Fedora, Bittersweet & Sequin Scandal from the Sally Hansen Tracy Reese Fall 2010 Collection

Finally, after weeks and weeks of whining and complaining, I FINALLY found the limited edition Sally Hansen Tracy Reese Fall 2010 Collection at my local Rite Aid. And boy was it worth the wait! I think this may be my favorite drugstore limited edition nail polish collection...ever.

Limited Edition Sally Hansen Tracy Reese Fall 2010 Collection

(retail: $7.99 each)

I deliberately left the above two pics HUGE so that you can supersize them for a closer look

Where do I even begin with this collection? First let me point out the dupe-ish colors. The plum in the top row on the far right, Trouble Maker, looks a lot like the core collection shade, Plum Luck, in the bottle. And the sparkly silver on the bottom row, far left, Starry Starry Flight, reminds me of Silver Lining, which was in the previous limited edition Tracy Reese collection from this spring (you know, the one with Hidden Treasure?). And of course the beautiful Downtown Rubies (top row, third from the left) is in the same vein as the famous China Glaze Ruby Slippers.

Now let me give you my take on the rest of the collection (of course this is just personal opinion and you might have a completely different reaction when you see these in person). Rockstar Candy (top row, third from the right) is one of those blink-and-you-might-miss it sort of shades. At first glance, I think it looks like a ho-hum reddish-magenta shimmer. But looking at it up close, I noticed what MAY be a very slight duochrome quality to this color. The more I stared at it, the more I wanted it.

If you are a dark purple fan, you MUST--I repeat--MUST look closely at the very last shade on the bottom row, far right of this display, Problem Child. Because of its odd placement in this display (the very last polish in a line of browns) you may think it's another dark brown. BUT NO! Check out the lovely Jen at the Polish-Aholic's swatches here. It's stunning!

I basically wanted the entire bottom row of this display. I had the hardest time selecting two shades to purchase that the people at my Rite Aid must have thought I was a freak. I kept holding them up to my hands, debating, putting them down, picking them back up again. Argh it was a mess! Rite Aid currently has BOGO1/2OFF on Sally Hansen (through Saturday) so that helped a TINY bit with cutting the cost.

Let me just say that I couldn't think of a single color on that bottom row that even mildly resembled a shade I already own (granted, my polish stash is primarily filled with drugstore polishes so keep that in mind). These lovely browns are such a departure from the zillion and one greiges/grays/taupes I own--each one is prettier and more unique than the next!

I have to give it to Tracy Reese for creating such beautiful shades and to Sally Hansen for bringing them to the drugstore level. It's so wonderful to have on-trend, super chic and interesting colors so easily available to us.

Whew! So after hours (and I do mean hours) of debating, here are the three shades I purchased (yep, I couldn't stop at two, no matter how hard I tried):

Sally Hansen Fedora (retail: $7.59)

Oooh Fedora, how I love thee! Anything that gives me an excuse to run a picture of Don Draper in a fedora on this blog has my undying love and affection for all time.

"Gianna, your polish matches my hat. Come home with me. Now."

Oh sorry, let me wake up from my daydream and get back to this lovely shade. Fedora reminds me of the color of my Starbucks iced venti Americanos after I've dumped a sufficient amount of half and half into them. But then it's been kicked up a notch with the addition of that subtle, baby-fine shimmer. What's there not to love about this shade, really? Oh, and Fedora required two coats for full opacity, but it was pretty darn opaque with just one.

Sally Hansen Bittersweet (retail: $7.59)

Bittersweet is the perfect name for this polish. The color and consistency make me feel like I'm brushing smooth, melted, bittersweet dark chocolate on my nails. Love it! This is a vampy brown creme and really requires just one coat for complete opacity (but of course I used two).

Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal (retail: $7.59)

Even though it was a cloudy day when I swatched this polish, I had to try taking some pics outside to truly capture the richness of Sequin Scandal. I'm horrible at trying to describe polishes like this, but to me, it's a rich, dark olive-army green with gold shimmer and larger gold flecks sparsely scattered throughout. I definitely don't have a single polish that even comes close to this, and I'm absolutely in love with it. I catch myself staring at it because it really looks so different depending on the lighting. By the way, this required three coats for opacity but I think you could skate by with two if you're in a hurry.

I hope this helps some of you to decide which shades you think you "need" from this collection before you see it in your local drugstores. Because I'd hate for you to be like me and stand at the display completely indecisive for hours when you see it!

Have you already seen the new Tracy Reese collection at your local drugstores? If so, have you picked up any shades? I'd love to hear from you!

My $0.78 CVS Shopping Trip

It's not so much the quantity of this little haul, but how I got these things that I really want to pass on to you, because you can do it too, but you have to hurry!

First, here's what I got:

Total cost out of pocket: $0.78

NYC Flat Iron Green nail color: $1.99

(I picked this up to send to the lovely Niki over at Cheapalicious since she was having a hard time finding it in her area and my CVS just restocked this shade. If you recall, Niki sent me the fab WnW shade The Gold & the Beautiful, so this was the least I could do to return the favor!).

Revlon Minted nail color: $4.99, currently on sale for $3.99 with $3 back in Extra Bucks (sale ends Saturday night!)

Fantasy Makers (from the creators of Wet n Wild) Golden Fantasy: $4.99.  It's hard to see in this photo but the eyeshadow duo is so pretty in this kit! One side is a deep golden shimmer and the other is a chocolate brown with gold shimmer. It also comes with a mini bottle of shimmery gold polish and a mini tube of shimmery gold lipstick.

