New Wet n Wild Megalast Retractable Eyeliners

My boyfriend is the type of person who saves the best thing on his plate for last. He'll eat everything else, but those garlic mashed potatoes, which I will devour immediately, will be left on his plate to be eaten at the very end of the meal.

So that's kind of what happened with these new Megalast Retractable Eyeliners. I reviewed the Shimmer Pencils first, then the Coloricon Brow & Eyeliners, and these are the last of the new 2011 liners to receive a review. I think that, subconsciously, these were my garlic mashed potatoes.

From Wet n Wild:

MegaLast® Retractable Eyeliner - $1.99 SRP
Won’t fail the test of time! Up to 12 hours of smudge-proof wear! Longwearing formula glides on smooth for budge-resistant color. Soft, precise tip provides perfect application that won’t smudge, streak, or fade. Includes easy-blending smudger for desired look.

Available in Blackest Black, Black, Black Brown, Dark Brown, Charcoal, and Navy.

As many of you know, retractable, long-wear eyeliners are my VERY FAVORITE makeup product in the entire world. What's better than a liner that stays on all day, doesn't smudge or run, never needs sharpening and always has a nice precise point? My go-to retractable long-wear liner has always been Revlon ColorStay, but so far, these are giving ColorStay a run for their money.

So let me say right off the bat that if you are new to the world of long-wear retractable liners, they tend to fall somewhere on the drier side of the eyeliner spectrum. I have yet to come across a super-creamy long-wear retractable liner. I have a theory that for a liner to be truly long-wear on my eyes, it has to be a little bit on the drier side because my skin is just so oily it's ridiculous.

So if drier liners are not for you, these might not be a love match. But I do want to say that as far as long-wear retractable liners go, I don't think these Megalast liners are any drier than the rest, which is great.

Of the colors above, the only one I had a small issue with was Charcoal, which needed to be swiped multiple times in order to get the intensity you see in these pics. Also, I want to point out that I had the tips break off on two of the five liners above when I first used them. If you're new to retractable liners, this is a fairly normal occurance when you first use one, because the initial point is so fine. Once you wear the point down a bit, the tendency for them to break becomes less and less.

It's fairly uncommon to see these retractable liners come with a smudge-tip (usually they come with a little sharpener, which I never quite understood because isn't the whole point of a retractable liner to be one that you never need to sharpen??).

I LOVE the smudgers on these pencils because they're super tiny:

I put the Megalast smudger next to a CoverGirl Liquiline Blast smudger just for reference. The Wet n Wild smudger is so small, which is WONDERFUL to really get in there and smudge in between your lashes. It would be really wonderful for those of you with smaller eyes who find traditional smudgers bulky and hard to work with.

Because this is a long-wear liner, I had to do my rub-test, where I take my index finger and run it back and forth across the line for about ten seconds:

No smudging! Just fading! Wonderful! Also, I wanted to show you what my arm looked like after I tried to remove my swatches with regular soap and warm water. I had to scrub and scrub (you can see my skin is still red in the above pic!) and there were still traces of the liners left behind after the scrubbing process.This is a very good sign for a long-wear liner, so just know that you'll probably have to use eye make-up remover or a good cleanser that removes every last trace of your makeup to remove these.

Final Verdict: Even though these liners don't come in the snazzy colors that you find in the Coloricon collection, they are true workhorses when it comes to dependable eyeliners in basic, wearable, everyday shades. I've been wearing Dark Brown on my upper and lower lids a lot lately, and also on my waterline, and it's been a liner I can depend on from morning to night. The dryness of these pencils might deter those who prefer a more creamy eyeliner pencil, but if you're already a user of long-wear retractable liners, I think you'll find these a very lovely addition to your stash (especially since they're about $7 less than the Revlon version).

Are you a retractable long-wear eyeliner fan? Do these seem like they may be a good match for your needs? I'd love to hear from you!

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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 Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gels

Of all the new 2011 products I've shown you during Wet n Wild Week, here's the one that surprised me the most:

Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gels

(retail: $2.99 each)

From Wet n Wild:

Glassy Gloss® Lip Gel - $2.99 SRP
Ultra-glossy, sheer gel adds high, glassy shine with a hint of color in an oh-so-lickable fruity flavor. Enriched with vitamins, nutrients, oils, and antioxidants to moisturize while keeping lips soft and supple.

