Review: e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart

I really wanted to review something from e.l.f. that ALL of you can easily get for $1 at your local Target, so a while back I stopped by the e.l.f. display at my Target and picked up a Luscious Liquid Lipstick.  So many bloggers have raved about e.l.f.'s Luscious Liquid Lipsticks that I knew I had to try one for myself and I am SO glad I did!

 e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart (retail: $1)

 As many of you know, e.l.f. is a favorite brand of mine, not only because their products are insanely affordable, but because they're also cruelty-free and offer a vast variety of products that really can stand up to some higher-end makeup brands in terms of color and performance.

Luscious Liquid Lipstick comes in a click-pen delivery system and the applicator tip is one of my favorites:

 Please note that the color in the above pics makes this shade look WAY darker and more red than it is in person. In real life, this is a lovely medium berry shade that seems pretty neutral to me (not too cool, not too warm).

The first thing I noticed when I applied Cherry Tart is the lovely minty fragrance and flavor. It's not overwhelming and I like how it instantly perks me up.  The second thing I noticed when I applied Cherry Tart is that the formula of this gloss is AMAZING.  It's not sticky or tacky, and it just glides across the lips so easily.  Plus, it's not drying at all--in fact, it's quite moisturizing and feels wonderful on my lips.

What I really love about Cherry Tart is the color. My goodness! It's not quite opaque, yet it's not super sheer either. It's somewhere right in between. And the color is one of the loveliest berry shades I own. I think it gives my lips a "flushed" look that really amps up the natural pigmentation of my lips and brings them to another level.  It kind of reminds me of what I would want my lips to look like if I had just eaten a bowl of cherries (which makes the name even more fitting). It's not a clownish cherry red by any means--it's just a natural berry color that borders on a "your lips but better" type of shade.  I ADORE it.

Final Verdict:  Run, don't walk, to your nearest Target and check these out, ladies! Seriously, for $1, I don't think you're going to find another gloss that rivals this one.  It's not sticky, heavy or tacky, yet it's got great staying power and the color of Cherry Tart has me a believer.  The hype about e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipsticks is completely justified.

Based on the quality, affordability and color, I have GOT to award e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick my highest honor and make it my Bargain of the Day:

Have you tried a Luscious Liquid Lipstick yet? If so, what are you favorite shades? I need more of them, that's for darn sure.

Swatchfest: New Petites Color Fever and CQ Nail Polishes

If you're not familiar with Petites and CQ nail polishes, both brands are extremely affordable ($2.99-$3.99) and can be found at Rite Aid and Walmart (I've never seen them at CVS and Walgreens but it could be different in your area).

When I was at my local Rite Aid yesterday, I came across some new Petites and CQ shades (in fact, a whole new line!) and I can't wait to show you what I purchased. If you missed my post from yesterday, including pics of ALL of the new shades and the new line, click here.

First up, we've got a shade from the new Petites Color Fever line:

(click any image to enlarge)

Petites Color Fever in Vintage Gray (retail: $3.99)

If you're a longtime reader of this blog, then the fact that I purchased the greige in this new line will come as absolutely NO surprise to you. And of course, since I own just about every variation of drugstore greige nail polish currently available, I have to show you how Vintage Gray compares to the rest of them!

I threw in a true gray (Sally Hansen Wet Cement) just so you can see how much gray is in Vintage Gray. After stacking up the bottles side by side, I chose the ones I wanted to swatch next to Vintage Gray:

Not really a dupe in the bunch, but I'd have to say that Vintage Gray most closely resembles American Apparel Mouse (I know Mouse is not a drugstore brand but, at $6 a bottle, AA polishes certainly qualify as affordable).

So if you can't get to an American Apparel store and you don't want to order online, I'd say that Petites Color Fever Vintage Gray is a nice alternative, though obviously not an exact dupe.

Also from the Petites Color Fever line, I purchased this little beauty:

Petites Color Fever in Periwinkle (retail: $3.99)

After going through my rather large nail color stash, I am so happy to say that I don't currently own any polishes that I could pull to do a comparison. All of my polishes are either true lavenders, lilacs, purples or blues, and NOTHING I own even remotely compares to this lavender-periwinkle. I love love love it! If you're a periwinkle fan, you neeeed this one!

