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Julep Abbie

Posted on 22 April, 2013 by Cynthia

The Product featured in this post was purchased by me.

Well, here I am ready to show you another yellow polish. I figured that the start of the work week deserved a little brightness–even if it just on my nails. I am sure that I’ve mentioned the fact that I am super obsessed with yellow nail polish lately so I was super excited to see Julep Abbie when I was perusing their site. I have this love/hate relationship with yellow nail polish because I adore how it looks on my dark skin, but I also dread the application issues. It is very rare to find a yellow polish that doesn’t go on streaky so if you do find one, hold on to it…cherish it and build it its own shrine. Let’s get down to it: Did Julep Abbie break my yellow-loving heart? Look at the swatches before reading about my thoughts.

I love the finished look of Abbie. I did not, however, love the application process. After I applied the first coat, I knew that I was in for some work because it was streak-a-rrific. I then decided that my best plan of attack would be to apply super thin coats which is how I ended up with 4 thin coats for the swatches above. I know “nobody got time fo’ dat” but sometimes you really have to work with a polish color that you love. And now here comes the bad news: this polish stains horribly. I mean, like your nails look diseased bad. My nails were super yellow when I removed this polish which was a total bummer. I used pure acetone for removal and the staining did not go away until I lightly buffed my nails. The next time I wear this polish, I’m going to have to double up on my base coat. I wish I didn’t love this yellow so much because the application was kind of problematic!!

This polish is part of Julep’s April Brights Collection and came in the April It Girl Box. Have you checked out Julep yet? I personally love their boxes and I also want to share that my friend, Sarah, just won those mythical $500 Visa Cards in her mystery box. Congrats, Sarah!!!! If you’re interested in becoming a Julep Maven for just a penny, don’t forget to use my referral link here and enter the code JULEPVIP. You really can’t beat this offer–nail polish for one cent? Yes, please!

And now for some awesome news: I just got the news that I won a set of the Zoya Summer PixieDust polishes from a giveaway over at All Lacquered Up. I am so excited!!! Can’t wait to get them. This actually made me feel better after a completely miserable day at work. I actually woke up with a headache this morning and I still have it now despite taking a crapton of Advil. I think that I need to go to bed extra early tonight and just hope that I feel better tomorrow. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

The Product featured in this post was purchased by me.

Julep Beauty Resolution: Play With The Color Wheel

Posted on 31 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Hello my polish beauties! I am slowly getting back to normal after 6 days of complete flu agony. Since I just started my job, I was not allowed to miss work (we’re doing training) so I really had to tough it out. If you’ve ever been forced to go to work when you’re beyond sick, you probably know how miserably slow your days seem. I no longer have severe flu symptoms, but my cough is still pretty bad. Hopefully this weekend I will have plenty of time to just lay in bed and feel better so that when Monday comes around, I can be in tip top shape! I’ve been so bummed out these last couple of weeks because I just haven’t had time to post regularly or visit all my favorite blogs, but hopefully I can catch up this weekend.

About a month ago, I was invited to be part of a Julep Beauty Resolution Campaign. This particular assignment called playing with complimentary colors so I was sent two polishes to experiment with: Trina and Alma. I actually reviewed both polishes individually and created two separate looks:

This is what I did with Trina. You can read my complete post here.

This is what I did with Alma. You can read my complete post here. In fact, this look earned the honor of being Julep’s NOTD!! I was so happy and excited!

Today I am combining both colors in one manicure. Nicole and I always remember the first time that I ever combined yellow and purple in one manicure. If you are brave enough, you can check it out here. Just be warned that it is NOT pretty and that it was done in the very early days of my blog. So are you ready to see what I did? It’s not that revolutionary, but I am definitely trying to combine colors that I would normally not try to use together–especially after the earlier disasticure.

I started with 2 smooth coats of Julep Trina. One of my friends asked me if I knew of a dupe for Trina but I couldn’t really think of one. I thought of Essie Sexy Divide but it’s not really a dupe. If you know of a good dupe, let me know! 🙂

And this is how I ended up combining both colors. I know that it’s nothing out of this world, but I kind of like it! I added a strip of gold tape to really bring both colors together. If you haven’t joined Julep’s Maven subscription program, what are you waiting for? You can use my referral link here and enter the code JULEPVIP to get your intro box for one cent. Yep, for a penny.

