Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Chaco and TOMS on Costco.com!

While browsing around online for my favorite thing (shoes) I stumbled across two gems on Costco.com. The first is just in time for warmer weather: Chaco sandals! Chaco sandals feature an adjustable upper Z-strap for a custom fit and a rugged but non-marking sole that conforms to your foot bed to provide lasting arch support. Chacos are great for walking, hiking, the beach, boating and a variety of other water sports. I have a pair of Chacos and they are awesome, (but be forewarned, you can get really funky tan lines when you wear them in the sun...). Chaco sandals retail for $100 on Chacos.com and Zappos.com but you can get them on Costco.com for only $59.99 (plus $2.99 shipping and handling). That’s a 40% savings off the retail price! Costco.com has the Chaco Z/1 Yampa sandal for women in three different colors: Waves (blue, item#826142), Copperhead (brown, item#826092) and Black (item #826106):

And the Chaco Z/1 Unaweep sandal for men in three colors: Print (grey/black, item#825391), Brown (item #825442) and Black (item #825424).

The second thing I found are TOMS classic canvas women’s slip-on shoes. Yes that TOMS.

The simple canvas & rubber shoes that have a cult following and retail for $48 on TOMS.com can now be purchased on Costco.com for only $34.99! Costco’s price, which includes shipping and handling, is still a 27% savings off the retail price! Costco.com carries the TOMS classic slip-on in seven different colors: Red (item #862086), Navy (item #862027), White, (item #862182), Olive (item #861993), Chocolate (item #862098), Natural (item #862153) and Black (item #861974).

The best part about TOMS is their charity One for One; for every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need. When you buy TOMS you’re not just getting a cute and comfortable pair of shoes, you’re also helping to improve the well being of a needy child. That’s what I like to call a win-win.


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S.
Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Kirkland Signature by Costco is lacking in the bedroom


When I shop at Costco I usually choose Kirkland Signature (KS), (which is Costco’s in-house brand), over “name brand” products because I generally find the KS products to be superior to or just as good as their brand name equivalents AND the KS brand is almost always less expensive. Sadly, this was not the case with my purchase of KS 100% Supima cotton king size sateen sheet set (item #577765).


Initially the KS sheets felt like the same silky soft KS cotton sheets I had come to love, but after a mere two washes (one wash before I put them on the bed and one wash after a week on the bed) I noticed small tears in the fitted sheet even though I had followed the washing directions on the tag, which indicated to wash in warm water (not hot) and to tumble dry on low. Disappointed, I promptly returned them to Costco and purchased the Charisma brand 100% Egyptian cotton king size sheet set (item #440441) as a replacement (which I happily noticed were actually $20 less than the KS brand king size sheet set!)

Comparing the two sheet sets to one another I noticed both the KS and the Charisma are 6-piece sets that include one fitted sheet, one flat sheet, and four king size pillowcases and both sets are 100% cotton. However, the KS is labeled Supima cotton and the Charisma is labeled Egyptian cotton, but what’s the difference between Supima and Egyptian cotton? According to Martha Stewart, Supima is like a brand name for Pima cotton, which is a fine, long-staple of cotton that yields a very soft weave. (‘Staple’ meaning the length of the individual fibers.)  And Egyptian cotton is the finest, longest-staple of all and produces an extremely soft & supple weave. Both sets are also labeled Sateen but what does that mean? Going back to Martha Stewart, Sateen refers to the way the fabric is woven. In Sateen sheets the fabric is woven in a satin weave where warp threads interlace with filling threads and the result is a lustrous, smooth, and durable fabric. My takeaway from Martha’s explanations is that Egyptian trumps Supima and Sateen trumps both Oxford and Percale.

Another difference between the sheet sets is that the KS set touts a 540-thread count versus Charisma’s 400-thread count, but what does thread count really mean? According to How Stuff Works it means the number of threads woven per square inch. For example a 100 warp (lengthwise) threads woven with 100 weft (widthwise) threads produces a thread count of 200. According to Consumer Reports (CR) a thread count of 200 is standard and a thread count of 400 can feel softer but doesn’t guarantee a better sheet. CR also cautions that claimed thread counts higher than 400 are likely to only provide a higher price tag, not a higher quality or noticeably softer sheet.