Available in Through the Looking Glass, This Too Shall Glass, Glass Confusion, Glass is in Session, 3, 2, 1 Glass-t Off! and Mow the Glass.

As so many of you know, I am not a gloss girl. I'm more of a lipstick and lipstain wearer, so it's not surprising to me that I actually never tried the old formula Glassy Glosses (you know, the ones that look like this). But now that they've got a new formula and a wider range of colors, I tore right into these and started testing them the minute I got them.

Well dip me in chocolate and call me Sally! I cannot believe how lovely these are! And guess what? I think they're an amazing, affordable alternative of Lancome Juicy Tubes! You may be saying, "Well G., you just said you weren't a gloss girl, so how do you know that they'd be a nice alternative to Juicy Tubes?" Well, what I neglected to tell you is that several years ago I had a minor obsession with one particular shade of Juicy Tubes called Sirop de Pink. I wore this shade for so many years that even though it's been a while, I distinctively remember every little nuance of that gloss. And I'm telling you, these new Glassy Gloss Lip Gels are a really nice drugstore alternative to those $18 glosses.

Why? Because they're not heavy, super sticky or tacky. They have great shine and, on my lips, they give a wonderful sheer pop of color with a yummy fruity flavor and scent. For this chronic gloss-eater, they manage to stay put on my lips for easily over an hour. Can I get a "hallelujah"?

(some of the following images were color-adjusted in order to represent the truest shade possible)

I really layered these on thick in the above swatches, just to give you a better idea of the colors and textures. I also didn't swatch Through the Looking Glass because that's clear.

I forgot to snap a pic of the applicators, but nothing exciting there--they're your standard slant-tip.

I wanted to show you a few of these shades on my lips (which are of medium pigment) so I picked Glass is in Session (a cool, sheer hot pink with multi-colored microglitter) and This Too Shall Glass (a warm peach-pink frosty shimmer):

(please excuse my chapped lips--I picked the worst day ever to do lip swatches!)

As you can see, these aren't in-your-face shades, which I LOVE. They're subtle, but not too subtle. The microglitter in Glass is in Session is very tiny and doesn't scream, "Hey everybody, look at my lips!" And it's not gritty either. What I found amazing about This Too Shall Glass (as well as the other frosty shimmer in this collection, Glass Confusion) was that, on the lips, both of those shades turn into a milky, slightly sparkly gloss that seems to cancel out my natural lip color and give a nice milky-nude look. Yes there is a little bit of sparkle there, but just enough to keep things interesting. I was SO scared that both of those frosty shimmers were going to look super frosty and dated on my lips, but no no no! It's milky-nude goodness!

Final Verdict: for $2.99, I say move over, Juicy Tubes. With the exception of Mow the Glass, every single one of these new Glassy Gloss Lip Gels will be in constant rotation on my lips. Mow the Glass just didn't deposit any color on my lips (I think it's best for very lightly pigmented lips) so I probably won't use that one much since I've got the clear shade to use for a natural look. The biggest stunners in this collection are those two frosty shimmers which turned out to be anything but frosty when on my lips. They deliver a wonderful milky-nude look with a bit of sparkle that is just so pretty I can't even find the words for it. I don't find these glosses heavy, sticky or tacky (yes, your hair might get stuck to your lips if you encounter a gust of wind, but your lips won't feel sticky when you smoosh your lips together). They all have a nice, pleasant fruity flavor and scent, and great shine as well. I really can't find anything wrong with these glosses, ladies.

Are you excited to try the new Glassy Gloss Lip Gels? Were you a fan of the old version? Are you happy that they've expanded the color selection ad reformulated these glosses? I'd love to hear from you!

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.

Wet n Wild Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners (new shades!)

I'm working furiously behind the scenes to bring you the new 2011 Wet n Wild releases I received recently, and today I'd like to share with you the new shades offered in the core collection Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners.

The following image is of ALL the shades in the range, but I will give you a closer look at the new shades further down in this post.

