Julep - September 2012 Maven Picks!

Hey guys!

Today I put together a quick post to show you the choices for Julep. I am really tempted by the nail wardrobe upgrade, so please tell me if that complete set is something you would like to see swatched on the blog.

Following the style profile image is a link to Julep's blog, where they have some swatches.

Julep's Bombshell swatches.

Julep's Boho Glam swatches.

Julep's American Beauty swatches.

 

Julep's It Girl swatches.

Julep's Classic With a Twist swatches.

And this one is the set of all of them. Even the mascara is tempting me! Do you guys think I should go for the upgrade? And which style will you pick?

If anyone is interested in trying the program for a penny, as I am sure just about all of you have by now, lol, you can follow this link and enter the code "PENNY". If I get a certain number of referrals, then I think I get a box for free or a discount. I'd be happy to refer anyone, though it's just a good deal to get a starter box for a penny anyway, since Julep usually packs the starter kits really well.

Julep - April 2012

Hey guys!

As I continue to get caught up, I have my Julep April Bombshell Box to share with everyone. I have been skipping Julep more than I like lately. The colors have been really similar to others that I already own, and although I feel a little bad skipping, I am badly behind on putting up swatches and reviews of the Juleps that I have, so until I am caught up, saving the money seems like a good idea.

Anyway, on to the box!

 

It came in this amazingly cute color-blocked box. I just loved this when it was open! So spring and so colorful.

 

I received:

1. Julep "Best Pedi Creme Ever".

2.  "Parker"

3. "Annette"

4. Toe Separators (2)

Not a bad little box! I traded the pedi cream since I can't really use exfoliants on my feet, but both colors are gorgeous.

I also ordered two add-ons:

 I picked up "Susie" and "Allyson". I loved the neutrals and I liked getting a few extra shades.

I hope you like these box openings. If you by chance are not yet subscribed to Julep, I would LOVE it if any of you would use my referral link: http://www.birchbox.com/?raf=qtjvd. You can receive the box for a penny with ShareOnMay as a coupon code. If two people use my link, I can get a box to share for free. :)

Thanks everyone!

Polish Review - Julep "Sienna"

Hey guys! I have a polish review for you today.

I have one of my favorite Julep polishes -- Julep "Sienna".

"Sienna" is #4, on the far left. As you can see, if is a really pretty gold foil.

This polish applied with 2-3 coats, depending on how thick you make them. It is very smooth, with virtually no brushstrokes, either.

"Sienna" lasted really well. I wore this, and did some manicures for family/friends with it, over the holidays, and it looks really nice for a long time.

You can see it compares pretty closely to Revlon "Gold Coin" (#6), though the Revlon polish is much frostier and has a few more brushstrokes.

I would really recommend this polish. It's a great pale silvered gold and one that definitely is a necessary color for every collection. I think it should fit most skin tones, too.

Julep St. Patrick's Day Mystery Box

 

I got a pretty good pick on my Julep St. Patrick's Day Mystery Box!

I received:

1. Julep Melissa - $14.00

2. Julep Sofia - $14.00

3. Julep Hayden - $14.00

4. Julep Base Coat - $14.00

5. Julep Crystal Nail File - $6.00

6. Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener -  $10.67

7. Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub - $10.67

 + Chocolates

= $83.34

Not bad at all! I'll have my Easter box up in a few!

Julep Maven - March 2012 "Boho Glam"

Hello, everyone!

First off, today, I have the March 2012 "Boho Glam" Julep Maven box. This was honestly the first time I ever considered skipping a month of Julep fairly seriously. Some of the colors appealed to me, but none of the combinations -- I definitely did not like all of the three in the It-Girl box, but I didn't really want another argan oil product, since I have Orofluido already. I did go ahead and get it, though if the selections are similar next month, I might actually break down and not buy the month! :O

It came in a cute little purple bag with an extra nail file. I lost my glass file, so I sort of wish they had sent another of those, but this is still handy. :)

You can see that Alicia looks very orange on this card...

