URGENT: Please read if you entered the NYC giveaway!

A huge thanks to Mimsy for pointing out this error--I inadvertently linked to NYC's UK Facebook page when I first posted the Liquid Lipshine giveaway. I am SO sorry!

If you entered this giveway ANY TIME BEFORE 4:30pm Pacific on Tuesday (the time of this post) I ask that you delete your comment from the UK NYC Facebook page and comment on the US NYC Facebook page, which can be found here. I have also updated my original giveaway post with the US Facebook page link.

I am so so very sorry for this error--and another HUGE thanks to Mimsy for pointing this out. It was an honest mistake and again, I'm sorry to ask you to take extra steps to enter this contest (if you have already entered).

Contest Closed: Giveaway: New NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshines!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER.

I've got another fabulous Facebook giveaway for you, my lovelies, and this one's from NYC New York Color:

If you read my review of the new NYC Liquid Lipshine in Rivington Rose, you know I adore it (and I'm not even a gloss girl, so that should tell you something!). So I'm absolutely delighted to bring you this giveaway, compliments of NYC New York Color!

One very lucky winner will receive all TEN (10) shades of their new Liquid Lipshines:

These glosses retail for $2.49 each, so the total retail value of this prize package is $24.90!

TO ENTER, PLEASE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Giveaway open to residents of US only, 18 and over. Void where prohibited.

2. One entry per person. To enter, you will need to "like" the NYC New York Color Facebook page. Once there, leave a comment on their wall, saying something like this:

"Hi, I am entering the Nouveau Cheap giveaway to win a complete set of your new Liquid Lipshines."

After you have done that, please come back here, leave a comment on this post, let me know you've "liked" them, and you're entered.

3. You do NOT need to leave you email address in your comment, BUT, when I announce the winner on this blog on Monday, June 13th, you MUST email me and/or respond in the comments on my post within 24 hours of the announcement or I will select another winner. Sorry, but absolutely no exceptions.

4. This giveaway begins today and ends Sunday, June 12th, 2011 at 11:59PM Pacific. I will select one winner via random.org and announce the winner HERE on this blog on June 13th. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email and/or in the comments on the announcement post. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, he or she will forfeit the prizes and another winner will be selected.

Best of luck to everyone!

NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, financially or otherwise, from NYC New York Color (or its parent company) for hosting this giveaway. All NYC New York Color products previously reviewed on this blog were purchased with personal funds.

Enter to win daily & weekly prizes with Degree Women's new MotionMILES

If you caught my review of the new Degree MotionSENSE, you know it's my new favorite antiperspirant and deodorant. I literally have not used another product since I began testing Degree MotionSENSE back in April!

If you're a Degree fan too, I want to make sure you know about this fun new opportunity to win instant prizes, weekly prizes and even a grand prize, compliments of Degree Women! I just received the following info directly from Degree:

Here's how to participate:

1. Register for the Degree® Women “Get into the Move” application on Facebook (facebook.com/degreewomen) or on mobile devices (m.degreewomen.com)
2. Earn motionMILES (virtual currency redeemable towards chances to win thousands of prizes) for various ways women move, including checking in with Facebook places and logging activities

• Eligible activities include going to the gym, dancing, yoga and various other activities women already do, like grocery shopping or catching the bus

3. Redeem motionMILES for chances to win instant and weekly prizes or enter for a chance to win the grand prize sweepstakes

• Prizes include a surfing trip in Hawaii, designer shoes and much more
• Fans can also choose to donate motionMILES in a dollar amount to one of two charities: The Challenged Athletes Foundation and Girls in The Game

I think this is such a fun program and you literally just have to MOVE (in one way or another) to earn motionMILES. I also love that you have the option to redeem your motionMILES for yourself, or donate them to charity.

If you participate in this program, I'd love to know what you think of it, so please come back and let us know!

Spotted at Rite Aid: new products and monthly sales

Lots of things to share with my fellow Rite Aid shoppers today, so let's get started!

First off, my lovely reader Sephiria spotted some new displays at her Rite Aid and was kind enough to share them with us:

image credit: Sephiria for Nouveau Cheap

Demeter Roll On Perfume Oils

(retail: $4.99 each)

I've shown you several Demeter displays at Rite Aid over the past year or so, but I freaked OUT when I saw this pic, because I had no idea Demeter even made roll-ons! Wow wow wow! And you sure can't beat that price, right? Super affordable and, potentially, better staying-power than their traditional scents since the carrier is oil-based. From what I can see looking at this pic, it appears that the  scents in this display are Pure Soap, Baby Powder and Honeysuckle. Yay!

