Happy Sunday, friends! It's a bit of a gray, cloudy day in my neck of the woods, which makes me want to cozy up at home and spend a bit of time pampering myself. One of my favorite lazy day activities is giving myself a manicure, and what better time than right after my Julep Maven box has arrived! Continuing with the trend of finding inspiration from cities around the world, September's theme is Kisses From London. I have a special place in my heart for UK beauty bloggers, who were some of the first that I ever started following and are sort of responsible for sucking me into this whole blogging scene. I'd never been one with wanderlust, but after spending so much time watching the videos of these lovely girls overseas I've found myself totally dying to walk the streets of London (and have myself a massive beauty haul while I'm there). This collection boosts beautiful, moody hues that totally capture the feel of what I've seen and heard about the city, and it was really hard to just pick a few shades for my box.
The skinny on Julep Maven.
Julep Maven is a beauty subscription service that sends $40 worth of nail polish and beauty goodies to your doorstep every month.
What it costs. $24.99 per month, or $19.99 per month if you pay for three months at a time.
Why it's special. Your Maven box is fully customizable. Towards the end of the month you'll get notification that the monthly reveal page is open, and you can choose exactly which products you'll receive in your next box. Depending on the value of the items you choose, each box contains 2-3 full sized Julep products. You can also add on additional products at a special discount, and for every three add-ons you purchase, Julep will send you a free gift! Anytime you need a break, you can also opt out during the reveal and skip that month's box. Any prepaid boxes will remain on your account until you're ready to redeem them.
What you get back. Every time you opt to get sent your monthly box, you'll earn 350 Jules. You can redeem 2000 Jules for a free Maven box, or use your Jules to add products on your monthly box for free during the reveal.
Join Maven today with my referral link and you'll get a code for a free welcome box!
Want to see more? Browse through all of my previous Julep Maven Box reviews.
Having loved so many of the polishes in this month's collection I couldn't pass up choosing a few shades this time around. Créme polishes are usually my go-to, but I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and try something with a bit of a sparkle. The liquid holographic polishes looked really interesting, so I had to give one of those a go, and I thought a deep shimmering purple would also be great for the cooler months. Having missed out on the brand new blush sticks that launched last month I decided to try out one of those as well.
Jane Park, the founder of Julep, also decided to send us Maven's a special treat in our boxes. We all received the new Julep signature polish (aptly named Julep), which is a beautiful bright violet shade, as a bonus freebie. Julep really does treat its Mavens well, which makes me that much happier that I'm a subscriber.
A one stick wonder made for luminous, dewy cheeks, but versatile on eyes and lips, too. This soft-focus powder has ultrafine color pearls that go on creamy then set to a long-lasting powder finish. Easy to apply, easy to blend (no brush needed!), easy to keep in your clutch for on-the-go beauty touch-ups.
($24)
I sort of knew that I would love this blush before I even had it in my hands, and swatching it just confirms my assumption. This blush stick is incredibly creamy, and has the most beautifully glowy, golden sheen to it. It does have a bit of sparkle, but it isn't crazy overdone, and the peachy-pink tone is super flattering. Having been using a lot of cream blushes lately I will say that this is a pretty pigmented formula, and while it does blend out very easily, you may want to dot it on lightly as it's easier than you would think to go overboard. It seems to be pretty long lasting, and I appreciate that it doesn't leave a tacky feeling on your cheeks. I'll definitely have to share a picture with you guys of this in action, so keep your eyes on my Instagram for a makeup look centered around this soon.
Finish: Créme
Color Description: Julep Signature Créme
($14)
Who doesn't love a freebie, and in such a fun shade at that? This purple hue is quite bright, but not so neon or fluorescent that it would be difficult to wear to work. The finish is described as a créme, but while it doesn't have any shimmer in it, it also doesn't have that standard white base that makes it completely opaque. To me this is a very opaque jelly polish, where two coats will almost completely cover the nail but you may see a hint of white at the tip showing through. Either way, it applies really easily and evenly, and will be a beautiful color to wear for the fall.
Boho Glam
Finish: Special Effect
Color Description: Pink Dawn Linear Liquid Holographic
($14)
I believe this is the first holographic polish I've tried from Julep, and I have to say that it's really pretty cool. It's a shame that you can't capture the colorful, multi-dimensional effect that they have in a photograph, but I promise in real life it's stunning. In short this polish is a lot like your traditional microglitter. It's pretty opaque with two coats, and has a silvery-pink tone to it. However, the rainbowy 3-D effect it has in sunlight is really unique, and manages to be fun without looking too young or teeny-boppery.
It Girl
Finish: Shimmer
Color Description: Rosewood Shimmer
This shade is so perfect for fall. It's a deep sort of mauvey-purple with a fine shimmer running throughout. My only negative thought towards this polish is that I think I may already own other shades that are very similar to this. I have a feeling that this is a little more pink toned than anything else in my collection, but I suppose I'll have to do a little digging to see. As with most Julep polishes, this applies like a breeze and is beautifully opaque with two coats.
Another successful box, I'd say! The more I use Julep polishes, the more I love everything about them. They always go on so easily, and are hardly ever streaky or uneven. I know I have more nail polish than I probably could use in a lifetime, but it's so much fun to have a bunch of options to choose from. Speaking of which, now I just need to figure out which one I feel like wearing today!
What nail polish shade are you most excited to wear this fall?