The last difference I noticed was the price. The KS king sheet set costs $69.99 while the Charisma king sheet set is only $49.99. Both sheets felt silky soft to me from the little samples on the display and having tried both at home they still felt silky soft to sleep on but the Charisma sheets, which have been through four washes now with no signs of tearing, are with out a doubt more durable. To me, paying $20 more for an additional 140-thread count is not worth it when the 540-thread count sheets don’t hold up after two washes.

I have purchased KS brand sheets in the past and I found them to be phenomenal, in fact I still have a queen size KS sheet set that has held up wonderfully over the past several years and are still in regular rotation. Yet, with my recent disappointing purchase of the KS king sheet set that fell well below my quality expectations I suspect that Costco must have switched to a different manufacturer for their sheets since I purchased the KS queen sheet set several years ago.

I guess that just goes to show you that brand loyalties can let you down, even when you’re loyal to the house brand ;)

In other sheet news, a few weeks ago I purchased a flannel king size sheet set (item #676101) at the Mount Vernon VA Costco for the rock bottom price of just $14.97! While I am dismayed that it's mid-April and we’re still using flannel sheets, I am happy to report that the new flannel sheets are warm, soft and holding up well.

It’s worth noting that all three sheet sets fit snuggly on our 14” deep mattress. (The KS and Charisma both claim to fit a mattress up to 17” deep while the flannel claims to fit only up to a 15” deep mattress.)

Note: None of these three items are available on Costco.com.


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.


Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Friday, April 18, 2014

Cook's Illustrated Recommendations at Costco!

Cook's Illustrated magazine is the “Consumer Reports” of cooking magazines. In addition to publishing tried and true recipes, their dedicated test kitchen puts together objective & unbiased reviews of ingredients and cooking equipment in each issue. Some of their recommended products can be purchased at Costco.

In the August 2013 issue of Cook's Illustrated they conducted a blind taste test and compared different brands of chicken broth. Not only did they recommend Better Than Bouillon chicken base but they also listed it as a best buy and praised it for producing  savory broth. Better Than Bouillon chicken base retails for $5.99 for an 8oz jar. It also has a shelf life of 2 years when stored in the fridge after opening while similar chicken broths only have a shelf life of about two weeks after opening. Costco sells a 16oz jar of Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base (item #287780) for $6.89 making their price 42% cheaper per ounce than the retail price! I have purchased and used this product myself and while I initially had some hesitations (because it does look kind of weird in the jar) it really made absolutely delicious chicken broth and now I’m completely hooked on Better Than Bouillon. Note: item #287780 is not available on Costco.com.

In the November/December 2013 issue of Cook's Illustrated they tested stand mixers and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer was listed as one of their top recommended stand mixers.  The tested mixers were rated based on their whipping ability, creaming ability, kneading ability and overall design. Fitted with a 575 watt motor the 600 series 6-Quart bowl-lift mixer comes with a 6-Quart stainless steel bowl, a flat beater, a wire whip and a “powerknead” spiral dough hook and retails for $449.99 on KitchenAid.com and $419.99 on Amazon.com. However, Costco sells a KitchenAid 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (item #593241) that has a 1 HP motor (745 watts) and an extra-deep 6-quart stainless steel bowl in addition to the flat beater, wire whip and “powerknead” spiral dough hook. Costco sells this mixer for $349.99, which is 28% less than the KitchenAid.com retail price and 16% less than the Amazon.com retail price. But between 10 April – 4 May 2014 Costco is offering an additional $60 off their selling price so for a limited time you can get this mixer at Costco for only $289.99! With the additional $60 off, that makes the Costco price 35% off the KitchenAid.com retail price and 30% off the Amazon.com retail price. Costco also sells the same KitchenAid Pro 6-Quart Mixer online under the item #647681 on Costco.com for $289.99 
(+ an additional $16.99 for shipping and handling). In the warehouse you can choose from three colors: red, black, & silver and on Costco.com you can also choose white.



For perfected recipes and impartial reviews of kitchen appliances and cooks tools check out CooksIllustrated.com and Cook's Illustrated magazines. (BONUS: Cook's Illustrated magazine can be purchased in Costco warehouses for 30% off the cover price!) And for great deals on highly rated ingredients and appliances head to your local Costco.


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.


Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Tool Time at Costco!

In a complete 180 from my last few posts on ‘girly’ products like makeup and shampoo, today I am going to tell you about some amazing deals on tools, starting with power tools.

