Wet n Wild Dream Weavers Trios: available online (international too!)

I want to thank so many of you for your comments/tweets/emails letting me know that the Wet n Wild Dream Weavers Collection is now available for purchase ONLINE from Nonpariel Boutique ($5 each).

To go straight to the Dream Weavers page, click here.

Here is their shipping policy, directly from the site:

• free shipping offer is applicable to orders over $40.00 after coupons and discounts have been applied.  For order less than $40.00, there is a delivery charge of $5.95 for USPS Ground.
• Free shipping promotion is only for order within contiguous United States.
• Free shipping promotion does not apply to international orders.

I hope this helps those of you who have been having a difficult time finding Dream Weavers in your area, and another huge thanks to everyone who took the time to let me know about this!

Disclaimer: I have not personally ordered from this website, however I do know several people who have, and they have been pleased with their service.

The Lipstick League – week of 8.1.11

Lipstick League Question of the Week: 

If you could develop your dream product (à la MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions) what would it be and what line would it be for?

G's Answer: Love this question! I'd love to create an 8-pan eyeshadow palette for Wet n Wild. The shades I would include would be: 1) a cool matte taupe 2) a neutral satin taupe (not a dupe of MAC Satin Taupe, I mean a taupe with a satin finish) 3) a light champagne satin that flashes coral 4) a medium golden olive green matte 5) a dupe of MAC Copperplate (a cool brown-gray) 6) a dupe of NARS California (a deep red-based copper) 7) a neutral medium-brown shimmer 8) a metallic champewter (hybrid of champagne and pewter; think light gold but with silver undertones).

Links of the Week:

Nouveau Cheap – A universally flattering blush that completely lives up to the hype? Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso is all that…and then some.

Pink Sith – Asks: Do you need another highlighter like you need a third appendage? Well she will show you a third appendage worthy highlighter in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Gelee in Modern Mercury!

Phyrra – shows you the wonders of Neptune’s Grotto from Meow Cosmetics.

Prime Beauty – works some magic on her er…‘expression lines’ with the help of the Biobliss Patch!

Vampy Varnish – Checks out the pretty amazing Wet n Wild MegaLast Lipcolors and thinks you need some!

we heart this – do they heart Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics tinted moisturizer as much as they heart their lip tars? (Spolier: yes!)

Beauty Junkies Unite – See why you need to add one of the new Urban Decay Baked Bronzers to your collection!

Clumps of Mascara – re-fell in love with Schick’s Intuition razor and is enjoying some summer reading. On the beach. You jealous yet?

EauMG – Victoria reviews a beautiful, new black raspberry and violet perfume from indie perfume house, Opus Oils. This perfume will have you feeling Dapper.

Lipglossiping – asks just how tempted do you get by a beautifully-packaged product?

If you could design your dream-product for a brand, what would it be, and what brand would you choose?

Wet n Wild Dancing In The Clouds vs. Urban Decay Summer of Love

If you're an Urban Decay fan, then you probably remember the 2010 Limited Edition Summer of Love Palette. It was a fantastic little palette with four shades and a mini liner, but sadly it's no longer available (you can still get it on places like ebay though).

If you missed out on it, or you didn't want to pay the $29 when it was still available, the lovely Liz from Beauty in a Boy's World just let me know that the Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio Dancing In The Clouds (from the LE Dream Weavers collection, of course) is a fantastic dupe! How did I not know this?? 

Liz even took some awesome pics to share with us:

image credit: Liz for Nouveau Cheap

Look at those first three shades in the UD palette!

Freebies (high end, drugstore and more!)

Who doesn't love freebies, right? Here are some fun ones that have crossed my desk recently. As always, you have to act quickly because you never know when the brand will end these promotions:

Did you know about Sample Saturday at Nordstrom?

