Calgon Spring 2013: New products, fragrances and packaging

I want to give a huge thanks to reader Rosie on Facebook for alerting me to the fact that Calgon has just launched some new goodies! All of the details and photos are on the Calgon Facebook page, but here are the highlights:

(image source for all of the following photos: Calgon Facebook page)

Royal Rendezvous: a regal blend of wild raspberry, pink gardenia, and patchouli. 

Keep reading for more info and to see the other new fragrances from Calgon...

Spotted: NEW L'Oreal Limited Edition Denim Shades Collection

Have you seen the new L'Oreal Limited Edition Denim Shades Collection yet? I haven't, but two lovely readers have and, thanks to them, I have lots of details and pics to share with you today!

There are both new, Limited Edition products in this collection as well as existing, permanent products (repromotes).

So let's start with the truly new and Limited Edition products first:

 image credit: Peaisms for Nouveau Cheap

NEW L'Oreal Limited Edition Denim Shades Infallible Eyeliners in 561 Teal and 541 Navy

Reader Peaisms spotted this collection and purchased the two Limited Edition Denim Shades liners in this collection. She was even nice enough to share swatches of both, which you can see after the jump...

Spotted: NEW Revlon Super Lustrous Shine Finish Lipsticks

If you missed my post at the end of April, Revlon has launched new Super Lustrous Lipglosses (in new, round tubes and new shades). If you haven't seen these out in the marketplace yet, today I have a closer look at some of the shades that I didn't feature in my original post. And if you love the original shades in the square tubes, grab them while you still can (they seem to be on clearance just about everywhere right now).

AND, if you spot the following display, notice that there's also an entirely new Super Lustrous Lipstick FINISH ("Shine") as well as ten new shades in this new finish.

Thanks so much to reader Eshani for the following pics (NOTE: if you can find this display at your local Rite Aid today, 5/11, it's the last day to get 40% off Revlon cosmetics!):

image credit: Eshani for Nouveau Cheap
NEW Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses and Shine finish Lipsticks

(retail: $7.99 each at Rite Aid)

Keep reading for shade info and more pics...

The Weekly Drugstore Makeup Sales (5/12 - 5/18)

Your weekly wrap-up of drugstore beauty sales and more...

Spotted in the UK: Maybelline Limited Edition Color Show Polka Dots Collection

Attention glitter lovers! We've got matte white and black hex glitters and beautiful jelly bases in the new LE Color Show Polka Dots collection, which has just landed in the UK. I really, really hope this collection comes across the pond and over to the US soon. As in very soon. As in NOW.

Reader Marie spotted these at Superdrug in the UK and was kind enough to share some pics. Take a peek!

 image credit: Marie for Nouveau Cheap

NEW Maybelline Limited Edition Color Show Polka Dots Collection

Keep reading for bottle shots and links to swatches...

Spotted: NEW CoverGirl Ink It by Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner Collection

Just when we thought CoverGirl had unleashed all of their new-for-2013 products, we've got one more! In addition to the new Eye Rehab CC Cream, Whipped Foundation, Clean Glow Blushes and Bronzers, Flamed Out Mascara, Glosstini Nail Glosses, Lipslick Smoochies and Flamed Out Shadow Pots & Jumbo Pencils,  there's a brand new collection of eyeliners hitting Walgreens right now. A huge to reader Kelli for this sighting:

image credit: Kelli for Nouveau Cheap

NEW CoverGirl Ink It by Perfect Point Plus Eyeliners at Walgreens

(retail: around $7.50 each)

Keep reading for some details about these new liners...

Review: Revlon Limited Edition Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel in Tanzanite

Purchased by Me

I'm not sure if a lot of people missed my original post about this collection back in the beginning of March, but in the last few weeks I've received several photo submissions and heads-ups about the Chroma Chameleon Collection. So the good news is that this collection still seems to be popping up in many retail locations, in case you've been looking for it since March.

And just a quick reminder: please do a search on my blog before you send pics or info to me--otherwise it can be a waste of your time and efforts and I always feel horrible having to say that I can't feature your pics/info because I've already posted pics of the same collection in a previous blog post!

After seeing this collection in person several weeks ago at Rite Aid, only one shade came home with me. Let's take a look:

 Revlon Limited Edition Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel in Tanzanite

(retail: $7.99, 0.23 oz)

I'm sorry but how can you NOT think of this song when you see the words "Chroma Chameleon"??

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

Keep reading for lots of swatches...