At the Leesburg, VA Costco I found a Rockwell “3Rill” 12V cordless 3-in-1 Impact Driver Power Drill (item #771491). According to the manufacturer’s website (RockwellTools.com) this drill (model RK2515K2) boasts three different modes: an 800 in-lb. Impact Driver mode, a dual speed (Hi & Lo) VSR Drill mode and a Screwdriver mode with 22 different clutch positions. What is VSR you ask? Why it stands for Variable Speed Reversing which essentially means you can switch the drilling direction from clockwise to counter clockwise while running the drill at any speed, from 0 rpm all the way up to its max speed, which is 3000 rpm. In the box you get the drill, two Lithium Ion batteries, one 30-min quick charger, three hex shank bits, two screw driving bits and one carrying case. Scouring the internet I came across this same item selling anywhere from $129.99 at theHomeDepot.com to $99 on Amazon.com and Lowes.com, but Costco’s low selling price of $69.97 will save you 29%-46% off the retail price! While I did not purchase this item myself (my husband assured me we do not need another power drill), I did notice that the reviews listed on all three of those websites were very high. Note: Item #771491 is not available on Costco.com.

I also came across two different sets of hand tools by Craftsman. The first is a 150-piece Mechanics Tool Set (item #767782) that includes: two ratchets, 92 standard and deep sockets (in inch and metric), two extension bars, one adapter, eight wrenches, once magnetic handle, 12 nut driver bits, 20 screwdriver bits, 11 hex keys, and one spark plug socket all inside a hard plastic storage case. I found this exact same item selling for $129.99 (+ $13.49 shipping & handling) on Amazon.com but with Costco’s selling price of $99.99 you can save 23% off the retail price! I also found a similar, but not identical, 154-piece Mechanics Tool Set is available for sale on Craftsman.com but for $127.49.) Note: item #767782 is not available on Costco.com.

Last but not least is a Craftsman 10-piece screwdriver set (item #772880) that includes: four slotted blade tip screwdrivers (aka flat head screwdrivers), three Phillips blade tip screw drivers and three Torx blade tip screw drivers that are color coded for easy recognition. Amzaon.com is selling this same set for $12.84 but Costco’s price is only $7.97! The Costco price is less than $1 per screwdriver and 37% less than the retail price. Note: item #772880 is not available on Costco.com.

While Costco doesn’t have nearly the selection of tools that Sears does, what they do have comes at a great price. If you need a new drill or some new tools or even if you just want a new drill and some new tools, run out to your local Costco before these items are gone.


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.


Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

MORE Beauty's Most Wanted at Costco!

After finding the Jenna Hipp nail polish at Costco this weekend and subsequently discovering that Beauty’s Most Wanted has other celebrity “stylemakers” who create different beauty products for them, I just had to find out if Costco carried any more of their products so I trekked back out to the Sterling VA Costco. In addition to the Jenna Hipp nail polish & hand creams, this Costco warehouse also carries a handful of Orlando Pita hair care products and several Pati Dubroff cosmetics.

With help from a few search engines I learned that celebrity hairstylist Orlando Pita has been in the beauty industry for more than 20 years and his celebrity clientele reads like a list of who’s who in Hollywood. His salon quality hair care products are free of sulfates, sodium chloride, parabens, TEA, and with the exception of the Dry Shampoo (which contains an oat extract) and the Treatment Hair Mask (which contains wheat proteins) are also gluten free. I found four of his products at this warehouse:

The Argan Restoring Treatment Hair Mask (item #784593) contains Moroccan Argan oil and shea butter and is supposed to hydrate & revive dry, over processed hair, enhance fullness and restore shine. It is safe for all hair types, including color treated. Costco sells a 10oz tub for $28.99. (This item can also be purchased at Costco.com for an additional $3.99 shipping and handling.) The same 10oz tub retails for $40 on Beauty’sMostWanted.com making the Costco price 27% less than the retail price. While I did not purchase this product, (mostly because I have about a million different hair products at home I need to go through first…), I do swear by Moroccan Argan Oil and I would definitely try this in the future. 