So how did I end up paying just $0.78 for these three goodies? Easy!

This week CVS is printing out your quarterly Extra Bucks at the CVS Red Slot Machine. I received $4 in Extra Bucks, and I also received that special coupon for $5 off any Halloween costume or accessory.  Did you know that this coupon includes Halloween makeup? I had NO idea until a lovely reader informed me! If you were the reader who told me about this, please please leave a comment so I can credit you with this awesome find!

If you haven't been to CVS this week yet, GO and scan your card at the Red Slot Machine and get your Extra Bucks and that Halloween coupon! You can get one of these Fantasy Makers kits FOR FREE!

Also, I had no idea that the Fantasy Makers kits are on sale right now for 25% off, so it made it even sweeter! Here's my receipt:

With the $5 CVS Halloween coupon and my $4 quarterly Extra Bucks, my grand total was just $0.78 AND I got $3 Extra Bucks back for that Revlon nail polish purchase! 

Oh, and I also wanted to get one of those Schick Hydro Razors for Mr. G since this week they're on sale at CVS for $8.97 with $5 back in Extra Bucks, PLUS there was a $4 Schick Hydro coupon in last Sunday's newspaper, which makes it FREE. But my CVS was already out of these razors, so I asked the cashier for a raincheck, which means I'll have to wait until next week to get it.  The reason I'm telling you this is because you never have to worry about missing a great sale on something just because it's sold out! ASK FOR A RAINCHECK! When the item comes back in stock, you'll get the sale price (including Extra Bucks, etc.) if you have that raincheck! And guess what? Rainchecks never expire! The only thing you need to be mindful of is any coupons you may plan to use in conjunction with the raincheck. If your coupon expires, you're out of luck in terms of getting the most savings, so just remember to redeem your rainchecks before your coupons expire.  A free Schick Hydro razor will be mine next week!

And of course this applies to that Revlon sale as well! If you went to your CVS  this week hoping to score some pretty new shades of polish but found the shelves bare, GET A RAINCHECK and come back in a few weeks!

Have you already taken advantage of the Halloween coupon at CVS? If not, are you planning to get over there before the week is over?  I'd love to hear from you!

Fans of Older Girl Beauty: we need your help!

I love all the bloggers on my blog roll, it's true. And when one of us needs some help, I'm there. Which is exactly why I'm writing this post today.  If you are a fan of Older Girl Beauty and the fabulous older girl behind this wonderful blog (I can kid her about being REALLY old since she's about two months older than yours truly. Hee hee!), then you might want to lend her a hand as well.

You see, Paula is one of the FIVE finalists in the Clariol Natural Instincts Hair Color contest. This is a pretty huge deal and there's a lot at stake (the Grand Prize is a trip for 2 to New York City, a makeover at celebrity colorist Marie Robinson's salon, $1000 spending money and the winner will also appear in a Natural Instincts how-to video!).

If you would like to help the amazing Paula (and really, she is amazing. If you follow her on twitter then you already know that she's one of the kindest, most generous and hilarious gals in the beauty-blogging community), here's what you need to know:

The voting started this morning and goes through 10/14. You can vote after clicking on the "America Votes" tab on this page, and international folks can vote as well! Everyone around the globe gets one vote per email address per day, so you can vote every day through 10/14 if you'd like.

Just click the image above, and look for that tab at the bottom of the page with the "3" on it that says "America Votes" and click "Vote Now". Then look for Paula W. and cast your vote. That's it!

If would mean the world to me if you gave her a hand and cast your vote for her. I know that, without a doubt, she'd do the same for me, and for anyone in the beauty community. She's just that kind of gal.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Review: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

Back in June, the lovely Stephanie over at Aquaheart's Obsessions posted a review of this product and shortly afterward, I went and picked it up.  Stephanie said this was a gentle cleanser and it also removed her eye makeup (I love love love all-in-one cleansers!) and since I'm a sucker for foaming cleansers, well I just had to try it.

 Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser 

(retail: around $7.99, 6 oz)

The first thing I noticed about this cleanser is that, even though it is fragrance-free, it does have that signature "Aveeno" scent to it (a soft, oatmeal-ish fragrance). It's not strong though, and I actually really love the scent of Aveeno products so it didn't bother me one bit.

I should tell you right now that I have oily skin with a super oily t-zone. My skin is not sensitive, but I've noticed that as I get older, certain products tend to irritate my face a little more than they used to. I also suffer from adult acne from time to time, especially during that TOTM.

I'm not going to lie: the first time I used this, I was a little bit underwhelmed. I've used and loved some great foaming cleansers over the past few years (I still really enjoy Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser which I reviewed a long time ago) but this one's a bit different.  When I dispense the product into my hand, I have to use about five or six pumps to get enough product to cover my face (that kind of seems like a lot, huh?). Also, the foaming agent seems to be a little on the weak side. In other words, when I apply this product to my face and start working it in, I notice that the foam quickly dissipates and it feels like I'm just working plain ol' water into my skin. This can be a little bit of a challenge if you're used to cleansing with a thicker product.

That said, I also noticed that ever since I purchased this product back in June, it's the cleanser I most often reach for in my shower.  That may seem weird given the complaints I just mentioned, so I had to ask myself, "Why do I keep reaching for this if it's a little bit of a pain to use?"

