Julep August 2015 Swatches, Comparisons, and Nail Art

Hi everyone! Today I’ve got my picks from the Julep August 2015 Collection (Muse Montreal) to show off on the blog! I know it’s been a while since my last post (and it’s no longer August), but I thought I should write my August subscription box posts eventually. Seriously, I feel like I’ve been fighting exhaustion all the time now that my commute is now 2 hours every day instead of 5 minutes. Lesson learned: if you can help it, don’t move an hour away from work.

Anyways, I almost didn’t take a box this month because I just wasn’t feeling the particular polishes that made up the collection, despite the fact that I liked the color palette overall. While I eventually convinced myself to take a box using up some of my store credit, I don’t think I chose very well and ended up disappointed with most of my selections. The plus side of taking a box, though, was that I received a set of super fun metallic temporary tattoos as a freebie and I LOVED them! I’d been contemplating getting a set before, and Julep sent some for free! So I used them to create some cute, geometric mix-and-match nail art.

Swatch – Sally Hansen Cancer Moon

Hi everyone! I have a quick swatch post today about a brand new polish for this season! Sally Hansen put out an entire collection with their Complete Salon Manicure line that was based off of the western zodiac. While I don’t care much for astrology, I still wanted to check it out because, well, nail polish. I ended up liking a number of the colors and may end up acquiring a few, but for now, I settled for just one: my zodiac sign! Cancer Moon appealed to me partly because it’s based off of my zodiac sign, and partly because it’s unique to my collection. It’s quite a nice, understated neutral with a bit of gleam to it that makes it special. This is definitely a great addition to my sparse collection of neutral polish!

Swatch – Julep Dawnelle

Hi everyone! Before I get going on the subscription box posts for this month (I REALLY want to finish both of them by the end of the month this time!!!), I’ve got a quick swatch of Julep Dawnelle. This insanely sparkly microglitter polish was originally released in the St. Patrick’s Day-themed March 2015 Mystery box (this polish is basically the reason I bought the box), but has since become available for individual purchase. If you’re into dense, full coverage microglitter (I am after I discovered Different Dimension Antheros!), this is definitely a polish to consider because it is SO gorgeous!

Swatch – Julep Tanith

Hi everyone! I’ve just got a quick swatch today of an unconventional neutral polish: Julep Tanith. I was picking something that would look good on my little nubs (boo broken nail!) and I settled on this understated – but fabulous – offering from Julep. The thing with me and neutral nail polishes is that I, well, don’t usually like them because I almost always prefer colors. But when I want to wear a neutral polish, then I really REALLY want to wear a neutral polish and then I LOVE them. So, really, it’s kind of a love-hate relationship here, depending on my mood.

In this case, when I was picking a polish, I was crazy digging Julep Tanith, and so I chose it. And i have no regrets about that – it’s amazing!

Little Glitter Hearts Nail Art

Hi everyone! I’ve been under the weather recently, so I have just a short post for now. Today I have a quick bit of nail art that I was inspired to do by someone close to me who could use some extra love right now ❤ Why not show it with lots of hearts?

Julep January 2015 Swatches, Comparisons, and Nail Art

Hi everyone! Today I have a ginormous post about my picks from the Julep January 2015 Collection (Chrysalis), so get ready! This time around, I went with the It Girl box and added on two polishes – Luna (the featured add-on) and Phyllis (Classic with a Twist) – plus I got one of the metamorphic topcoats (Tyra, the pink one) they put in if you signed up to get one. That’s six polishes in total that I’m going to write about in this post, which is a new record for me! As usual, I’ve swatched all the colors, done a few comparisons, and used four of the colors to make “chrysalis”-inspired nail art!

This month, Julep decided to do something new in line with their increasing emphasis on beauty products, which was to put two products and one polish in three of the main boxes (Boho Glam, Bombshell, and Classic with a Twist) this month instead of two polishes and one product. Since I subscribe to Julep mainly for the nail polish, and I’m not in the My Maven customization program, this new way of doing things isn’t what I want at all. It’s pretty clear that, by making it less attractive to stay in the original program, this move is probably part of Julep’s push towards getting everyone into My Maven. I must say, it is working; I’m seriously thinking about switching over to the program. We’ll see! Anyways, read on to see all the polishes!

Swatch – Urban Outfitters Pistol

Hi everyone! I have a swatch today of Urban Outfitters Pistol: a smoky, purple-toned neutral polish with a subtle red-brown shimmer that comes out in direct light. This color needs a lot of descriptors because it is really peculiar, in a good way. Usually I shy away from neutrals, but I’ve worn this for almost a week without being tired of it yet. On the contrary – I’m completely smitten! It’s plushy and soft-looking, like animal fur, and feels luxurious and sophisticated.