The Revive Instant Boost Dry Shampoo 2-pk (item #782453) claims to cleanse & freshen your hair without water and to boost volume and extend your blowout by absorbing excess oil. Costco sells a pack of two 5oz aerosol bottles for only $16.99. (This item can also be purchased at Costco.com for an additional $4.99 for shipping and handling.) The same two-bottle set retails for $50 at BeautysMostWanted.com which means Costco is selling it for 66% less than the retail price! I’ve never used dry shampoo before but at such a huge discount I figured now was the time to give it a try so I bought it. I haven’t actually used it yet but I did spray a little into the cap to find out what it smells like. It has a pleasant, very light, fresh aroma that smells clean and crisp (maybe even a little cucumber-y). It’s not sweet or flowery or fruity smelling. As soon as I try it out I’ll post an update on what I think about it.

The Full Volume Boosting Shampoo (item# 846561) claims to build body & volume, and control frizz while moisturizing your hair. Thanks to minimal packaging that allows you to actually screw the top off to take a whiff (then screw it right back on!) I can report that this shampoo smells great. The 27oz pump bottle comes with a bonus 1.5oz travel size Volume Boosting Conditioner and Costco sells this item for $14.99. (This item can also be purchased on Costco.com for an additional $2.99 shipping and handling.) The same 27oz pump bottle of shampoo with bonus 1.5oz travel size conditioner retails for $40 on BeautysMostWanted.com, which makes the Costco price 62% less! I don’t know about you, but $14.99 for salon quality shampoo is a steal.

The Full Volume Boosting Conditioner (item #845827) claims to weightlessly moisturize and build the body & volume of your hair while sealing in shine to leave your hair touchable soft. Again, thanks to the fuss free packaging I was able to screw the top off to take a whiff and sneak a peak at the thickness. Like the shampoo, the conditioner also smells nice and I confirmed the consistency is thick and creamy not runny. The 27oz pump bottle comes with a bonus 1.5oz travel size Volume Boosting Shampoo and Costco sells this item for $16.99. (This item can also be purchased on Costco.com for an additional $2.99 shipping and handling.) The same 27oz pump bottle of conditioner with bonus 1.5oz travel size shampoo retails for $40 on BeautysMostWanted.com, which makes the Costco price 57% less than the retail price!


For salon quality hair care it's hard to pass up these prices at Costco. I really like how Beauty’s Most Wanted included the bonus travel sized shampoo & conditioner and since they are less than 3oz they meet TSAs requirements for liquid carry-ons for air travel. Way to think ahead guys :)

Now on to the Pati Dubroff cosmetics. Celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff is world renowned in the beauty industry and over the years through her unique style and technique she has gained a legion of celebrity followers. I found four of her products at this Costco warehouse and three additional products on Costco.com:

The Star Palettes Color Collection (item #781662) contains four separate interchangeable palettes that each have 4 eye shadows, 1 gel liner, 1 blush and 1 lip gloss. Each palette can snap into the included mirrored travel compact for quick and convenient portability. Costco sells this item for $29.99 and it can also be purchased at Costco.com for an additional $2.99 for shipping and handling. This set retails for $52 on BeautysMostWanted.com which makes the Costco price 42% less than the retail price! I am impressed with the color selection that includes cool blues, smoky greys, warm bronzes and berry pinks. This variety pretty much ensures there are combinations that will look good on every skin tone and it provides endless possibilities to create different day and evening looks year round.


The Perfect Nudes Lip Gloss Collection (item #803320) contains four nude shades of lip gloss that are suited for all skin tones. They claim to go on smooth and to be non-sticky. Costco sells this 4-piece set for $19.99 and it can also be purchased on Costco.com for an additional $1.99 for shipping and handling. This same set retails for $45 on BeautysMostWanted.com, but by purchasing this at Costco you save over 55%! I adore nude lips because they look polished but still natural and they never look overly “done up.”

The Aqua Tint Lip Gloss Collection (item #766392) is a set of four lightweight and non-sticky sheer lip glosses that add color and shine. You can apply just one layer to enhance your natural lip color or apply multiple layers for a deeper color and more coverage. Costco sells this 4-piece set for $9.99 and it can also be purchased on Costco.com for an additional $2.99 for shipping and handling. This same 4 pack retails for $42 on BeautysMostWanted.com making the Costco price an astonishing 76% less than the retail price!! It’s hard to find ONE good quality lip gloss for under $10 let alone a set of four professional quality shades for $10.