Spotted: Essie 2013 Bridal Collection (Using My Maiden Name)

Reader Alli of Ali McBally just spotted the new Essie Using My Maiden Name Collection and was nice enough to let me share her pic:

image credit: Alli for Nouveau Cheap

Essie 2013 Bridal Collection: Using My Maiden Name

There are just four shades in this collection:

Using My Maiden Name (lavender)

Meet Me at the Altar (lilac)

No Baggage Please (pale pink)

My Better Half (dark pink)

Now, this collection might seem a bit dull to some of you, but you MUST see the swatches of Using My Maiden Name because there's gorgeous pink hidden shimmer lurking in this polish! Click here for swatches of all four shades in this collection (there's shimmer in My Better Half too).

Have you spotted this collection at any of your local drugstores yet? Thoughts? I NEED Using My Maiden Name!

Thanks again, Alli, for the great picture. I really appreciate it!

Review: K-Palette Lasting Eyebrow Pencil in 03 Grayish Brown

Purchased by Me

I receive quite a few requests for affordable Asian beauty product reviews, and I promise I'll be bringing you more of them! I adore Asian beauty products, but I want to reserve my reviews for items that are truly my favorites, which brings me to this eyebrow pencil from K-Palette.

Most of you know that my Holy Grail eyebrow pencil is Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Dark Blonde. I love everything about that pencil and, most importantly, Dark Blonde is a perfect match for my brows.  I have dark blonde/light brown hair and the natural color of my brows is actually quite cool (as opposed to warm). As those of you who have looked for medium, cool-toned brow pencils at the drugstore know, there are NOT many of them. In fact, Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Dark Blonde is one of the only ones I've come across at the drugstore. Most drugstore brow pencils designed for those of us who have lighter hair are usually very warm-toned. That's great for those of you with warm-toned brows, but what about those of us who have more ashy-toned brows?

Since Maybelline reduced the shade range in the Define-A-Brow line (they discontinued a few colors last year), and this pencil is becoming harder and harder to find in stores, I have been forced to start looking for alternatives in case the unthinkable happens. The very best alternative that I've found for my beloved Dark Blonde shade from Maybelline is this one:

 K-Palette Lasting Eyebrow in 03 Grayish Brown

(retail: around $7, 0.018 oz)

I buy this pencil at my local Mitsuwa Marketplace, but I've also seen it at Nijiya Market and Marukai Living here in San Diego. You can also purchase it online at Sasa.com for $7.10 (they only have two shades at Sasa but one of them is Grayish Brown) and on Amazon, and I'm sure there are other Asian beauty product etailers that carry it as well.

Open Thread: Walgreens Beauty Clearance Sightings

With all the great feedback we received on the open thread for the Big Lots polish sightings (thanks so much to everyone for leaving such great info on that post), I thought I'd start another one for the flood of markdowns currently taking place in the beauty department at Walgreens.

Here's what I've heard from several readers so far (thanks to everyone who has taken the time to email me, leave comments on the You Tell Me post, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter about the clearance sightings you're finding in your areas!). Please correct me if I'm wrong about any of these--some could be 75% off but I'm compiling this from several sources so apologies if I made a mistake:

Ulta Love Your Hair Event starts Sunday, May 12th

I just received this information from Ulta and thought I'd share, in case you haven't heard about this yet! The Love Your Hair event is like the 21 Days of Beauty events, but it focuses on haircare. You can see the full list of events here but NOTE: the "Beauty Steals" won't be revealed until the event begins on May 12th (Sunday).

Keep reading for more details...

Review and Comparisons: Maybelline Limited Edition Summer 2013 Color Show Nail Color in Midnight Swim

Purchased by Me 

This is the last of the Summer 2013 Color Show polishes that I purchased a while back (you can click here to see Poolside and here to see Mint Mist). So let's take a look at Midnight Swim...

Maybelline Limited Edition Summer 2013 Color Show Nail Color in Midnight Swim

(retail: $2.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, 0.23 oz)

The Wednesday Question

What's the most you'll pay for a haircut (just the cut--not color, treatments, etc.)?

I've paid $80 for a cut in the past, because I wanted to treat myself to something really special. That cut actually didn't work out so well for me--the stylist had her own ideas about what looked best on me, and she ended up giving me the exact same cut that SHE had. Nightmare! But generally speaking, I'm quite comfortable in the $30-$40 range. Sometimes I'll pay a bit more if the stylist has a lot of experience and keeps current on education and trends, but anything over $50 is pushing it for me personally.