Today's sample (Saturday, 8/6) is the new Estee Lauder fragrance Sensuous Nude:

For more info, check out Nordstrom's Facebook page

The Weekly Drugstore Makeup Sales (8/7 - 8/13)

In my ongoing effort to try and help you save as much money as possible on beauty purchases every week, I have incorporated some direct links to printable coupons into the sales listings below. I hope this helps, and I'll definitely try to do this every week going forward. But please note: if you do not see the coupon when you click the link, it might have been removed (online coupons go quickly so don't hesitate to print them when you see them!).

This week's sales are GREAT, and next week's are going to be fantastic as well, so let's get started!

Reminder: SaturDate with Beauty at Walgreens tomorrow

Just a quick reminder for all of you Walgreens shoppers out there. Tomorrow's SaturDate with Beauty (Saturday, Aug. 6th) is going to be a fun one if your store is taking part in this promotion (call ahead just to be sure!).

Between 10AM and 5PM, the SaturDate with Beauty will feature the following:

• FREE salon-quality nail file with any Essie purchase
• FREE Maybelline makeup bag with any Maybelline Great Lash purchase

If you attend tomorrow, I'd love to know if you get any of these freebies!

Tag: Beauty Favorites

I was tagged by the lovely shannnybannny and this one's so fun that I had to do it immediately.

BEAUTY FAVORITES TAG

(Note: Some  of these products are holy grails and some are just products I'm really loving right now.)

[Foundation]
Physicians Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation SPF50 in Translucent Light

[Powder]
I don't normally wear powder since I use powder foundation, but if I'm using liquid foundation I'm really loving Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder in Translucent.

[Primer]
Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer

[Blush]
Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

[Bronzer]

NYC limited edition Mosaic Color Wheel in Golden Touch (from the Bronze Bliss collection)

[Concealer]
Maybelline SuperStay Concealer in Light

[Highlight]
Revlon ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder in Brighten

[Moisturizer]
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF30 (currently testing this for review and loving it!)

[Lipgloss]
Argh! There are SO many I love at the moment but for an everyday grab-in-a-hurry, I'd have to say e.l.f. Glossy Gloss in Dragon Fruit.

[Lipstick]
Prestige Color-Persist Long Wear and Care Lipstick in Enduring Blush

[Lip Balm]
One Hand Washes The Other Lip Butter in Blueberry

[Lip Liner]
None - I never wear lip liner, really.

[Eye Primer]
CoverGirl Intense Shadow Blast Primer + Eyeshadow in Beige Blaze

[Eyeshadow]
Wet n Wild limited edition Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Dancing In The Clouds (from the Dream Weavers collection)

[Eyeliner] Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Automatic Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes (in particular, the taupe pencil)

[Mascara]
Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express (washable--in the yellow tube)

[Face Brush]
Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush

[Eye Brush]
e.l.f.  Eyeshadow Brush (from the $1 line)

[Nail Polish]
Oh man, really? Just ONE? Well right now I'm loving Essie Smooth Sailing.

[Perfume]
I've been on a Philosophy Baby Grace kick lately. I love that clean, baby powder note.

[Makeup Brand Highend/Drugstore]
This is just straight up impossible to decide. So right now, I'm loving Urban Decay for higher end and for drugstore I'm loving all the new and LE releases from NYC.

I tag EVERYONE reading this post right now. If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your favorites in the comments. I'd love to read them!

Thanks again, shannnybannny, for the tag!

New and important changes to the Wet n Wild interactive map!

I want to let you know about a few changes and improvements to the Wet n Wild Dream Weavers Sightings map.

First: For those of you who have not been able to get this map to load, or have a difficult time maneuvering  around the map in general: THERE IS NOW A DIRECT LINK TO THE MAP! Just go to the original post to access the link.

NOTE: Even though I know some of you may bookmark the URL to the map and bypass my blog altogether, I want to encourage you to at least periodically check out the comments on my original post, because readers are leaving VERY helpful info in the comments section. For example, if someone visits a location on the map and finds that the display is already wiped out, they might leave a comment to let others know, which can save you some time, or at least have you consider calling ahead to find out if that particular drugstore plans to restock their display (which some drugstores are known to do!).