Not so much in real life. It's a salmon pink, not a salmon orange, if that makes sense.

As for Portia, Portia is not only a teal-tinted clone of Vanessa, but I have a dead-on dupe for it. I'm going to save swatches for when I do a solo review of Portia, but as a teaser:

 

Yes, kids, that's a cheap Wal-Mart Pure Ice over there. Oh well. Hopefully next month will wow me?

Which style did you guys get?

Julep Valentine's Mystery Box

After seeing all of the awesome holiday mystery boxes that Julep had over the break, I couldn't help but pick up one of the Valentine's mystery boxes they had on sale late last month.

I would have liked to have had one of the ginormous boxes, of course, but I was quite happy with what I received. :) In my box were:

1. Julep Demi
2. Julep Holly
3. Essential Cuticle Oil
4. Topcoat for Hair
5. Glitter Pot
6. Gold Heart Chocolate

I do already have Demi, though I really like the color so I don't mind having a spare. I also was really happy to get the topcoat, because I wanted it in my February Maven box, but liked the color picks for Boho Glam, which had cuticle oil instead -- I lost my first cuticle oil, so I needed another. :)

All in all, amazing deal for $19.99!

I can't wait for the next one. I recommend the mystery boxes to everyone. :)

Julep Maven - February 2012 "Boho Glam"

I realized that I have yet to have skipped a month of my Julep subscription, or have even been tempted to skip! This month's was no exception. I do, however, tend to switch out my usual "Bombshell" boxes based on the colors of the polish, and I did so this month.

For February, I received the "Boho Glam" Maven box, which included Oscar, Marisa, a chocolate Oscar statuette, and a bottle of the Essential Cuticle Oil. My cuticle oil had gone missing for a long time, though I love the product and had hardly seemed to have used any of it. So, while I was really tempted by and curious about the Topcoat for Hair, I also recognized that my cuticles are torn up again -- and that I had been wanting to buy some of the oil anyway, so this was a better investment. :)

I thought the Oscar was really cute. The statuette design shows up a lot better in this picture than in real life, though!

Who got this box this month? Who got something different?

Polish Review - Julep "Leah"

I just received my new Julep box, which means it's time for me to kick myself in the rear end and finish up last month's polishes!

Today for you, my darlings, I have Julep's "Leah", the last of the It-Girl January 2012 Maven polishes. This is the grass green, with a strong lacing of shimmer.

 

Grass green with a hint of shimmer describes this color well. It's surprisingly unique in my collection, and it is going to be a great color for summer. I'm not such a fan of it in winter, but hey, worse things have been worn out of season, right?

The color actually did last pretty nicely. Application was a little difficult; it did not want to dry, and it did not want to go on evenly after two coats, even though it definitely was a three-coater. In spite of this, I was glad that I got it, and it filled a hole in my colors. :)

Polish Review - Julep "Megan"

Wow, a hundred followers! This publicity is going to go to my noggin if you keep spoiling me! XD

I have a crazy busy day, but I wanted to knock out a couple of reviews, so keep an eye on this page today. Also make sure that you are entered for the Essie Color Cube giveaway! I will be ending this giveaway on the 29th, so enter soon! For now, I have Julep's "Megan" to share with you. This came in my January 2012 Maven "It-Girl" box, and was indeed the reason that I selected this box. It's a beauty!

 

Megan is #4, in the middle.

I loved this polish online on the Bombshell Julep Maven box, but I knew I would never wear its counterpart, a light pink. Luckily, Megan was available in It-Girl with two other lovelies. 

However, after I ordered, I started to worry that it would be a dupe for Revlon "Ocean". 

However, you can see Revlon Ocean here (#17) compared with Megan (#4) and you can tell that Ocean leans a little more green/teal, whereas Megan has more blue. You can also see that Megan applies with a lot less brushstrokes.

Megan is, however, definitely a metallic more than a shimmer. It's not quite a frost, but it leans a little in that direction, too.