Wet n Wild Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners

(retail: $0.99)

From Wet n Wild: 

Color Icon™ Brow & Eye Liner - $0.99 SRP
Fan, makeup artist, celebrity, and just about everyone’s favorite eyeliner – revamped! Same great rich, creamy eyeliners in an improved formula and new trendy shades! Delivers a new durable wax and soy glyceride system and is fortified with Vitamin E acetate to offer lasting color that glides on effortlessly.
New Shades in Purple, Amethyst, Green and Olive.

My first memory of Wet n Wild eyeliners was watching in awe as my best friend's big sister used a lighter to warm the tip of her black eyeliner pencil. Back then, most drugstore eyeliners were extremely firm and difficult to apply to the eye area unless your warmed the tip up beforehand.

BOY have things changed! The improved formula of the Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners is so smooth and creamy! I've been applying each of these shades to my eyes in the last several days (sometimes four or five within a given day, which is crazy even for me) and they are consistently smooth as buttah.

 

Here are the NEW shades in the Brow & Eye Liner collection:

I love that all of the new shades are rich jewel-tones colors. I'm especially loving Amethyst, which I think would look amazing on green and hazel eyes.

Here are the rest of the core collection shades (not new shades, but new and improved formula):

(Turquoise is the only shade in the range that has sparkle in it--the sparkle is silver if you can't see it in my photo)

Final Verdict: After wearing these newly-reformulated liners for several days now, I can confirm that they are extremely easy to apply and are quite smooth and creamy. The pigmentation of these pencils seems to vary slightly from shade to shade (for instance, Black is not an intense black, but more of a softer black) and the metallics in this range seem to be the most packed with pigment, though I wouldn't classify any of these pencils as "weak" in pigmentation.  The staying power for me and my super-oily skin was great on my upper lids, though I found that I didn't get the same level of staying power on my bottom lids. However, I always have better luck with long-wear pencils when it comes to my oily lower-lid area.

For $0.99 each, I think Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners are an extremely affordable way to experiment with color and try some shades that you normally wouldn't wear (or want to commit to purchasing at a higher price-point). You can play around with these and maybe discover some shades that you never thought would work for you before!

Do you already own any Coloricon Brow & Eye Liners? Are you excited to try the new, improved formula and the new shades? I'd love to hear from you!

 

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.

Wet n Wild update

As I continue my week of Wet n Wild 2011 product reviews, I'd like to take a few minutes to address some of the comments I've received on these posts. Specifically, the comments questioning whether or not some of these products are repromotes or repeats of existing Wet n Wild shades.

I discussed this with my contact at Wet n Wild and I can now confirm the following:

• Three of the shimmer pencil shades from the holiday palettes are the same shades as those you see here. The only thing that's the same is the shade--the formula is actually different, and these pencils are a bit creamier than those found in the holiday palettes (plus, they're longer in size).

• None of the shades in the 2011 8-pans or trios are the same as those found in the 2010 trios or 6-pans. The formula of the 2011 shadows has been improved (better pigmentation, etc.) so even if you see shades that seem similar to you in color, they are not repeats of 2010 core collection shades and the formula is different.

• I also would like to reiterate that some of the shades in the new Fastdry Nail Color line are the same shades that were offered in the limited edition Pixel Perfect collection (even the names are the same) BUT, the formulas are different. The only things that are the same are the shades and the names.

I personally received countless emails, tweets, comments, etc. from readers expressing frustration that they could not locate the holiday palettes in their area. So for those readers, I think any similar shades are a blessing because Wet n Wild is giving us another opportunity to experience the MAC Club dupe, etc. and you would not believe how many of you expressed to me that you were hoping this would happen.

While I do not speak FOR Wet n Wild, as a Beauty Ambassador I'm fortunate enough to have a line of communication with them and I do share your feedback with them. I'm relaying the above information  to you as an Ambassador but, from my own personal perspective, I think that they offered us a nice variety of new, unique shades, while also giving us what we wanted: the MAC Club dupe and other popular shades  from the holiday palettes (only with an improved formula).

As always, I welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them as best I can!

New Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeshadow Trios

It's Wet n Wild Week at Nouveau Cheap, and today I'm bringing you all of the new Coloricon Eyeshadow Trios! These are all so vibrant and lovely--I can't wait to show them to you. If you like color, these are the palettes for you!

