So Mr. G Went to Hawaii and Here's What He Brought Me...

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It's Back! Lush Limited Edition Shark Fin Soap Available 7/5 - 7/19 Only

I received some press info today about this and I wanted to make sure you knew about it in case you're planning a Lush haul this weekend:

Lush Limited Edition Shark Fin Soap is back for 2015
(100% of profits go to FinFree™ campaign)

Keep reading for more info about this very special soap that only comes around once a year...

Review: Lush Limited Edition Valentine's Day 2015 Collection (Unicorns and Hearts and Candy! Oh My!)

Press Sample

I recently received some of the Lush Limited Edition Valentine's Day 2015 collection products for review, and I wanted to get this review up as quickly as possible while everything is still in stock and avaialble for purchase online or at your local Lush store (Lush limited edition items go quickly though, so don't wait too long if you're interested in anything here!).

There are some adorable new offerings for Valentine's 2015--keep reading for lots of eye candy (and real candy, too).

NEW from Dove: Go Fresh Mandarin & Tiare Flower

Longtime readers know that I love my Dove body washes and bar soaps (my two favorites are Pistachio Cream & Magnolia and Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena), so when reader Meagan on Facebook let me know that Dove has just released a new scent, well, you know I had to share!

The new Dove Go Fresh Mandarin & Tiare is now up on the Dove website HERE, and it's available for purchase at Drugstore.com HERE and Walgreens.com HERE. So far, it looks like this scent is available in both body wash and bar soap, but I'm not sure about it being released as a deodorant (yet). 

I'm both a huge citrus fan and a huge tiare flower fan (you know how much I love that Yves Rocher tiare perfume I reviewed a while back!) so this sounds like a match made in heaven to me. If you've seen this in-store anywhere and given it a sniff, I would absolutely love to hear from you. I haven't seen it in person yet but I'm officially on the hunt!

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

New from Olay: Fresh Outlast "Farmer's Market-Inspired" Body Washes and Bar Soaps

So I was catching up on my drugstore news over the holidays and noticed this interesting article on Happi.com about the new Olay Fresh Outlast Collection of body washes and bar soaps. After some digging, I was able to find additional images online of these products (some of which are already available for purchase online; the entire line should be debuting in stores in February). Check it out:

image source: riteaid.com

NEW Olay Fresh Outlast Collection

Champagne Mango & White Ginger, Orchid & Black Currant,

White Strawberry & Mint, Pear & Fuji Apple

According to the article I linked to above, these new body washes and bar soaps are “farmer’s market-inspired” and "lower in sulfates and contain three times more mild cleansers than before, plus they are formulated to work with skin’s natural pH. The bars contain 10 times more moisturizer than regular soap for smoother skin." 

Interesting side-note: also according to that article, Olay teamed up with Food Network star Ingrid Hoffmann to create four exclusive recipes inspired by each of the new fragrances. I'm sure we'll hear more about that once these products hit stores and the ad campaign begins. 

Keep reading for a pic of the new bar soaps (which you can purchase now) and more info...

Coming to a CVS Near You: NEW Essence of Beauty Naturally Indulgent Bath & Body Collection

Attention CVS fans! Did you know that this month, CVS is releasing a new line of Essence of Beauty bath and body products that are "free of parabens, sulfates, phtalates, petroleum and artificial dyes"? This new line is also "not tested on animals" and it's "made in the USA" according to the press info I received below.

There are three different fragrance families in the new Essence of Beauty Naturally Indulgent Bath & Body Collection: Lemon Verbena with Olive Oil, Lavender with Rosemary Oil and Eucalyptus with Mint Oil.

Keep reading for a look at the Lavender with Rosemary Oil and Eucalyptus with Mint Oil collections...

Review: Lush Limited Edition Easter 2014 Collection

Press Sample 

The Lush Easter 2014 goodies have landed! There are ten products in the range this year, and you can view them all here (or at your nearest Lush retail location). I received five of the ten products from the Easter 2014 range for review, so let's not waste any time! Here's a closer look at these cuties.

