.

I also spotted other Clean & Clear skincare products for $3 each, and also a few boxes of Neutrogena Cracked Heel Treatment (I've used this in the past and really liked it). I believe this was $2, which is a really good deal.

Tons of Biore skincare for $3 each.

OMG, I remember last spring, this Lime Coolada lotion by Hawaiian Tropics was all the rage! Now it's at Big Lots for $4 (these are huge bottles). I believe this retailed at CVS last summer for $7.99.

Despite all these temptations, I was very good yesterday and walked out with just the things I planned on buying (Zip Lock baggies and a new bottle of this, for just $2!).

Have you been to your local Big Lots lately? What have you spotted? Let us know in the comments!

Coupons, coupons and more coupons!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Our Easter meal was rocked--literally ROCKED--by a 7.2 earthquake yesterday. My family and I had just sat down to eat when along comes the biggest earthquake I've experienced in almost 20 years (the last big one I felt was back in '92) and I am still quite nervy and on-edge today as we've been feeling some pretty big aftershocks ever since. When I got home from my family's house last night, I checked around for any damage to my own house, and luckily all I discovered was that all of my shampoo and body wash bottles had fallen off the ledge and into the tub. I am grateful that the effects of this earthquake were so minor inside my home, and maybe it's nature's way of telling me that I have far too many products in my shower (nah...I don't think so! lol).

So let's get on to those coupons!

First let me apologize to those of you who don't live near a Rite Aid--I know I tend to post a lot of Rite Aid information on Nouveau Cheap but it's just such a great place for drugstore goodies that I can't help myself.

So for those of you who DO live near a Rite Aid, have you joined their Video Values program yet? If not you totally should because it's AWESOME! You can watch short commercials for certain products, and then once you watch them, you'll have access to some serious coupons that you can print out immediately and use at your local Rite Aid!

This week, there's a $3 off coupon good toward any Borghese nail product! I just watched the little video and got mine (note: you have to register, and then once you watch a video, you click on your "My Rewards" tab to actually print the coupon. I learned this the hard way and thought the coupon had disappeared after I watched the video because I was expecting the coupon to just pop up on my screen. It doesn't. You HAVE to click the "My Rewards" tab to access the coupons in your queue!).

Anyway, I just got mine, and you can be darn sure I'm picking up one of those Borghese Limited Edition Tutti Gelati nail colors I posted about the other day. Five dollars for nail polish is certainly better than $8, right? Oh, and I almost forgot! You earn 1 credit for every video you watch, and once you hit 20 credits, you get a $5 off any $20 purchase coupon for Rite Aid. Yay!

Next up:

A little while ago I asked you, my lovely readers, to share any info on coupon sites that you use and love. The best sites I have found (that feature tips, tricks, sale info and/or printable coupons) have all been through word-of-mouth, so if you love a site that I have not featured here, please leave a comment and let us know!

Most of the time, when I try to find sites like this myself through a google search, I get directed toward sites that are questionable or just full of ads and spam. So that's where YOU have come in to save the day! It's so much better to hear about sites that you already use and love, as opposed to finding them on my own.

My wonderful reader L. shared her favorite coupon site, called PocketYourDollars. What a wealth of information! The owner of this site gives you weekly tips about how to maximize your savings for that particular week, based on weekly sales, coupons and rewards programs. A great example is CVS. There are tips on this site that show you how to really get the most out of the CVS rewards program, and they give you a heads-up about what's going to be on sale each week and how to use your coupons, CVS Extra Bucks, etc. to get free or almost-free goodies each and every week. This site is a must-read for CVS, Target, Walgreens and Walmart shoppers!

Also recommended by L. is this site where you can search for printable coupons. I have spent some time on this one and can confirm that you can search by type (I searched "printable") and then search by store (I searched "CVS") and the links take you directly to the CVS site where the printable coupons are located. It's great to have a resource that has all of these printable coupons pages all under one roof. Love it.

My lovely reader spifftiff88 loves this site called AFullCup, which is an awesome money-saving database that I am so grateful she shared with us! You do have to register to join this site, but it is SO worth it! It takes just a second, and once you're registered, you then have access to awesome printable coupons (I just printed a fantastic $2 off coupon good for any Nivea Body Wash which doesn't expire until 4/28). There is TONS of helpful info on this site, but so far my favorite feature is their excellent (and huge) printable coupon directory. Having access to coupons that you get instantly is SUCH a great resource especially if you're like me and sometimes forget to pick up your Sunday newspaper. I hate missing out on savings, so now I don't have to!

Speaking of the Sunday Paper, spifftiff88 also shared with me her go-to site to preview the coupons that will be available in each Sunday paper: SundayCouponPreview. This site not only gives you a heads-up to what you'll see in your next Sunday paper, but there's also a fantastic printable coupon section as well!

