Tag: Julep
Xmas Tree Nail Art
Finally! I finally ventured into the world of nail art…
I decided to start with simple Xmas trees. After Orly Bonder, I started with one coat of Nicole by OPI “On a Gilt Trip”. I then used my largest dotting tool to create trees with Julep “Priscilla” – Emerald for May. I used a smaller dotting tool to create ornaments with Julep “Oscar” and Funky Fingers “Red Ryder”. I painted a thin layer of Sally Hansen Diamond Flash over JUST the trees to maintain the matte finish of “On a Gilt Trip”.
It didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would…just 30 minutes or so. They’re not perfect, but they’re pretty darn cute if I do say so myself.
A Julep Gift…for Myself
A few weeks ago, Julep was doing daily specials and one day, they had a gift box with any three polishes for $19.99. That’s a great deal…but the 30% off coupon code in my last Julep Box made it even better – $13.99 for 3 polishes.
I got “Serena” – Sapphire for September, “Julie” – Pink Tourmaline for October, and “Joni” – Citrine for November.
I am trying to finish off the Birthstone Collection, but the site is totally sold out of “Savannah” – Topaz for December. I hope it comes back soon…
Barbie Bride
Forget the Ugly Christmas Sweater – now I feel like a beautiful Barbie Bride!
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure “Sweet Talker” is a pale, pale pink.(I got it in my Allure Beauty Box a few days ago!) It’s a thin, milky polish and was still streaky after the second coat. I might have been able to get a smooth finish after three coats, but since I knew I was gonna put Julep “Chatoya” over it, I didn’t bother. (It will be relegated to the “undercoat only” pile.) Julep’s site describes “Chatoya” as a bright platinum glitter top coat, but upon close inspection, it’s a mix of silver and rose gold glitter – and absolutely stunning. Again, I used the Sinful Colors Base Coat and Sally Hansen Diamond Flash, which is quickly becoming my go-to combination.
Although I didn’t have it in mind when I picked this nail polish combination, it perfectly matches my vintage Barbie Bride ornament, which also adorned my wedding cake oh-so-long-ago. (Poor Ken is hidden behind my hand.) I can’t wait to show off more of my Xmas ornaments…
My Sharna
This is Julep “Sharna” from this month’s Maven box. I absolutely adore the fine, sharp texture of Julep’s microglitters. I’ll never add a top coat because I love the sandpapery feel of the glitter. I used Orly Bonder for the base coat – it does a great job of keeping the tips from chipping.
I’ve never heard of anyone named “Sharna” – but then I googled it and saw that it’s the name of one of the dancers on Dancing with the Stars. Hmmm…what an odd name.
December Julep Maven Box – The Countdown Collection
Once again, I got my Julep Box on the 5th – they’re really getting really good at their shipping times. My Julep Box was buried among 8 packages yesterday – a Harry & David box from my boss (pears from Oregon – yum), my Shutterfly Calendars and the rest from Amazon! I only have a few more gifts to buy left…
“The Countdown Collection” stars Orbital Eye Shadow, a shimmery shadow that can be worn dry OR wet. I picked “airglow” – champagne with rose gold pearlescence. I love baked wet/dry shadows, so I hope it’s similar! I also customized the shadows in my box: It Girl “Sharna” – bronze-dipped full-coverage microglitter – and Boho Glam “Chatoya” – bright platinum glitter top coat. For a treat, there were 2 Red Bird Southern Refresh-mints.
Since I switched to the customizable box, I can no longer use my Jules to pay for boxes. I was sad, until I realized that I had so many Jules that I could use them on other stuff – like their new holiday line. I picked SWEEP – The Photogenic Palette. It a palette of 11 neutral shades – matte and shimmer. 11 is such an odd number, but whatever. Even though there’s a sea of naked/nude palettes on the market, I feel like I gotta get em all!
Not a Julep Maven? CLICK HERE to join! Get a FREE Jingle Bells Welcome Box with code TREAT!
Let’s Build A Snowman!