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeshadow Trios

(retail: $2.99 each)

From Wet n Wild:

Color Icon™ Eyeshadow Trio - $2.99 SRP

Good things come in trios! New, dynamic shades with 30% more pigment and pearl for ultra-impact color. Colorful, trendsetting shade extension of our Color Icon™ Eyeshadow Trio Family. Each trio contains three complementary shades in longwearing, blendable colors. Shades are embossed with “eyelid,” “crease,” and “browbone” to provide an easy “how to” guide.

Available in I Dream of Greenie, I’m Feeling Retro, I Got Good Jeans, I’m Getting Sunburned, Silent Treatment and Spoiled Brat.

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SHADOWS WERE SWATCHED ON BARE SKIN WITH NO PRIMER

(click images to enlarge, again to magnify)

I Dream of Greenie:
Frosty light seafoam green shimmer
Satin matte mid-tone green with fine gold sparkle
Satin matte lime green with fine gold sparkle

If you like vibrant greens, you will love this trio. I love the texture of the satin mattes--they are so creamy and smooth to apply. And the pigmentation of all three shades is outstanding.

I Got Good Jeans:
Metallic steel gray shimmer
Shimmery navy blue with violet-blue flash
Metallic mustard gold shimmer

Without digging out my MAC Contrast, I'm fairly certain that the navy blue in this trio is a pretty close dupe. Once again, all of these shades are rich, vibrant, smooth and silky. The metallics are high-intensity and my pics don't do them justice.

I'm Feeling Retro:
Frosty white shimmer
Shimmery peacock-teal blue with subtle gold sheen
Shimmery fuchsia with violet-blue flash

Dear Wet n Wild: you gave this trio the PERFECT name. Being a teen in the 80s, I can verify that these were the exact shades that I coveted during that era. In fact, one of my Twitter pals said that the fuschia in this trio reminded her of a fuchsia Wet n Wild nail polish from years ago, and she's right! It does! Love love love this one.

I'm Getting Sunburned:

Frosty pink shimmer

Satin matte chocolate brown with bronze sparkle and a slight rose sheen

Metallic bronze shimmer

I think this trio would look amazing on brown, hazel and green eyes. The satin matte with the bronze sparkle and rose sheen is AMAZING. It's such a complex, rich shade--I couldn't capture it in photos. But I swear this shade would be the ultimate smoky eye color for you brown, hazel and green-eyed gals.

Spoiled Brat:
True metallic silver shimmer
Matte black with silver sparkle
Satin fuchsia with subtle violet sheen

I think this trio contains the only true satin finish shadow of the bunch, which is that gorgeous fuchsia. My pics make this fuchsia look much warmer than it is in real life--it's actually not a pink like you see here, but a true fuchsia. Not as blue-based as the one in the I'm Feeling Retro trio, but it's definitely a fuchsia with a very subtle violet sheen that you can only see in certain lights. I'm very curious what type of eye look you all can come up with using all three of these shades!

Silent Treatment:
Frosty light peach shimmer
Dark brown matte with gold sparkle
Taupe shimmer with rose-gold sheen

Attention all taupe fanatics! You NEED Silent Treatment. I could just stop there, but I'll go on. My pics do NOT capture the beauty of this taupe. It's got a rose-gold sheen to it that you must see in person.

I know the million dollar question is: "But how does this compare to Nutty?" Well, I've got you covered:

I used to think Nutty was a great taupe (I still think it's a great shade, do NOT get me wrong) but after looking at it side-by-side with the taupe in Silent Treatment, I realize that Nutty's not really a true taupe at all, but more of a brownish-champagne. The taupe in Silent Treatment is a taupe in the truest sense of the word, and I think it's the loveliest taupe I can recall seeing at the drugstore as of late. I also think that using all three shades in the Silent Treatment trio would make for a lovely, day-into-night look that you could wear to the office and straight to dinner afterward. If you could only have one trio in this new Coloricon collection, my suggestion would be this one because it's just so darned versatile.

That's it for this swatch-o-rama! I hope you found this helpful, and you can be sure that I'll review these palettes in greater detail (with accompanying eye looks) later down the road. I think Wet n Wild knocked it out of the park with these trios. The shades are so vibrant and buttery and unlike any other palettes I've seen at the drugstore lately.