And I don't want to forget to mention IHeartCVS, IHeartRiteAid and IHeartWags (links to these sites can be found on my left-hand sidebar). If you are not clicking on these sites weekly, you are REALLY missing out. Not only do these sites feature the weekly sales circulars for each store, but the owner of this site features amazingly comprehensive information (more info that you can dream of) to help you maximize your savings each week. For example, did you know that IHeartCVS gives you the heads-up about what coupons you can get from the "CVS Red Slot Machine" each week? And also, IHeartCVS tells you what coupons might print on your receipt, as well as coupons that will only print via the slot machine and NOT on receipts. The detailed information on these sites is AMAZING, and I personally love how the owner shows you what what she's been able to purchase for free or for pennies (with pictures and detailed explanations of how she got everything). She is a true inspiration and often times she gets things not only for free, but gets money BACK (I love getting paid to shop!). I really can't recommend these three sites enough--get your daily inspiration to save money and check 'em out ASAP.

That's it for now, but if you've got some secret goldmines that you'd like to share with the rest of us, please please leave your comments below!

NOTD: Easter Pastel Skittles!

Happy Easter weekend, to those of you who celebrate! I don't know about you, but I've been totally inspired by the pastel candies, eggs, and colors of this holiday and even though I did this late last night (and it's quite messy, so forgive me!) I am loving my Easter mani today because it's just so darn fun. The holidays are the only time I really go a little crazy with my nails because, well, it's a great excuse, dontcha think?

Here are the colors I used for my Easter Pastel Skittles mani:


I wanted to use a pink creme to match all of my Maybelline LE Sweet Thing collection polishes, and I was surprised to go through my stash to discover that the only true creme I own in the pink catagory is WnW Wild Shine Lavendar Creme (which is a pretty hot pink and in no way lavender to me). Anyway, I think it was fun to put a brighter color into the mix so I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Bright and cheery!



Of course, since I did this late last night, and without my glasses, it's pretty messy and I smudged my thumb beyond repair. But I have a feeling that I'll be seeing more damage today as I make three batches of cookies, a double-batch of potato salad and then "assist" the Easter Bunny in hiding some eggs. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful time this weekend, no matter what you do!

Review: newly reformulated Sunsilk Hydra TLC and Captivating Curls products

(I got this image from the Sunsilk website, which is currently being updated)

Back in February I gave you a sneak-peek at the newly repackaged and reformulated Sunsilk line (in case you missed it, click here for all the details) and today I'd like to give you my thoughts on the actual products that I received for review.

Let's start with new Hydra TLC collection:

From left to right: Sunsilk Hydra TLC Shampoo, Hydra TLC Conditioner and Hydra TLC Styling Creme

As you can see, the bottles are a real departure from the old look, and I really like them not only in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of functionality (I especially like the nice, big flip-top lid on the shampoo). Also, Sunsilk has enlisted celebrity stylist Teddy Charles to co-create the newly reformulated products:

I have to admit, Mr. Charles is pretty easy on the eyes!

So along with the help of Teddy Charles, Sunsilk has added ingredients such as milk protein into their new Hydra TLC line. How does it compare to the old Hydra TLC line? Unfortunately I can't answer that, since I have always used Captivating Curls due to the texture of my hair.

But what I can tell you is that the fragrance of the shampoo, conditioner and styling creme reminds me of coconut candy! It's a sweet, yummy coconut fragrance, and I actually sniffed a bottle of the old formula that I found at Rite Aid a while back and it smelled nothing like coconuts, so I'm fairly certain this is a change for the line.

Also, I can tell you that, for my hair, Hydra TLC made it a lot softer than usual, and I found that it didn't weight my hair down at all. I am really liking the Styling Creme because it acts very much like a leave-in conditioner on my hair. It helps with detangling and just generally makes my hair feel a lot softer and more sleek on the days when I choose to straighten it. (In case you're not a longtime reader of my blog, my hair is long and thin in texture, but I've got lots of it. It's naturally wavy and also color-treated. I have oily roots and dry ends.)

Next up, the new Sunsilk Captivating Curls Collection:

From left to right: Sunsilk Captivating Curls Shampoo, Captivating Curls Conditioner and Captivating Curls Styling Creme

(sorry this one's so blurry but my camera's acting up)

Now as you can see, Sunsilk has added chamomile to this formula, which apparently helps with curl and wave definition. I had never heard that before, so I was very anxious to see how this formula compared with my old, beloved Captivating Curls formula.