Next up, Sephiria also spotted these new MINI L.A. Colors Color Craze polish sets for just $2.99 each:

image credit: Sephiria for Nouveau Cheap 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Mini Bright 5-pack mini polish sets

(retail: $2.99)

The sets above contain bright shades, while this set contains glitters:

image credit: Sephiria for Nouveau Cheap 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Mini Glitter 5-pack mini polish sets

(retail: $2.99)

How fun are these? Thanks again, Sephiria, for the heads-up!

Next, I wanted to show you some things I spotted on my last Rite Aid trip:

Mr. Bubble Body Washes (fragrance and dye-free on left, original on right)

(retail: 3.49)

I spotted these new Mr. Bubble body washes and I just think they're so fun--I love bubble-gum scented products so I know I'll eventually have to pick one of these up!

I showed you the new Mr. Bubble hand soaps a while back but in case you missed it, here they are again:

Mr. Bubble Moisturizing Hand Soaps

(retail: $2.99)

And next, I want to bring to your attention some MONTH-LONG SALES that I just discovered the other day. I don't know if these monthly sales are regional, and I don't know if they're new (or if I just never noticed them before) but I don't recall seeing these in any of the weekly circulars, so I just want to bring them to your attention (note: these sales run from 6/1 - 6/28 according to the tags on the shelves):

Remember when I showed you the new Organix skincare and body care products a while back? Well they're on sale this month for $7.49 and $5.99 (regular price: $9.99 and $7.99).

All of the Yes To products are also on sale this month (6/1 - 6/28)!

Another month-long sale that I spotted was for EcoTools bath and body products--they're $3.99 with $1 +UP Reward (regular price: $5.99) so that's a great deal as well!

I want to remind you that I live in a Rite Aid test market, so if this is a new program for Rite Aid, you might not see these sales in your area. Check for the yellow tags above the next time you're at Rite Aid, and please please let me know if you spot these sales!

Spotted in Canada: New L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows (possible Armani dupes!)

My wonderful Canadian reader Andrea just sent me some pics of the new L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows that she purchased recently, and let's just say that I'm REALLY hoping these make their way to the US--soon!

According to Andrea, these shadows are a hybrid, "like the Armani Eyes to Kill shadows". Indeed, these might be QUITE the dupe, since the packaging looks rather similar, right down to the inner black lid (check out Nea's review of the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Purple Passion, and then check out Elvira's review of Armani Eyes to Kill #44.). 

Andrea describes the L'Oreal Infallible shadows as sort of like loose pigments, but she said they apply like a pressed shadow. She said that the texture is "like that of brown sugar, or slightly wet sand". She said they're loose, but "when pressure is applied with a brush or finger it comes together."

Color me intrigued!

Andrea said they wear quite well for her (she used them over a MAC Paint Pot) and lasted around ten hours before slight creasing. She also said that the pigmentation is "incredible" and that they work best for her when "patted on". This is her initial impression (so far she's only tried two of the shades she purchased) but they sound pretty great so far, don't they?

Note: I believe these shadows hit Europe a few months ago. In Canada, L'Oreal has released 12 shades which, according to Andrea, is more than have been released in Europe. So who knows how many we'll get if/when these release in the US!

(image credit for all of the following photos: Andrea for Nouveau Cheap)

L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows

The shades that have been released in Canada are: 

All Night Blue
Purple Obsession
Endless Chocolate
Time Resist White
Burning Black
Eternal Black
Flashback Silver
Permanent Khaki
Hourglass Beige
Forever Pink
Blue Curacao
Pebble Grey

Andrea has spotted these shadows anywhere from between $8.97 and $12.99 CDN.  Also of note, Andrea pointed out that the products themselves (on the pots below) say: L'oreal Paris Color Infaillible, but on the display and website it's spelled Infallible (without the second 'i').

 Flashback Silver

 Permanent Khaki

 All Night Blue and Hourglass Beige

 Purple Obsession and Eternal Black

If you're in Europe or Canada, have you tried these new L'Oreal shadows yet? I'd love to hear what you think of them. I cannot wait for them to make their way to the US!

Thanks again, Andrea, for the great info, insights and pics!

CONTEST CLOSED! Giveaway: win all six of the new Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Quads!

CONTEST CLOSED: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER. THANKS.

If you caught my review of the newest eyeshadow quads from Palladio, then you know I'm loving them (in fact, I'm wearing the Green to Go quad in both my Blogger profile pic and my Twitter profile pic!).

So I'm delighted to be able to bring you this giveaway, compliments of Palladio Beauty!