While I admit that I had some nail carnage prior to wearing Megan, and I couldn't leave my nails alone, I did not think that it wore really well. However, it was really pretty while it did last (for about 2 days).

I love this color. I recommend it to everyone as soon as it comes available!

Product Review - Julep "Fast-Dry Topcoat"

 

I had one more quick review I wanted to get out to you guys today. For my December Julep Maven "Bombshell" box, I received a bottle of Julep's "Fast Dry Topcoat". 

I first used this with Julep "Demi". I had sort of thought that the topcoat was intended to be used as a topcoat to get the polish to dry faster, as many people have done with glitter sandwiches, etc. However, I had a bit of a rude shock when my topcoat turned a permanent shade of light-Demi as a result!

The topcoat itself seems to last nicely, though I don't know how much I can say for the durability-affecting qualities. Polishes (mostly Demi, since they seem to be a perma-pair) dried quicker than they would have normally, though as I said, beware, because the polish will tint the topcoat if they are not completely dry. The other way to get around this is to wipe off the brush between dips into the bottle.

The other strange thing about this topcoat is that it has the distinct eau of "skunk" during application. Afterwards, there is no trace of this, but it is kind of amusing to have "skunk" topcoat, I think. Unless you are diametrically opposed to anything vaguely skunklike, it isn't too bad.

... and why would you be diametrically opposed to skunks??

Polish Review - Julep "Hayden"

Hey guys! I have one of the polishes I chose to receive in my Julep Maven January 2012 "It-Girl" box. This month, "It-Girl" came with three lovely polishes. I was so happy to receive them because my usual style box, "Bombshell", had the Megan color I loved, but I knew I would probably never wear the pale, powder pink that accompanied it.

Julep 'Hayden" is one of their new colors coming out for the summer collection. It is a neon pastel peach creme, with strong orange undertones. It looks electric on my skintone -- I am very pale. I actually got some compliments on this one from some unexpected people (including a friend who's a guy!), so that was a nice bonus. It does definitely make a statement, and much more than you might think at first glance.

These were my only other orange-coral-pink cremes that presented any relationship (plus one random blue that joined the fun on the wheel), and as you can see, I do not have any similar shades. "Hayden" is very unique.

"Hayden" lasted on my nails fairly nicely, actually. I wore it for three days with only a little edgewear, though once it went, it went pretty quickly, with some nasty flaking halfway down my (short) nails.

Application was not too bad for a pastel. It was a little streaky -- this is definitely a three or four coater, depending on how thick your coats are. I let it dry overnight, because I did not space my coats very much. My experience is usually that these kinds of polishes take awhile to dry, so beware the pastel formula in general if you have to polish and go quickly.

Overall, this was my unexpected "like" out of my Julep box for January. :)

Julep Maven - January 2012 "It Girl"

Ooh! My first non-Polish Lover, non-Bombshell box!

While I watch my Steelers obliterate the Broncos (which are the local team, but I've never liked them and I despise Tebow), I will share with you. :)

Today I have the January 2012 "It Girl" box from Julep. I LOVED Megan at first sight, but I knew I would never wear it with the pale pink that Bombshell was supposed to come with. Then, perfectly, I found the It Girl box with Megan and two other, unreleased shades.

Some of you also may recall the obituary for my Julep Nail Therapy. Lucky enough, the first Mavens enrolled in the program also received their choice of a few free products, and Nail Therapy was among them. Can you say "yay" loud enough?

 

They also included a sample of their nail polish remover pads, which I am anxious to try sometime. If I like them, I think they would be a great addition to my travel kit. I am not sure if they are available for purchase yet, either!

This set included Hayden, Megan, and Leah as the basic run of polishes, and then, as I mentioned, the extra Nail Therapy and polish remover.

Did anyone else get this one? I thought it was sort of like the Polish Lovers set from November, leaving out the body scrub etc. On the other hand, I would really like to see the pomegranate body scrub!

Product Review - Julep "Glitter Pot"

I have pot to share with you all today. LoL.