Right off the bat I noticed that the shampoo and conditioner themselves are no longer that lovely shade of pastel lime green. Of course the green-colored formula would no longer work with the look of the new bottles, so I understand the change (btw, all of the formulas I'm reviewing are white in color now). But the fragrance of the new Captivating Curls is still quite similar to the old formula (at least to my nose). I'm glad they didn't change it because it's a very clean, fresh, and slightly sweet fragrance, which I love. If anything, I might even say that this fragrance is more intense, which is fine by me!

So how did the shampoo, conditioner and styling creme stack up to the old formulas for me? Quite well! In fact, in all honesty, I don't detect much difference at all. And this is not a bad thing, because I love how the old formulas performed for my particular hair type. The new formulas are nearly identical in terms of the way they make my hair behave. My curls are more defined, my hair is softer and more springy, and everything just feels nice and soft and under control. Yay! Crisis averted!

So there you have it. My take on some of the newly-reformulated Sunsilk products. Do you have any favorites from Sunsilk? Are you excited to try the new formulations?

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.

Crazy drugstore report (limited edition NYC, Borghese, WnW, clearances, etc.)

Before I begin, I just want to take a second to thank you all for allowing me to pull my most successful April Fool's joke to date! I have never had such success in executing an April Fool's prank EVER, and I owe it all to you. I'm very grateful that you all had such a good sense of humor about it, and just to reiterate, I am NOT changing the theme of Nouveau Cheap now, or anytime in the future. I love my budget-beauty, it's a part of who I am, and I couldn't change that even if I wanted to (but believe me, I don't want to!).

That said, on to the drugstore report! This report is jam-packed full of info, so please be sure to read the entire post. I wouldn't want you to miss anything because there are some real gems here!

First, let's talk about the explosion of Limited Edition collections that have just hit my local Rite Aid:

(click any image to enlarge, and if you see a magnifying glass, you can enlarge even futher)

Borghese Limited Edition Tutti Gelati Collection (retail: $8 each)

Ooooh! Ahhh! I tried to memorize the shades in this collection so here we go (starting from top left): Maraschino, Tutti Gelati, Berry-something (sorry, I forgot the second word in the title), Mentha, Pistachio and Limoncello.

What immediately caught my eye in this collection was the three lovelies in the second row. Mentha is a gorgeous shimmery teal, Pistachio is a stunning kelly green shimmer, and Limoncello is a buttery-soft yellow shimmer. I want! I neeeed!

Next up, we have this Limited Edition collection from NYC:

NYC Limited Edition Shock Value Collection (retail: $1.99-$3.99)

My mind is officially blown. I really wish my camera could have captured the true neon goodness that is this collection. The Limited Edition Extreme Lip Gliders (click here for my review of the regular collection) are soooo much prettier in real life. In person, these three shades are GORGEOUS. They range from an intense purple to a hot pink to a bright maraschino cherry red. Love 'em all! And the two nail colors (Orange Creamsicle and...I think the other one is named Magenta) are beautiful, bright cremes. And oooh, those blush sticks! Why would NYC make these shades Limited Edition? I had to have them both (so much for my no-buy) because the shades are just unbelieveably gorgeous in person (hot pink and bright orange). Check back soon because I'll defintely review those. Oh, and how could I forget to mention the liquid eyeliners? They come in a vivid royal blue and a bright purple. And last but not least, three new eyeshadow duos in gorgeous, bright shades of lime, teal, green, blue, yellow and purple. Everything in this display is absolutely screaming "Springtime!" to me, and the best part is that, at the bottom of the display, there are coupons good toward $1 off ANY NYC purchase of $1.99 or higher. Ladies, RUN, don't walk, to your nearest drugstore and search for this display. I am willing to bet that there is at least one product in this collection that you will find utterly irresistible.

Next up, I want to show you a display that I have had more than few readers email me about recently (and I want to thank the several of you who actually snapped photos of this display at your local drugstores and took the time to email them to me. I am very behind on my email at the moment so I just wanted to take a second to thank you here, in case I don't get back to you via email in the near future. You have no idea how wonderful it is for me to get pics from you!! I love that and I am so grateful!):

Wet n Wild Limited Edition Color Icon Soiree Eyeshadow Quads (retail: $4.99 each)

When I first saw these a few months ago on some other beauty blogs, I immediately knew where WnW was going with these quads. They are the exact same concept as last year's Limited Edition WnW collection, Starry Eye Slicks (click here for my review of those). There are three powder eyeshadows in each quad, along with one glitter cream. But what sets the Soiree collection apart from the Starry Eye Slicks collection is that, unlike Starry Eye Slicks, these shadows don't appear to be all mattes (the mattes in the Starry Eye Slicks were not my favorites--they were a bit chalky and hard to work with). Also, instead of just silver glitter, the Soiree collection offers glitter cream in gorgeous shades of midnight blue, bronze, etc. The Soiree collection is a HUGE improvement over last year's LE collection to me, just on looks alone. Have you tried any of these? I'd love to know what you think of them!