One VERY lucky winner will receive all SIX of the new Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Quads. The shades include:

TANTALIZING TAUPE

BLUE SUEDE (pictured above)

GREEN TO GO (pictured above)

SMOKEY EYES (pictured above)

LOVE STRUCK

COPPER ‘N’ CHIC

These quads are so new that they're not even available on the Palladio website yet (but they should be making their way to your local Sally Beauty stores any minute now if you haven't already spotted them). The retail price of each quad is $8, so this giveaway has a total retail value of $48!

PLEASE NOTE: WE'RE DOING THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FOR THIS GIVEAWAY, AND THERE IS A SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR ENTRY, SO PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY:

1. Giveaway open to residents of US and Canada, 18 and over. Void where prohibited.

2. One entry per person. To enter, you must "like" Palladio Beauty on their Facebook page. Once there, you will need to leave a comment on the Palladio Beauty Facebook wall, saying something like this:

"Hi, I'm here from Nouveau Cheap's blog -- I am entering the giveaway for your Herbal Eyeshadow Quads."

After you have done that, just come back here, leave a comment on this post, let me know you've "liked" them, and you're entered.

3. You do NOT need to leave you email address in your comment, BUT, when I announce the winner on this blog on Friday, June 10th, you MUST email me and/or respond in the comments on my post within 24 hours of the announcement or I will select another winner. Sorry, but absolutely no exceptions.

4. This giveaway begins today and ends Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at 11:59PM Pacific. I will select one winner via random.org and announce the winner HERE on this blog on June 10th. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email and/or in the comments on the announcement post. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, he or she will forfeit the prizes and another winner will be selected.

Best of luck to everyone!

NouveauCheap.blogspot.com received the products featured in this post for review from Palladio Beauty. NouveauCheap.blogspot.com has not received any form of compensation, financially or otherwise, for said reviews or for hosting this giveaway.

Reminder: Urban Decay on Haute Look NOW

I want to thank the always-lovely sabrinaj99 for leaving a reminder on the You Tell Me page about Urban Decay being on Haute Look today! 

As of 8:18AM Pacific, I spotted lots of matte eyeshadows for $5, tinted moisturizers for $10, Pocket Rockets for $5, an Ink for Eyes for $5, lots of cream eyeshadows for $8, Transforming Potion for $5, Big Fatty Waterproof mascara for $10, and the Wallpaper Shadow Box for $10. Wow wow wow! I would hurry because I know that Wallpaper Shadow Box will sell out any minute now.

Click here to go to Haute Look.

Just a reminder: Haute Look is a members-only shopping site. You must be a member to view the sale. Membership is free so if even if you're not interested in this sale, it's a good idea to join because you never know what other beauty-related sales they may run in the future.

Did you purchase any Urban Decay products on Haute Look today? I bought the matte eyeshadow in Chronic during the last sale and I love it (their mattes are so buttery soft and awesome to work with).

Rite Aid shoppers: check out the June Single Check Rebates!

One of the things I love the most about Rite Aid is that, in addition to their sales and Wellness+ program, they offer lots of other great ways to save on beauty products, such as their Video Values coupons (which can be stacked with manufacturer's coupons) and their Single Check Rebate program, which sometimes doesn't get enough love from me on this blog.

If you're unfamiliar with the Single Check Rebate program, it's pretty simple. After you sign up, you just have to make a qualifying purchase, enter your receipt onto the website and then, at the end of each month, you log into your account, request your check and you're done! Rite Aid will tally all of your qualifying purchases and send you ONE single check containing all of your rebates for the month. You can then take that check and use it as store credit at your local Rite Aid, or you can deposit it straight into your bank account like any other check.

If you haven't tried the Single Check Rebate program yet, this month might be a nice time to do it because they've got some fantastic offers I want to make sure you know about (click here for the full list of June Single Check Rebate offers):

NOTE: Some of these rebates require that you make your purchase during a very specific time period (sometimes you only have a few days to take advantage of a deal) so read the details carefully.

Remember the new got2b dry shampoo I reviewed here (and loved)? You can get it for about $1 after this rebate!

VALID ONLY ON PURCHASES FROM 06/26/11 to 06/28/11**

Purchase One (1)

•Fat-tastic Dry Shampoo, 4.3 oz

•Fat-tastic Mousse, 8.5 oz.

•Fat-tastic Root Booster, 6 oz.

•Rockin’ It Hair Spray, 9.2 oz.

*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $4.99).

**Rebate valid only on products purchased between the dates shown above. Purchases made outside of stated dates will not be honored for the rebate.

LIMIT ONE (1) REBATE

Valid from 06/01/11 to 06/28/11

$5.00 Rebate
John Frieda

Purchase One (1) of Any Variety:

•Full Repair Styling System

Only items pictured/listed will qualify towards rebate

LIMIT TWO (2) $5.00 REBATES

For more information on the Rite Aid Single Check Rebate program, click here.
For the complete list of June beauty rebates, click here.
For the complete list of June haircare rebates, click here.
For the complete list of all June Single Check Rebates, click here.

