Julep

First Maven Box

Painting my nails is one of the few girly activities that I engage in on a normal basis. So when I found Julep, which is an online and free standing brand of beauty products (mostly nail polish), I was in love.  

Maven- a subscriber to Juelp's monthly goody box.

Facts for non-Mavens:

• Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented.
• $14 a bottle
• Even Oprah recommended Julep on her Favorite Things list for 2012

Facts for Mavens:

• Earn Julep Jules that you can redeem for products.
• Enjoy 20% off all products plus free shipping.
• Satisfaction Guaranteed
• $11.20 a bottle after discount
• They run specials ~ every month that can be as much as 50% off

What They Say:

Becoming a Julep Maven gives you exclusive access to COLOR. Each month we hand-pick trendsetting new nail colors, cult faves and cutting-edge beauty products that are just right for you. Commitment shy? No problem. YOU decide how often to receive your Julep Maven box, and you can cancel at any time.

Styles change, and you can too


Bonus Box for Signing Up



We'll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Love what we've chosen for you? 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 (and the bill)? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request. We start shipping your Julep Maven Box the same day you're charged, on the 27^th of each month.

What I Say:
I decided that I would go ahead and get a Maven membership after reading through their FAQ and taking their free style profile to see which items they suggest to fit with your style (there are five profiles, mine is: Classic w A Twist).

I was easily able to look through their online website and order products, which arrived from Washington in 2 or 3 days (I live in the mid-west so thats really quick). When I signed up they had a special that allowed me to get 3 items for $14 on top of getting my first Maven box for only a penny! So for a little more than $15 I got all the items seen in the attached pictures.

Color:  Jodie

I love this stuff and the fact that almost all the polishes are women's names. I know that it cost more but it is also more durable then the $3 a bottle nail polish that I am used to wearing.  As a Maven I get points and discounts when I make a purchase and if I do not like the offering that they have for the next month or my pockets are shallow I can opt to pass.

If you are interested but not sure if its something you want to join I urge you to check it out.

• Take their fun quiz. Take the Julep Maven style quiz. It’s quick, free and helps us pick the colors that are SO. YOU.
• Discover your style profile. Then check out the current Julep Maven Box with at least two gorgeous polishes and other beauty favorites chosen just for you based on your style profile.
• Sign up as a Maven. If you are still interested, sign up or place an order and in a few days you will get your new items in the mail.

If you decide to join please enter my Unique Invitation Code when you sign up: 6865397 so that they know you were sent on my referal.
Thanks ~A

 

 

 

Kiss Nail Dress

Nail Dress on Left
Impress on Right

Kiss Nail Dress are similar to the Sally Hansen product that I have previously reviewed (here).  I recieved the product I tested from Kiss, along with some Impress Nails (previous review here) for free for being a member of Influenster and fitting all the criteria in a VoxBox challenge.

I opened the small package and made sure that I read everything before I started. After filing my nails and using nail polish remover to make sure they were clean of any oils and such I was ready to begin.

 

Bustier is the name of the color/patter that I got. While its not something that I would have picked because its flashy, my 2 1/2 year old loved the final result. In each box is one sealed package that contains 28 stickers. I opened the package and went to work attempting to figure out which strips would fit which nails. The package contained 4 sheets of 7 stickers each. Since they were not individually sealed it was somewhat difficult to figure out which sticker would fit the best.


 Having placed similar nail polish "stickers" before it didn't take very long for me to apply these bad boys. Since they were textured however, it did take a bit longer to file the edges. These "stickers" were also a bit shorter than their competitor's and thus I could not use one sticker for two nails, and thus "wasted" the bits that hung over the edge of the nail and had to be cut off.

When I finished both hands I still had 14 unused “stickers.” Since they were unsealed and would dry out if not used,  I decided I would use them. I used some on the Impress nails that I had also recieved. Even though I would not use all of the fake nails due to sizing issues I used the "stickers" on all of them so as not to be wasteful. (at least when I go to put on the fake nails they will be all decorated now). However, I still had 5 or 6 large pieces left since I didn't fully cover the fake nails.  I put them in a sealed sandwich bag and hope that they might still be useful in the future. If not, well at least they were free.



Bustier



I somewhat recommend this product. Like its competitor its quick and easy.

Pros: They have larger sizes included that can be used for your toes. One pack will easily do both your fingers and your toes. Since you don't have to use fingernail polish remover to remove these you can take them off without any hassle or much time. They just peel right off. (if your nails are a bit damaged like mine they can take a bit of the nail surface with them when you peel them off though)

Cons: If you aren't doing both your fingers and toes then you will probably be wasting a lot since it's all in one sealed package and not seperate. Also since the stickers are on large sheets instead of individually wrapped its more difficult to determine which size might work the best for each nail.

Sorry that pictures are kinda small.

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips



Sweet Tart-an



So after seeing people rave and rant about Sally Hansen Salon Effect Nail Polish Strips after receiving a Birchbox or a VoxBox, I decided that I would go out and buy some and try them myself.  They tend to run $7-9 depending on where you get them and if they are current or discontinued shades.  I bought a few different styles and was ready to get my manicure on.

I opened the small package and made sure that I read everything before I went to work. After filing my nails and using nail polish remover to make sure they were clean of any oils and such I was ready to begin.

I chose Sweet Tart-an as my introduction to the product. In each box there are 2 sealed cases that each have maybe 8 stickers. I opened one case and went to work figuring out which strips would fit which nails. Each “sticker” has a clear and white plastic sheet attached so that the sticker could not be used or dry out until you were ready.



Check It Out



I took the clear plastic off the top of the strip and then the white plastic off the bottom. I placed the “sticker” to my baby nail and smoothed it down with enough concentration to solve huge math problems. This being done I cut the sticker just past the edge of my finger nail so that I could use the second portion on my other hand’s baby nail. Once both of the baby nails were covered I got the file and cleaned up the edge of the nail which removed any excess “sticker” that was hanging over.



Mad For Plaid



When I finished both hands I still had 2 or 3 unused “stickers”. Since they were unsealed and would dry out I decided I would use them. I used some on my toes to give them the same pretty finish my nails got. The time afterwards I used the remainder on my 2 ½ year olds fingers and toes (she loves getting polish put on but is not patient enough to wait for it to dry).

As you see from the pictures I have tried out a few different patterns. Each one lasts about a week or so before I have to get out the nail polish remover and start again.



I highly recommend this product. Its quick and easy- heck you could even do it in the car (but not while driving).