Second: Since there are so many markers on this map now, I have decreased the size of the markers so that it looks less cluttered and is easier to navigate. I hope that helps make things a bit easier for all of you.

Thanks again for making this map what it is, and I will CERTAINLY repeat this experiment in the future when the next "hard to find" collection hits the drugstores!

I have closed the comments on this post because I'd like to keep all map-related comments limited to the original post. If you have a question or comment regarding the map, please leave your comment here. Thanks!

Swatches: NYC Liquid Lipshines

For my full review of this new lipgloss line from NYC, including a look at the applicator and a description of the texture, please click here.

Today I've got five additional shades to show you!

NYC Liquid Lipshines

(retail: $2.50)

Spotted: new beauty additions at Sears

If you missed my post from back in April, and you haven't been to your local Sears lately, you might be in for a REAL treat! In a nutshell, according this article, Sears has expanded their makeup department in more than 100 stores and online to include MANY of the drugstore brands we know and love. My pal Maria was kind enough to share with us some of the makeup she spotted at her local Sears recently and all I can say is, WOW!

First look: Heidi Klum SHINE

Fragrance fans: I've got a sneak peek for you!

From Rite Aid:

Here’s a sneak peek of Heidi Klum SHINE – a new fragrance hitting Rite Aid stores this September. Shine encapsulates the radiance and joy of Heidi Klum, a top model, TV presenter and businesswoman. It was designed to be a sensual fragrance that accents a woman’s natural beauty. To watch a video of Heidi introducing the fragrance to Rite Aid customers – and for a look at the new Shine TV commercial – visit the Video tab on Rite Aid’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/riteaid.

Here's a little bit more about the fragrance from stylist.com:

Shine is Klum's first signature fragrance -- an oriental scent made of pink peppercorn, pear and mandarin top notes; a mimosa absolute, sunflower, and lily of the valley heart; and musk cosmone, vanilla and Venezuelan tonka bean drydown.

"There are different moods that as a fragrance creator you can travel to," Klum told WWD. "But for my first one, I wanted what I felt my staple would be. I wanted it to be sensual and feminine, but still luxurious and expensive-smelling - because I think there are so many perfumes out there that smell cheap and too sweet."

After watching the video (link above) and learning the notes in this fragrance, I'm intrigued and can't wait to sniff it next month. How about you?

Spotted at Ulta: affordable new makeup collection from Sula!

OK, lots of us know about Sula fragrances, skincare and nail polish, but I had no idea that they also had a full collection of makeup at Ulta. Wow!

My longtime reader and friend, beautifulmonday, was kind enough to share some pics of the display--everything looks so pretty and affordable!

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

Spotted at Ulta: nail polish goodies

Boy, what would I do with you lovelies who have easy access to Ulta? Your info and pics make it so I know exactly when it's time to make the long car drive to my nearest location!

The lovely Katie spotted this Nicole display at her Ulta a little while ago and was kind enough to share a pic:

Spotted: lots of new products and displays (pic heavy)

I've got some CVS, Target, Walmart and Rite Aid sightings for you today, lovelies!

First, it appears that several of you may have missed my post containing the info about the new Jesse's Girl baked palettes and 9-pan palettes, because I've been flooded with emails recently asking if I had any info about them. If you missed my post with the information I received directly from Jesse's Girl, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

As luck would have it I spotted the new 9-pans at a local Rite Aid the other day, so I wanted to give you a closer look at them:

Rite Aid shoppers: Wet n Wild Rite Buy for August!

If you shop at Rite Aid and you aren't aware of Rite Buys, allow me to explain. Rite Buys are unadvertised month-long sales on certain products and the only way you will know about them is if you go into the store and spot them (just like Walgreens' monthly sales). 

Over the past few months I've spotted great beauty-related Rite Buys, but none have been has good as THIS one that I just spotted the other day:

All Wet n Wild Silk Finish lipsticks and Wild Shine polishes are $0.69 each for the entire month of August (also included in this sale: the dual pencil sharpeners).