Do you already participate in the Rite Aid Single Check rebate system? If so, how do you like it? If not, do you think it's something you might look into? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Lipstick League - week of 5.30.11

image source: loewssurfdog.blogspot.com

The Sixth Annual Surf Dog Competition was held yesterday here in San Diego (at Imperial Beach if you're in SD) and I just love the pic of this bulldog. Look at his intensity!  While he didn't place (the winner of the Small Dog competition went to an Australian Kelpie named Abbie Girl) I think this guy should have won an award for stone-cold determination!

Lipstick League Question of the Week: 

You’re running late and only have time to apply ONE makeup product to your face (after you’ve applied your skincare, of course). What’s it going to be?

G's Answer: This is my worst nightmare! It's really a toss-up between powder foundation and eyebrow pencil. Hum...I think I'm going to have to go with eyebrow pencil. At the very least, people would be able to see my eyes (and hopefully that would draw attention away from my skin imperfections).

Links of the Week:

Vampy Varnish - Asks if a new Benefit mascara can really make people wonder if They're Real.

we heart this -  is bubbly over one of Stila's new lip glaze shades - Bubble Gum.

Beauty Junkies Unite -  wants to give you a fab Summer Prep Kit from Bliss, valued at $144...but you can't win if you don't enter!

Clumps of Mascara - is absolutely loving Deborah Lippman’s newest nail polish shades . They are perfect for summer!

EauMG - EauMG reviews one of the best lilac perfumes on the market, Profumi di Firenze Lilla.

Lipglossiping - previews the upcoming Autumn/Winter collection from Butter London. Two seasons, five shades, you’re bound to ‘fall’ for one of them!

Nouveau Cheap -  gives you an in-depth review of the new CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast Primer + Shadow. The proof is in the pics!

Orange to LA - shares the products in her May Favorites list. Bright eyeliners, and gold eye shadows- Just in time for summer!

Pink Sith - Tortures it’s readers with their 5th installment in the Blushes You Can’t Have monthly series.  This month Chanel Turbulent is flaunted!

Phyrra  - revisits Darling Girl Cosmetics. See how the company has changed and grown.

 If you only had time to apply one makeup item to your face (after skincare), what would it be?

Spotted at Walgreens: Pure Ice Crackle Nail Effects

If you live near a Walgreens that carries Pure Ice (mine doesn't, so consider yourself lucky if yours does!) then you might be very excited to know that Pure Ice has released a collection of crackle polishes and they retail for just $3.99!

A HUGE thanks to my pal Rach for the scoop on these!

(image credit for all of the following photos: Rach for Nouveau Cheap)

Thanks again, Rach, for the great scoop and pics!

Have you spotted these crackles from Pure Ice yet? Have you tried any? If so, what do you think of them? I have to admit that I'm loving the fact that so many different polish brands are releasing crackles because each brand seems to be releasing different shades (in addition to the standard black, white and silver). What's your favorite crackle polish?

A little Kleancolor haul...

If you take away just one thing from this post, please let it be this: 

Don't ever be afraid to check out your local, independently-owned, mom-and-pop dollar stores.

I can never find Kleancolor products in my area (aside from the same core-collection polishes I seem to see at every beauty supply store in San Diego), but then one day I spotted a brand new independently-owned dollar store and I pulled the car right over to check it out.

I was AMAZED at all the Kleancolor products they had, and they also had close-outs of long-ago discontinued drugstore makeup (so old I couldn't bring myself to purchase any of it) including Wet n Wild Twist-up Blush Sticks (remember those??).

So anyway, my focus was really on Kleancolor because it's probably the one super-inexpensive brand that I have the least experience with. Check out what I bought!

Kleancolor Wicked Witch Gothic Nail Lacquer Mini Collection

(dollar store price: $2.99)

I've seen this collection retail online for anywhere between $6.50 and $9.99, and it retails for $8.99 on the Kleancolor website, so I was VERY happy to snag it for just $2.99!

I haven't played around with these colors yet, but I'm so excited to try them!

I also purchased two Kleancolor Everlasting Lipsticks for $0.99 each (these retail for $1.99 on the Kleancolor site):

 Kleancolor Everlasting Lipsticks in Tea Rose (left) and Coco Malt (right)

(dollar store price: $0.99 each)

My camera has been acting up lately and I couldn't get a sharp photo of me wearing Tea Rose, but I hope you can see that this shade is much paler on my lips than it is when swatched on my arm. Coco Malt was more pale on my lips than I expected it to be as well, so next time I know to go a shade or two darker when I purchase Kleancolor lipsticks. 