Here's some not-so-good news that I discovered at my local Rite Aid. Remember the other day when I told you that Tropez Cosmetics is being discontinued? Well, next to the wiped out display at my Rite Aid, there is the Black Radiance display. Now I am NOT saying that Black Radiance has also been discontinued because I currently do not know if that is the case. BUT, several times now have 75% off stickers attached to them. Not EVERYTHING, but here's the list of what I could remember: All eyeliner and lipliner pencils, all pressed powders (not pressed blushes though!), all cream stick foundations, select shades of eyeshadow duos and quads, and ALL nail polishes. If you are familiar with Black Radiance, then you know that there are still A LOT of items that I did not mention. So that's the good news. If the entire display was on clearance I would be very scared. But since it's just select products at this point, I'm hoping and praying that they are just getting rid of old stock to make room for new products. Fingers crossed!

And while I was there, you know I can't resist a good 75% off sale, so I picked up these two lovelies:

Black Radiance Bold & Sexy Salon Lacquer in Seductive (retail: $3.99, sale price: 99 cents) and Black Radiance Dynamic Duo Eye Shadow Duo in Vintage/Retro (retail: $$2.99, sale price: 74 cents)

With prices like this, who can resist? So a HUGE heads-up to fans of Black Radiance fans. If you have a Rite Aid that sells BR, get over there ASAP and see if you find these goodies.

Moving on to CVS, I finally, FINALLY spotted this display!

Maybelline Limited Edition Colossal Diamonds Mascara

Luckily, I was at CVS returning my Milani concealer, so I was able to exchange that for one of these and not spend a dime. Yay! And yes, a review is coming...very soon as I just tested this product yesterday.

Here are a few other new things I spotted at CVS:

For all you Physicians Formula Healthy Wear fans, there's a new display that has TWO products for the price of one! On the left-hand side, we have the fabulous new powder foundation (click here for my review--if you are a powder foundation girl, I think you'll love this one) and inside the same box is a full-size pressed powder bronzer! On the right side of the display, you get two tinted moisturizers in one box, for the price of one! That's a heck of a deal since just one of these products at CVS will set you back $14.99. (Now if PF would only offer two-fers on their Gel Cream Eyeliners I think we'd all be squealing in delight!)

And finally, for all of you Essence of Beauty fans, I spotted this new addition to their bath and body line:

EoB now has an anti-bac collection! Looks like someone is competing with BBW! They come in both minis and full size bottles, and CVS is currently running a 3/$10 sale.

That's it for this report, but as always, I welcome your comments! What do you think of this Limited Edition frenzy at our drugstores lately? Are you as excited as I am about all these new goodies? Anything you're planning to pick up?

Jordana Twilight Nail Lacquer Collection (well...sort of)

I was at a local beauty supply store a few weeks ago and I really hit the jackpot! I had no idea this particular store carried such an extensive line of Jordana nail colors (a huge rack with dozens and dozens of shades) and I sure as heck didn't know that Jordana even made seasonal counter displays until I saw this:


Now as you can see, the colors in the photo on the actual display do NOT exactly match the colors that are IN the display (I'm afraid that this is par for the course for this particular beauty supply store as they had older 2009 OPI polishes mixed in with their Alice in Wonderland display).

But anyway, it's not a big deal to me, because all of these beautiful purple polishes are new to ME, so I was still in heaven! It's hard to tell in this photo but there is a lovely medium violet duochrome, a gorgeous lilac creme, a deep plum creme, and a super dark midnight blueish-violet that has duochrome tendencies. But the real show-stopper for me was this beauty:

Jordana Purple Glam (retail: $1.99)

I just fell in love with all this holographic glitter and holographic bar glitter! And to have it floating around in a beautiful plummy-purple base? I'm in girly-girl overload.

Here's a shot with flash:



All I can think when I see this color is how pretty it will be on my toes. I don't think I can really pull this one off on my fingers, but of course I gave it a try, just so I could swatch it for you:


Without flash:


With flash:


I love it! And for $1.99? How can you resist? Oh, and in case you were wondering, this formula is the Big Three Free and made in the USA as well.

This polish went on streaky on the first coat, but then evened out completely on the second coat. It's a bumpy formula for sure, but my ever-trusty Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat smoothed things out considerably.

For the above pics, I used Orly Bonder base coat, two coats of Purple Glam and one coat of SH Mega Shine top coat.

I know I cannot be the only Jordana lover out there, so please let me know your faves by Jordana in the comments! Do you have a place near you where you can pick up Jordana nail lacquers? I really, really wish my Walgreens carried their polishes--they only sell liners and glosses at my location. :(