Julep August 2012 Boho Glam Mystery Box

Julep got me once again with a mystery box promotion. This time was a little different than in the past since they gave you the option of which box style you would like to choose. In the past you just ordered a mystery box and that was that. Being as indecisive as they come, and over thinking things to the max as I always do, I had quite the time deciding whether to get a box as well as which to pick!  I, of course, ended up ordering one, and went with Boho Glam since I have never had that style before and there are a lot of BG polishes on my wishlist :)

I was SO excited when my "your Julep order is on it's way" email popped up in my inbox. To double my excitement the tracking number started with the ever popular 9434 (Mavens have found these boxes are the heavier ones sent package services, and therefore seem to contain more goodies). In the past my tracking numbers have always started with 9400, so I was thrilled to see otherwise this time!

Sadly, my box was not as big as I thought it would be due to the tracking number, but still included a good number of products! It also arrived quick as a bunny! I just ordered it a couple days ago :)

My box included:

•  The Best Pedi Prep Ever- retail $20
• Julep Foot File- retail $6
• Toe separators- not sold on site
• Alyson- Almond Cream- retail $14
• Blake- Sunny Yellow Creme- retail $14
• Michelle- not currently on site- retail $14
• I Paid- $19.99
• Total Value- $68!

Quick swatches on paper right to left: Alyson, Blake, Michelle. My nails are currently occupied with Daphne and Mila. Melanie on toes :)

 I am happy that the Pedi Prep came in my box with the file as I have been wanting to try it. I really like how the Best Pedi Creme ever leaves my feet feeling/ how it gets off all the nasty dryness. I tried this out this morning  when I got my box with the file and have mixed feeling though. The pedi prep is smelly and a lot seemed to come out! It is in a roller ball container so that is very nice, and less messy for my hands, but not for the container or my foot. It also has a strong smell- not horrible, but not good. The file worked pretty well, but seems like it could break easily if I apply too much pressure. It was very bendable if that is even a word haha. 

Blake is a lovely yellow I have wanted for some time now! She looks quite bubbly so I will have to test her out soon hmm. Michelle also looked so pretty as I love blues. I went to unwrap it however and realized it was leaking EVERYWHERE, even under the plastic wrapping! I had to do a big clean up of all the polishes (go figure the darkest one decides to leak haha). I haven't had this happen before so it was strange. I  am not sure if the bottle is broken somewhere or if it just got too hot? I even got this package right out of the mailman's hands though. He rang the doorbell because there was .45 cent postage on a letter for my sister. I paid it then found out it was something dumb from a representative running for office. Grr. Oh well, it probably saved me a bigger mess.

Alyson by the way is interesting to me. Kind of a lighter shade of Vera I got in my last mystery box. I might end up liking it, but it is not something I would buy on my own. 

All in all, besides the mess factor, and losing polish I am happy with this box. I now get to try out some products I wanted to, but were too expensive for me to buy on their own, and the beautiful Blake. I think I am done with mystery boxes, but am not upset that I decided to buy one more.

If you want to try out Julep for a penny I highly recommend the product :) You can get an intro box for a penny right now! Just take a short quiz to find out what your colors are, and switch if you do not like them (different from the mystery boxes and a nice option). To get yours go to http://julep.com/?r=21739311 and enter the promo code COLOR2012 at checkout. If you have any questions about Julep feel free to ask, and check out my other posts :)

Did you get a mystery box? What did you get? What do you think of mine? I would love to hear from you!!

Birchbox Partners with Pencils of Promise in August 2012

Today is only 2nd of the month, but I am already anxious for the August Birchbox! In June and July (this will be my third BB) I didn't have any trouble finding "spoilers" about what type of products I could expect. So far this month, Birchbox has seemed to stay more secretive about what is in store for our August boxes. I finally found hint though, and am now ten times more excited to receive the highly awaited "your box has been shipped" email.

Photo Source: http://blog.birchbox.com/

On the Birchbox Blog there are now two posts about August boxes :) Birchbox is teaming up with an organization called Pencils for Promise. Pencils for Promise helps to build schools in areas around the world for children in need. Throughout the month of August 15% proceeds of all items bought in the Birchbox shop will be donated to Pencils for Promise. The organization has a goal to build 100 schools before the year is over, and they have already build 58! Birchbox proceeds will go towards the building of a school in Guatemala. The August boxes will be Beauty School themed to go along with the efforts of Pencils for Promise :)

Photo Source: http://blog.birchbox.com/

As a teacher I am thrilled to be subscribed with a company that is doing its part to help children!!  It makes me feel good knowing that there are still companies out there that do not just hoard the millions of dollars they make, but instead use what they can to give back to others. Birchbox is still keeping the actual products we may see in these fun yellow packages on the down low, but I hope their preview video comes out soon! 

