Julep Maven March 2013 The Playful Collection

What is more playful and fun than pastels! This month Julep pulled out all the stops to bring us not only one theme, but two, along with some great products.

As you know this year March is the month of the Cristian/Catholic holiday of Easter and the Irish celebration of Saint Patrick's day. Not religious, christian/catholic, or Irish? That's alright! Spring is the time of the fashion season where pastels start popping out anyway. So regardless of what you are you can have a pop of fun, yet soft, color on your nails. So put away the dark shades and transition into something a little brighter.

Julep got their color theme this month from the colors of chalk. Ever see kids playing outside and drawing hopscotch in bright yellow, orange, or even lilac? What a better time to let the kid in you come out, in a more adult and fashionable way of course! Time to meet the shades!

(Disclaimer: I have upgraded to the full collection box, see details after review)

Just a few notes on the formula's this month! Unlike the thick and goopy Neons from January (Nudes and Neons) these shades apply a lot nicer. They still apply opaque in about one coat, i always do two for good measure. They were not streaky, dried fast, and the bit of shimmer in these shades was just noticeable in natural light. Which is nice if your looking for something girly and soft but not overly childish. Don't worry! These do not cross that fine line.

1- Teri (It Girl)- Tropical coral pink creme
2- Adrianna (Bombshell) - Smokey Chartreuse creme
3- Joy (Boho Glam)- Smokey mauve creme
4- Leila (Boho Glam) - Lemon Yellow opalescent shimmer.

5- Minnie (Bombshell) - Warm pastel pink with opalescent shimmer
6- Debra (Classic with a Twist)- smokey taupe creme
7- Shenae (It Girl)- Pastel mint green with opalescent shimmer
8- Simone (Classic with a Twist)- Soft pastel lilac with opalescent shimmer

This month Julep offered Lucky an opaque kelly green glitter with flecks of gold glitter as well. This allowed mavens to be able to have colors themed for spring, Easter, and Saint Patrick's day. Each add on is $4.99 (up 1$ from previous months)

As a bonus all Mavens this month received this delightfully scented lip balm in Strawberry-mint. This minty, fresh, and fruity lip balm is the perfect thing to keep lips good and moisturized through the sometimes cold, breezy, months of spring. Appears clear on the lips, non heavy, and does not have a weird taste.

 Since the full upgrade includes items from every style profile this month i got both items from the newly created style profile Modern Beauty which is for product lovers (kind of like how It Girl is for polish lovers). The two items included were Rock Star Hand Creme and Glycolic Hand Scrub. I love that these products got a great make over in terms of their packaging. Both the hip boxes they come in to the new color scheme on the bottles themselves i really like it. My only complaint is the Rock Star hand creme opening. It is a twist cap and the product comes out through a hole. I did not read this and almost ripped the tip off. Once i figured it out i used the hand cream, which smells amazingly soft and feminine. I did not like that the tip stays dirty unless whipped clean so unless you hold the bottle vertically and let it drip into your hand you will be left with a dirty tip. That is my only complaint. 

Overall i thought this month was great in terms of color, product, application, quality, and theme. I like that it is on par with other brands such as Zoya (like the Zoya lovely collection). The range of colors from cremes to shimmers was a nice touch and the addition of a product profile is also a plus for mavens who just don't need/want polish that month but want to receive a box from Juelp that month.

If you are new to Julep or just want a little more information here is what you need to know. Julep is a nail polish company that offers a monthly subscription box that delivers nail polish, manicure/pedicure products, and/or beauty products every month for $20. There are lots of options that allow you to have the best experience. First you start by filling out a survey to determine what is your style profile so you can receive products that match your personality. Every month on the 19th/20th your maven profile will open for selection. You can choose to change your box to a different style profile, upgrade to a full collection box  (for $30 more), or skip altogether. Plus you can earn Jules from referring friends or even just buying your monthly box! They add up pretty quick! You can sign up here! Use promo code PENNY and your first box is only a penny!

And with that i leave you with a fun quote..

Milan Rowe Lipsticks in Dulce Diva, Viva La Lilac, and Bombshell Review and Swatches

A while back i reviewed some amazing Milan Rowe products. After completely falling in loved with.. well everything! i had to pick up some more. I decided to purchase some beautiful lipsticks one from the intense color line and two from the cream lipstick line. Each lipstick beautiful and vibrant with a great formula to match.

Dulce Diva-
This cream lipstick is so vibrant! Hot pink, highly pigmented and comparable in quality to MAC. This lipstick lasted on my lips for about 5 hours, did not bleed, feather, or show lip flaws. My lips did not feel dry and i loved how bright this lipstick staid. I did not find it to dull during wear. There is no weird scent or after taste. This shade is perfect for girls who love hot pink and don't want to have to build up a color on their lips.