 

Lush Limited Edition Easter 2014 Goodies

(retail: $5.95 - $10.95 at Lush)

New bath and body products from Method, South of France and Caress

I've got some fun new products to share with my fellow bath and body product lovers today! First up, two lovely readers shared pics of the new Caress body washes. Reader @Raginrah on Twitter spotted these at Walmart this week and shared this pic:

image credit: @Raginrah for Nouveau Cheap

NEW Caress Body Washes in Juicy Escape and Emerald Rush

(retail: around $4 each, 18 oz)

My favorite Lush products for Holiday 2013

Press Sample 

Every once in a while, I get asked a question that goes something like this: "G, what's your favorite type of product to review on your blog?" Whenever I'm asked this question, my answer's always the same: "Bath and body products!" 

For some reason this always seems to surprise people, but bath and body products are my first love and they always have been (above makeup and yes, even nail polish!). So when I was sent an assortment of Lush Holiday 2013 products for review a while back, you can imagine that I was like a kid in a candy store. I'm so excited to show you my favorites today, in case you're thinking about indulging in some Lush goodies for yourself or your loved ones this holiday season. I've got some old favorites and also new things to show you today, so let's get started!

Lush Holiday 2013 I Want Candy Gift Set

(retail: $14.95 at Lush stores and online)

New Product Sightings (pic heavy)

Here's a collection of many (and I do mean many) new products that both I and some lovely readers have spotted recently at various drug/mass/grocery stores.

NOTE: Some of the products featured in this post are things that I've spotted within the past month or so, and some may not be brand new to you. Please keep in mind that not everyone gets access to new products at the same time, so these posts are meant to help let everyone know what's new and on the horizon. I am absolutely aware of the fact that some of these products may have already been in your area for weeks or even a few months. Thanks!

So let's get started:

Reader Fatima spotted a large floor display at CVS the other day, containing many of the new Maybelline products I've been blogging about for weeks now (nice to see them all in one place!):

image credit: Fatima for Nouveau Cheap

Maybelline Fit Me Gel Stick Foundation, Big Eyes Mascara, Color Tattoo Pure Pigments, Master Smoky Eyeliners (And maybe a few new 24HR lip color shades?)

New scent from Dove: Blue Fig and Orange Blossom

I love Dove's fragrances. My favorites are Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena and Plum & Sakura Blossom, but longtime photo contributor Jess spotted a brand new scent recently at CVS that might give my current faves a run for their money:

 image credit: Jess for Nouveau Cheap

New Dove Go Fresh Restore Beauty Bar with Blue Fig and Orange Blossom Scent

Keep reading for more info and pics...

The Yardley Limited Edition Holiday 2012 Soaps have arrived

I look forward to the Yardley limited edition holiday bar soaps every year, and I love that they're never repeats--it's always something new!

Reader Caroline, who remembered my love of these soaps (thanks, Caroline!) recently spotted the Yardley 2012 holiday soaps at her Walgreens and was nice enough to share a pic:

image credit: Caroline for Nouveau Cheap

Yardley Holiday 2012 Limited Edition Bar Soaps

Honey Vanilla Creme and Sugar Plum Blossom

Oooh, I like the sound of these!

If you're a freak for these holiday soaps too, start looking for them at your local Walgreens (they'll probably show up at Rite Aid as well). Also, it's been my experience that they often show up right after the holidays at Big Lots, and sometimes at Dollar Tree too (I know that Dollar Tree sells Yardley year-around, but you can't always find the holiday scents there so keep checking).

Thanks again for the heads-up, Caroline!

My favorite brush cleaner

Psssst: would you like to know what I use to clean my brushes?

Aaaah. I love the smell of clean makeup brushes in the morning...

It's actually not even a "real" brush cleaner, but it's awesome, inexpensive, and it's good for the environment. 