Both shades are just too pale for my skintone and they REALLY wash me out. I'm so bummed because Tea Rose also settles into the fine lines on my lips (my lips are chapped to begin with though) and it looks really unflattering. I would definitely exfoliate before attempting to wear this shade!

As for the texture of these lipsticks, I was pleasantly surprised by how they glide across the lips. They feel so silky during application, with no pulling or tugging whatsoever. These lipsticks feel very light and weightless on my lips--I can barely feel them at all once they're on. I don't think the formula is too drying--they're very creamy, actually. But since they're so light and creamy, the staying-power isn't the greatest, but who cares for $0.99, right? I also like both the fragrance and flavor to these lipsticks--it's kind of a fruit-punch type of scent and the flavor is barely detectable.

My biggest qualm with these particular lipsticks is that they don't fully retract into their cases, so I know I will nick the lipstick with the lid eventually. Other than that (and the paleness of the shades I selected), I can't find anything wrong with these, and I would certainly give them another shot in the future.

What are your favorites from Kleancolor? I really hope my dollar store starts carrying the new Kleancolor crackle polishes. I really want the green and purple ones! Anyone try those yet?

Weekly Drugstore Makeup Sales

The weekly drugstore beauty sales are now up! Click here to see the makeup and other notable beauty sales going on at the drugstores for the week of 6/5 - 6/11. And remember, you can always access this list in the links at the top of this blog (right above the most recent blog post). There's LOTS to cover this week so I hope you'll take a minute to scan through this post--I don't want you to miss out on anything!

My picks for the top three deals of the week:

CVS: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat polishes $4.99

Rite Aid: Neutrogena cosmetics 40% off; spend $30 get $10 +UP Rewards

Walgreens: Rimmel lip or eye cosmetics 50% off

Other deals you should know about:

At Walgreens there's a GREAT monthly deal on Finesse haircare (click here to see my review of the new Finesse Clean + Simple sulfate and paraben-free shampoo and conditioner--I LOVE this stuff!). Finesse is on sale all month long for 2/$7, but you also get $5 back in Register Rewards, making them just $2/2 or $1 a piece! AND, as you can see in my review, many of these bottles have FREE REBATE peelies, making this a money-maker!

At Rite Aid, I want to let you know that the Rite Aid brand polish remover I mentioned in my latest What I'm loving now post is BOGOFREE this week (yay!). Also, the newly-revamped Rite Aid bath and body line, Pure Spring, has a great deal this week--if you buy a lotion or body wash, you get a hand cream FREE. There are lots of new yummy scents in this line, so it's a great time to try some out (I can't wait to try Strawberry & Pomegranate and Lemon Juice & Mint).

Important coupon info:

As many of you probably already know, there's going to be a P&G coupon insert in TOMORROW'S (Sunday) newspaper. You can see if your local paper will carry this coupon by entering your zip code here. As my pal Jess reminded me this week, for every P&G coupon you use, P&G will donate one day of clean drinking water to a child in need.

Whenever there's a P&G insert in the Sunday paper, all three of the big drugstore chains run sales in the same week on P&G products, so you can really maximize your savings. I suggest taking a look at the weekly circulars yourself at iheartcvs.com, iheartriteaid.com and iheartwags.com because there are simply too many deals going on for me to list.

Some notable makeup coupons that will be in the P&G insert tomorrow (Sunday):

$5 off 2 Covergirl Natureluxe products

$1 off 1 Covergirl product

As you can see, that $5 off 2 NatureLuxe products coupon will work beautifully at any of the drugstores this week! At CVS, NatureLuxe Gloss Balms are on sale 2/$12, making them just 2/$7 with the coupon (all other CG products are also on sale at CVS this week BOGO1/2OFF). At Rite Aid, CoverGirl is BOGO1/OFF and you get $5 +UP Rewards when you spend $20. At Walgreens, CoverGirl products are BOGO1/2OFF. So any way you slice it, you can save money on CG this week (it might be a nice time to try one of the new Intense Shadowblast Primer + Shadows).

For a full list* of all the P&G coupons that will be in tomorrow's insert, click here.

*NOTE: It's been my experience that some areas don't always carry the same coupons with the same dollar values in these inserts, so please do not get upset with me if you don't see these particular coupons in your insert tomorrow.

PS: Thanks to my pal Ruthie for the heads-up that there are $1 off printable coupons for both NYC and Rimmel on both coupons.com and allyou.com right now, but please note that these are TARGET STORE COUPONS, which means you can't use them anywhere else but Target (I printed them out just to double-check and they are definitely Target coupons). But they're still great coupons to use at Target so this is just a reminder to print them out if you haven't already.