So what do you think about my bold experiment with yellow and purple toned polishes? Win? Fail? I can tell you that I’m definitely not used to using colors like these together so it may take some time for me to get used to it, but it’s always nice to try new things. Well, that’s all I have for you tonight. My giveaway for a bottle of Silly Lily Polish in J-E-L-L-O ends tomorrow so don’t forget to enter here! I can’t wait until work is over for the week tomorrow…I am giddy just thinking about a whole weekend of being lazy in bed. Thanks for stopping by today and I will talk to you later!

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Julep Alma

Posted on 23 January, 201323 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Sweet baby Jesus on rollerskates I’m tired. Book learnin iz hard. My brain is being crammed with so much information at work that I feel almost like a zombie once I get home. To be honest, I am enjoying learning so much new stuff so I shouldn’t complain–it’s just a lot of work! If you can believe it, I haven’t been wearing nail polish to work because I’m still getting a feel for things. Since I don’t want to cause any type of waves during my probation period, I am remaining very conservative…just wait until this passes because I’ll be causing some nail tsunamis for sure! Today I decided to use the other Julep polish that I got recently: Julep Alma.

Oh, Alma! You’re one of those pretty/ugly polishes that I always think is going to look better on me than it actually does. Actually, this color reminds me a lot of the creme version of China Glaze Trendsetter! I had a little weird issue with this polish and I’m wondering if it’s just my bottle or if other people had the same happen to them. When I was applying this polish, I noticed little chunks–like super tiny little balls. After the first coat, I thought that maybe I hadn’t primed my nails well and I had some residue from another product, but the second coat also had the little chunks. Remember Chunk?

Anyway, once I applied the top coat, I think the chunks pretty much disappeared, but it was definitely strange! I applied two coats here and got good coverage.

I just realized that I have used this stamp combination quite often. I just absolutely love it! Both of the images can be found on Bundle Monster plate BM 310. I used the inverted full coverage stamp as my accent nail, and I love how it looks almost leather-like since I didn’t apply top coat after stamping. If you’re a stamper, I’m curious if you know of a black polish that works for stamping. I haven’t found any others that are as pigmented as my Konad Black.

You know I’m going to say it so here it is: If you’re interested in becoming a Julep Maven for just a penny, you can use my referral link here and enter the code JULEPVIP. You can’t really beat one cent, can you? I am looking to explore more subscription type boxes so feel free to leave me a comment if you know of others that are good. I have been very satisfied with the Julep boxes because I think the subscription service is a great deal. Definitely give them a try if you’re curious!

I am BEYOND excited that I only have two more days before the weekend. WEEKENDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! You know what kinda sucks, though? It might be raining here. It literally was in the 80’s earlier in the week and now it’s getting cold and rainy…get it together, bipolar California! Do you have anything fun planned this weekend?

Let me know what you think about this polish and stamping. I love reading all your comments! Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Disclosure: Julep Alma was provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. All other products featured in this post were purchased by me. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Julep Trina

Posted on 22 January, 201323 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Well, hello there friends! I am a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t post anything after my first day of work, but I had forgotten how exhausting sitting in a training class for 8 hours can be! I actually did do my nails last night with the intention of posting them, but I felt like my nail mojo just disappeared. I seriously took about 50 pictures and not a single one turned out–they all looked shit-tastic. So I just gave up. Today I got home super flustered because I had so much stuff to do–who knew that having a job again would leave me with absolutely no time at all? Ah, well…I shouldn’t complain because getting a paycheck again means I can continue to enjoy the luxuries I have become accustomed to such as a roof over my head, food in the fridge and electricity. After finishing up my laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning and preparing my lunch for tomorrow, I sat down and thought I’d give it another try. Want to know what polish I settled on? Julep Trina!

Julep Trina is an amazingly rich and saturated metallic aubergine polish. It was a little on the thick side, but it was easy to work with. I only needed two coats for these swatches. Did you hear that the Julep boxes are getting holos? I hope it’s true because you doesn’t love holos??? If you’re interested in becoming a Julep Maven for just a penny, you can use my referral link here and enter the code JULEPVIP. Yep, for a penny. Awesomeness.

I then used an image from Mash plate MASH 43 which is kind of a strange flower and vine design. I am also wowed by the polish I used for stamping: Pure Ice Silver Mercedes. I finally found a decent Pure Ice display at a new Walmart and there was ONE of these babies left. This is such an amazing polish for stamping and you seriously can’t beat the under $2 price tag!