This is very much like the promotion that Walgreens had a few months ago, but I did not see sale tags next to the liners (like for the Walgreens promotion), so I believe this is just for lipsticks, polishes and sharpeners (if you see sales tags next to liners at your local Rite Aid, could you let me know?).

This is great news for those of you who missed out on the Walgreens promotion! Time to stock up on your favorites!

From the Vintage Vault: lipsticks from the 90s

If you're a new reader, the From the Vintage Vault series was created after I discovered a box of old cosmetics from the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s that I wasn't even aware I still had in my possession. So I decided to take this stroll down memory lane and share it with you! 

If you'd like to see all nine of my previous From the Vintage Vault posts (including pics of the original Sinful Colors bottles, MAC lipstick tubes and Urban Decay eyeshadow singles) click here.

In this post, I'd like to show you some lip products from the late 1990s/early 2000s:

Tuff Scent Passion (Lemongrass Ginger Scent Infused Nail Polish)

If you caught my post about the re-launch of the 90s brand Tuff Scent, then you know I was so excited to see that this company offers scented polishes in much more unique fragrance options than your typical grape, strawberry, etc. No sir, we're talking scents like fig, almond, plumeria, jasmine and china rain!

I was recently sent one of Tuff Scent's polishes for review, and the scent of this polish just so happens to be a personal favorite of mine for things like lotion, candles and soap. So how does lemongrass ginger translate to nail polish? Keep reading!

Review: Avon Extra Lasting Eyeshadow in Rose Mist

 Avon Extra Lasting Eyeshadow in Rose Mist

(retail: $9, 0.53 oz)

Before I get into this review, I want to let you know that the Extra Lasting Eyeshadows are currently on sale on the Avon website for $5.99 (regular price: $9). I don't know how long the sale is going to last, so I wanted to let you know about that right up front.

OK, so if you caught the press release I posted a while back about the new Extra Lasting collection from Avon, you know that one of the products in this collection is eyeshadow. Since I'm a ridiculously huge fan of long-wear makeup, I was excited to a receive some products from this collection for review, including one of the eyeshadows in Rose Mist.

The Wednesday Question

This question came to me in my sleep the other night. I literally woke up and grabbed my phone so I could jot it down and not forget it. I hope I'm not the only one this happens to, but I guess we'll see by your responses!

Is there a popular drugstore product or brand (cosmetics, skincare, haircare, etc.) that seems to work for everyone BUT you?

Please tell me I'm not alone here! There are a few drugstore brands and products that work for lots and lots of people, but I can never seem to make them work for me. For instance, I know that so many of you adore Garnier Fructis haircare. But for some reason, just about every Garnier Fructis product I've ever used has seemed to let me down in one way or another. I'm convinced that there are certain ingredients (or perhaps it's a certain mixture of ingredients) in the products in this line that just simply do not agree with my particular hair type. Whatever the reason, I wish that Garnier worked for me because I hear so many raves from others who have great success with this line. Also, their products are so accessible and often go on sale and have coupons!

So how about you? Any brand or product out there that seems to work for everyone BUT you?

Spotted: Sinful Colors Twirling display (NOT Get Swirling)

A huge thanks to Emily for putting this one on my radar! Since it wasn't too long ago that we spotted the Sinful Color Get Swirling display, I probably would have passed right by this at Rite Aid, thinking it was the same display. But upon closer inspection, it's called TWIRLING.

First, let's take another look at the Get Swirling display:

image credit: Shawnya for Nouveau Cheap

And now let's take a look at the Twirling display:

CVS coupons just got A LOT easier

Attention CVS shoppers! I read this news article today and I had to share it with you immediately. This is such fantastic news if you are signed up to receive emails from CVS (if you're not, you should be!):

 

(drugstorenews.com)

CVS enhances ExtraCare savings with digital Send to Card option

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy once again has boosted its rewards program with a new digital savings option that allows customers to send coupons directly to their loyalty card.