Are you looking forward to any of the deals going on this week?

New Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail polish in Frozen Solid

After finally spotting the newly revamped Sally Hansen Hard as Nails collection at my local Walgreens (click here if you missed the pics), and then noticing that these polishes retail for just $1.99 each, I finally decided to pick one up. Actually, what REALLY made me want to pick one up was seeing Mary's review here.

At first I was going to purchase the foil-y lilac shade, but then the foil-y blue shade called out to me:

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail polish in Frozen Solid

(retail: $1.99)

Frozen Solid is a great name for this icy blue foil. Even though I've kind of burned myself out on these types of polishes, I was drawn to the iciness of this shade.

The formula is pretty thin and it required three coats for decent opacity but, even after three coats, you can still see VNL (visible nail line), so I'm thinking this color would work best as a layering shade, or at least worn under a coat of white polish.

Something that you can't really see in my pics is that Frozen Solid isn't your ordinary foil. There are iridescent particles to this polish that give it almost a scattered, duochome-y look when viewed in certain lights.

Here are some macro shots of the bottle--I hope you can see the iridescent little particles floating around in this polish:

This iridescence gives this polish sort of an ice-princess-meets-mermaid type of feel that I really love. The longer I wear Frozen Solid, the more I love it. I wore this color for three days and, by day three, I had minimal tip-wear, so I'm curious to see how long I can go without any serious chipping. So far so good!

Have you purchased any polishes from the newly-revamped Hard as Nails line? If so, what do you think of them? You can't beat the price, that's for sure!

New reality tv show centered around...nails!

There seem to be reality shows based on just about everything these days, but this one is a little closer to my heart since it has to do with NAILS!

I was just sent this press release from TV Guide Network:

...Nail Files follows Katie Cazorla, a young blonde bombshell who owns Hollywood’s fastest growing celebrity-filled nail salon while juggling her relationship with Walter Afanasieff, a Grammy® award-winning music legend who’s written and produced hits for Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion and is 20 years her senior.  The series follows high-spirited and energetic Katie as she aspires to take The Painted Nail to the next level. 

You can "Like" the Nail Files page on Facebook and all information about the show and the mobile spa tour will be released there. https://www.facebook.com/TVGuideNetwork

So, my fellow reality-tv junkies and/or nail junkies, do you think you'll be tuning in to TV Guide Network on June 21st? Thoughts?

New feature at AllYou.com!

OK, so 99.9% of the topics I blog about on Nouveau Cheap are beauty-related but every once in a while, a non-beauty-related piece of info comes across my desk that I just HAVE to share with you, and this one's pretty darned awesome.

AllYou.com has a new, FREE, feature on their site to help you save on groceries in a BIG way. Check it out:

With food prices on the rise, consumers are looking for ways to save money on groceries.

We’re excited to share a new tool on ALLYOU.com that launched today to do just that!

Grocery Circular Roundup is a free online tool that allows consumers to browse grocery circulars in real time by typing in their zip code or selecting their favorite local store to see what’s on sale in their neighborhood. Consumers can also enter their shopping list to match desired items with local sales.

This tool empowers the consumer with the confidence that she is getting the most value for her money. We would love for you to try the tool at: www.allyou.com/grocerycircular

Users can search by product, brand or view products aisle-by-aisle, grouped by food category. They can then select items they wish to purchase, add them to their list with the click of a button, load printable coupons from ALLYOU.com into the list, print it, and bring it in store. They can also opt-in to receive email alerts when new circulars are available at their chosen retailers.

THIS ABSOLUTELY MAKES MY DAY! I don't know about you, but when it comes to my weekly grocery shopping, I've got coupons, newspapers, and multiple websites up all at the same time as I try to maximize my savings. This sounds like a great all-in-one tool that so many of us can use, and what an incredible time-saver this could be for me personally!

If you do the grocery shopping in your household, I urge you to take a look around the site and see how it works for you. There's also an FAQ page here, in case you have trouble navigating around or have more questions.

I haven't had time to play around with the site yet (I did a few searches and noticed that items I was already planning to purchase this week DID come up) but I will let you know what I think once I "formally" prepare for my weekly shopping. If you try out the site, I'd LOVE to hear what you think of it!

Young and the Restless fans: you're not going to believe this!

It takes a lot to blow me away when it comes to beauty news, but this one did for me. Very soon, you won't have to travel to "Genoa City" to find "Jabot Cosmetics"!

From drugstorenews.com:

FICTIONAL BEAUTY BRAND COMES TO LIFE

NEW YORK — Fusion Brands, the parent company of beauty brands FusionBeauty and Clean, has partnered with Sony Pictures and CBS Consumer Products to launch Jabot Cosmetics, a fictional beauty brand that will become available for purchase to consumers.

