Tag: Julep
Growth
After taking advantage of Julep’s Labor Day sale, I couldn’t wait to jump into my new polishes. I didn’t realize how much I’d been missing my monthly Julep fix.
The first polish I grabbed was Julep “Growth”, sprouted green creme, from the Intention Collection. I was expecting a thin jelly polish, but “Growth” is a thick, full coverage creme polish. It was almost full coverage in one coat! This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat, except for my mattified pinky.
I am really loving this polish – it is a very unique color that you don’t ordinarily see in polish. I was reminded of toothpaste, and then mint chocolate chip ice cream, but ultimately, I decided that this polish color reminded me of a polished jade necklace that I inherited from my grandmother.
Julep Labor Day
I didn’t realize how much I’d been missing my monthly Julep boxes…back on Labor Day, I got an email with a killer sale – 50% off polishes, plus an additional 60% off $35 orders. Since I was previously a Maven, I had to “reactivate” my Julep account – they basically reset everyone’s account when they dismantled the Maven program. When I logged in, it said I didn’t qualify for the 60% deal…but my previous Maven status gives me 25% off, plus activating gave me an additional 35% off, so it worked out to 60% off anyway. Long story short, I got 6 polishes for a few cents less than $20 – a killer deal!
I picked up the “Surreal World” 2 polish set, which includes Bombshell “Azalea” – pink sunrise holographic microglitter – and It Girl “Bri” – Purple Ember Holographic Shimmer. I picked just one from the Intention Collection, “Growth” – sprouted green creme. (I have no idea what that means.)
I wanted to get the whole Zodiac Collection, since I already have “Virgo” (for my mom) and “Taurus” (for my sister), but they didn’t have them all still available. I was able to get “Stirring Sagittarius” (my husband) – introspective mauve iridescent – and “Passionate Pisces” (both my kids) – shimmering seaside sunset metallic. I was irritated about not being able to get an Aquarius polish, but I was able to get one from the newer Birthstone Collection – “Bernadette – Black Onyx for February” – black onyx birthstone microshimmer with silver glitter.
I’ve been getting emails that Julep is now being carried at Target – I’ll have to check it out.
Marika
Believe it or not, I still have a bunch of Julep polishes that I haven’t tried yet – at least a dozen or so!
This is Julep Boho Glam “Marika”, stone matte metallic, from the January 2016 box. Yes, it’s been sitting in my “untried” basket that long!
I am out of Julep Base Coats and it looks like they will not be restocking, which pisses me off. I keep checking the site periodically, but no luck so far. I used Glisten & Glow Base Coat, which is fine, I guess. This is two coats of “Marika”, topped with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat. I feel like the Matte Top Coat made it kind of cloudy, if that makes sense? I feel like the polish looked crisper and more saturated without the top coat, but what can you do? I went without a top coat for literally DECADES, but now I am a full believer.
Tranquil Taurus
Even though the Julep Maven program ended months ago, I still have a dozen…or maybe more…Julep polishes that I haven’t tried yet. Who knows – you could be still seeing “new” Julep polishes years from now.
This beautiful honey gold polish is Julep “Tranqil Taurus” from the Zodiac Collection. I’m not a Taurus, but my little sister is. I’m bummed that “Adventurous Aquarius” wasn’t an option when I picked my last box, but oh well.
This is two coats of “Tranquil Taurus” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. This was sadly the last use out of the Ridge Filling Base Coat – I like it more than the regular Glisten & Glow Base Coat and I will add some to my next order.
Carla Calamine
Do they even sell calamine lotion anymore? Now that there’s a vaccine for chicken pox, what else can you do with calamine lotion? Oh, I guess people still use it for poison ivy, but I’m guessing that the vaccine has really killed the calamine industry.
I, though, am from the generation that had chicken pox – and boy did I ever. I still have very prominent scars from the chicken pox I got in 2nd grade and I remember how I looked, covered in calamine lotion. It’s not even lotion – it doesn’t absorb, it just sits on your skin and crusts. And that’s Julep “Carla” in a nutshell – it dried on my nails like calamine lotion. The first coat was super streaky. The second coat helped, but it was still super streaky. I think part of the problem was that base coat. I squeezed one more use out of my almost empty bottle of Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat – but that last coat was not even and did not give a good start to the manicure. (I am devastated that I cannot get this base coat anymore – nothing works as well with my Julep polishes, as their own formulation.)