What are your thoughts on the Birchbox/ Pencils for Promise collaboration? Do you have any predictions of what beauty products we might see? I would love to hear your ideas, and also find out what you would love to see in the August box! :)

I will be sure to post again if I find out more details/ when I receive my box. After getting Suki balancing skincare samples in my July BB, I also decided to purchase it from the shop last week. I will be doing a review on my Suki products soon so keep an eye out!!

What to try Birchbox? Sign up here:  https://www.birchbox.com?raf=2zl7x

Julep Maven August 2012 Box

WOW!!!Today I received my It Girl Julep Maven August Box, AND my Add-ons! The box ships every month on the 27th, and this month my add-ons shipped the 28th. That is some impressive shipping considering I am on the east coast, and Julep products ship out of Washington! Can you tell I am excited ;) It was very refreshing to have speedy shipping this month after the holiday held back many boxes in the month of July.

Anyways, besides the fact that my products got here mega quickly this month was special, because it marked the one year anniversary of the Julep Maven program :) Julep hosted an online twitter/ facebook party the July 19th to celebrate. Julep also sent each Maven a tote bag in their boxes, and allowed us to pick 3 add-ons this month instead of the usual 2.  The theme of August you ask? -Metallics and Chromes. I was not super interested in any of the colors this month and did I had a hard time choosing my box, but I eventually picked It Girl over my style of American Beauty.

The monthly box was a lot bigger this month due to the tote bag inside. The top flap features a printed thank you from creator of the company Jane Park for giving Julep a wonderful 1st year. Inside were the standard little card telling you about the products, a tiny card with a quote from Oprah Winfrey, and tissue paper with round silver glitter in it.

After setting aside the tissue paper I found my tote bag. The tote is cute, but a lot smaller than what I expected, but still a nice extra surprise. The products are inside :)

The August It Girl Box included (right to left) Harley, Melanie, and Sienna

•  Harley- Liquid Silver Metallic Chrome
• Melanie- Pastel Indigo Metallic Chrome
• Sienna- Sophisticated Gold Metallic 

Quick swatch of Harley, Melanie, and Sienna- one coat each

Since we could get up to three add-ons this month, of course I was suckered in and went for all three. I chose Alfre and Felicity from the Classic with a Twist box, and Piper from the Boho Glam box.

Right to Left: Piper, Alfre, Felicity

Quick swatch of Alfre (one coat), Piper (two coats), Felicity (two coats)

•  Alfre-Royal Metropolitan Purple Metallic
• Piper-Mint-teal Metallic Chrome
• Felicity-Yellow-gold Metallic Chrome

I am very impressed at how pretty all the colors are this month. I honestly did not expect to like them so much. Melanie sold the It Girl box to me, as I love the color blue, but I was actually most impressed with Sienna which surprised me! Sienna is a very shimmery gold that looks like it has millions of tiny sparkles in it. All three of my It Girl polishes applied nicely giving full coverage in one coat :) 

I am also happy with my add-ons, especially that this month the swatches Julep provided really showed a true representation of the actual product. Piper has to be my favorite shade, but goes on very lightly. Felicity is a true yellow gold and is also fair in color, while Alfre is a much darker polish and more opaque.

I cannot wait to see the other colors you go this month :) Please let me know what you think of  the August boxes below. I love reading your comments, and getting feedback.

I tried out a bronze, silver and gold mani using Molly, America, Sienna, Harley and Felicity lol. The ombre effect didn't work as well as I hoped.

  I tried the marbling effect with Molly over Sienna using plastic wrap :)

 My sister did this beautiful marbling mani the other day!

 If you are not a Maven you can try the product for a penny!! Simpy go to http://julep.com/?r=21739311 and use the promo code COLOR2012 for an intro box of your choice for a penny- seriously, and you get free shipping :)If you any questions about the program feel free to ask, and check out my other Julep posts to see what an intro box includes!

Essie Penny Talk

Just wanted to do a quick little post on the new nail polish color I picked up at Target yesterday! Recently Essie put out a new line of five polishes called the Mirror Metallics Collection. I have never tried an Essie before, but have been seeing the trend of rose gold polish all over, and Essie happened to have a lovely shade of it :) I found Essie Penny Talk at Target for $7.79. I have to say I absolutely love the color! I think it is also a nice Olympic Manicure (so excited they are finally on)- almost a bronze more than a gold color, but I am rooting for Team U.S.A to bring home the gold!!

Essie Mirror Metallics Collection

Penny Talk

The polish went out very opaque in one coat! The shine is amazing and very bright. I am going to have to try out more Essie (just what I need more polish right ;) )Have you tried Essie or the Mirror Metallics Collection? What do you think? I know Julep has a rose gold polish coming out for the month of August. I did not order it, but an excited to see it on others first. Maybe this beautiful Essie will even keep me from buying two Maven boxes this month?