Inspired by the beauty company portrayed on daytime TV's Emmy-award-winning "The Young and the Restless, " Jabot now is a collection of color cosmetics, skin care and fragrances. Jabot Cosmetics will launch at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards in Las Vegas on June 19. The face of the brand, Tracey Bregman, who plays Lauren Fenmore, will debut the brand live on the red carpet.

"Jabot is the crown jewel cosmetics company in town. It's such a huge part of the history of the show and has played a significant role in the interfamily dynamics of the Abbotts, particularly in Jack Abbott's relationship with his father, John. It's also a key ingredient to the decades-long business rivalry between Jack and fellow titan Victor Newman. Blood has been lost and hearts have been broken over this company," explained Maria Bell, producer and head writer of "The Young and the Restless."

"For the first time, our fans can own a piece of the show and at the same time share in the storyline as it unfolds live on TV," Bell added. "The brand launch is going to be completely integrated to the show. The back story on how Jabot started and product development is going to be featured in 'Y&R' storylines, and we are going to use actual Jabot products on-set with the same packaging as you will see in retail. Plus, viewers will soon see a new Jabot set as well."

Jabot Cosmetics' array of products includes the Overnight Sensation, Camera Ready Color and Red Carpet Collections, as well as a fragrance and body care additions launching in late 2011. Jabot skin care and color products are all formulated with anti-aging technologies to deliver results. These include the Miracules Complex, a cactus pectin ingredient that hydrates to smooth and plump the appearance of fine lines and deep wrinkles, while reversing the appearance of dry, dull and dehydrated skin.

Beginning in mid-June, Jabot will be sold at ShopJabot.com and HSN.com. In addition, Bregman will preview the line live on HSN on June 21 and 22.

The entire collection officially will launch on July 28. The collection also will be available at every Ulta retail location. Prices will range from $15 to $40. An exclusive three-piece Emmy collection kit will be available on June 19 at ShopJabot.com for a limited time for $59.50.

I had to take a look at the ShopJabot.com site and this is what I found:

image source: shopjabot.com

There are no product images on the site yet but, as you can see, the big reveal is slated for June 13th.

When I was a kid, a babysitter got me hooked on Y&R, and I watched it for many, many years after that. Heck, I even sent Michael Damian (aka Danny Romalotti) a fan letter when I was probably 13 years old, and he wrote me back! (Looking back on it now, his assistant probably wrote the letter but he did sign it!).

Though I haven't watched Y&R in many years, I am still ridiculously curious to see Jabot Cosmetics come to life. Are there any other fans out there who can't wait to see these products at their local Ulta stores? Come on, admit it...you know you'll at least take a peek!

Review: New CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast Primer + Shadow

As you all probably know by now, I've been very excited to try this latest eyeshadow from CoverGirl. When I spotted it at CVS, I had to pick one up, and I decided to go with Beige Blaze since I thought it would work best as a primer underneath other powder eyeshadows.

 CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast Primer + Shadow in Beige Blaze

(retail: around $8, .27 oz)

The first thing I noticed about this product is that the wand is not your typical sponge-tip applicator. The sponge on this applicator is much more "fluffy" and slightly larger than other sponge-tip applicators. I really love it as it feels softer against my lids than other sponge-tip applicators.

As you can see in the swatch above, this is a pretty standard shimmery beige. After applying it several times to my lids, I can confirm the following:

• It blends very easily, but it's not "intense" once you blend it a bit with your finger. I find that on its own, the color of Beige Blaze is actually quite sheer, and the shimmer seems to lessen a lot as you blend it.

• When I tried to build the intensity with additional layers of product, I experienced some creasing, so I think it's best to use just one layer and blend it for a softer, subtle look if you're going to wear it by itself (as opposed to wearing it as a base for other shadows).

• When worn alone, this product lasts all day on my lids with very minor creasing or fading. But again, it's a subtle look and not an intense pop of color on its own (of course I can't speak to the other shades in this range, which might be more intense when worn alone). After letting this product "set" for a few minutes, it doesn't go anywhere. It seriously doesn't budge, which is great because I can also use it as a highlighter on the inner corners of my eyes--it's wonderful in that capacity.

 But now I'd like to tell you how this works as a primer, which is pretty much the sole reason I purchased this product to begin with!