Well, I've come to the conclusion that my skin seems to really like this cleanser. My face feels extremely clean when I use it, yet it never feels stripped, dry or tight (again, your results may vary, especially if you have dry skin). Also, with a tiny bit of elbow grease, I am able to remove even my long-wear makeup and mascara with this cleanser (note: I do not use waterproof mascaras).  I've done the "toner test" several times after using this cleanser and my cotton pad always comes back clean.

So I guess, in my opinion, the lack of foaming and extra few pumps are worth the results. I love the soft, natural oatmeal smell of this product, and here's the best part: I've been using this pretty religiously since the middle of June and just now, at the beginning of October, the bottle is starting to feel a bit light. I'm willing to bet I'll run out completely within the next week or two, so four months worth of cleanser for $7.99 isn't bad at all, right?

I can't really speak to the "calming" effect that this cleanser claims to have, since my skin generally doesn't need calming.  But I can tell you that I haven't had any additional break-outs, redness or irritation since I've been using this cleanser, which is part of the reason I keep coming back to it.

If you love foaming cleansers and you're in the market for one with minimal fragrance that removes most makeup, this might be a nice choice for you.  But just remember that it might not function like the foaming cleansers you're used to, so be prepared for a little bit of an adjustment period.

Have you already tried Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser? What do you think of it?

Weekly Drugstore Makeup Sales!

Click the image above to view the entire list of next week's drugstore makeup sales, courtesy of the lovely Make-Up on the Cheap!

A word to new readers: every week (usually Wed or Thurs) I post a link to the coming week's drugstore makeup sales, and I will also post the "best" deals of the week (my personal opinion) in the feature at the top of my blog. In most regions, these sales begin on Sunday and end the following Saturday. HOWEVER, I want to note that the sales mentioned are NATIONAL sales, and if you live in an area that does not run national sales, you may not find these deals at your local drugstores. There's nothing I can do about that, unfortunately, so always check your local drugstore circulars and mailers to ensure that these sales are available to you before you head out to make any purchases.

I'm very happy to see that finally, there are some deals on CoverGirl Simple Ageless products at both CVS and Rite Aid this week! It seems that whenever there's a sale on CoverGirl, the fine print always says "excludes Simply Ageless" so finally you can try those wonderful Simply Ageless blushes I've been raving about here and here if you'd like, and you won't have to pay full price for them. Yay!

I'll be updating my new feature at the top of this page in a bit to include all the best deals for the coming week, so please stay tuned.

Oh, before I forget: a very lovely reader informed me that the 50% off Wet n Wild deal at Walgreens is a month-long promotion and is good until the end of October!

Attention Burt's Bees fans! Amazing deal alert!

Just got this email today and um, WOW, this is an awesome deal for you Burt's Bees fans out there:

We have extra inventory that we need to clear out before the holidays. Order now and get four Burt's Bees® full-sized products including 3 lip balms and many of our favorites in travel-size. You'll receive more than 15 Burt's Bees® items, including our polka dot cosmetics bag, replenishing lip balm with pomegranate oil and much more. This assortment of Burt's Bees® natural products is $20, 60% off their retail value. Treat yourself or others in your life this Fall.

To get free shipping on your Grab Bag purchase, use the promotional code "fallbag" at checkout.

I'm sorry but four full-size Burt's Bees products, three lip balms, several travel-size goodies and a cosmetics bag, ALL FOR JUST $20 WITH FREE SHIPPING? If you've got Burt's Bees fans in your family or circle of friends, think of all the holiday presents you can cover with just this order! This is a pretty amazing deal considering how expensive full-size Burt's Bees products can cost at the drugstore.

Be sure to read the customer comments regarding this grab bag--the last time they had this promotion it was a HUGE hit and it seems that people are not hesitating to take advantage of it again now that it's back. But you know what THAT means, right? If you want it, do not hesistate because I'm sure it will sell out quickly.

I hope this helps some of you BB fans out there. Do you think you'll take the plunge and grab yourself a grab bag?

The Wednesday Question

I'm very curious to see your responses to this week's question, so I'm hoping you'll take a moment to leave your answer in the comments!

When a brand new beauty product launches and hits store shelves, do you tend to research it first and read reviews, or do you purchase it without any prior knowledge or information?

Whenever I see a brand new product on store shelves, I usually tend to be patient and google reviews for it first. BUT, if it's a really interesting product, or a makeup item in a beautiful color, I sometimes have no restraint and I'll make a purchase without knowing a thing about it. How about you?

Review: CoverGirl Shine Blast Lipglosses in Fire, Beam and Ignite

A little while back, I reviewed the CoverGirl Shine Blast Lipgloss shade Radiate, and today I've got three of the more orange-based shades to show you!

CoverGirl Shine Blast Liplgosses

Left to right:  Ignite, Beam and Fire 

(retail: around $7 each)

Top to bottom: Fire, Beam and Ignite

Fire is a bright orange with golden-orange sparkle, Beam is a peachy nude with gold sparkle, and Ignite is a vivid melon with violet blue, pink and gold sparkles. As with Radiate, which I reviewed earlier, all three of these shades are sheer and, on my pigmented lips, deliver just a tiny hint of color. However, they do deliver a pretty, subtle sparkle.

(Definitely enlarge this collage to really see these shades close up.)

