Swell Savings: CVS Pharmacy Beauty Days

I love saving money. Finding a bargain, adding up my savings, it gives me a bit of a thrill.

I got an email today telling me that CVS Pharmacy is running a Beauty Days promotion this Spring.

During Beauty Days, you can save on every day beauty items like hair color, shampoo, toothpaste, or fragrance. Gadzooks! That's the kind of news that I like to receive.


Here's an example of the savings you can find in April:


Week of April 18

*L’Oreal Excellence Hair Color: $5.49
*Crest Premium Toothpaste 6.2oz: $1.88 – lowest price of the year!
*VO5 Shampoo/Conditioner: $0.66
*Sally Hansen Complete Line: Buy 2 Get 1 Free

Week of April 25

*Revlon Complete Line: Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off
*Pantene 12.6oz Shampoo/Conditioner: 2 for $5.00
*Designer Fragrances ($14.99 and over): Buy 1 Get 1 50% off – Mothers day is May 9
*Value Robe: $5.99
*Essence of Beauty Complete Line: Buy 2 Get 1 Free

Become a member at CVS.com and you can enjoy further savings when you shop online:

*25% off all Beauty and Skincare (April 12 – April 13)

*20% off all Beauty and Skincare (April 13 – May 9)

CVS Pharmacy has a 100% money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your beauty purchase, bring it back to CVS and they will refund your purchase.

Image credit: SXC.hu

Swell Style: 5 Prom Dresses

Are you in the market for a prom dress? Forever 21 has a great selection of dresses under $43. Seriously. Two dresses cost $42.80 and the rest are about $10-$20 less. In fact, you can one for only $13.50. This leaves you plenty of room to splurge on shoes.

Silk Organza Party Dress
$42.80

This strapless number has a shell made of silk with a black lace overlay. It has boning in the bodice, to help with a secure fit, a hidden back zipper, and black waist tie. Black shoes are a safe bet for this dress, but I'd go with silver or even a bright solid like red or yellow for a bold look.

Robust Front Sheen Dress
$29.80

This dress has so many cute details. I love the ruffled front and the blush pink color that works so well with so many skin tones. The bubble hemline has a bit of mesh to give it shape and the fabric belt is removable, which gives you more style options.

Peplum Pleated Dress
$29.80

This strapless dress is great for fit for petite girls. The bust has slight padding, boning in the bodice, and a pleated design. The peplum is cute and I like the way it comes down to a slight point in the front, draws the eye along - perfect for hiding a little tummy. This dress is available in navy or red. It's designed in a smart, but simple style which gives you the perfect opportunity to really play it up with jewelry.

Satin Bustier Dress
$13.50

This is the $13.50 dress. Can you believe it? So cute with the bustier styling. It can be worn with straps or go strapless. The cups have padding and the inside of the dress is coated with silicone to prevent it from shifting and/or slipping. This is your classic bombshell dress - looks best accessorized with a confident smile. Avoid anything overly ornamental in a necklace. Let the lines of the dress shine.

Strapless Jersey Dress
$22.80

Faith 21, the plus size line available at Forever 21 has a couple of cute prom options. I wish they had more, but this is all they have for now. I've noticed that they add to their Faith 21 line frequently, so check back each week. This dress is a soft and swingy jeresy with an empire waistline and a strapless bodice.

Image credit: Forever 21

Swell Skin: Olay Offers $20 Rebate

Good skin care is a big thing with me. I have the opportunity to try all kinds of products, so I have a good idea of what works and what does not. For example, the best night cream I've used is AVON's Reversalist. I've used plenty of $60-$90 creams and it's the AVON that works best.

Another good product is Olay Regenerist line. It's both affordable and effective. Right now Olay is offering a $20 rebate when consumers spend $50 on Olay facial care products. The rebate is available online, you can click here to download it.

The rebate is good until May 9, 2010 and it needs to be postmarked by May 21, 2010. It is not limited to the Regenerist line. It also includes favorites like the Total Effects and Definity line. To find out which line will give you the best results, click here for a consultation.



Image credit: Olay

Swell Style: Handmade Accessories From Etsy

One of my favorite places to shop is Etsy. I love the handmade scarves or the jewelry made with recycled watch parts or sea glass, or the perfume made from essential oils that no one else is wearing. I like the idea that each item is made by hand with care.




Here's an example, a beautiful silk scarf made with soft merino wool and natural silk. I love the soft colors, they'll go great with the grays and khaki seperates that are going to be everywhere this Spring.