I finished with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat, which was adding insult to injury. It showed every imperfection and of course, I managed to get several dents in it while getting ready for bed. It didn’t last long – I took it off after 2 days.
Vibrant Virgo
Can you tell that this nail pic was taken in the middle of lovely Chicago Midway Airport? I was stuck there on a layover for five hours on Saturday, so I had plenty of time to take care of Instagram business.
Julep “Vibrant Virgo” is a multidimensional rose gold polish – and it. is. EVERYTHING. It matches everything – even my new wedding band.
This is two coats of “Vibrant Virgo” over Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
I was kind of trying to riff on Jim Morrison in February’s box review – here’s the real quote:
“I don’t know how many you people believe in astrology…Yeah, that’s right…that’s right, baby, I…I am a Sagittarius. The most philosophical of all the signs. But anyway, I don’t believe in it.
– Jim Morrison – “Roadhouse Blues”
I think it’s a bunch of bullshit, myself.
But I tell you this, man, I tell you this…I don’t know what’s gonna happen, man, but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.
February 2019 Julep Box – A Star is Born
This is it – my very last Julep Maven box.
Yes, it’s true – Julep has shut down their monthly subscription box program. Customers were notified of the decision on February 15th. Not only is the program canceled, but we also lost all of our Jules – I think I had close to $40 worth. It’s a bummer, but not shocking after hearing that they had declared bankruptcy and were closing the physical salons in Seattle. I am disappointed, but also slightly relieved – that’s $20/month I can pump back into my beauty budget.
My first clue that the program was coming to a close was that there was no February Collection – the curated boxes included makeup and the new version of “love your bare face” Replenishing Creme-to-Foam Cleanser. I kept the cleanser in my box and added two polishes from last year’s Zodiac Collection – “Vibrant Virgo”, luxe rose gold multidimensional, and “Tranquil Taurus”, grounded honey wheat metallic. My mom was a Virgo and my younger sister is a Taurus, but I don’t believe any of that shit.
The face wash is rather nice – it’s a pretty big tube and it rinses clean. I still prefer the stick formula – it works well with my Clarisonic and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean, but this one will do.
According to the breakup email I received, all Mavens will continue to get a 25% discount off of regular prices, but I don’t know how much I’ll be shopping at Julep. I do need more Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat, but they’ve been out of stock for months. So frustrating!
Yes, it’s the end of an era.
Angelique
I did it – I found a glitter nail polish that doesn’t look as good mattified!
This is Julep “Angelique” – dragonfly wing iridescent glitter. It’s a mix of green and gold glitter – and shockingly, it looks better with a glossy top coat than a matte one.
This is two coats of “Angelique” over Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat. I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on my thumb and ring finger, and regular Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the rest.
I bet this polish would look nice over a red or turquoise base. I need to experiment with it.
Sabina
You know when you go to the beach, and sometimes, the sand is really chunky, because the sand is not sand, but small bits of smashed shells and coral and it’s really rough, but pretty? That’s what Julep “Sabina” looks like – crushed seashells and sand.
“Sabina” is a really odd polish – smooth and sharp at the same time. I was afraid it would be blotchy and leave naked spots on my nails, but I got full, even coverage in two coats. I started with Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat and topped with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat. Matte on matte on matte on matte!
In college, I knew a girl named “Sabina”. She was a really crunchy hippy girl, but she was hands down one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known – she was always smiling. I always wanted to ask her if her parents meant to name her “Sabrina”, but misspelled it – I didn’t realize that “Sabina” was a name on it’s own, because I’d never heard it before. D’oh.
January 2019 Julep Box – Face the Future
Well hell, I picked an odd assortment of colors this month, didn’t I?
I skipped this month’s featured beauty product – boost your radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Oil. I’d gotten it in the January 2017 box – I ended using it more as a lipstick remover than a facial oil. It smelled lovely, but my face doesn’t do well with oils.
It Girl “Sabina” is seashell matte glitter and Boho Glam “Zara” is oyster grey sheer holographic. Both are very bland and neutral. Boho Glam “Angelique” is dragonfly wing iridescent glitter, but it’s not from this month’s collection – it’s from a Mystery Box, but it called out to me when I was building my box. I also added a sheet of silver stripe decals – I’m not quite sure how I’m gonna use them – they are super long.
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!