As I said in my review for Radiate, I think these Shine Blast glosses are ideal for layering over lipstains (CoverGirl lipstains or any lipstains, actually). Since they're not big on shine or shimmer, I think they work quite well with lipstains. Well, for me at least, because whenever I wear a lipstain, I'm going for a more stained look, not a high-shine and super shimmery look. And the fact that these glosses aren't thick, goopy or super sticky makes them even more perfect to layer over lipstains because, in my experience, the thicker or heavier the gloss, the quicker it destroys the long-wear capabilities of the lipstain. CoverGirl Shine Blast glosses tend to provide a nice, medium-shine finish to my lips when I'm wearing a lipstain, but they don't interfere with the actual "stain".

And because they're not highly pigmented, these glosses don't interfere with the color of my lipstains, which I love. They just add a teeny tit bit of sparkle and shine to stained lips.

I know that some of you have expressed that you think the retail price on these is a bit steep, so if you'd like to try one, wait for a CoverGirl sale at the drugstores and look out for coupons.

Oh, and I just have to reiterate that the doe-foot applicator on these glosses never ceases to amaze me. I swear it's the best doe-foot applicator that has ever graced my lips. I'm totally obsessed with this thing!

Do you own any Shine Blast glosses? What do you think of them?

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 website for discontinued and hard-to-find drugstore makeup

So I was perusing my Google Reader this morning when I came across this blog post from NNP, which is a blog written by a very sweet reader of mine who goes by the name Ngocupham.

I have not ordered from Valentine Kisses, so I cannot fully endorse it, but after looking through their online store, I have to say that this might be a goldmine for certain hard-to-find and discontinued drugstore beauty products, and the prices are LOW. I also like that their shipping policy (including rates) is very clearly laid out (it always makes me nervous when you can't find shipping information on a website). If you've ordered from Valentine Kisses, I would love it if you'd leave a comment on this post and let us know about your experience.

Some interesting things that I found while browsing:

Discontinued Rimmel Polishes (including PLAY FAST polishes) for $0.99

Discontinued Rimmel lip colors for $1.25 - $1.99

Styli-Style eyeliners for $1.99

Discontinued Milani products for $1.49 - $1.99

Ultima II lipstick for $1.99

Jordana Lip Gloss for $0.49

Mary-Kate and Ashley Dazzle Glosses for $1.99

Looking at these products, it's clear that some of them were once on clearance at drugstores (the Rite Aid price tag is visible in many product images), so it's much like the name brand beauty products you sometimes find at dollar stores. I have to say though, that browsing around was like the equivalent of shopping the annual CVS beauty clearance sale, only online! I saw a lot of old favorites, but also products I haven't seen in a good, long while, such as those Rimmel Play Fast polishes, which I LOVED back in the day. And the prices are pretty incredible, don't you think?

I hope this helps some of you who may be sad about a discontinued product or shade that you thought was gone forever. You might just be able to find it at Valentine Kisses, and you won't have to break the bank to get it!

Thanks again to Ngocupham for blogging about this little (potential) goldmine!

Swatches: LA Colors polishes from Dollar Tree

A while back I purchased several LA Colors Color Craze polishes from Dollar Tree, and I'm finally getting around to showing you some of them (I showed you Radiation here if you'd like to see). I really like LA Colors polishes. They're toluene and formaldehyde free, cruelty free, come in a fun assortment of shades, and usually retail for around $2 each. For the most part, you can find these at local beauty supplies, online at Cherry Culture, and of course lately a lot of people have been spotting them at Dollar Tree for, of course, just $1 a piece. If you can find these at your local Dollar Tree, I say snatch some up ASAP because they're definitely worth a buck. Oh, don't forget about the little three-pack that's been surfacing at CVS locations lately--you get three full-size bottles for just $2.99.

All of the shades below were purchased at Dollar Tree, but you can also find these shades online here.

LA Colors Color Craze nail polish in Current (retail: $1 at Dollar Tree)

Current is one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get shades. The color in the bottle is exactly what you see on your nails. That's pretty refreshing sometimes! Current is a bit sheer though, so I needed three coats for good opacity. But other than that, I found no issues with application and the staying power of Current was pretty great too. Looking at this color actually made me long for summer for a minute (and summer's not even my favorite season--winter is!).

LA Colors Color Craze nail polish in Wired (retail: $1 at Dollar Tree)

Wired is a straightforward royal blue shimmer, but if you don't already own a royal blue shimmer, this would be a good place to start. Wired required two coats for full opacity and I found no application issues at all. I like wearing Wired on my toes and I think it might be fun with a little bit of nail art as well.

LA Colors Color Craze nail polish in Nuclear Energy (retail: $1 at Dollar Tree)

I wanted to show you Nuclear Energy without a top coat (no top coat in the pics above) because I don't know how many times I've been burned by colors like this. Whenever I purchase a neon purple creme (or something like it) it always, always ends up drying to a matte finish. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to discover that Nuclear Energy dries shiny. Yay! I really love this shade--it's not too bright, but it's just a wonderful punch of purplish-berry-wine. If you're an OPI My Aunti Drinks Chianti fan, I think you'll like Nuclear Energy. It's got the same vibe, only brighter and more intense. The only downside is that this color goes on a bit sheer, so it does require three coats.

So, have you spotted LA Colors at your local Dollar Tree? Have you purchased any colors? I'd love to hear from you!

Review: Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo

Finally! With this review, I have officially covered every dry shampoo available to most of us at the drugstore! This was the last drugstore dry shampoo that I had yet to get my hands on, so I was super excited when Rite Aid posted a $3 Salon Grafix coupon recently on their Video Values site. I snatched this one up quickly because I've been curious about it for months!