Nuno Felted Scarf - Spring Wind
$69 - Jane Bo Felt



Here's another piece that would go great with those khaki and gray neutrals. A pop of color at your waist. This cute little buckle measures 2 7/8 inches by 2 1/4 inches and works with belts that measure a half to a full inch in width.

Dandelion Belt Buckle
$28 - Anomaly Design



Do you watch that show Glee? My daughter and I love it and I know she'd love this Glee themed keychain with one of her favorite characters, Kurt, on it. (My favorite episode of the first season was the Kurt-centric that featured a whole lot of Beyonce's "Single Ladies.")

Glee keychain featuring Kurt
$7.99 - Straight Jacket Fun



Image credits:  Jane Bo Felt, Anomaly Design, and Straight Jacket Fun

Swell Makeup & Smell: Kim Kardashian Gift Set From Sephora

My youngest daughter loves to watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Me, not so much, but I have to admit that I love Kim Kardashian's style and makeup. She is a gorgeous lady and she really knows how to create the perfect smoky eye look.





Not that long ago, I got a chance to sample her Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum for review. It's nice and not at all what I expected. I expected sexy, because that's what her image projects, but it's more of a feminine Floral with a strong note of Gardenia. My daughter, Bailey, uses it every day and the last time we were in 7-11, the clerk said, "Oh, your smell is good." I said, "It's Kim Kardashian," and he answered, "No. It is her." Ha!

Sephora has a new Kim Kardashian Gift Set available at Sephora. For a limited time, you can get all you need to create her "signature look" for only $55.

Wear luscious nude lips, sultry smoky eyes, flushed cheeks, and a voluptuous scent to channel Kim Kardashian's coveted sexiness. A chic, mirrored compact holds your must-have eye, lip, and cheek colors, plus applicators for on-the-go glamour. A set of simple instructions walk you through Kim's tips: "How I create my signature look!" Add a touch of fragrance and get ready to be downright irresistible.

The kit includes a 1 oz Eau de Parfum, 2 shades of lip gloss, 1 cheek color, and 3 shades of eyeshadow.



Kim Kardashian fragrance notes: Mandarin, Honey Suckle, Orange Blossom, Pink Jasmine, Tuberose, Sensual Spice, Lush Gardenia, Jacaranda Wood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla Orchid, Sexy Musk, Creamy Sandalwood



Image credits: Sephora and Picapp.com

Swell Guys: AXE's New Twist & Rise Lines

Personal hygiene products for men have come a long way in the past few years. AXE and Old Spice, in particular have gone from being something your dad used to wear (Old Spice) or something only a teenage boy could love (AXE) to products that are built in the same way as a high-end men's fragrance.

An example of this would be AXE's new Twist fragrance products. The Twist line opens with fresh Lime and Citrus notes, then deepens in time with base notes of Cedar and Sandalwood. The Rise line is made with citrus notes that are meant to "conquer morning grogginess." The body wash contains minerals from the Himalayan moutains that are "uplifting.". Both the Twist and Rise lines are super-reasonably priced and include Deodorant, Deodorant Sprays ($4.99), and Shower Gels ($3.99).

AXE sent me both of the new lines to sample for review. I found both to smell very refreshing, but my favorite AXE fragrance is still the Instinct scent (Smoky/Woody, very nice). Max, my oldest son (19) is wearing the Rise line and my daughter's boyfriend, PJ, likes the Twis (PJ's Twist quote, "Fresh.").  I'm not sure if the new fragrances wake the guys up, but they sure do smell good.

For more AXE info visit the AXE Effect website.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

DuWop's Twilight Lip Venom

Fans of Twilight might want to take a look at DuWop's new Twilight Venom. It's a lip-plumping lip gloss that contains the lip smoothing and conditioning ingredients Vitamin E, Argan, Avocado, and Olive Oil.

DuWop is thrilled to announce the partnership between Stephanie Meyer's acclaimed Twilight saga and the brand that started the lip plumping craze. In a chilling twist of fate DuWop's signature product, Venom, is also the means by which Meyer's mortals become transformed into vampires. Rather than a typical gloss, Twilight Venom is a shimmering crimson lip stain...

To use the product, shake well, then apply and reapply until desired color intensity is reached. You can find the Twilight Lip Venom at Sephora or Drugstore.com.

Image credit: Sephora.com