I decided it would be nice to try it with some other CoverGirl powder shadows, so I chose my trusty Shimmering Sands trio (which I also purchased with my own personal funds, many moons ago):

 CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 3 Kit Eyeshadow in Shimmering Sands

(retail: around $4)

In the swatches below, you can see how each shade in the Shimmering Sands trio looks when 1) worn on top of Beige Blaze and 2) when worn alone:

(click to enlarge)

As you can see, Beige Blaze REALLY makes these colors pop. The beige color of Beige Blaze does alter each shadow's color a tiny bit, but boy does it make the colors more intense! Also, I want to point out that if the powder shadow you're using already contains shimmer, Beige Blaze will definitely intensify that shimmer.

I thought it would be interesting to see how Beige Blaze worked with some of my less-pigmented shadows, and then I also wanted to show you how it worked with a true MATTE shadow:

As you can see, it REALLY intensified the shadows from the Princessa palette, and it it also intensified the shimmer of those shadows as well. 

If you're a matte shadow lover, I'd like for you to enlarge the above photo and take a closer look at the swatches of Bobbi Brown Woodrose. I hope you can see that when worn on top of Beige Blaze, the matte finish of Woodrose turns a bit more satin, but I don't think it's shimmery. In fact, it some spots it still looks pretty matte to me!

When worn as a primer, I absolutely LOVE CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast in Beige Blaze. In fact, I might go so far as to say that Beige Blaze seems like a cross between Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin and Eden. It's sort of combo of the two! It's got the shimmer of Sin, but it's a bit close in color to Eden (note: it's definitely not a dupe of either one--again, it's sort of cross between the two).

On my oily skin, this product sets in a few minutes and once it's on, it's not going anywhere. In fact, I had a hard time removing it with my usual towelettes! I find that as a primer, it's easy to apply my powder shadows on top of this product IF I don't let it set for too long. I accidentally let it set for over five minutes once, and I found that my powder shadow didn't adhere quite as well as when I wait just a minute or two to let it set. But once it's on, I think this product works beautifully as a primer to intensify my powder shadows--shimmers, satins and mattes alike! And it also functions beautifully as a highlighter for the inner corners of my eyes, which is a nice added bonus!

FINAL VERDICT: For me, the "intense" part of CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast in Beige Blaze really comes through when it's worn as a primer underneath other powder shadows. WOW, it really makes a wide variety of my powder shadows POP in intensity, and it heightens the shimmer of already-shimmery shadows as well. When worn under matte shadows, I find that it can make mattes look a bit more on the satin side, but nothing too dramatic at all. I find this product also works well as a sheer wash of color when worn alone, but be careful not to use too much if you're wearing it by itself or it might crease a bit. It's also fantastic as a highlighter for the inner corner of my eyes, but my favorite way to use it is as a primer. For me, it doesn't budget and my powder shadows seem to last all day with very little fading or creasing. Just expect a little trial-and-error and experiment a bit with how much to use, and how long to wait before you apply your powder shadows. I'm confident that many of you will find the perfect combo and will be able to make this one work for you. Bravo, CoverGirl, for a fantastic new drugstore eyeshadow primer!

Have you tried any of the CoverGirl Intense Shadowblast Primer + Shadows? If so, how do you like them? If not, do you think this product might be a good fit for your needs? I'd love to hear from you!

Nouveau Cheap readers have spoken! Your fave drugstore foundation brand is...

After running this poll for one month and receiving over 800 votes (thanks to all who voted!) here are your choices for the best drugstore brand when it comes to foundation:

First Place

Revlon

(280 votes)

Second Place

Maybelline

(113 votes)

Third Place

L'Oreal

(62 votes)

Also earning a respectable number of votes:

CoverGirl

(61 votes)

Physicians Formula

(49 votes)

Neutrogena and Rimmel

(tied with 44 votes each)

Rounding out the bottom:

Prestige and Sonia Kashuk (3 votes each), Black Radiance (1 vote)

If you voted on this poll, I'd love to hear exactly what your favorite drugstore foundation (brand, name, shade) is, and if you voted for Revlon, is it because you love ColorStay or another line? Also, if you voted "other", please let us know what brand you would have voted for if it had been an option!

Do you agree with these results? Did anything surprise you?

PS: My new poll is up and I would LOVE if you'd take a minute to vote on it (see right-hand sidebar). I'm taking a little break from drugstore products (just for a month) to see what YOU would like to see more of on this blog. So your vote is VERY important to me, and you can select multiple answers. Thanks in advance for voting--I would really love your feedback!

The Wednesday Question

Boy, the holiday weekend really threw me off! I almost forgot it was Wednesday and you know what that means! Here's this week's question:

Have you ever purchased a drugstore product based on hype and then found it didn't work for you?

Yes! More than I care to list, actually. But the one that always sticks in my mind is Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara. Millions of women swear by this mascara but, when I finally tried it, it was a total disaster for my particular lashes. Oh how I wish it worked as well for me as it does for so many other people!