Any guesses?

Indulge without breaking the bank: Thymes Agave Nectar Bar Soap

One of the most budget-friendly ways to indulge in luxurious bath and body products is to opt for one of the lower-priced items in a range. When one of my favorite higher-end bath and body brands releases a new collection and there's no room in my budget for a body wash or lotion, I always opt for a nice bar soap or packet of bath salts. It's a way to experience the fragrance and essence of a new collection, yet keep your wallet happy!

So when I was offered the chance to review some products from one of my all-time-favorite bath and body brands, Thymes, as much as I wanted to request a bottle of the Agave Nectar Foaming Bath (which just won the Allure Best of Beauty 2011 Award for Best Bath Product), I opted for the bar soap:

 Thymes Agave Nectar Bar Soap

(retail: $13, 7.0 oz)

Some may say that $13 for a bar of soap is a bit much (which I completely understand), but please note that the weight of this soap is 7 ounces, while the average bar soap you can find at the drugstore is around 4 ounces. So you're getting almost double the amount of a standard bar soap and, since this soap is triple-milled, it can last up to three times as long as a drugstore-level soap* (*this is my own personal experience; I have no scientific data to support this claim). So, value-wise, buying a higher-end soap can actually be a smart choice.

Review: Softsoap Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions Bar Soap

Softsoap Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions Bar Soap

(retail: $3.99, 3.9 oz)

Ever since I posted about these new Softsoap bar soaps back in the beginning of August, I've been anxious to try one. I was recently contacted by Softsoap and sent this soap for review, so I'd love to share my thoughts with you.

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:

Sneak peak: new Burt's Bees body products

Heads up! Not yet available in stores, the newest Burt's Bees body butters, body scrubs and body bars are now available online!

Click the links below to be taken directly to each product:

(image source for all of the following photos: burtsbees.com)

Sugar Scrubs

(retail: $13 each)

Mango & Orange Sugar Scrub

Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub

Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub

Body Bars

(retail: $5 each)

Mango & Orange Energizing Body Bar

Honey & Shea Conditioning Body Bar

Cranberry & Pomegranate Replenishing Body Bar

Body Butters

(retail: $13 each)

Mango & Orange Body Butter

Honey & Shea Body Butter

Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Butter

I think I'm in trouble, since I'm a sucker for honey scents, mango scents and cranberry scents. Uh oh!

How about you? Anything catching your eye?

Spotted at Walgreens: Wet n Wild $0.69 display and more...

So I finally spotted the Wet n Wild promotion I mentioned last week! I wanted to show you what it looks like in case you haven't seen it at your local Walgreens yet:

As you can see, this promotion is good through May 28th.

I also wanted to let you know about the MegaSaver sale that started last month and runs through 4/30/11:

2/$4 on Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes!

And finally, I wanted to let you know that I spotted the new Yardley soaps that I reviewed here:

I'm glad to see these are now on store shelves--the Pomegrante Rose is so yummy!

Are you planning on picking up any of these goodies the next time you're at Wags? Have you already taken advantage of this Wet n Wild promotion?

Mr. G's gifts from Spain

Remember a few months ago when I showed you the pictures that my boyfriend, Mr. G., sent me from Spain? While he was there he bought me all sorts of wonderful little presents, so I thought you might like to see them!

If you read my original post, you know that I asked him to go on a wild goose chase for me and bring back some drugstore (farmacia) beauty products because, well, of COURSE I would want drugstore beauty products from Spain, right?

It seems he had a bit of a difficult time finding anything on my list, but he MORE than made up for it by giving me some things he picked out himself (which are always the best kinds of presents, right?).

Spain is known for beautiful, handcrafted soaps, and this one he picked out for me smells AMAZING. I don't even want to use it, it smells that wonderful.

He also gave me these beautiful handmade silver earrings, which I LOVE and have been wearing nonstop.