A lot of you have asked me about my new job and what I’ll be doing. I just wanted to say that I’ve made a very conscious decision not to discuss any details about my job. I’ve heard of way too many horror stories of people getting in trouble professionally about stuff they post online. While I do tend to share–and overshare–a lot about my personal life, that will not include details about my job. This will hopefully allow me to share funny people stories about my job–with names changed to protect the clueless, of course! I should have gone to bed about an hour ago but I stayed up to watch the series finale of Private Practice, and it was even more lame than I had anticipated. This show really jumped the shark about a year ago so I’m glad it’s over.

Well, I’m heading to bed now. It’s Wednesday tomorrow so I’m almost half-way through my first week of work. Woot! Hope you have a wonderful day, and I will talk to you soon.

Disclosure: Julep Trina was provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. All other products featured in this post were purchased by me. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Julep Madison

Posted on 13 January, 201313 January, 2013 by Cynthia

Since it has been unusually cold here in So Cal, I decided to pull out a very un-winter-like polish to brighten my day and get me in the mood for spring. I much prefer winter to summer, but it has been crazy cold by California standards lately so I’m kind of wishing for milder temperatures. What better way to get into a summer mindset than to wear a nice bright neon polish? Well, today I am wearing Julep Madison. I am a big fan of the Julep subscription service especially because of all the goodies that are included in the monthly boxes. You should try it out. If you use my referral link here and enter code JULEPVIP at checkout, you can get your own box for 1 penny! That is a great deal and a very easy and painless way to try out the Julep service.

Julep Madison is a pinky coral that dries to a satiny finish. After the first coat, I was a little worried that the formula was too thin and that I would need multiple coats, but it was actually fine once I applied the second coat. You can still see some VNL but that tends to happen with jelly-neon polishes. I really love the way it looks shiny so I ended up applying a coat of Seche Vite–it just looks so squishy!

I then used an image from Konad plate M63 for this ribbon-like twirly design. This makes me think of the ribbons that rhythm gymnasts use and of orange creamsicles which are my favorite summer treats. Ghhaaaa…now I want one so bad right now.

Let me know what you think of Julep Madison and if you like my stamping design. If you’re interested in becoming a Julep Maven for just a penny, don’t forget to use my referral link here and enter the code JULEPVIP. You really can’t beat this offer–nail polish for one cent? Yes, please! I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and I will talk to you soon.

Julep Sasha

Posted on 4 September, 20124 September, 2012 by Cynthia

If you’ve taken a peek at my facebook or twitter page, you probably know that I’ve had a mini meltdown about all the issues I have encountered while trying to move my blog to a different host. My blog is going to look messed up for a couple of days while I figure out how to work around all the hurdles that keep popping up every time I think I have things figured out. I will leave that drama for another post because I just need to get my mind off it all and upload a post I was working on earlier today.

Before I get into my review and swatches of Sasha, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a FREE Julep Maven Intro box. There are only a couple of days let to enter so why wouldn’t you enter? It’s free and there is no obligation to purchase anything else.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven for just $0.01 for your introductory box!!! YES, JUST ONE PENNY! How? Well, let me tell you how. Sign up by clicking on my link here and use promo code MAVENINTRO By signing up using my link, you are helping support my blog so click away! 🙂

For more information about the Julep Maven membership program, here are some details from Julep’s website:

As a Julep Maven, your monthly subscription of just $19.99 delivers exclusive access to at least $40 worth of products handpicked to suit your style.After your introductory box, you’ll start receiving a Julep Maven Box each month, including:

At least $40 worth of customized products elegantly packaged in our exclusive giftable box

New, never-before-released colors and treatments sent FIRST to you, before anyone else

Past hits and cult favorites–the products our girlfriends can’t live without.

Your Maven subscription also comes with free shipping, 20% off all purchases in the Julep Maven Boutique and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s never any obligation to buy.

We’ll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Like what you see? Do nothing and your box is on its way. Want to try a new style, send your box to a friend or skip the month? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request.

Before all the blog drama happened today, I decided to use my other Julep polish:

This is two coats of Sasha. This color is seriously vibrant, and I’m still on the fence about how I like it on me. Regardless of what I think of the actual color, I am happy to report that the formula was absolutely perfect: creamy, buttery and very pigmented. What else can you ask for when it comes to a creme polish?