Review: Blistex Simple and Sensitive Lip Moisturizer

Purchased by Me

Blistex has really been stepping up their game lately. I love their Moisture Melt (click here for my review) and recently I spotted this new formula (well, "new" as in released late last year), which contains just six ingredients and no flavor, no fragrance, color or SPF. Since many of you prefer lip balms with no fragrance, and I know many readers are sensitive to certain flavors and/or SPF in lip balms, I really wanted to pick this up and give it a shot. My local grocery store had it at an "introductory price" of $0.99, so I couldn't say no!

Also, does anyone think of those "Five" ice creams from Haagen Dazs (the ones that contained five ingredients) when they see products that boast about having just a handful ingredients? Or is that just me and my PMS redirecting my brain back to sweets once again? Ha!

 Blistex Simple and Sensitive Lip Moisturizer

(retail: around $1.50, 0.15 oz)

New Sally Hansen Limited Edition Exotica Collection

I hate posts with no photos (especially nail polish posts!) but I have some interesting info to share with you today, and I'm linking to LOTS of photos, so hear me out on this one...

Today on Instagram, my pal @mynailsarewet alerted me to the fact that there are some new Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes on the horizon. The collection is called Exotica and it's already been launched in Ireland.

Here's the thing: there's one blogger who mentioned that this collection is also going to hit the US (this month!), but that's the only mention of a US release (please let me know if you find any others!). So, at this time, I obviously can't guarantee we'll get it, but keep your eyes peeled for it!

The details:

There are seven shades in the Exotica Collection: Shore-ly (beige creme), Tahitian Sunset (peach creme with subtle shimmer), Vitamin Sea (light blue creme), Go Bananas (pale yellow with subtle shimmer), Palm Treat (pastel lime green creme), Sgt Preppy (pastel lavender-pink creme), Evening Glow (orange jelly-creme--at least that's what it looks like to me!)

You can see bottle shots and swatches here.

And here.

And here.

And here's the blog that mentions that this collection is coming to the US.

Have any of you seen this collection in stores here in the US? Thoughts?

Thanks again, @mynailsarewet, for the heads-up about this one!

Review: Revlon Diamond Collection Slanted Tweezers

Press Sample 

Dearest Nouvettes, I'd like to have a moment of silence today to honor the loss of one of my favorite beauty friends and the best tool a girl or guy could ever ask for: I bid you adieu, my dear, sweet favorite pair of tweezers.

Dearest Anastasia Tweezers, we had a great run. You helped me out of many a tricky situation over the past three years, and I'm deeply sorry that you somehow got thrown out with the trash recently. We were the perfect team for all these years, and I depended on you like no other beauty tool in my arsenal. Your precision and ability to extract even the finest hair from my body will be deeply missed. I truly hope we meet again someday. 

A fond farewell,
G.

So yeah, I lost my freaking tweezers, Nouvettes. Is there any greater beauty-related panic we can experience than losing our favorite pair of tweezers? I think not! But luckily, right after I came to terms with the fact that my favorite tweezers were gone forever, I remembered that I was sent the Revlon Diamond Collection Tweezers for review. Is there any greater joy than remembering that you have a back-up pair of tweezers when you can't find your #1 pair? I think not!

Revlon Diamond Collection Slanted Tweezers

(retail: $9.99 at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Ulta, Drugstore.com and elsewhere)

HOT new printable beauty coupons to go along with this week's sales

In addition to the beauty coupons that are already up on the coupons.com website for Revlon, Rimmel, CoverGirl, etc., there are two NEW coupons that just popped up today that can pair nicely with this week's drugstore sales:

You can pair this one (along with the Revlon Lash Potion coupon that's also on the coupons.com site), with the 40% off Revlon sale at Rite Aid that's going on now through May 11th (and don't forget about the Revlon Video Values coupons, such as $2 of Nearly Naked and $1 off Revlon nail enamel, which you can also use during this sale). Reader teal61579 just snagged a Nearly Naked face powder for $3.99 instead of $9.99 yesterday, using the Video Values coupons with the 40% off sale.

This coupon, along with the Rimmel bronzer coupon also on the coupons.com site, is a manufacturer's coupons (here's how to tell the difference) which means you can use them anywhere. This week (now through May 11th) when you spend $10 on any Rimmel cosmetics at CVS, you'll get $3 back in Extra Bucks (limit 1). Remember that coupon deductions are taken AFTER you have met the rewards threshold, not before. So if you use this $2 off Rimmel mascara coupon, that means you only have to pay $8 out of pocket to qualify for the $3 Extra Bucks. Sweet, right?