 Viva La Lilac-
This pastel lilac shade part of the intense lip color collection is a beautiful light shade. This lipstick feels like a semi-mat and is highly pigmented. In one swipe you will have full coverage over your lips. This reminds me of a pinker version of D'Lilac by limecrime and is, therefor, more wearable and more flattering for more skin tones. While i love this formula and how it applies because it is light if you have any lip flaws they will show through. My lips were a little flaky before i applied this (i used lip balm but the cold weather and my recent cold has ravaged my lips). I do love this color and how long it lasts (5 hours). No bleeding or feathering (better formula than Limecrime). Is not drying on the lips.

 Bombshell-
Bright orange with gold shimmer undertone. I usually can not pull off a shimmer shade but this orange is just perfect. Against my skin tone it appears a bit red (as do most oranges) so if you have a darker skin tone this will appear more orange and if you have a light skin tone this may appear more red. The gold shimmer makes this lipstick just the right amount of shinny and glowy. Will bring lots of good attention to your lips and is a beautiful fall/summer/spring color. This shade does not bleed, feather, and lasts for about 5 hours. No weird smell or taste. Highly pigmented and formula is comparable in quality to MAC. If you are looking for the perfect orange you have to look no further.

Overall Milan Rowe has amazing lipsticks, lip glosses, pout pastes, shadows, and pigments. If you are looking for perfectly pigmented products in trendy colors with high quality formulas, Milan Rowe is for you!

Julep Maven Bombshell Box October 2012 Plus Add On's Review and Swatches

Happy October everyone! Yes i know i am very behind on my posts, but since i have a bit of time lets play catch up! Today i bring you the October Julep Maven Box. This months box is full of surprises. What was expected this month was two polishes (Three if you choose It girl or Mavens Choice) along with fast drying drops. This alone would have impressed me. Julep is always one step ahead and went on to include some amazing goodies! This post will not only include my maven box but also my add on's.

Some inspiring words from the fashion world! Love how this month they are Halloween themed!

This months box was packed with orange packaging and made me feel like Halloween was coming early this year.

As soon as i spotted the candy corn i was impressed! A delicious treat, great presentation, and holiday themed. So far so good!

This months Bombshell box included a black crackle named Ursula, a deep red named Keira, Fast Drying Nail drops, cosmetic glitter in orange and black, and of course candy corn. All of this for $20 dollars is above and beyond worth it!

My add on's in addition to the monthly box. Caroline, Sophia, and Glenda.

A close up of what i received:
Trick or treat its delicious candy corn!

Orange and Black Nail Glitter!
This cosmetic grade glitter is perfect to apply to nails for a sparkly Halloween or fall look. Apply to wet nails by sprinkling over and sealing with a clear top coat or use a sponge to have a glitter fade down the nail!

Ursula-
This black crackle is perfect for Halloween! I really wanted to be impressed with this polish, i figured if anyone could do crackle justice it would be Julep. Sadly this polish was a let down. It resembles something similar to tar and finishes matte. Trying to apply it was difficult due to how fast it was drying. A thin coat began to dry before i could finish the other side of my nail and when the polish over lapped it ruined the polish on the other side along with the polish below it. You must have a fast hand and apply a thick coat to have this polish turn out half way decent. Scroll down to see application.

 Keira-
A deep, rich, almost blood red color. This shade is a beautiful, rich, and opaque red. Aside from matching wonderfully for Halloween, is perfectly on trend for matching your lips to your nails! (see vampy lips trend here and here!) I love how this polish only required one coat to cover my nails. Even coverage and fast drying. This is the quality i know Julep for.

 Julep Quick Dry Polish Drops:
This generously sized bottle of Julep Quick Dry Polish Drops is a great addition to any Cosmeholics nail collection. This product will not only dry your nails fast but leave them smelling of lavender and will leave your cuticles feeling soft. The little dropper helps to deliver just the right amount of product.

 Add On's
 Caroline-
A shimmery, multidimensional, burgundy red. This shade can appear black or red depending on how the light hits it. Honestly, this is my favorite shade i have ever gotten from julep.

 Sophia-
This sheer, glittery, green shade is glow in the dark! It makes me feel like a kid again with glowing nail. Can be applied over bare nails but Julep.com recommends that it be applied over a white shade like Kate to bring out this shade. This shade drys matte. In my swatches i applied two coats to bare nails.

 Glenda-
This is the second shade of crackle i have tried from Juelp. This shade is phenomenal compared to Ursula. Drys at an average rate, easy to apply, and is very shimmery. The finish is smooth. This shade really does channel the good witch!

 Ursula Vs Glenda over Keira

 Using Caroline and Sienna I created a fall metallic look!

For some additional nail inspiration you can try this months wicked crackle look!

Oh but whats Julep Maven?
Well for $20 dollar a month you can have a box (worth $40) filled with amazing polishes delivered to your door with free shipping. Each month brings a new surprise from on trend and season appropriate polishes to additional goodies and products all chosen for you by Julep but you can pick the box which most suits you. Take your style quiz today to find out which style you are. Plus once your a maven you get great discounts, free shipping, and the ability to earn free boxes. Don't like commitment? You can always skip the months you don't want to try! Still iffy? Enter promo code PENNY to try your first box for only one penny!