I'm very happy to report that in all of the pics above, I only needed two coats of Petites Color Fever polish for complete opacity. In fact, Periwinkle was pretty much opaque on the first coat. I am SO relieved, because I know a lot of us have had issues with streaky colors from Petites. No issues here. Also, both shades went on very smoothly, they weren't thick or goopy, and they were super easy to work with. The brush is small and narrow. I was hoping I wouldn't open the bottle to reveal a Sally Hansen Insta-Dri brush (aka huge, flat and stiff) and I was happy to see the old school small, narrow brush staring back at me. :)

I also purchased a new shade from CQ:

CQ Tahitian Green (retail: $2.99)

Let me just vent for a second and say that greens, teals and blues are a b#$%& to photograph accurately. I couldn't get the real-life shade to appear in any of these pics even after post-editing for hours and hours (ok, that's an exaggeration but I did spend probably 30 minutes tweaking the tint, saturation, etc. and this was as close as I could get).

Let me just show you the best photo I could capture of this bottle:

Can you see the blue shimmer floating around there? It's GORGEOUS in person and it makes Tahitian Green far more complex and beautiful than my pictures indicate. If you are a green or teal nail polish lover, I think you might fall in love with this one.

The only color I have in my stash that I thought might even remotely compare to Tahitian Green is Milani Fresh Teal (I know Fresh Teal is a creme, but it's all I've got).

When you look at the bottles side-by-side, it seems like they might be close, right?

But on the nails? No way:

Just another reason why you need Tahitian Green in your life. On toes this summer? This would look H.O.T.

Oh, and unlike several other CQ polishes in my stash, Tahitian Green didn't give me any problems at all with streakiness. These pics were taken after two coats. The formula did get a little thick the longer I worked with it, but nothing compared to the L'Oreal shade I showed you a little while back.

So, are these new Petites and CQ polishes a worthy investment? HECK YES! I say, look for them until you find them, and snatch them up ASAP.

Based on the color selection, opacity, ease of application and price, these new Petites Color Fever and CQ polishes definitely deserve my ultimate stamp of approval:

Do you already own any of these new polishes? If so, what colors do you have? If not, are you thinking about getting some? I'd love to hear from you!

Review: Epielle Citrus Cleansing Tissues

[UPDATE: several readers have told me that you can find Epielle Cleansing Tissues at Big Lots as well as various dollar stores. They also come in Cucumber and Green Teal, in addition to Citrus, and I love them all equally]

I pretty much owe my entire obsession with Epielle Cleansing Tissues to my gal Alyson over at Gloss Menagerie. If it weren't for Alyson, I probably would have never even known about these little gems. You see, not only does she love these towelettes (her fave is Green Tea which, sadly, I cannot find in my area), but apparently Epielle Cleansing Tissues are loved by many others in the makeup community as well. So if someone tells me there's a dollar store product that's receiving raves for its quality and performance, well shoot. You know I'm going to have to track down that product ASAP.

After many months of scouring my dollar stores, I finally, FINALLY found these in a totally obscure, independent "nothing over $1" store tucked inside a random strip mall here in San Diego. And guess what? Even though the store I found these in claims that "nothing is over $1", these were priced at $1.49 each. Ha! Oh well. It was worth the extra 49 cents:

Epielle Citrus Cleansing Tissues (retail: approx. $1 for 30 tissues)

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was the lovely smell. These cloths are very lightly scented with a lovely citrus fragrance, and they are moist, but not too moist. I'd say they're just perfect.

It's hard to try and capture the softness of these towelettes, so I took some pics in two types of lighting (above). It still doesn't do it justice, but trust me, these babies are SOFT. I mean, absolutely silky. They put my Target brand Up & Up unscented baby wipes (what I've been using lately to remove my makeup on lazy nights) to shame, I tell you!

And unlike my Target baby wipes, I can remove even my most stubborn mascara and eye makeup with just one of those cloths (with no tugging or pulling!). It takes two cloths to remove my entire face of makeup, but I can get by with using just one cloth if it was a light makeup day.