Are any of these trios catching your eye? Which ones do you think you'll buy first? I'd love to hear from you!

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled program to bring you HOT DEALS!

We interrupt Wet n Wild Week at Nouveau Cheap to bring you this special announcement:

There are some amazing deals going on this week that I must tell you about, because you know I'm a spazz about beauty bargains and I cannot keep them to myself!

• Several readers and bloggers have told me about the three free polish deal going on over at Zoya.com right now, so if you haven't heard about it, the code is FB2011 and all you will have to pay is $6.95 shipping (Zoya polishes retail for $7 so you'll be saving $21!). But hurry, because this deal ends this Friday. For swatches of some my Zoya polishes, click here and here. I think I'm FINALLY going to get some shades from the Wicked Collection, which are all named after the pro dancers on DWTS (sorry, I love that show!).

• Thanks to Zadidoll for this one: all Hard Candy holiday kits are currently 75% OFF AT WALMART. If your Walmart still has these lying around, the signs may say 50% off but they're ringing up 75% off!

• I just created a long-overdue "part two" page for the YOU TELL ME section of my blog. The comments were getting out of hand (over 200 of 'em packed with great deals you've submitted) so we've got a clean slate for 2011. Remember: if you spot a great drugstore deal, coupon deal, online deal or any other type of beauty bargain you want to share with us, leave a comment on this post. There are some awesome reader-submitted deals on that post that I don't get a chance to blog about, so if you don't skim that page periodically, you might miss them! You can access this link anytime by clicking the YOU TELL ME link on my top menu bar, or the pink piggy bank on my left-hand sidebar.

• Thanks to Lyssachelle for this one: All e.l.f. holiday kits at Target are $3.50 (regularly $5)!

• I just updated my CVS Beauty Clearance post with more coupon info and helpful links to other bloggers's posts. Click here for details.

• Do you want L'Oreal Youth Code for $10? Yes, I said $10! My lovely reader shmemi just left a comment with this HOT info for Rite Aid shoppers:

YOUTH CODE FOR ONLY $10

No joke, get to Rite Aid NOW if you want youth code for only $10. Here's how: Right now Video Values has a $5 coupon off for all Youth Code, or a $10 coupon for the starter kit. Automatically that brings your price down to $19.99. On top of that this week all L'Oreal skin or cosmetic purchases of $15 or more gets you a $5 UP+ reward. As if that wasn't enough, the Single Check Rebates offer a $5 rebate, bringing your total down to $10 plus tax.

I just tried this today and I literally screamed when it all worked. Get down to Rite Aid NOW.

Thanks SO much for that, shmemi! Combining sales, coupons AND rebates for beauty products is pure gold and so very Nouveau Cheap of you! You rock!

I also want to let you Rite Aid shoppers know that I received this email from Rite Aid a little while back, explaining this month's special beauty deal. If you're a Rite Aid shopper and you don't know about this deal, read on:

This month’s selection of Video Values includes a special new Beauty Bonus that is different than what you’ve seen in the past.

The Beauty Bonus is $4 off when $20 worth of beauty products is purchased. In order to get the Beauty Bonus, you and your readers will need to watch all of the videos in the special beauty section, which will combine for this high-value offer. There will not be individual coupons offers for each video for this section only.

Happy shopping!

New Wet n Wild Coloricon Shimmer Pencils

Since it's Wet n Wild Week here on Nouveau Cheap, I'm working as furiously as I can to bring you all the new 2011 releases that will be hitting your drugstores any minute now (if they're not already there)!

Today I'd like to show you the brand new Shimmer Pencils:

(retail: $0.99 each)

This is not a formal review (I haven't had time to give these my usual 5-7 days of wear) but I can tell you my initial thoughts about texture, pigmentation and application. Let's take a look at some swatches:

From Wet n Wild:

Color Icon™ Shimmer Pencil - $0.99 SRP
Add a touch of shimmer & sparkle! These rich, creamy eyeliner pencils are packed with 40% micro-glitter for shimmery, sparkly definition that won’t go unnoticed. Fortified with Shea Butter & Vitamin E to moisturize and condition.
Available in Black, Silver, Blue, and Copper.

If you like shimmer and sparkle, these are definitely for you! These new pencils are packed with shimmer and sparkle!