Specifically, I have this little pot to share with you, the Glitter Pot that came in my December 2011 Julep Maven "Bombshell" box. Isn't it cute? And sparkly? I tried this out with Demi as an accent nail earlier this week. It looked super festive and pretty.

The way that I found works best for a cute little glitter pot like this is to take it in your fingers and sprinkle it on the wet polish of whatever nail you want. Then, you should wait (as I did not) for the polish to completely dry, then add topcoat. I was impatient, and ended up with Demi-covered glitter.

The nails with the glitter did tend to peel more than those that did not have glitter, but I again used the mysterious Julep fast-dry topcoat that may be responsible for peeling...

Please, Julep, put these on sale! I would pay a lot for them. They're a really nice little product, and I want to try the others!

Polish Review - Julep "Demi"

I have a polish that I have worn a few times this month. This one, Demi, came in my December Julep Maven "Bombshell" box. :)

Here, with a flash, you can see it (11) with a little bit of shimmer. :)

 

As you can see, it is a fairly bright burgundy, though a lovely color. Everyone knows I can never keep my hands off anything in the dark crimsons + burgundy family, so this was a welcome addition and my favorite choice out of all the Maven selections for the month -- and I already am a Bombshell! :)

Now, Demi does seem to have a mystery around her.

... where is Demi?

She's not under reds, pinks, purples, or anything else on Julep's website. Is she an unreleased color? Out of stock? Discontinued? Where is Demi? LoL.

Demi lasted pretty well. It tends to peel, though, and it peeled in some spots pretty quickly. I did apply it this time over my Color Club basecoat, though I think the first time I wore it, I put it over the Nail Therapy one. Both times I used the Julep fast-dry topcoat that also came in my Maven box. Now my topcoat is slightly tinted Demi. Haha. I am kind of tempted to try it over a tried and true polish and see if it makes that one peel as well. Short story: I love Demi, but I'm not sure about this topcoat buddy she brought along. But that's a review for another time...

Overall, I am really glad I picked this color out of my Maven choices. :)

Product Review - Julep "Everyday SPF Hand Cream - SPF 30"

 I have another product from Julep to share with you guys today. I have the "Everyday SPF Hand Cream - SPF 30," which I think came in my October Maven box. I was a horrible blogger all those months ago (lol) so I didn't do a complete post on the whole box at once.

This is a really nice hand cream. I had received a few packets of it in my first couple of Maven boxes, and had been trying it after using the "Facial for Hands" glycolic scrub, which I dearly adore. I like using it in the morning before I head out, though during winter I try really hard to minimize sun exposure altogether via gloves + pockets. I like to use the Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener in the evening, and this in the morning.

The smell is not too bad, though the SPF adds a little bit of the "sunscreen" scent, though I cannot complain given what it is doing for my skin. It has a nice texture, again with a little bit of sunblock quality, but hey, it is a great product. I have not seen any drying of my hands from using it.

I will more than likely buy another of these when mine runs out. I am liking it for fall+winter -- I might need my Neutrogena SPF 90+ for spring+summer because I am transparent and vampiric -- but for now, it's in my "using daily" stash. :)

Julep Maven - December 2011 "Bombshell"

A few weeks ago, I received a Christmas present in the mail!

... I mean, my Julep Maven box. :D

I stuck with Bombshell for this month, tempted though I was by the appliqués of some of the other boxes. But most of you know that I cannot get enough of rich burgundies and crimsons, and since Demi was one the polish of the month, I was lost in its creamy burgundy-ness. Also, and maybe someone can prove me wrong, but I imagine appliqués do not work so well in little, not-grown-out nails? I want to try them... but when I have some visible nail line. ;)

Soooo... I got...
 

OMG, the prettiness. I just love how it all color-coordinates... both with the items themselves and their wrapping and, magically, my couch!

So I received the polish, Demi, their fast-dry topcoat, a pomegranate body crème, and a special little glitter pot. I am not too lotion-happy, but this smells divine, and I was fortunate enough not to have mine leak at all!