If you missed my previous dry shampoo reviews, you can click here for my review of Batiste (available at Sally Beauty) and here for my review of TREsemme Fresh Start and here for my review of Psssssst! dry shampoo.

Before trying Salon Grafix, my reigning champ for affordable dry shampoos was Batiste. For me, Batiste just seems to work better than all the others.  I have oily hair (at the roots), oily skin, and side-swept bangs. As those of you who share these traits know, this can be a yucky combination if I want to skip a day between washings. My bangs get greasy and separate after a day, so I loooove using dry shampoos if I'm too busy to wash my hair. And Batiste just seems to be the most effective because it doesn't leave a white cast to my hair, it doesn't have a sticky or weird feel to it when it's in my hair, the scent is pleasant and it also gives my hair an added bonus: lots of volume! 

In fact, I want to thank the lovely reader who shared with me that she was recently an extra on the set of Mad Men (OK, how lucky is she??) and when the stylist was doing her hair (in a beehive!) they used dry shampoo to create extra body in her hair. If the person who told me that is reading this, could you PLEASE let me know which brand of dry shampoo they used? I would just be so thrilled if it was Batiste! 

So let's see how Salon Grafix measures up:

Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo (retail: $7.99 at Rite Aid, 4 oz)

I like that this product contains several plant extracts, which might be one of the reasons it smells so nice. To me, Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo has a nice, soft, clean and floral scent to it, and I actually prefer this fragrance to any of the other dry shampoos I've reviewed, including Batiste.

The thing that made me the most curious, after looking at the ingredients, is that this product does not contain rice starch (which is in Batiste) or aluminum starch (which is in TRESemme Fresh Start and Psssssst!). I immediately thought: how is this going to absorb the oils in my hair without starch??

Just like all the others, Salon Grafix has a standard aerosol spray nozzle. No surprises there.

So let's see how it worked:

 My bangs, about 24 hours after my last shampoo.

Why do I always decide to review dry shampoos BEFORE I color my hair? Please excuse my roots and my visible gray. Yikes! Anyway, as you can see, I've pulled back the top layer of my bangs to reveal the oily hair underneath. This is really my problem area as this is the layer of hair that rests upon my oily forehead. Oily hair + oily skin = YUCK.

(Man, last week I show you my puffy crying eyes and this week it's my oily disgusting hair. What's next? Wait. Don't answer that.)

 My bangs, a few seconds after applying four quick bursts of Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo

In the above photo, I have not combed the product through or worked it through with my hands. I sprayed it into my hair and immediately took the picture.

As you can see, there is NO white or gray cast to my hair (any gray that you see is my actual gray hair). Let me tell you that the title of this product does not lie! It is TRULY INVISIBLE. In fact, after I applied it, I had to double-check the nozzle to make sure the actual product was coming out, and not just air. I could not believe that there was no white residue whatsoever! I guess that's what happens when you don't put starch in your dry shampoo, huh?

My bangs a few minutes after using Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo and combing my hair into place

Pleasant scent? Check. Easy to use? Check. No white or gray cast left behind? Check. Elimination of oil in my hair? Uh...that would be a big NO.

I tried so hard to capture this in my photos, but what you can't see here is that my hair still looks and feels a bit greasy. Sure, some of the visible oil that I had before is gone. I'll give it that much. But I actually had to reapply this product several times after I took these photos to get rid of most the oil in my bangs. And even then, it didn't leave my hair feeling less oily, like it does when I use Batiste. Also, it didn't seem to give my hair any extra volume (not that it claims to) but it's nice bonus when I use Batiste. 

One thing I do love about Salon Grafix is that it doesn't leave that powdery coating behind (which I do get from Batiste and Psssssst!). Nor does it leave that sticky, gummy, heavy feeling that TREsemme leaves behind on my hair. It's almost as if I sprayed hairspray on my hair when I use Salon Grafix, but a very soft-hold hairspray that you can barely detect.

All in all, I think that the absence of any type of starch is what fails me when it comes to Salon Grafix. Because there is no starch in this product, I don't have a powdery feel to my hair when I use it, but that powdery feel is what helps absorb the oils in my hair. Yes, the starch is what can leave a white cast to your hair, so Salon Grafix wins in that department.  BUT, if your hair is very oily, I don't recommend this product. I just don't think it has the power to absorb a lot of oil.

To whom would I recommend this product then, right? Well, if you have dark hair, and every other dry shampoo you've ever used leaves an annoying white cast to your hair, then I think you'll enjoy the fact that this is truly invisible. BUT, if you have a lot of oil to be absorbed, I wouldn't go into this thinking that this product will absorb it all. I'm afraid you might need a more heavy-duty product such as Psssssst! or Batiste.

I hope this review helps any of you who were thinking of trying Salon Grafix. As always, your results may vary and this is just my opinion.  Have you already tried Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Shampoo? What do you think of it?

Clarification

I'll try my best to keep this brief, I promise.

The number one thing I wanted to make sure I conveyed correctly in yesterday's blog post was that I was in no way, shape or form, ungrateful for the emails, comments and tweets that I receive from you about great deals that you spot. And up until this morning, the response from you has been amazing and incredibly supportive.

But then I received an email indicating that yes, I DID seem ungrateful in my last post, and that, in a nutshell, I should just shut up and be glad people are reading my blog.

That was a pretty heart-crushing email to read. So even if just that one person feels that way, I need to address it.