The company said that the "Send to Card" option provides ExtraCare cardholders, who have opted in to receive ExtraCare emails, with the option to send select coupons directly to their ExtraCare cards for automatic, digital in-store redemption, eliminating the need to print those coupons at home and submit paper copies at the register.

As previously reported by Drug Store News, CVS/pharmacy celebrated the 10th anniversary of its ExtraCare Rewards program by offering cardholders quarterly ExtraBucks rewards, which are automatic savings each shopper earns for scanning their ExtraCare card during each shopping visit. In line with the celebration, CVS launched its MoneyTrashers campaign, designed to help more customers realize that these rewards can be used to buy almost anything in the store.

"Our goal is to offer all 67 million ExtraCare cardholders the choice of how they personally want to engage with our program to receive offers and rewards at CVS/pharmacy," CVS/pharmacy VP customer relationship management Melissa Studzinski said. "We encourage all of our cardholders to sign up for ExtraCare emails to take advantage of this new, easy way to save while shopping at CVS/pharmacy."

I don't know about you, but I'm THRILLED by this news! Being able to send a coupon straight to my Extra Care card means I'll never forget (or have to print out) a CVS coupon ever again. That's a beautiful thing!

Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Event

Attention B&BW fans: here's a heads-up about an upcoming event at Bath & Body Works!

WHO: Bath & Body Works
WHAT: Paris Amour Event
WHEN: Saturday August 13th 11am-4pm
WHERE: Bath & Body Works Stores nationwide

***Visit the Event Page at Facebook.com/BathandBodyWorks , BathandBodyWorks.com/Events or call 1-800-756-5005 to locate the nearest store.

 Have you always dreamed of visiting the city of lights? Bath & Body Works just might make your dream a reality at the Paris Amour Launch Event taking place Saturday, August 13th, celebrating the latest addition to the Signature Collection. Discover how Paris Amour, the captivating new scent, was created and enter to win a romantic Paris getaway for two. At the event, attendees will also have the opportunity to vote on the next Signature Collection scent. Even if your travels don’t take you to Paris, you can still experience the most romantic city in the world at your local Bath & Body Works.

Feminine, elegant and romantic, Paris Amour captures those first fleeting moments of falling in love: stolen glances from a beautiful stranger, a stroll down the Champs-Elysees, the unforgettable kiss. Envelop yourself in Parisian allure every day with a blend of sweet sparkling florals and warm, creamy musk. A part of Bath & Body Works’ “Romantic” collection, Paris Amour is formulated to make you feel enchanting, beautiful and chic.

Don't forget to print out this coupon for a FREE Signature Collection Body Care Item with any $10 purchase and take it with you to this event!

New beauty coupons, deals and steals!

I've got lots of great money-saving bits of info to share with you in this post so let's get started! 

• TODAY ONLY (Tuesday), you can enter code BACK2SCHOOL on CVS.com to receive 25% off your entire order (this pairs nicely with the BOGOFREE Essence of Beauty brushes! Click here for the details about that sale).

• Attention Kmart shoppers! ALL WET N WILD COSMETICS ARE BOGOFREE this week (through Saturday). A huge thanks to xreeshix for that one!

• I mentioned this a while back but the time has come, so here's your reminder:

NYC Limited Edition Black Magic Collection: a closer look

Remember a couple weeks ago when the lovely Tara showed us that great pic of the new NYC limited edition Black Magic display that she spotted at Rite Aid? Well I'm delighted to let you know that I received the details about each product in the display and I'm excited to share them with you. Yay for Halloween!

(click to enlarge)

NYC New York Color Limited Edition Black Magic Collection

IndividualEyes - MSRP $4.99
Shade: Dark Shadows
 

Kiss Gloss - MSRP $2.99
Shades: Blood Red, Blackula, Ghostly White 

 

Ultra Last Lipwear - MSRP $1.99
Shades: Blood Red, Blackula, Ghostly White

 

in a NY Color Minute - MSRP $1.99
Shades: Blackula, Pumpkin

 

Self Adhesive Eyelashes - MSRP $1.99
Name: Batty

Liquid Liner - MSRP $2.99
Shade: Black

 

Show Time Volumizing Mascara - MSRP $3.99

Shade: Extreme Black

 Please check back in the next few weeks for my reviews of these fun Halloween goodies from NYC. In the meantime, anything catching your eye or putting you in the Halloween spirit?