Next, he gave me this pretty checkered scarf that he purchased from a street vendor at an outdoor festival. He said he got it because it would go perfectly with the color of my hair. It actually does!

And last but certainly not least, he gave me this bottle of perfume, which leaked during transit. This perfume means THE WORLD to me, because Mr. G remembered that my favorite scent in the entire world is tilleul (otherwise known as linden, linden flower, lime blossom or French lime blossom). He remembered how much I adore this scent, so he actually went around to different perfumerias to find it for me. Little did he know that they call tilleul "tilia" in Spain, but luckily someone pointed him the right direction.

I'm not just saying this because Mr. G traveled all over the Spanish countryside to find this for me, but I'm telling you, this perfume smells incredible. I have several tilleul-based fragrances in my stash, but none compare to this. The only thing that makes me sad is that half the bottle leaked before I ever got a chance to wear it. Needless to say, this will be a "for special occasions only" fragrance for me.

I hope you enjoyed seeing Mr. G's gifts from Spain. Thanks for reading!

Review: New Yardley of London Pomegranate Rose and Cocoa Butter Bath Bars

One of my very favorite inexpensive pleasures in life is a nice bar of bath soap. There's no doubt that you've probably seen Yardley of London soaps at your local drugstores, grocery stores and dollar stores, but when was the last time you used one? Did you know that Yardley of London soaps are made in the USA, cruelty-free and paraben and SLS-free? For just a dollar or so each, I've been loving Yardley soaps for a very long time (see my review of their Honeysuckle Citrus, which is a favorite of mine) and I'm so excited to share with you today their brand new scents (and a packaging makeover)!

I received Yardley's new scents recently and now that I've had a chance to test them out, I'd love to share my thoughts:

Yardley of London Pomegranate Rose and Cocoa Butter Bath Bars

(retail: around $1.49 each, 4.25 oz)

Let's start with Pomegranate Rose. My goodness, this smells like sweet, tart pomegranate candy to me! I get much more pomegranate than rose in this one, but the rose adds just a touch of softness to this soap, making it a little less tart than if it were just straight pomegranate. This fragrance has a sweet, candy-like quality to it and I'm officially declaring that it's my new favorite Yardley soap to date. I cannot get enough of it. If you like sweet, tart, candy-like fragrances, you must check this one out!

Left: Pomegranate Rose

Right: Cocoa Butter

Cocoa Butter is a warm, soft, comforting fragrance to me, and you can definitely smell the cocoa butter in this soap, although it does not veer into the chocolate zone that you often get from cocoa butter fragrances. To me, it smells more like a combination of both cocoa butter and shea, so it's got a warmth to it that is just so inviting. There is a sweetness to this one, but it's not so sweet that it wouldn't work in a unisex capacity. In fact, I think men and children would enjoy this soap as well. It's rich and creamy but not full-on gourmand.

As for the performance of these soaps, I find them right on par with the rest of Yardley soaps I've used over the years. They lather beautifully and leave my skin feeling nice and clean, but not stripped or dry. I honestly don't have a bad thing to say about either soap, but my favorite is definitely Pomegranate Rose, because I'm just a sucker for candy-type fragrances.

And in case you'd like to see how the packaging makeover has changed one of the classic Yardley soaps, English Lavender, here's a picture for you:

I love how the packaging hasn't changed dramatically, but it's definitely a bit more modern and clean-looking.

FINAL VERDICT: If you're looking for an inexpensive treat for bath time, I would highly suggest either of these new scents from Yardley. They both smell absolutely delicious, and I find them both to work quite well for my skin. Neither leaves me feeling dry or tight, yet they manage to fully cleanse my skin and don't leave any type of odd residue behind. Cocoa Butter seems a tiny bit more moisturizing on my skin (due to the cocoa butter and shea butter) but Pomegranate Rose contains oatmeal, which seems to help when my skin is feeling extra itchy. For around $1.49 each, I think these are great options for new additions to your shower.

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.