Last but not least: here's a hot tip from several lovely readers. This week CVS is apparently printing out $7 off and $3 off Physicians Formula coupons, which you can use in conjunction with the $6 off Physicians Forumla sale going on now through May 11th. For example, if you're lucky enough to get the $7 off coupon when you scan your Extra Care card at the red scanner box this week, you can get a total of $13 off your Physicians Formula purchase. WOW!  There's no guarantee that you'll get either of these coupons this week, but it's definitely worth a shot. Don't forget to scan those cards, Nouvettes!  And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to share that tip with us!

Hope that helps!

Spotted: NEW Bongo Beauty Collection

If you're as old as I am, you probably remember Bongo as a very popular brand of jeans from the 80s. And if you're younger than I am, you might not remember this brand from back in the day, but more for what they're doing now (women's clothing and accessories).

Either way, did you know that Bongo just launched a beauty line? I didn't either! Reader Nikki spotted the new Bongo Beauty display at her local Kmart and was nice enough to share some pics. According to the Bongo website, this line just launched exclusively in Kmart stores on May 1st. Take a peek:

image credit: Nikki for Nouveau Cheap

NEW Bongo Beauty Collection

Exclusively at Kmart

(retail: $2.99 - $14.99)

More pics and details, after the jump...

Sears beauty clearance sale update: Select Nicole by OPI polishes for $1.80

Remember last week when I posted about the department-wide 30% off beauty clearance sale going on at Sears (both online and in stores that have an extended beauty department)?

Well things just got even better. Today I discovered the following:

Select Nicole by OPI polishes for $2 (NOTE: only the first three shades are $2; the rest are on sale for $5.60 each) The Nicole by OPI shade Fresh Squeezed is also on clearance for $2. The rest of the Nicole by OPI polishes are on clearance for $5.60 each.

Keep reading for more info, and to see how you can easily bring that price down to $1.80...

All week long: 15% off sitewide at Walgreens

In case you haven't heard...

Everyday free shipping on orders $25 or more. Code MOM15 is valid through Saturday, 5/11.

The fine print:

* Coupon code MOM15 valid up to 1 use per order, 3 uses per customer through May 11, 2013. Code must be entered at time of checkout to apply discount. Discount does not apply to electronics, contacts, diapers, formula, pharmacy or photo orders, gift card purchases, taxes or shipping charges. Code cannot be combined with other codes. Orders must be placed by May 11, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time to qualify. Timing will be determined by Walgreens server clock. Offer valid online only.

Tips:

• There are brands on the Walgreens website that don't often go on sale (Boots and OPI) and brands that are harder for some of you to find in stores (Black Radiance). And of course 15% off already budget-friendly brands like e.l.f. isn't a bad thing. 

• Don't be afraid to dig deeper into the Walgreens website, because there are brands like Demeter (love their fragrances!) and some of those products are already marked down, so you'll get an extra 15% off those markdowns.

• Don't forget that Walgreens offers the same weekly sales on their site that you can find in-store, so add an extra 15% off those sales!

• If you were thinking of getting something REALLY special for Mother's Day, Creed Spring Flower 2.5 oz (the scent famously created in 1951 for Audrey Hepburn, at her request, and worn by Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields and others) is marked down to $161. With an extra 15% off, that brings it down to about $137 (with automatic free shipping). This exact bottle retails for $260 on the Neiman Marcus website.

The Weekly Drugstore Makeup Sales (5/5 - 5/11)

Your weekly wrap-up of drugstore beauty sales and more...

Spotted at CVS: e.l.f. nail color display (dupe alert)

I searched waaaay back into my archives and I'm telling you, either I'm losing it, or I don't think I have ever seen e.l.f. at CVS before. Am I losing it? Do you remember any kits or special value sets surfacing at CVS in the past few years? I know we've seen e.l.f. at Walgreens (and of course Target, Big Lots and Dollar Tree) but at CVS? I think this might be a first.

Reader Shannon was actually the first person to bring this display to my attention (she spotted it at her local CVS back on April 26th).

Longtime reader Rachel spotted this display the other day at her local CVS and was nice enough to share some pics:

 image credit: Rachel for Nouveau Cheap

NEW e.l.f. nail color display

(retail: $1.99 each at CVS)

Keep reading for more pics from Rachel and some swatches from reader Dawn...