Blue: Navy blue shimmer with pink, blue and silver sparkle

Silver: Metallic silver with silver sparkle

Black: Black matte with multi-colored sparkle (the silver sparkle is predominant)

Copper: Bronze shimmer with gold sparkle

Initial thoughts: Because of all the sparkle, these liners are on the drier side of the spectrum, but I experience no tugging or pulling during application. I did have to retrace my lines a few times when I used the Black and Blue pencils, because those tend to have less shimmer and more sparkle, making them a tiny bit drier than the other two. Silver and Copper applied evenly and smoothly on the first swipe, and all four pencils are easily buildable for more intensity.

On the eye, the sparkle is quite apparent in the Copper and Silver shades. Blue looks more shimmery on my eyes than sparkly (almost metallic, actually) and the sparkle in Black is visible but less dramatic than Copper and Silver on my eyes.

My favorite shade so far might surprise you. If you're a longtime reader, you know my go-to eyeliner shade is bronze, but I actually like Blue best of all so far. Don't get me wrong--Copper is gorgeous, but I find Blue the most unique and it's got a deep intensity to it on my eyes that I can't stop staring at when I'm wearing it.

Please check back soon for my full review of these new Shimmer Pencils. In the meantime, what do you think of them? Are you a shimmery eyeliner gal? Do these spark your interest? I'd love to hear from you!

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.

Wet n Wild Fastdry Nail Color Collection (Part One)

Continuing with Wet n Wild Week here at Nouveau Cheap, today I'd like to show you nine of the 18 new shades in the brand new Fastdry Nail Color collection! Today I'll be showing you the blues/greens/silvers and later in the week I'll show you the reds/yellows/oranges/pinks/purples.

As with the new 8-pan palettes, there are some awesome dupes in this collection and I've tried to identify as many as I can right off the top of my head. But of course if you spot any other dupes, I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

I just LOVE the tv-themed names in this collection. They are so fun! Let's get started:

Wet n Wild Fastdry Nail Color Collection

(retail: $1.99 each, 0.46 oz)

I want to apologize for the state of my fingers and cuticles because I did these swatches all in one sitting so my skin really took a beating with all that acetone!

You can enlarge and then magnify each collage for a much better look at these shades.

Gray's Anatomy

(three coats, no top coat)

The moment I applied Gray's Anatomy I thought: "This is like a softer, stripped down version of Orly Space Cadet!" In other words, it doesn't have the glass flecks/foil/whatever other magical things are floating around in Space Cadet, but it's got that same multichrome appeal, only just with a soft, heather-gray base. It's got the purple and green flashes like Space Cadet but, to me, this is a Safe For Work version. It's so much prettier in person, too.

Blue Want To Be A Millionaire

(three coats, no top coat)

Hello, Milani Cyberspace dupe! Whoo hoo! I pulled out my bottle of Cyberspace (which as you know just won my Cheapie Award for best drugstore nail color) to compare them and Blue Wants To Be A Millionaire is more blue while Cyberspace has a bit more silver to it. Also, the holo particles are a bit more fine in the Wet n Wild version. The formula was a little bit thick on this one, but definitely not impossible to work with. I just love it, but then you know I'm a sucker for light blues (and holo).

Teal of Fortune

(two coats, no top coat)

I don't even want you to look at these pictures. Why? Because they DO NOT do this color justice in the slightest. This is a Zoya Charla/OPI Catch Me In Your Net/Orly Halley's Comet dupe and in real life is it 1,000,000 times more gorgeous than what you see in these pics. My camera can't pick up the true sparkle in this formula, but trust me when I say that the little glitter particles of teal and gold make this shade dance on the nails. I don't own any of the three shades I listed but from what I can tell, Teal of Fortune's base is more of a true Mediterranean blue, while the base of the others leans more teal. Also, I think that Teal of Fortune's glitter may be a tad less dense. I'll be very curious to see the side-by-side comparisons that I'm sure some of my favorite nail bloggers will do (please, please do!) to truly see how close this is to those other shades.

Tip: To avoid "smurf hands" use a good base coat and pure acetone to remove this one. It is very pigmented and the blue might stain your fingers a little bit otherwise.