As I said in my original blog post, if I post about a great deal at the drugstore, and then the very same day, and for days afterward, I get emails, comments and tweets alerting me to the very same deal, I NEVER get frustrated with YOU for that. I immediately think, "OK, why did so many people miss this when I blogged about it earlier? What did I do wrong?"  THAT is the thing that makes me frustrated.  

I always say that half the stuff I post here is a direct result of  YOUR comments. Whenever I get a great scoop from one of you, I am genuinely thrilled to mention your name and give you full credit with heaps of thanks in the post. If I have inadvertently made any one of you think twice about emailing me about a great deal, please know that this was never my intention.

Whenever someone writes in an email, "I saw this great deal at CVS and I immediately thought of you" it puts a HUGE smile on my face and in my heart. That sounds really cheesy, I know, but to think that someone I don't know actually thought of ME when they saw a good sale, and then took the time to email me about it? There are no words to express how grateful and appreciative I am when I receive a letter like that. It makes me feel like what I'm doing resonates with you, and we all have this wonderful little bond. That is absolutely priceless to me!

So why would I ever complain about that? I covet and cherish it! The thing I was complaining about was MY failure to get information out to you in an effective way.  THAT is a huge complaint of mine, but the issue I have is with myself--never, ever,  has it been with YOU.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

Love,

G. xo

Odds 'n' Ends (please read)

I need help, folks. For several months now, I have been doing my best to keep you alerted to great deals and sales going on each week. Every time I write a post like this (or this), I practically beg you to take a few minutes to read through the post because I tend to pack a lot of info into these posts. But lately I've noticed that when people alert me to great deals going on at the drugstores, etc., it turns out that I've already posted about these very same deals right here on this blog.

I hope this doesn't sound ungrateful--believe me, I appreciate it SO much when you take time out of your busy days to email me when you spot a great deal. I learn so much from you every single day. But when I receive repeated emails, comments, tweets, etc. alerting me to deals that I've already tried my very best to alert you to, I have to think that I'm doing something wrong on my end.

Some of you may be saying, "Well G., it's not your responsibility to ensure that we all get this information." And while I agree with you, I also find it frustrating, and sad, when the information I get so excited to share with you doesn't seem to be reaching you.

So after thinking about this for a while, I've decided that the best way I can fix this problem is to create a permanent feature on my blog, which you may have noticed when you visited my site today. Right above the top blog post, I've created a "Best Drugstore Deals of the Week" section. Every week, I'll post what I believe to be the very best deals for that week. This is obviously just my opinion, but I've been doing this long enough to know which types of weekly deals seem to get talked about the most and generate the most buzz. Those are the types of deals that I will feature in this new section. They'll always be the exceptional deals that I truly think you need to know about.

Also, please note that this list might change throughout the week. So be sure to glance at it whenever you log on to my site because there's a chance I might update it or add new info as the week progresses. Please feel free to let me know if you like/hate this new feature. If, over the long haul, it doesn't seem to be helpful, I'll remove it. But for now, it's the best way I can think of to keep you aware to the best sales of the week.

Now, let's talk about some more deals (and once again, please read through these so that you don't miss anything!!):

1) I've mentioned several times on this blog that Target Mobile Coupons are pretty darn cool. If you have a smart phone and you're not signed up for this program, you might want to consider registering (if you shop at Target). Once a month or so, Target will send you a text message with a link to some mobile coupons. To redeem the coupons, you just show your cashier the barcode right on the screen at checkout. He or she will scan the barcode right off your phone and BINGO! Money is saved.

This week, Target emailed their new batch of mobile coupons and I thought that one in particular was worth sharing with you:

(sorry for the poor quality--this is a picture of my Blackberry screen)

I pretty much never see Sonia Kashuk coupons, so I did a little happy dance when I saw this! And as many of you know, Target accepts coupons for clearance items. So if you see a Sonia Kashuk item on clearance (I know that my local Target often puts random makeup items on clearance ALL THE TIME, including Sonia Kashuk), use this coupon and you'll get that item for next to nothing!

2) I want to give some much deserved love to my gals Lisa and Beth over at Drugstore Divas. They work their booties off every single day to bring us the very best in drugstore deals and steals, and I wish I could just hug them both for everything they do. If it weren't for them, I would have missed the fact that we can get FREE EOS lip balms, Suave Body Washes for 50 cents and Schick Hydro Razors for free this week. So please go over there and show them some love. They really, really deserve it.

3) Also, there's another great deal on Nivea lip balms this week--at Walgreens they're on sale for $1, and there was a $1 Nivea coupon in both the Sept. and Oct. AllYou Magazine. If you have these coupons, enjoy your free lip balm!

4) One of my lovely, longtime readers sent me a VERY interesting photo recently:

I'm sorry, did someone say CVS BEAUTY CLUB? When my lovely reader told me about this, I immediately thought: "How did I not know about something like this??" And then after doing some research, I discovered why I didn't know: this new program is currently available in just THREE CITIES IN THE US: Atlanta, GA, Hartford/New Haven, CT and Indianapolis, IN.

If you live in any of the above cities, consider yourself lucky! I did some more digging and was able to locate a few more details about the program:

Benefits:

• Beauty Club members receive**:
• 10% off beauty shopping pass after enrollment.
• $5 Extra Bucks for every $50 spent on qualifying
  beauty purchases.
• $3 Extra Bucks as a birthday gift!