And let me talk about how these cloths leave my skin. Wow! My face feels so soft, but not dry or tight at all. I've been using these for a few weeks now and I've experienced no breakouts or skin irritation. My face just feels fresh, clean and soft when I'm done removing my makeup. In fact, I have to admit that I have been lazier than usual about washing my face at night since I bought these. I just look forward to using them so much that I've been skipping my usual trip to the sink in favor of using these while watching TV before bed. Although nothing compares to washing your face at night, I have to say, if you're really tired or just plain lazy, these make the job of removing your making a treat!

If you are a makeup remover towelette person, I think you might really like these little gems. Apparently they're available at various dollar stores across the nation, so if you're interested, definitely be on the lookout for them at your local dollar store. For me, they were well worth the hunt (and thanks again, Alyson!).

Are you already using Epielle Cleansing Tissues? Do you love them as much as I do? If you haven't used them yet, are you thinking about trying to find them at your local dollar store? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Drugstore Hidden Gem: Walgreens Organic Lip Balm

I love perusing the lip balm aisle at my local drugstores, and that's what I was doing the other day when I stumbled across this lovely little product:

Did you know that Walgreens now makes two "98% certified organic" lip balms? The other one is a "medicated" formula but I had to buy the "Vitamin C" formula for myself because I'm a sucker for anything orange-flavored (and besides, even though the Vitamin C content is marginal, I can always use an extra bit of Vitamin C wherever I can find it).

The retail price on these organic lip balms is $2.99, but now through March 27th, they are on sale for 2/$5, which is pretty good considering the ingredients:

As you can see, this balm is totally natural and contains no petroleum-based ingredients, parabens, etc. It's also cruelty-free and safe for vegetarians (sorry, vegans, there's beeswax in these).

I don't know why, exactly, but I love the packaging on this balm. The colors and design remind me of someone's kitchen in 1986. Ha! For me, it's comforting in a nostalgic way. And I like the little flowers at the top of the label:

As you can see, it's got a natural color to it, and the BEST part is the texture. OMG, it is so creamy and just glides onto your lips like butta. Plus, on my lips, it's got fantastic staying power (it's definitely not one of those balms that you need to reapply every 15 minutes) and the fragrance and flavor are natural orange with just a tiny hint of natural vanilla. I'm telling you, I LOVE this balm!

Do you own any Walgreens Organic Lip Balms? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Review: Smashbox Photo Finish Lipsticks from BeautyTicket.com

Continuing "Lip Day" at Nouveau Cheap, I am delighted to show you all one of the Smashbox Photo Finish Lipsticks that are currently available at everyone's favorite budget-friendly place to get high-end beauty products, BeautyTicket.com. Smashbox Photo Finish Lipsticks normally retail for $22 a piece, but at BeautyTicket? No way. Try $8.99.

The ladies at BeautyTicket were kind enough to send me one of the Smashbox Photo Finish lipsticks recently and I was more than excited to try it since I've been wanting one of these for so so so long now. 

Naturally, I wanted the pinky-brown shade (if you're new to Nouveau Cheap, my weakness is pinky-brown lippies), called Magnificent.  It's been my experience that the swatches on BeautyTicket.com rarely let me down--I wanted a pinky-brown and that's exactly what  I got. Yay!

Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Magnificent

This photo really doesn't do the color or packaging justice. Let me just say that the color is even prettier in real life, and the packaging? Stunning. It's a sleek metallic tube that's nice and sturdy without being clunky or too heavy.

I tried and tried to get an accurate photo of me wearing "Magnificent" but the shade, thanks to my camera, was way off. I was able to get a good swatch on my hand though:

This is one of those bright and cheery pinky-browns that instantly gives your face a nice glow when you put it on. Love it!

Now let's talk about the texture.  Man, this is one cushiony lipstick! It feels sooo nice on the lips--it glides on like butta. This is a sheer lipstick, but don't be fooled because it packs a lot of pigment. Also, it's got a beautiful, satiny-shiny finish. Honestly, if you like the texture and look of Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks, I think you will LOVE these.

BTW, the fragrance is yummy vanilla, and I am loving the flavor. To me, it tastes like a vanilla milkshake!

BeautyTicket.com currently has five versatile shades available on their website, and guess what? These lippies are also a gift-with-purchase if your order totals $50 or more! So if you've been meaning to haul some goodies at BeautyTicket, definitely put one of these babies in your cart (click here for details).