And because I'm such a polish freak, I HAVE to show you what Teal of Fortune looks like layered over Ebony Hates Chris. This combo is H.O.T.!

Ebony Hates Chris

(two coats, no top coat)

If you're looking for a non-streaky, true, deep black with absolutely no blue undertones, this one's for you. I found it a breeze to apply and I would also like to take a moment to comment on the brushes in this new line. They are not the super flat, wide brushes that are all the rage right now (hello Sally Hansen), but they are a little flat, and have a slightly curved tip. I LOVE these brushes and, for me, they make for an extremely easy application. If you look at the pics above, I did not require ANY clean-up after I painted my nails. This is exactly how my nails looked the second I was done painting them.

Sage in the City

(three coats, no top coat)

This is a lovely green with fine gold shimmer and my pics do not do it justice. I know that we see lime greens all over the place these days, but this one really appeals to me because I feel that it's got a deepness and richness to it that other lime greens sometimes lack. You know how sometimes lime green polishes just look flat? Not this one.

Silvivor

(two coats, no top coat)

This is a pretty standard silver metallic foil, but I do love that it doesn't leave crazy brush stroke marks on my nails. These pics were my final round of swatches in a looooong night of swatching. I was tired and delirious when I painted my nails for these photos, and they still look pretty awesome. So if you are lacking a silver metallic foil in your collection, this would be a nice one to get.

SaGreena the Teenage Witch

(three coats, no top coat)

Move over, Sinful Colors San Francisco! My favorite "Christmas green" has just been replaced! SaGreena the Teenage Witch does not have the blue undertone that San Francisco has, and I also found that it's a lot less streaky. I think that a lot of greens require more than two coats for good opacity, so I wasn't surprised I needed three for what you see in these pics. BUT, unlike San Francisco, which can still look a tiny bit streaky after three coats, this one was perfect. It just makes me happy to look at this color.

Saved by the Blue

(two coats, no top coat)

This one's like Revlon Royal only with shimmer and not streaky at all! If you like bright, electric royal blues, you'll probably love this one. To me, Saved by the Blue doesn't veer into the "blurple" realm at all. It stays true blue on my nails, which I tried to capture by doing a little bit of post-editing (which is why my fingers look so red). I really wanted you to see how vibrant this shade is, and I think these pics capture it.

Teal or No Teal

(three coats, no top coat)

My camera hates blues. So let me tell you right off the bat, the true shade of Teal or No Teal is somewhere between these two pictures. It's not as yellow as the top picture, and it's not as blue as the bottom picture. It's actually a soft, mermaid-y type of teal and as far as teals go, this might be one of my all-time faves. I love the soft, golden almost duochrome shimmer to it that you can only really see when the light catches it just so. So so pretty, this one.

Without official side-by-side swatch confirmation, we possibly have a Milani dupe, two Orly dupes, an OPI dupe, and a Zoya dupe so far! Not bad at all, considering these new Wet n Wild polishes will only set you back a cool $1.99 each!

Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned for Part Two of the Fastdry Nail Color collection later in the week (my cuticles need some time to recover!).

In the meantime, what do you think of this collection so far? Any must-haves here? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.

Nouveau Cheap Exclusive: your first look at the new Wet n Wild Color Icon 8-pan palettes!

UPDATE: To see eye looks I have created using all three of these palettes, please click here.

The time is finally here, my lovelies! This is Wet n Wild Week here at Nouveau Cheap, and I'm bringing you all of the new 2011 Wet n Wild releases all week long! We've got polishes, mascaras, eyeshadow trios and more, so check back daily for the scoop.

I'm kicking things off with the products we've all been waiting for: the Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection 8-pan palettes! As an official Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador, I am so incredibly honored to say that this is a Nouveau Cheap exclusive. You won't find these anywhere else (for now) and I cannot WAIT to show them to you!

But before we get to pictures and swatches, I want to remind you of a few things first in case you missed my original post:

• These new 8-pan palettes are only available in select retailers. For now, you can only purchase them at Walgreens and Walmart. So please, don't drive yourself crazy looking for these at CVS, Rite Aid, etc. because you will not find them there.

• These are NOT limited edition. They are part of the core collection, so we are all going to happily avoid the Night Elf Frenzy of 2010. There's plenty for everyone and they're sticking around!