So that's my December box. As always, it was just lovely. :)

Julep Giveaway!

Good morning, darlings!

Don't forget that Julep is running an amazing full-color set giveaway on Facebook!

Also, if you follow somebody's link to get to the giveaway, you give me a shot at winning a Julep Maven subscription for life, lol. Polish pix forever for you!

Polish Review - Julep "Michelle"

Hello, everyone! I have another Julep polish for you guys today. This one is also from the November Maven "Polish Lovers" Box, which was released specially last month as a one-time option. It's a good thing, too! I probably would always pick that option and never try anything new out of Julep's wonderful products.

This is the dark navy blue creme out of the set:

 The Julep is 15, in the middle. This is with a flash, and swatched next to Nina Ultra Pro "Sailor" on its left, which I thought might be more of a dupe than it really is.

Again, Michelle is on the left.

Finally, one without flash. You can see how dark this is! It's a black-at-a-glance for sure.

I lent out my OPI "Russian Navy" to a friend, but when I get it back, I will swatch them next to each other. I don't think they are dupes, but I know it's the only other dark navy in my collection.

This is a nice color to have; I think it's an essential for any woman because it is such a nice, basic color, and goes with so much. It goes on fairly easily, and it's only a two-coater. You could probably get away with one. There was some edgewear after a day or so, but it didn't start seriously chipping until I started picking at it on Day Three.

Julep Maven -November 2011 "Polish Lover"

Hello, everyone! I have a package to share with all of you today.

Earlier this week, I received my Julep Maven box for November, 2011. Normally I'm a Bombshell, and while I liked the lipgloss and makeup bag combinations that they had offered, and I did like my nail polish color, but I didn't have the option of changing the color of the lipgloss, which I doubt would have gone very well with my skintone. Soo, I asked for a new shelf pull, and one of the new options they had was a special one-time "Polish Lover" option. In spite of liking the bag, I knew I had to go for that option!

This was a new style of packaging for Julep. Isn't it adorable? I love the little black fillings around the packaging case.

Here I included the special "Polish Lover" card that came with it. I'm always impressed with their presentation and their design team. So professional!

It came with three polishes. From left to right: Diane, Trina, and Michelle. It also came with three little samples of their glycolic hand scrub, SPF 30 hand cream, and the age-defying hand brightener. Since I already received the full sizes of all of these, I will be passing these along to my mother. :)

Swatches and reviews to come! I've already tried out Michelle, and I have a dupe in my collection for Diane, so keep your eyes out for my next posts!

Polish Review - Julep "Vanessa"

Hello again!

I have another Julep polish for you guys. This one also came in my October 2011 Julep Maven Bombshell box. Today I have "Vanessa" for you.

Vanessa is a really pretty, micro-glittery polish suspended in a clear base. It serves best as a topcoat, but I swatched it on its own below.

I think this picture is about 4-5 coats to get the maximum opacity that I could out of it, but as you can see, the glitter is really too fine for it to stand on its own and have full coverage. This picture does have a clear topcoat to bring out the glitter.

I like this polish a lot. When I wore it I wore it over an old, goopy, "never come off your nails" kind of L'Oreal white because it was the only white that I had. It never dried, but at least it was pretty until I had to take off the whole manicure. It looked like snow that has just melted a little bit, so at night it sparkles -- pretty!

Drying time is very quick on Vanessa itself, like any good glitter. It seemed like it wasn't very chippy, though I didn't get to wear it for very long before the bottom layer of white polish got squishy and started sliding off the nail. Ew.

My biggest problem with it is that it's a very goopy polish. For some reason this doesn't equal an impossible drying time, but it does equal going through a LOT of polish, very quickly! You can see that I've used almost a third of the bottle in the bottle picture above. I swatched it on the nail wheel, and I did a two-coat manicure. Eeps! I hope I don't have to buy another round of Van really soon. :(

Overall this is a pretty polish. I think I like it a little more than Chloe, which came in the same Maven box. This one is definitely easy on the application, and much more versatile.