**The ExtraCare Beauty Club is available at select CVS/pharmacy locations in the following markets: Atlanta, GA; Hartford/New Haven, CT; Indianapolis, IN. See stores for more details. Limit 1 enrollment per card per household. Earnings for the year end 12/31. Earnings restart 1/1. Your Beauty shopping pass will print on your receipt immediately after scanning enrollment certificate at the register. Your ExtraBucks® reward will print on your receipt two days following qualifying purchase(s). Qualifying Beauty purchases include items from the following categories: Cosmetics, Ethnic Hair Care, Fragrances, Hair Accessories, Hair Appliances, Hair Care, Hair Color, Healthy Skin Care, Hosiery, Skin Care and Sun Care. Excludes Beauty 360, gift cards and prescriptions. To be eligible for Birthday Emails, customer's birthday and valid email address must be on file with ExtraCare. Call 1-800-SHOP-CVS to update your information or fill out the form on this page. CVS/pharmacy reserves the right to modify or terminate the ExtraCare Beauty Club without notice. Offer valid 10/1/10 - 12/31/10.

You can click here for more info and to double-check to see if you live in a city that offers this program.

Come on, CVS, hurry up and roll out this beauty club to all locations across the US--and soon!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read through this and I hope it helped you a bit.

Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in "Cream"

I swear it feels like I've read about a hundred glowing reviews for this concealer, and I honestly do not know why it's taken me so long to review it. I adore so many Maybelline products, and my holy grail concealer is Maybelline Super Stay. I guess maybe, deep down inside, I think that nothing will ever compare to that concealer for me, so that's why it's taken me so long to get to this one.
The last time there was a 40% off sale on Maybelline, I picked this up (and of course used coupons as well) and paid close to nothing for it. Let's take a look:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Cream (retail: around $7, 0.106 oz)

The one complaint I have about Dream Mousse products is that it's impossible to tell what color you're truly getting because the glass container is so thick. It really warps your view of the shade. Anyway, I selected Cream because it looked to have the most peach in it (as I always say, I have to use under-eye concealers with a lot of peach in them to counteract my under-eye discoloration. If the product is too yellow, it makes my under-eye area look gray).

The swatches above were taken in two forms of lighting, and neither one is really 100% accurate. One of them looks too peach, and the other looks too yellow. I'd say that in real life, the color of this concealer is somewhere in the middle between the two. In other words, it's not so yellow that when I swatched it it made me run screaming back to the drugstore to return it, yet it's no so peach that it made me instantly fall in love with it.

Now for the before-and-after:

The "before" picture was taken on freshly washed and moisturized skin. The "after" picture was taken after applying Dream Mousse Concealer in Cream. I am only wearing this concealer in the "after" pic--no foundation, powder, etc. (Well, in both pics I am wearing eyebrow pencil, but that doesn't count, right?)

I'm not sure if you can really see it in the above pics, but the finish of this concealer is very natural-looking. It's wonderfully simple to apply (it glides on just like a mousse, of course, and it's light and easy to spread). It's also a snap to blend this concealer using just your fingers. It literally seems to melt right into my skin and I can hardly detect it once it's blended.

But that, my friends, is also its downfall (for me, at least). As you can see, it doesn't really conceal. Well, it doesn't conceal my dark circles (your mileage of course may vary). I think that after I blend it, it just becomes too sheer to be effective. And if I try to layer more on and build the coverage, that's where I end up with issues. I've tried building several times with this concealer and every time I do, I end up with a cakey mess and the product ends up settling into my fine lines within the hour.

This leaves me with only one conclusion: for my particular needs, I maintain that Maybelline Super Stay is still my reigning champ at the drugstore. It's my holy grail for the following reasons: there's a shade that suits me (peach!), it's long-wear even with my oily skin, it conceals my darkness better than any other drugstore concealer I've ever used, and it never, ever cakes or settles into my fine lines.

So, do you own Dream Mousse Concealer? Is it a "dream" product for you? As always, I'd love to hear from you!

Review: Smith & Vandiver Aromatherapaes Treatment Packettes

I'm not going to lie: I am a sucker, an absolute sucker, for single-serving packets. Of anything. Well, not anything, because I think it's wasteful and irresponsible to use single-serving packets of things that you love. Buy in bulk if you love something--it's cheaper in the long run, and of course friendlier to the planet.

But if you're new to a brand and would like to try out several different products without breaking the bank, single-serving packets can come in mighty handy. Plus, they're so fun, right? Who doesn't love choices and options? Especially when they're under $2 a pop.

Which brings me to this latest offering from Smith & Vandiver. If you're unfamiliar with Smith & Vandiver, it's a Monterey, California-based company founded in 1979. Since its inception, S&V "has been crafting wholesome, cruelty-free products for children and adults that feel luxurious while being safe for everyone and respecting Mother Nature". I've used Smith & Vandiver products in the past and really enjoyed them, so I was very excited when I received these new Aromatherapaes Treatment Packettes for review recently.

Let me tell you that the Smith & Vandiver Aromatherapes line means business. Six of the seven packettes I received are vegan (the Avocado & Olive Oil Face Mask is the only exception as it contains honey) and all seven packets bear the cruelty-free Humane Society stamp as well:

In addition, the formulas of these treatment packettes are free from synthetic fragrance, sulfates and parabens. Also, according to their website, Smith & Vandiver products are made in the USA, sustainably manufactured and the packaging is recycled and recyclable.