So let's get started! And in case you're one of those people who scrolls straight to pictures and doesn't bother reading commentaries, I'll just tell you right up front that each palette contain multiple different finishes, the textures are of excellent quality (as good or better than previous Color Icon shadows), they are highly pigmented and each palette contains at least two dupes--quite possibly more.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection
(retail: $4.99 each at Walgreens and Walmart beginning mid-January)

NOTE: ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SHADOWS WERE SWATCHED WITHOUT PRIMER ON BARE SKIN

Let's start with Comfort Zone (I deliberately made the following collages quite large so that you can click on them and magnify them to really see the details of each swatch):

Lovelies, our dreams have become a reality:

the Club dupe that was in the Night Elf palette is in the Comfort Zone palette.

Oh, and the Vex dupe too! And since we're talkin' dupes here, that bronzey-brown is really reminding me of Romp but I'll get back to you on that.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Wet n Wild made this palette just for me. I mean, earthtones, bronzey-browns, greens AND the Club and Vex dupes? All in ONE palette? This is literally the palette I would create if I were in the Wet n Wild labs and they said, "Gianna, go hog wild. Make whatever you want."

What you need to know about Comfort Zone:

Shimmers: 5 (including Vex and possible Romp dupe)

Duochromes: 1 (Club dupe)

Mattes with sparkle: 2 (deep olive-black with gold sparkle and black with bronze sparkle)

I know there are more dupes in this palette but it's going to take me a little while to find them all, so please check back later for that info.

And in case you were wondering, here's how Comfort Zone and Night Elf compare:

Next up: Petal Pusher:

Petal Pusher was a hard one to capture in photos. These picture do NOT do this palette justice. The bottom left shade looks blue on camera, but in real life it's much more of a true violet purple and it's gorgeous (my swatches are pretty accurate). But by far, the standout shade in this palette, for me, is that gorgeous muted plum with the bronze shimmer. I'm pretty sure this is a dupe for either MAC Sable or Twinks but I'll need to investigate further.

Also the very light pink/white shade in the upper left corner of this palette is a satin matte white with a subtle violet-pink flash (I could NOT capture this in a photo). This reminds me so much of my beloved and long-ago discontinued Urban Decay Road Stripe!

Also, the shade underneath the "Road Stripe dupe" is a stunning lavender satin matte that flashes the tiniest hint of gold in certain lights. Oh my goodness is it beautiful in real life! I can't even think of a shade that compares to this off-hand.

What you need to know about Petal Pusher:

Shimmers: 4 (including possible Sable/Twinks dupe)

Satin Mattes: 2 (including possible Road Stripe dupe)

Mattes with sparkle: 2 (soft black with pink sparkle and intense black with silver, green and pink sparkle)

And finally we have Blue Had Me At Hello:

As soon as I swatched this palette I recognized that deep royal blue shimmer. I think it's a dupe of MAC Contrast or maybe Deep Truth, but like with my other hunches, I'll get back to you on that one! Also, that gorgeous bright teal has a golden sheen to it that you can't really detect in photos. Possibly a dupe for MAC Gulf Stream.

What you need to know about Blue Had Me At Hello:

Shimmers: 5 (including possible Contrast/Deep Truth and Gulf Stream dupes)

Mattes: 1 (black)

Mattes with sparkle: 2 (soft black with blue sparkle and intense black with silver sparkle)

Final Verdict: if you missed out on the LE Pixie Holiday palettes, don't even sweat it because I believe these are BETTER. All three of these new 8-pan palettes are must-haves in my book. The quality of the shadows is top notch, and I actually believe that the Club and Vex dupes in Comfort Zone have better pigmentation than the shades in the Night Elf palette (and the pigmentation in Night Elf is pretty amazing). Consider these new 8-pan palettes the Pixie Holiday palettes on steroids. Bigger, better, and with even more dupes! When you spot these at Walgreens or Walmart this month, grab 'em. I don't think you'll regret this purchase for a second because I can think of nothing else at the drugstore level that currently compares to these palettes.

Disclosure: The above image is published by request from Wet n Wild. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for writing this post or for accepting the title of "Wet n Wild Beauty Ambassador". NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has received editorial samples from Wet n Wild for this review. 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.