Since I’ve been trying to experiment more, I busted out some other colors and my handy dotting tool to see if I could come up with something interesting.

You be the judge: cute or disasticure as Nicole calls them?

So what do you think of Sasha and my feeble attempt at nail art? Don’t be too hard on me. I can stamp and that’s about it. haha! I am super excited because it looks like I might get my newest set of plates sometime this week. Considering the drama I’ve been dealing with, that would make me super happy!

I’m going to say it again: enter my giveaway because who doesn’t love free stuff?! Oh, and Nicole from Polish Me Please! is also giving away a Julep box. Hello! Two chances to win a box if you enter both. You can enter her giveaway by clicking here.

I’m sure you’re sick of giveaways, right? (Sure you are!) Well, get ready because I have some giveaways lined up this month since it’s my birthday later in the month. I don’t usually like to celebrate my birthday, but I do like excuses to host giveaways! Stay tuned because one goes live later today. 😉

****This item was sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****

Are You A Julep Maven? – Review & Giveaway!

Posted on 12 August, 20124 September, 2012 by Cynthia

EDIT 8/28: Please make sure that If you follow my blog via email, that you confirm your subscription. If you don’t confirm it in your email, you will not show up as a follower.

How many of you have heard of Julep? Ever since I became a total polish freak, I have been keeping track of everything polish related as if my life depended on it. How many collections can one person possibly keep track of? The scary part is that I am a crazy polish savant and seem to remember the name of every polish and what collections they come from. Weird, right?

So, it’s about time I started looking into the Julep world. The intro box that I chose is the Boho Glam box which came with two bottles of nail polish and a tube of pedicure cream/moisturizer.

Julep polishes in Toni and Sasha and a tube of The Best Pedi Creme Ever!

I picked the Boho Glam box because of Toni. I know some of you are probably sick of the purple/greige polishes, but I am still seriously in love with them especially now that fall is coming. Sasha is not a color I would normally choose, but I’ve been trying to branch out a bit in my polish choices. I was also really looking forward to the pedi creme because I am always looking for something that will moisturize and exfoliate without being crazy greasy. When I looked at the tube closely, I noticed that there were mint leaves on it and my heart fell. I absolutely hate mint/peppermint scents on lotions because I always get headaches when I use them–especially if I apply them before bed. Well, I am happy to report that the mint scent is very faint and it smells more like cucumber to me: refreshing and cooling. I have used this pedi creme two days in a row and I have to tell you that I am in freaking love with this stuff. I don’t think that my feet have ever been as soft and best of all, the creme is not greasy at all. I will definitely be using this every single night…it’s a lifesaver. No more freaking out about wearing sandals or flip-flops!

I decided to wear Toni today:

Julep calls this a greige with a hint of lavender, and I think that it is a perfect description. It applied like a dream, and I only needed two thin coats for full opacity. I can’t get enough of creme polishes!!!

Now for the super deluxe good news: I am so excited to announce that I am hosting a giveaway in conjunction with Julep where you can win an intro Julep Maven box!! In order to enter, you can use this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway will run until 9/7/2012 so you have plenty of time to enter.

For more information about the Julep Maven membership program, here are some details from Julep’s website:

As a Julep Maven, your monthly subscription of just $19.99 delivers exclusive access to at least $40 worth of products handpicked to suit your style.After your introductory box, you’ll start receiving a Julep Maven Box each month, including:

At least $40 worth of customized products elegantly packaged in our exclusive giftable box

New, never-before-released colors and treatments sent FIRST to you, before anyone else

Past hits and cult favorites–the products our girlfriends can’t live without.

Your Maven subscription also comes with free shipping, 20% off all purchases in the Julep Maven Boutique and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s never any obligation to buy.

We’ll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Like what you see? Do nothing and your box is on its way. Want to try a new style, send your box to a friend or skip the month? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request.

Don’t miss your chance to enter to win a free Julep Maven Intro box here. Even better, make sure you get your own box for just a penny by clicking here and using promo code MAVENINTRO

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you get a chance to try Julep because so far, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of their products.

If you want an extra chance to win your very own Julep Maven intro box, visit Nicole’s blog here and enter there as well!! Woo hoo! Two chances?! Yes, please!

****These items were sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****