Left to right:

Avocado & Olive Oil Face Mask

Peppermint & Tangerine Foot Soak

Aloe Vera & Chamomile Shower Gel

Tangerine & Peppermint Salt Body Scrub

(retail: $1.79 each, 0.75 oz)

Left to Right:

Geranium & Rosewood Face Mud

Wheat Protein & Panthenol Hair Mask

Cucumber & Aloe Vera Face Polish

(retail: $1.79 each, 0.75 oz)

As you can see, there's a nice assortment to choose from. I've used several of these packettes over the course of the last few weeks, and the number one thing I want to tell you is that if you are a person who loves natural fragrances, you are going to LOVE these. Also, I've found that each packette contains at LEAST two applications and, in some cases, I've even been able to get three or four uses from just one packette. I think that's a great value and really helps to determine whether or not you think you might want to invest in a full-size product later down the road.

The stand-out products for me are definitely the Aloe Vera & Chamomile Shower Gel and Tangerine & Peppermint Salt Body Scrub.

The Aloe Vera & Chamomile Shower Gel is a sheer delight for me to use. If you love chamomile tea, you might fall in love with this one. To my nose, it smells just like chamomile tea (thanks to the chamomile essential oil), with just a tiny bit of fresh aloe thrown in for good measure. When I use it, I instantly feel calm. Also, I was surprised that even though it does not contain SLS, I was able to work up a nice, rich lather in no time when used with my bath pouf.

The Tangerine & Peppermint Salt Body Scrub is truly my kind of scrub. It's not one of those super oily scrubs that leaves your tub feeling like an oil slick. It's a drier sea salt scrub, and it really does the trick in terms of exfoliation. Also, it's the most perfect blend of tart, sweet tangerine and refreshing peppermint. I would eat this scrub if I could. Honestly, I adore it and I wish I had a full-size tub.

All in all, I think these Smith & Vandiver Treatment Packettes are a great option if you're looking to try some new, gentle, naturally-scented skin and hair products without spending lots of money. I think they'd be great stocking stuffers and also fun for at-home spa days with friends.

For a complete list of ingredients for any of the products mentioned in this review, click here. You can purchase Smith & Vandiver Aromatherapaes Treatment Packettes at grocery, chain drugstores, mass-market retailers, specialty stores and natural stores across the country and online here.

Have you tried anything from Smith & Vandiver? 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.

Swatches and comparisons: Wet n Wild LE Champagne & Toast

Before I show you the swatches of these new limited edition Wet n Wild Wild Shine holiday polishes, I want thank those of you who let me know, through comments, Facebook and Twitter, that the purple polish in this collection, Midnight, is actually a dupe of Wet n Wild Wild Orchid (which apparently has been discontinued). So if you missed out on Wild Orchid, you have another chance with Midnight! Thanks to so many of you for confirming this for me!

If you missed my original post about this new LE Wild Shine holiday collection, please click here for the pics. Note: several colors in this collection appear to be repromotes of existing, core collection shades (with different names) BUT there are also new shades in this collection. I did my best to break it down and show you what's new, so click here if you'd like to see the new shades.

The following colors are both new, in my opinion. Toast looks similar to Metallica, and Champagne looks similar to the WnW Craze shade, Shield, but I hope that my comparison pics will allow you to see the differences.

Wet n Wild Champagne (retail: $0.99)

Is there an "official" name for this popular color that seems to be popping up left and right in this fall's limited edition drugstore displays? We've already seen it in two Sally Hansen LE displays this season, and I keep calling it pewter, but true pewter actually has more gray to it. Not quite gold, not quite silver, and not quite pewter, I'm really at a loss for what to call this color. It's like a taupe-brass-pewter hybrid to me. Anyway, I love it. The above pics were taken after two coats. Full opacity with two coats and no issues with application.

Wet n Wild Toast (retail: $0.99)

In person, this reminds me of Orly Shine from the Foil FX Collection. In my opinion, this is a metallic foil through and through (and much more of a metallic foil than Metallica, which I will show you in a second). Two coats for full opacity, but as with so many metallics, you need to be careful during application and be mindful of your brush stokes. You can see where I got lazy in the photo on the left (my middle finger).

Both of these babies wear like iron! I used Orly Bonder base coat, two coats of polish and Seche Vite top coat in these pics, and after four days, I can really only detect a tiny bit of tip-wear on Champagne (I'm left-handed so that didn't surprise me).

Now I'd like to show you a comparison of Toast/Metallica and Champagne/Shield, so that you can determine whether you think you need to hunt down these shades, or just stick with the core collection colors.

Definitely click on the pics above and below to really see the differences in these shades. I think it's pretty obvious that Toast and Metallica are different finishes, but the differences between Champagne and Shield are a little more subtle.

Looking closely at the above swatches, I think you'll notice that Metallica is more of a frosty, shimmery silver (look at those brush stokes--eek!) while Toast is a true metallic foil. As for Shield, I think it's very similar to Champagne, but I hope you can see that Shield is definitely more on the gold end of the spectrum, while Champagne has a darker, more pewter undertone to it. Also, Shield goes on a little more sheer (the above pics were taken after two coats and it's still a tiny bit streaky) while Champagne required only two coats for full opacity.

I hope this post helps you determine whether your not you think you need to look for these new limited edition Wild Shine polishes in your area. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: Metallic and Shield were given to me by Wet n Wild for previous reviews. I purchased Champagne and Toast with my own funds.