Tape Mani & Nail Stamping

After seeing a few gorgeous tape manicures online over the past few weeks I thought I would give it a go.  My nails were already painted Julep Robin from the previous day so completely dry. I got out my a few of my newest Julep shades, some electrical tape, small scissors, and got to work.

The Supplies: (Right to Left) Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat, Julep Nail Therapy Basecoat, Julep Kate, Robin, Parker, Natalie, Courteney, Renee, Electrical Tape and Scissors

First, I cut out random strips of the tape and stuck them down paying close attention to securing them at the edges of my nails.

I kept going and used the different colors of polish at random, as well as the sizes of tape.

Since this was my first time trying this type of manicure I just learned from my mistakes as I went. The first thing I found out the hard way is that I am too impatient. Haha, I already knew this, but thought I was being good waiting for the polish to dry...no such luck. Some of my stripes got jagged and uneven due to me pulling up the tape too soon. The nails I let dry for quite a while before peeling up the tape turned out much better. 

I also learned to make sure I was painting all the way to the edge of my nails- this was tricky on the narrow stripes. Third, I realized not to layer on the polish too thick or it might get pulled up with the tape some as well. The electrical tape was great and didn't stick to the polish like scotch tape seems to do.

The painting and tape peeling process

I just used q-tips and nail polish remover to attempt to clean up the messy edges. If I were to do this manicure again I would also be careful to use thinner layers of polish to avoid such a mess haha. I also would paint each nail a different color to begin with.

Even though it is still a bit messy I am pleased with my first attempt. I love the colorful Julep polishes all together and the variety of stripes. Julep still has their penny box promo going on if you want to try them- just click the Julep icon to the right of my post if you're interested!

 I can see myself doing this again in the future, and hopefully getting better!! It is a pretty simple process so I would suggest anyone to try it! Being so new to nail art if I can do it anyone can haha. I am sure patient people would love their results ;)

I know it is a little sloppy, but as I mentioned before I am new at this! I hope you like this diy manicure :) Please leave me some feedback below. I would love to hear your thoughts and am for sure open to any pointers!! :)

A few weeks ago I also wrote that I bought my first nail stamps. Going back to my newbie nail enthusiatist status, I decided just to try out some cheap ones I found at Target for $9.99- Sally Hansen Nail Art Kit so sorry for the mistake, it is actually called Salon Express Nail Stamping Kit (as seen on tv by maybe some of you but sadly not me lol- I am a sucker for infomericals). Last night I painted my toes in my new Julep Daisy shade, and used the star nail plate with Julep Robin. With each nail I got a little better at the placement of the stamp. I was so happy that this kit actually worked!! I will post more nail stamp art in the future.

Here is what my kit looks like- it include the double ended stamper, scraper, and six nail plates

Close up with flash so you can hopefully see the little stars :)

No Flash

Once again please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)

Glamour Birchbox July 2012

Many of you have already received your July Glamour Birchboxes, so I will just do a quick little review of mine. After seeing the preview video I was really excited for the potential products I could be receiving this month. Though I really wanted the liquid eyeliner, and did not get it, I ended up really liking my box :)

 

My July Birchbox

The packaging this month was teal blue, and lime green which are two of my best favorite colors. The variety of the products included made me very happy as well. Here's what I got:

  Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer in Blue-Ming:

I had to start with this little blue beauty! I love me some nail polish so was thrilled to see this light mint blue bottle in my Birchbox!! Blue is my favorite color by far, and I do not have a light blue like this. I currently have Julep all over my nails and toenails, but really look forward to trying this polish out :)

Manna Kadar sheer glo shimmer lotion:

This small bottle of lotion is supposed to add a "supermodel-like sheen to skin". It can be mixed with foundation or used as a highlighter. The bottle is so full it was spilling out a bit when I tried to open the strange upside-down cap. The liquid is veryyy shimmery so it should last a long time which is nice. I only had to put a tiny bit on to see the color. I will keep you posted (no pun intended) on how I like this over the course of the week.

Uber Larabar in Roaster Nut Roll flavor: YUM!! I really liked this lifestyle extra even though a lot of people don't like getting food in their box. I am a fan of food for sure though so do not mind samples like this as long as there are other beauty samples in the box as well. I was expecting a mediocre tasting health bar since the nutritious values are stressed with this snack, but it actually tasted really good. I would buy these again if they were cheaper haha.

Suki Balancing Kit: 
Although these are small foil packets, I was happy to get this sample. I have been looking for something to clear up my disgusting blackheads, and Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser has rave reviews all over the internet. I have been saving up my Birchbox points for the full size product which costs $32 I believe. With these samples I will be able to see if I really want to purchase the full size plus try out the Concentrated Balancing Toner, Balancing Day Lotion, Pure Facial Moisturizer, and the Transforming Cleansing Clay as well :) ::fingers crossed:: for good results.

Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds: I loved the blue color of these earbuds, and the fact that they do not hurt my ears like all my other headphones do.

 Gloss Moderne High Gloss Masque: This product is to be used on hair after showering. You leave it in your hair for a few minutes and then rinse it out to "restore bounce and shine to hair". It smells delicious and is a nice sized full tub- I was trying to figure out what the scent is, but my sister said coconuts. I will have to try this out tomorrow :)

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt: This little bottle almost spilled all over since it's not a spray cap, but smells decent. I did not know what to expect as it's described as a "fanciful scent of layers of fresh citrus, and jasmine notes over a base of lavendar and pumpkin". I love pumpkin, but as a perfume...yeah, I just didn't know what to think about that. It seems to smell more flowery though, so I will see what my boyfriend thinks of it before full blown wearing it.

I have to say I like July's box even more than June's. I hope this is the case every month ;) If you are interested in joining Birchbox you can sign up here https://www.birchbox.com?raf=2zl7x
Hope you enjoyed this little post, and your birchboxes if you're a member!! 

Color Club Blue-Ming on nails- It is a little darker in real life. A very light teal/ mint blueish green. I LOVE this color!!

Julep Parker, Robin, Courteney & Daisy!

My Julep Maven July monthly box came a few weeks ago, and inside was an exciting little coupon good for a FREE polish :) I immediately had to go into the Maven boutique and order Parker which is described as a golden tangerine creme.

Parker- golden tangerine creme

 I have had my eye on Parker since I joined Julep. Parker happens to be my incredible boyfriend's last name, which first attracted me to the polish itself. Now, I know that a lot of girls claim to have the best boyfriend ever, but sorry to break it to you ladies, I have been blessed with the greatest guy out there. He is selfless, and even puts up with my new found nail polish addiction. He keeps telling me I will need a walk-in nail polish closet one day...haha, now that is a tad bit extreme, but the truth is I know if I did need one (and they existed) he would make sure we had one lol. The color of Parker also reminds me of one of my alma maters color's. This makes me even happier since I was lucky enough to meet my boyfriend while we were in college.  I could seriously rant about the love of my life for years, but I guess I will show you how the polish looks on my nails now...

Top two pictures with flash, bottom without flash

 My boyfriend's idea :) Tips done with Julep Kate (Parker is darker in real life like in previous pictures)

 I was so happy when Parker came in the mail :) When applying it I found that it does take quite a few coats to make it opaque. I used three heavy coats on my nails to build it up to this bright orange color. With one coat the color was extremely pale and I could see my nails right through it. I am very happy with the color once layered, however, I wish the polish were thicker so I did not have to use so much of it for one application.

I have also purchased/ received a few other Julep products recently. Here they are:

Robin on nails- a little darker in real life (this is with no flash). A true Robin's egg blue that only took one coat :)

Other than using my voucher to receive Parker for free, I also bought Courteney, Daisy and the Best Pedi Creme Ever for $14.99 in a "Beat the Heat flash sale" Julep had a week ago. Julep sent me a complementary bottle of Robin when I e-mailed them about Daphne (which I received in my July box) being much darker than I expected- talk about amazing customer service!!! I am so excited to now have these "summer bright" colors which I missed out on in June having not joined until the end of the month. It was also a nice surprise to find small samples of Julep Glycolic Hand Scrub with my Robin box, and Courteney/ Daisy box. I do not have this product in the full size, but have heard great things about how smooth it makes your hands, so I will let you know how I like it soon!

From right to left: 


Parker- golden tangerine creme


Robin- robin's egg blue creme

Courteney- key-lime green creme

 Daisy- bright lemon yellow creme


As you can see I have only used Parker so far out of these four, but I thin the colors are all very pretty, and I will be sure to post once I do try them on :)

The Best Pedi Creme Ever! 

I had a bottle of this that was running out from my intro box. I get really g-ross cracked heels in the winter, and have used a ton of different foot creams to try and fix them. The lotions I have used always feel good initially and make them a bit softer, but do not get rid of all of that nasty dried skin. I have not used other products labeled as pedi creams before, so cannot vogue for this being the best pedi creme ever, haha, but it really has helped get that unwanted skin/ roughness off of my feet. The bottle is quite small, so I was excited to get another one in the Beat the Heat sale, and that Julep included a small packet of it with my Parker nail polish. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants softer feet.


If you are interested in trying Julep you can get an intro box for a penny right now :) Just use the link  http://julep.com/?r=21739311 and enter the promo code COLOR2012. Julep will have you take a little quiz to see what your style is (which intro box you get). It takes about two minutes. Don't like the style they chose for you? Just retake the quiz, or pick a different style after you view the amazing color choices. If you have any questions about Julep feel free to comment below or check out my previous Julep posts! My Intro Box I purchased for a penny is shown in the link here :)