Spotted: NEW Almay Color + Care Liquid Lip Balms (and more)

Longtime reader Pam spotted the new Almay Liquid Lip Balms at Rite Aid (the same ones I posted about last week) and she also spotted the new Almay Makeup Removers (more on those in a bit). First, let's take a peek at the Liquid Lip Balms:

image credit: Pam for Nouveau Cheap 

NEW Almay Color + Care Liquid Lip Balms

More pics of all ten shades after the jump...

Spotted: NEW Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener Collection

Huge thanks to longtime reader Pam for this one! Pam spotted the new PhotoReady Kajal Eyeliner + Brighteners at Rite Aid recently and was kind enough to share some pics. Take a peek!

 image credit: Pam for Nouveau Cheap

NEW Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener Collection

Keep reading for more info and pics...

The Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat and Sugar Coat Collections have landed

UPDATE: A lovely reader on Instagram has just spotted these displays at Target (in-store).

Back in March, I posted about how the new Sugar Coat (possible Zoya Pixie Dust dupes) and Fuzzy Coat (possible Nails Inc. Feather dupes) polishes were on the Target website but not yet available for purchase. Well they have finally landed at both Meijer and Duane Reade! A few days ago, reader Peaisms left the following tip on the You Tell Me page:

I found the Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat and Sugar Coat textured nail colors today in two Duane Reade stores in NYC. They were in separate displays, each have eight colors to their collection, and there was also a new (new to me at least) Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Dry & Go Drops in both displays. I picked up three of the Sugar Coat colors and six of the Fuzzy Coat (I have the Nails Inc. version and they look identical to me, although I have only tried the Nails Inc. version.)

And today, reader @traceyloveslacquer on Instagram posted some pics of both displays, which she spotted at Meijer (they're BOGO1/2OFF at Meijer this week, by the way!). Tracey was nice enough to let me share these pics with you:

image credit: @traceyloveslacquer for Nouveau Cheap 

NEW Sally Hansen Limited Edition Sugar Coat Textured Nail Colors

(retail: $5.69 each at Meijer)

Notice that this display states that these are Limited Edition. As you can see, there are eight shades in this range: white, yellow, mint green, fuchsia, red, pink, blue and black.

Keep reading to see the Fuzzy Coat display...

30% off all makeup and accessories at Drugstore.com NOW

A huge thanks to multiple readers for taking the time to share this one! If you don't receive emails from Drugstore.com, you might not know that they're having another 30% off makeup and accessories sale! For those new to drugstore.com, they sell products from brands such as NYX, e.l.f., Wet n Wild, Black Opal, Black Radiance, Shea Moisture, NYC, Prestige, Pacifica and the list goes on! Here's what the email looks like:

LOOK FOR THE "CLICK TO REDEEM" BUTTON ON THE DRUGSTORE.COM HOMEPAGE TO REDEEM THIS DISCOUNT.

This sale is live NOW and ends 5/11/13 at 11:59PM Pacific.
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL OVERS $25 OR MORE, NO CODE REQUIRED.

Keep reading for the fine print and other helpful info!

The Lipstick League – week of 4.29.13

Lipstick League Question of the Week

When it comes to lipstick, what’s your go-to finish (shimmer, creme, satin, matte, etc.) and why are you drawn to that particular finish?

G's answer: You know I love my mattes for fall and winter. When the weather warms up, I usually switch over to cremes and satin finishes. I do like to dabble in shimmery, sparkly and glittery lipcolors sometimes, but mattes, cremes and satins are my go-to finishes for sure. The reason I'm drawn to non-shimmery finishes is because I actually think they look better on my face than shimmers and glitters. I don't exactly know why, but I've also been told this by countless people over the course of my life (including makeup artists, etc.).

Links of the Week:

Gouldylox Reviews - Makeup Wars are my favorite posts. This week's war is all about facial masks. Was your favorite a winner or did it get defeated?

Lipglossiping - wants to know all about the last foundation you fell in love with. Come on over and share your sweet story of faux-skin perfection!

My Beauty Bunny - When the days heat up, many automatically reach for the lip-gloss. This summer, go the nontraditional route with a matte pout! Check out our round up of the best on the market; Matte Lips Make a Cruelty-Free Splash

Nouveau Cheap - reviews the new Revlon Lash Potion Mascara and has a tip for you, in case you’re thinking about giving it a shot.