Free shipping at Milani Cosmetics (and a look at the LE High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquers)

Before I get into these swatches, I want to thank many of you for bringing it to my attention that Milani is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders, now through Friday (8/5). If you can't find the fabulous baked blushes in your area (I know many of you are interested in getting Luminoso), now's a great time to pick some up!

Also, the Milani website currently has almost all of their summer limited edition products available for purchase, which I have covered extensively on this blog. Click here to see the LE Paint Eyeshadow Palette and here to see the Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipglosses. (I don't see the LE Color Streaks on their site, but I've spotted them at CVS lately if you're interested in those).

Which brings me to the last remaining Milani summer LE collection I have yet to review, the High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquers! I'm glad I could get these swatches up before the free shipping sale ends--I hope this helps some of you who might be debating on whether or not to purchase any of these! There are eight shades in this collection and I received four of them for review.

All of the following swatches were photographed after two coats and no top coat:

Nouveau Cheap readers have spoken! Your favorite drugstore mascara brand is...

After one month and 1,090 votes, here are the results of the latest Nouveau Cheap Readers' Poll:

The winner by a landslide:

MAYBELLINE (403 votes)

Second place:

COVERGIRL (205 votes)

Third place:

L'OREAL (180 votes)

There weren't really any other contenders in this poll--no other brands cracked 100 votes or above.

I want to apologize for inadvertently omitting a great brand from this poll: Prestige. I don't know how I left this brand off the list as I personally LOVE their mascaras. Since 31 of you voted "other", I'm wondering how many of you would have voted for Prestige if it had been an option?

For those of you who voted Maybelline, CoverGirl or L'Oreal, what's your favorite formula? I'd love it if you'd leave your answer in the comments--it's always great to get more details from you!

PS: There's a new poll up (see right-hand sidebar) so please take a moment to vote, if you can. This month we're tackling drugstore concealers!

Essence of Beauty makeup brushes BOGOFREE!

A HUGE thanks to my wonderful reader bluecollarsophisticate for this one:

ALL Essence of Beauty makeup brushes are BOGOFREE on the CVS website RIGHT NOW!

There is no sale notice when you go on the site, HOWEVER, I just tried it out by putting two $5.99 brushes in my cart and, sure enough, my subtotal was $5.99!

If you were one of the people who prefer the old style brushes to the new style, this is your time to stock up. Obviously CVS is running this sale to make room for the new style, so take advantage while you can (before everything sells out!).

Even with standard shipping ($5.49 for orders under $49) this is still a great deal if you plan to buy four or more brushes.

Thanks again, bluecollarsophisticate, for the heads-up about this!

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso: BELIEVE THE HYPE

Oh yes! The ONE shade of Milani Baked Blush that I've yet to review or swatch on this blog is now in my possession! 

The Milani Baked Blushes are my favorite blush collection so far this year, and if you missed my reviews and swatches of the other shades, you can click here to see Corallina, Red Vino and Rose D'Oro, and you can click here to see Fantastico Mauve, Bellissimo Bronze, Dolce Pink, Berry Amore and Terra Sol.

Without a doubt, Luminoso is THE most popular shade in this range (just google "Milani Luminoso" and a zillion reviews full of raves will come up), so today I'd like to give you an idea of what this universally-flattering shade has to offer, in case you haven't picked it up yet:

Ten Questions with Gio from Beautiful with Brains

I've been wanting to do a blogger interview series for a while now because I just love reading them on other blogs. I've been interviewed a few times recently for some of my favorite blogs, which is what gave me the final push to start doing it myself! I hope you enjoy this series--it's a chance to get to know bloggers in a new or different light, which is always fun!