The Graphic Line Waterproof Eyeliner Collection (item# 782450) comes in two different 4-pks to choose from: The Cool Tones and The Earth Tones. The Cool Tones set includes two metallic shades: Tidal (aqua) and Nightfall (navy) and two matte shades: Deep Violet and Caviar (black). The Earth Tones set includes two metallic shades: Gilded (golden) and Moss (deep green) and two matte shades: Rich Earth (chocolate) and Slate (silver/grey). Costco sells each set of these mechanical eyeliner pencils for $17.99 and they can also be purchased on Costco.com for an additional $2.99 for shipping and handling. Each of these sets retails for $36 on BeautysMostWanted.com, which means the Costco price is HALF the retail price! You can’t go into a Sephora or Nordstrom and walk out with ONE professional/designer eyeliner for less than $15, but here is Costco selling a 4-pk for less than $4.50 per eyeliner! I snagged the cool tones to add to my ever-growing cosmetic collection ;)

Pati has four other products for Beauty’s Most Wanted and three of those can be purchased from Costco.com:

There are two eye shadow palettes that remind me of Urban Decay’s Naked palettes…

The Spotlight Eye Palette (item #774165) is a collection of 12 eye shadow shades (that are both smoky and natural) and one black retractable eyeliner pencil. At just $21.99 (+ $2.99 for shipping and handling) Costco.com sells this set for 50% LESS than the retail price of $44 over on BeautysMostWanted.com.


The Perfect Neutral Eye Palette (item #735664) is a collection 12 neutral eye shadow shades and one deep brown retractable eyeliner pencil. At only $17.99 (+ $2.99 for shipping and handling) Costco.com sells this item for 57% LESS than the retail price. However, I am incrediby sorry to report that this item is currently out of stock on Costco.com :( Check your local Costco warehouse to see if they carry this item or you can purchase it for the full retail price of $42 at BeautysMostWanted.com.


The Visionary Eyes Professional Eye Crayon Collection (item #735665) is a set of five chubby eyeliner pencils that can be used as eyeliner or smudged & blended as eye shadow. Costco.com sells this set for only $11.99 (+$2.99 for shipping and handling) making it nearly 70% LESS than the retail price of $39 on BeautysMostWanted.com!

Wow, that was a really long post; a really long post all about hair products and makeup. Here are a few things that I've come to realize:
-I’m clearly obsessed with Beauty’s Most Wanted and the great “stylemakers” they have teamed up to create awesome new products.
 -I’m ecstatic that Beauty’s Most Wanted products are available at select Costco warehouses and on Costco.com at amazingly good prices.
-I’m probably going to go broke if I keep going back to that Sterling VA Costco warehouse…


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.


Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

P.P.S.

I promise to lay off the beauty/hair care/cosmetics posts for a while ;)

Monday, April 14, 2014

Le Creuset at Costco!

Cooking enthusiasts rejoice! The highly rated and iconic French cookware Le Creuset has been spotted in a Costco warehouse and at Costco.com! This weekend I came across the Le Creuset 7-piece Utensil set that includes a matching crock to store them in (item #763194) at the Sterling VA Costco.


The set includes a total of six utensils (3 spatulas, 2 spatula spoons and 1 basting brush) and one matching stoneware crock to hold them all. (6 utensils + 1 crock = 7 piece set)

The utensils are all silicone with elliptically shaped wooden handles and the utensils and the crock are all dishwasher safe. The set is available in either Cobalt (blue) or Cherry (red) and Costco is selling it for only $39.97. I scooped up the Cherry red set ;)

I found a similar 6-piece set retailing for $85 on LeCreuset.com and you have to pay for shipping & handling. You can save a whopping 52% by purchasing this utensil set at Costco AND you get 6 utensils instead of just 5 utensils!

Now, if you mosey on over to Costco.com and you will find a Le Creuset 9” cast iron skillet and 4.5 Qt. Oval French Oven set selling for $259.99.


The price includes shipping & handling and this set is also available in either Cobalt (blue) or Cherry (red). I jumped back over to LeCreuset.com to compare what it would cost to purchase the same 9” cast iron skillet and 4.5 Qt. oval French oven directly from them. Unfortunately their website did not list an oval 4.5Qt French Oven but it did have a round 4.5 Qt. French Oven selling for $260 and the 9” cast iron skillet selling for $130. Purchasing both pieces directly from Le Creuset will cost you $390 plus shipping & handling, but you can save over 33% by purchasing the set from Costco.com for only $259.99 (and that includes the shipping & handling.)

Now, if only I didn’t already have similar Le Creuset pieces I would snap this set up in a heartbeat!


Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos


P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.


Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur