Tag: Julep
CSI: My Nails
Julep “Mary Lee” is the first Satin Finish polish that I’ve tried. Satin is somewhere between matte and shiny. To me, this polish looks like a pool of coagulating blood – like there is a skin dried on top – think a murder scene that is a few hours old. “Mary Lee” is a very sensitive polish…barely brushing my nails against the wall while drying my hands left scratches across the finish.
Julep describes the color as oxblood satin. I’ve never seen a bleeding ox, so I’ll have to take their word for it. My husband said it looks like raisinettes. I have to give it to him – that’s much more creative description than I came up with.
Even though I used Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat, I got one or two bubbles. *SIGH* Julep – what’s with all the bubbles? On the positive side, the polish dried very quickly – even without a top coat. The polish also pulled away from the tips of my nails. It isn’t chipped – it is a uniform shrinking along the free edge.
I cannot stand the lack of shiny…I need GLITTER.
God Save the Queen
If I ever have a passing thought about canceling my Julep Maven subscription, polishes like Julep “Queen Anne” make me remember why I love Julep polishes so much. I’ve never encountered another microglitter like Julep’s. No other polish has the fine glitter texture that Julep has…
“Queen Anne” is Julep’s Third Anniversary polish. It was released as part of the August Collection, but was only available in 2 special boxes outside the main collection. I was sad in August, but happy when it popped up in September as an add-on! Julep describes it as lilac microglitter, but there are a few hints of the rainbow in there, too. Again, Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat, but no top coat so I could feel the rough texture.
I wonder what it would look like with “Claudia”?
September Julep Maven Box – The Art Walk Collection
Okay, so I’m finally reaping the rewards of Julep’s change of shipping partners. I got my box today, although I was a bit envious that my BFF got her box 2 whole days ago!
September’s box is called “The Art Walk Collection”. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it was a different mix of colors than the last few summer boxes – more fall colors. The beauty product I picked was the Plush Pout Lip Crayon in “Magenta Plum”. I mixed it up with the polishes again. I picked Boho Glam “Mary Lee” – oxblood satin – and Bombshell “Kirby” – silver jagged glitter top coat. I kind of wish that I added on It Girl “Ana” – white jagged glitter top coat – but maybe I’ll get to pick it up later…
I also used some Jules to add on Julep’s 3rd anniversary polish, “Queen Anne” – lilac confetti microglitter. It’s super sweet.
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Lunchtime Score
Over the past week, I’ve started to see Instagram posts of people snagging Kat Von D stuff for super cheap at T.J. Maxx & Marshalls. You know I had to make a quick trip during my lunch hour…
I managed to snag a Kat Von D “Triple Threat Tattoo Liner” – a set of 3 black felt tip liners with different tips. For $6.99 – why not? I also got a 3 pack of e.l.f. Hypershine lip gloss for $2.99 – it’s a knock off of stila lip glaze, but at a fifth of the price. It’s a thinner formula, but it has decent staying power for about $1 each – score! I was shocked to see a few bottles of Julep polish mixed in with the rest – I picked up a bottle of Julep “Lexie”…not for myself, but for a very special “Lexie” that I know.
While I was out, I popped in to Big Lots to get Pop-Tarts for my kids – because they WORLD WILL END if they have to eat something that is not a Pop-Tart. I couldn’t resist digging through the bins of polish…I grabbed Sinful Colors “Holiday Rebel” – green and red glitter for Xmas – and Sinful Colors “What’s Your Name” – a black jelly with blue/purple duochrome shimmer. I’m so excited about that last one.
So…I will be hitting all the Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and Ross until my eyeliner thirst is satiated…
Product Review – They’re Real Push-up Liner
The sole reason I picked The Everygirl box for this month’s Birchbox was so I could get my hands on a sample of Benefit “They’re Real” Push-up Liner. I have a love/hate relationship with eyeliner and I’m still searching for “The One”. I’ve tried all kinds of pencils, liquids, markers and gels and I haven’t found the perfect eyeliner yet.
During my teens and 20s, I wore a fair amount of liquid eyeliner, often giving Robert Smith and Siouxsie Sioux a run for their money. I usually used the cheap stuff – like wet ‘n wild – but it served its purpose. I think I still have a bottle of e.l.f. liquid eyeliner stashed somewhere. I’ve had occasional good results with Julep’s Gel eyeliner and Laura Geller Baked Shadows, but not consistently good results. I’m looking for something that doesn’t require a game of eyeliner chicken and Q-tip cleanup.
How good are your plumbing skills? Are you skilled with a putty knife, able to spread a thin, straight line of caulk like a butt-crack-bearing pro? Or are you like me, smearing caulk everywhere, adding more layers to try to get a straight line and then suddenly…you realize that the tube is empty and the bathroom is only half done.
That’s how I felt the first time I used Benefit “They’re Real” Push-up Liner. The applicator is like a tiny putty knife and the gel eye liner squirts out of the tip. You smear it on your eyelid and attempt to smear it into a straight line. That being said, once I figured it out, it wasn’t hard to get a thin layer, but getting both eyes to match was – again – a game of eyeliner chicken. I ended up applying twice as thick a line as I wanted – I actually went to the grocery store like this – I looked like a Raccoon Hooker.
That being said, this is a pretty decent eyeliner. It lives up to the claims of being “lash-hugging” – which is the number one complaint I have with some eyeliners…visible skin around my eyelashes. I feel like I could master it with practice, although I feel more comfortable using a brush with gel eyeliner. I don’t feel like “They’re Real” Push-up Liner is worth $24, but I would be more likely to purchase a product like this if it was half the price. Come on, knock-offs!
Click Your Heels
When I first heard about Julep “Martina” – Ruby for July, my first though was Martina Navratilova. That makes no sense at all, does it? “Martina” is actually named for Martina McBride…again, I am drawing a blank.
“Martina” is even more Ruby Slippers-like than Julep “Ruby Slippers” – how is that even possible? It’s a deep ruby glitter – almost matte. It’s very similar to Zoya “Chyna” – but without the texture.
Like I did with Julep “Claudia”, I started with Sally Hansen Diamond Shine and did two coats – no top coat. Next time I’ll try a top coat, because it wasn’t shiny at all.
It’s time to cut my nails – after less than 12 hours, the tips are already starting to chip. The tips of my nails have peeled too much and nothing will stick. I guess I know what I’m doing tonight…
Peridot is Not Boring
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I always used to think that Peridot was the most boring of the birthstones – just a muddy light green, nothing compared to May’s brilliant Emerald.
Julep “Claudia” – Peridot for August totally changed my mind. Just look at this glitter! The lime green glitter not only has a few emerald flecks, but fiery orange flecks as well. I cannot stand how awesome this polish is…it’s like blinding me.
I used Sally Hansen Diamond Shine for the base coat, but didn’t use a top coat so I could enjoy the dusty texture. “Claudia” isn’t as textured as a pixie dust or sand polish, but you can definitely feel the glitter. FEEL THE GLITTER – that is my new motto…
My Best Friend Thinks I’m an Idiot
For some reason, my BFF thinks I’m an idiot…is it because I keep buying more Julep polishes? I have it on good authority that she is also expecting a Julep shipment…with 4 polishes!
I took advantage of the August 8th Magic Eightball Coupon to get 50% off these two polishes from Julep’s Birthstone Collection. “Martina” – Ruby for July is named after Martina McBride. I know she’s a country singer, but I couldn’t name one of her songs if I had a gun to my head. “Claudia” – Peridot for August is named for Claudia Schiffer, the 90s supermodel. Is she still alive?
I am Peridot-ing my fingers as soon as I click “Publish”.
Trippin’ Disco Balls
First off, be assured that the pictures does not do my nails justice. I couldn’t quite capture the Disco Ball prism magic with my camera…I usually have no problem getting a nice glitter shot, but the glitter here is so fine that it’s hard to see.
This is Julep “Coretta” – Diamond for April. It’s like a Disco Ball on my fingers. Seriously…I could stare at this polish for HOURS and just watch the colors change.
I used Sally Hansen Diamond Shine for the base coat, but I didn’t use a top coat, because I wanted to keep the slightly sandy texture.
Taste the rainbow…
Sari, Not Sari
Does it really matter that I have dozens of fuchsia/magenta/whatever nail polishes? I keep buying them and I keep loving each new one more than the last.
This is Julep “Neha” from August’s “Wanderlust Collection.” Julep describes it Sari Magenta Shimmer, but Sari isn’t really a color, is it? I’ve seen many Saris this color, so maybe that’s what they mean? Stereotypically Indian Magenta?
I used the last of my Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat – I got only 12 measly uses out of it! I suspect that this base coat is the source of my bubbling problem. “India” did not bubble with the Revlon, but “Neha” bubbled on this first coat! I put that second coat on as quickly as I could and then slapped Sally Hansen “Diamond Flash” on top. I managed to escape with no bubbles…phew!
My biggest disappointment is that my beloved Furious Fuchsia is in the shop after getting rear-ended last week. I have an obsessive desire to compare my polishes to my car to find the perfect match. I won’t be seeing her again until the end of the month…at the earliest. Rude.