Do you currently own a Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Also, because of the insane price, luxurious texture and beautiful color of this lipstick, I'm proud to say that Smashbox Photo Finish Lipsticks at BeautyTicket.com get my ultimate stamp of approval:

Congrats, BeautyTicket, these lippies are the Bargain of the Day!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.

Review: New NYC Extreme Lip Glider Lip Glosses

If you saw my drugstore report a few days ago about this new collection of NYC lipglosses, then you know that I was very excited to FINALLY see a new product from NYC (other than their seasonal color collections, I just haven't seen much from them in terms of brand new products lately).

I'm delighted to tell you that it was worth the wait, because these little Pixy Stix-shaped glosses are awesome!

NYC Extreme Lip Glider Lip Glosses (retail: $2.99):

The colors I purchased were Big Apple Red (top), and Chelsea Rose (bottom):

I put a CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine next to them so you can see how they compare in size:

As you can see, these NYC glosses have a plastic slant-tip applicator and I love how small the tip is because it allows you to apply your gloss with much more precision that a regular-sized slant-tip.

Here are some swatches on my hand:

These glosses pack a lot of pigment and sparkle even though they are sheer on application (as you will see in a minute).

So, how do I like these lipglosses? I LOVE 'EM! Here's why: first of all, they smell and taste exactly like a Watermelon Jolly Rancher. No joke--it's darn near identical! So fun. (But don't worry--if you don't like watermelon, the fragrance and flavor disappear after about 5-10 minutes.) Next, I love that even though those glosses are sheer, they are extremely pigmented (especially for a $2.99 gloss). Also, I LOVE the consistency. It's not too sticky, and not at all goopy. Literally, you can layer this gloss onto your lips with a VERY thick coating and it will not goop up in that area where your bottom and top lip come together. If you wear gloss, you know what I'm talking about!

I am a self-professed gloss eater and most glosses don't stand a chance at lasting more than 30 minutes on my fidgety lips. Since I have a bad habit of rubbing my lips together a lot when I wear gloss, I tend to really layer it on thick when I first apply it. Otherwise, I know it will be gone in 10 minutes. So what I love about this gloss is that I can put a very thick layer on and it looks fabulous with no goopy mess!

Here are some pics of both shades on my lips:

Big Apple Red

Chelsea Rose

Do you see that shine? It's amazing! I really, truly love it, and I cannot wait to go back and get some other shades. At just $2.99, I have to give this gloss my seal of approval as an official Bargain of the Day:

Congrats, NYC! These glosses are affordable AND they rock!

Review: LypSyl lip balm (made with Swedish beeswax for extra smoooothness)

As you all know by now, I am a lip balm junkie. Any opportunity I have to receive and review lip balm, I welcome with open arms!

Recently I received some tubes of LypSyl lip balm for review, and I have to say that the oval-shaped tube, combined with the honey-bee slider button, immediately sucked me in! I always say that I'm a sucker for any lip balm that comes in non-traditional packaging, and LypSyl had me at hello with their tube:

(Top: Honey Berry LypSyl with SPF 15, bottom: Original Formula LypSyl)

But what I love even more than their packaging is the fact that LypSyl lip balms are made with great ingredients such as certified organic shea butter, vitamin E and Swedish beeswax which, according to LypSyl's website, is what sets their balm apart from the others:

The secret behind the LypSyl is pure Swedish beeswax, ultra light to spread evenly and penetrate deeply, for unsurpassed moisturizing and protection.

So Swedish bees make a wax that is ultra light? Interesting, and that totally explains why this lip balm is one of the smoothest I've ever put on my lips. It literally glides across your lips like satin, and when I rub my lips together it is smooooth, I tell you.

The traditional LypSyl has a nice minty scent and texture, but my favorite by far is the Honey Berry. I'm addicted to the scent, which really is a perfect combo of honey and berries. The flavor almost reminds me of fresh grapes, which of course is fabulous as well.

And look at how cute the lid is!

I just love the oval-shaped stick! I've never seen another lip balm like it!

Now here's the best part: LypSyl products are available everywhere! You can get yourself a tube at Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, Duane Reed, Drugstore.com, Bed Bath and Beyond, and lots of other places. The retail price of LypSyl lip balm is around $2.99, which is great considering how moisturizing this balm is (and don't forget that adorable packaging!).

Have you tried LypSyl lip balms before? Are you considering giving them a whirl? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.