…and NO, I am NOT referring to Frozen. I’m referring to that classic of college cinema – Cannibal! The Musical. In this movie, if you start singing about building a snowman…YOU DIE.
Julep “Kiki” looked so good that I decided to try out Funky Fingers “Olaf” on top of it. (Yes…THAT Olaf.) “Olaf” was yet another frustrating glitter. Those snowflakes were impossible to fish out of the bottle because of the narrow neck. I gave up after one snowflake per finger. The rest of the glitter was wonderful…but those fucking snowflakes…
I did 2 coats of “Olaf”, which I regretted as I was removing it just a few hours ago. I had to pry those fucking snowflakes off with my fingernails…
Cloudy Dream
Julep “Kiki” is like dark, dreamy thunderclouds rolling in. It looks lighter in the bottle, like a bright sun shower – but once it’s on your fingers, it’s thunder and lightning. Julep’s site describes it as oceanic silver shimmer – maybe an oceanic storm? The Bermuda Triangle?
Another one coater, but I used two to be sure – sandwiched between Revlon Quick Dry Base and Top Coat. No bubbles or streaks – it’s like Julep has turned into Zoya all of a sudden!
I wish I had worn gray and black today instead of brown and pink…
A Solid Fart
So I made the mistake of asking my son what he he thought about my fingernail polish…he said it looks like “a solid fart.” After questioning him, he claimed that he had pooped this color before – and I stated that he needs medical care. He laughed at me as he walked away. Even though it sounded like he was saying my nails look like shit, I know that’s not what he meant. He meant that they look like chili beans, so I can kind of see that.
This is Julep “Fazia”. (Is Julep running out of polish names? May I recommend “Lara” or “Lilith”???) It was a true one coater, but I used two just to be sure. It was smooth and didn’t streak – and NO bubbles! I used Revlon Quick Dry Base and Top Coat, which seem to work best with Julep.
I can’t wait hear what my next polish looks like…boogers, barf or some other excrement?
November Julep Maven Box – The Friendsgiving Collection
I got my Julep box yesterday – but I wanted to try the Length Matters Wow-Impact Mascara before writing the review.
Holy shit – this is absolutely the BEST mascara I’ve ever used. (Keep in mind that I’ve gotten over a dozen mascaras in the past few months – I’ve tried EVERYTHING.) The formula goes on smooth with no clumping and really does make your lashes look a zillion miles long. It’s very similar to my previous favorite mascara – Maybelline Lash Stiletto. The bottle designs is good, too – it doesn’t squish out of the top of the tube when you put the wand back in – I HATE that. This mascara is worth the $26 retail price.
Back to the rest of the box…November is “The Friendsgiving Collection”. I customized my box to get Bombshell “Fazia” – liquid garnet shimmer – and It Girl “Kiki” – oceanic silver shimmer, in addition to the Length Matters Wow-Impact Mascara.
Also included in my box were 2 of the best caramels I have ever had – Goetze’s Caramel Creams. I ate them immediately and did not share. They were more buttery than Paula Deen’s underpants!
There is no Dana…Only Zuul
Julep “Dana” is white with an electric blue shimmer AND is black light reactive. Cool!
Orly Bonder for a smooth start and Sally Hansen Diamond Flash for extra shine…there are a few odd bubbles in the finish, but nothing too serious.
Can I tell you how much I HATE white fingernail polish? Not only is it almost impossible to get a smooth finish, I always end up getting crinkly edges around my cuticles. It also chips super easy. As you can see, I managed to chip my index finger already – I hit my fingernail with my razor in the shower this morning, but I guess I should be thankful I didn’t lose the tip of my finger.
So I’m not in college anymore and don’t have a black light anywhere in my house. (There’s a time and place for everything, kids – that’s college.)
My son happened to have a tiny black light from an invisible ink set, so I borrowed it to take a picture of my nails. I locked myself in the closet, held the black light in my teeth, trying to aim it at my left hand while taking a picture with my right. I felt like a dumbass.
Now I know how R. Kelly felt.