Fourth of July Nails

Happy 4th of July everyone!  

I hope everyone is enjoying the day.  Our morning started off with going over to city hall to see the 4th of July parade; followed by a nice brunch out.  We got back home and got all the prep done for the BBQ.  While my hubby is manning the grill, I thought I come by with a quick post.

Project Red: Julep Demi

Julep Demi arrived at doorstep as part of my December's Julep Maven "Bombshell" Box.  My Julep style profile is actually "Classic with a Twist", but I couldn't resist the richness of the Demi when I saw the preview.  I switched that month and I'm very happy I did.

Elegant burgundy, like fine wine, is how Julep describes Demi.  The color certainly is very elegant, and very reminiscent to that of matured red wine.

My Julep Box of Mystery

Julep recently ran a holiday promotion called 5 Days of Gifting, where each day featured a new Julep deal.  By far, the most popular deal that week was the Box of Mystery.  A surprise box of mystery Julep products valued at $60 and up to $200, all for $19.99 and with free shipping.  I'm already a loyal Julep Maven, I signed on from the very beginning in August, but that didn't stop me from taking advantage of the incredible deal being offered on this day.  Plus the fact I like having a surprise box of beauty goodies delivered to my doorstep, this was a win win.

My mystery box arrived yesterday and I was giddy with excitement to open my surprise.  I had no idea what I was going to get, but what I received made my jaw drop...

Look at all the products!  I think I really hit the jackpot on this one.  I did a quick calculation and my box retails over $200.  I think it's safe to say I got my money's worth on this one.  Never in the world did I expect to get the grand daddy box. I would have been more than happy with a $60 box, so this definitely exceeds my expectation.

So what's in the box?  Here's the list of items:
Amy - smokey turquoise
Gloria - modern, coral rose
Holly - opaque, super pale pink
Jodie - shimmery, burnt copper
Lucy - modern, dark burgundy
Mandy - fresh, bright, deep coral-pink
Salma - bold, fire-engine red
Susan - cheery, rosy pink
Stella - mustard yellow
Vera - luxurious, sable brown
Pout Plumping Lip Gloss in Intimacy - nude with 24 karat gold shimmer
Essential Cuticle Oil
Fast Dry Top Coat
Glitter Pot in Silver
Nail Applique in Peacock
Nail Applique in Rivet

Amazing enough, I don't own any of the 10 colors here.  I have to say that there are a few colors I would normally not buy for myself, but now I have the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and give the color a try.  Indeed Christmas came a couple days early for me.  These are quality products.  I am very fond of their nail polish, especially their crème formula.  They apply beautifully on the nails and dries to a glossy shine.  I have to say Julep is incredibly generous to be offering such a wonderful deal to their customers.  I'm definitely a fan!

So what is a Julep Maven?  I'm sure most of you already heard about the program, but in case you didn't, here's it is:  For $19.99 a month (shipping is included), Julep will send out a Sneak Peek Box tailored to your style profile taken from a quick fun style quiz.  The box will include the latest nail color, and/or mani and pedi care products.  For more details on the program, check out the Julep Maven section on the website and the Maven FAQs page.  If you're not a Maven and want to join, I would appreciate if you go through my referral link to sign-up.  (Disclosure:  For each new member that signs up for Julep Maven program through the referral link, I will receive $15 in Julep credit)


Edited 12/27/11 to add:  I didn't post this before because I thought the offer had expired, but it appears that it still may be working.  You can sign-up for the Maven program and get the introductory box for just a penny!  Go to the referral link and use coupon code: SHAREON.

OPI Divine Swine over Julep Gayle

Divine Swine is a glitter polish from OPI's holiday collection, The Muppets.  It's fuchsia glitter in clear base, and has some larger hexagonal silver glitter.  When I first swatched it, it wasn't as glitter packed as I had expected, so I decided I would use this over a base color rather than slathering coats of glitter.

Enter the beautiful Julep Gayle.  Since I was already wearing it, why not extend my mani another couple of days, so I topped it with Divine Swine...

I only used one coat of Divine Swine, and I think it compliments Gayle very nicely.  If I used 2 coats, I think it would have covered up Gayle too much.  The combination is very pretty, and adds just an extra bit of sparkle to an already beautiful color.

Julep Gayle

Regal, deep aubergine.  Sophisticated yet playful.  That is how Julep describes Gayle, a new release from the Holiday 2011 collection.  Well, I have to agree.  Just look at her... a perfect shade of purple that is not leaning too blue, or have too much red...

Gayle is absolutely stunning, right?  The medium eggplant color is really perfect; and so is the Julep crème formula.  It's so smooth, that the color just glides onto the nail.  It dries to a beautiful glossy finish, so a glossy top coat is completely optional.

So aside from being an amazing color, Gayle is also named after a wonderful woman with a huge heart.  I was lucky enough to have "met" the original Gayle on a nail forum.  Her kindness and generous nature is truly amazing, and very contagious.  She is one beautiful woman.

Julep Diane

I received Diane as part of the Julep Maven Box for November 2011.  Actually, this was a shelf pull I requested called Polish Lover Option.  Normally, I am sent the Classic with a Twist box.  Even though the box of goodies I would have received was pretty, I really didn't need a new lipgloss.  Plus, being such a nail polish lover, how could I resist adding three beautiful new colors to my collection?

The Polish Lover Option had 3 colors: Diane, Michelle, and Trina.  Stepping out of my comfort zone, I decided to try Diane first, a dark forest green:

I have such a difficult time finding a nice looking green for me.  Most of the greens I've worn make my hand look terrible.  Despite my many fail attempts to find the perfect green, I continue my search.  When I first put on Diane, I thought it looked nice enough on me.  But looking at my pictures now, I'm not too convinced this is the right green for me.  However, I still can appreciate the beauty of this one.  It's such a lush looking green; any green lover out there would favor this one.

I found the formula on this particular Julep color to be thinner and a bit runny.  Not that it was a terrible thing, but I had to work really fast, or the polish would drip down and pool on the nail.  Aside from the thin formula, the application was nice and smooth.  Just make sure to get as much as the excess polish off the brush, and work fast!