Beauty Bits: Julep - To Nails and Beyond

Six of my favorite Julep polishes - (from left to right) - Kim, Meryl, January, Claire, Alicia, Alyson

My love for Julep nail products knows no boundaries - I subscribe to their Maven membership program, have amassed more colors than any normal person may need, and wear one of their colors practically every week as evidenced on my Sunday Nailday posts.  Their polishes dry in just a few minutes, wear forever without chipping and go on so flawlessly that some colors only need one coat - did I blow your mind?  I know, mine too.  But as if their nail products were not already something to blog about (like I need a reason), they have recently been releasing other beauty products that are  just as blog post-worthy.  Most are nail-centric accoutrements to their stellar polish line, however they have been coloring outside the lines recently with non-nail related beauty products.  Again - mind blown.  You may need to sit down for the rest of this.

Nail accoutrements (from left to right): The Best Pedi Prep Ever, Conditioning Nail Polish Remover, Quick Dry Polish Drops c/o, Cuticle Oil c/o, Reveal Nail Strengthening Serum c/o, Glass Nail File c/o

I have always been a simplistic one when it has come to my nail maintenance.  Shocking, I know since my makeup routine is the polar opposite.  My dexterity at doing my own nails is what has always held me back.  Why on earth did my parents push me to practice piano when the real value was in learning how to do your own nails?!  Shaky hands does not a good polisher make. With my new found appreciation,  I now find value in the above products - quick dry polish drops for when deciding to change my polish 2 minutes before leaving, or cuticle oil conveniently packaged in a sublimely easy roller ball applicator.  The latter necessary for me now because great cuticles are a sign of a proper upbringing, right? No?  Well it should be.  And when creativity has escaped the efforts to name a product - give it the most obvious name possible - The Best Pedi Prep Ever.  And it is, hands down.  Removing that stubborn red or black nail polish I so recklessly wear, is no longer the bane of my existence.  This polish remover tackles the task head on, and my fingers are salvaged in the process.  Julep has every aspect of my hands, fingers, feet and toes completely covered.  How nice.

American Beauty Volumizing Mascara, Daylight Defense Lip Balm, Daylight Defense for Hand and Face

As if the nail products were not enough for this emerging brand, they have begun dipping their toes into the makeup/skincare pool.  And so far - I am loving every endeavor!  You may remember my summertime post where I waxed poetically about my sunscreen necessities for keeping my skin as pale as ghostly possible - well, this Daylight Defense for Hands and Face was top on my list.  With a texture that melts into the skin, and a delicious citrus-orange scent, it became the only sunscreen I wore all summer long.  While the sunscreen was busy blowing my mind, you may think that a chapstick could hardly even make it on my radar.  But your thinking would be wrong.  I do not discriminate when it comes to anything beauty - no matter how small or chapsticky.  Applying this daily would be an understatement since I apply it ALL day, every day.  It is one of the only lip moisturizers I have found that doesn't make my lips peels. Hallelujah.  But my sermon isn't over until I discuss their newest beauty tangent - the American Beauty Volumizing Mascara.  Full, lush lashes is a mediocre description.  The product actually has fibers that attach to the lash and extend it out, almost to my hairline frankly, making people actually have to search to find my eyes through my lashes.  I apologize for the extra work.  But what I will not apologize for is my ridiculously long, love letter to Julep products.  When you are in love, you just want to tell everyone.  So goes this post.  I heart you, Julep.

And if you are not already in love with them after my praise-singing (maybe you didn't read that the mascara touched my hairline - hairline, people! Hair. Line.), then maybe you need to try it for yourself.  Click here to join their Maven program.  And then write ME a love letter once YOU fall in love.   

Weekend Delivery

A package for me????  Heck yeah there is!  I received my monthly Julep Maven box and I thought I would share it with all of you.  You. are. welcome. This month the theme was "Fourth of July" so the colors were quite festive in red (America), white (Kate) and blue (Daphne), with a bonus polish being in a multi-colored glitter (Mila).  If you are unfamiliar with the program, it is a membership program that costs $19.99/month.  Each month you receive the newest colors and any other new beauty products they are promoting.  The box is normally valued at over $40 - so it is a great deal!  If you are a nail polish junkie like moi, then you need to get a membership like, yesterday.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks to see these buggers on my fingers for my Sunday Nailday posts.  Happy Saturday!

A Bit Obsessed: March 2012

1. My Wedding Bouquet from Worship Luxury

2. Wedding Bouquet details

3. Real Techniques Foundation Brush

4. Julep Nail Colors

5. My Crate and Barrel Wedding Dinnerware

6. Stationery from Papyrus

Beauty Bit: Members Only

Beauty product subscriptions! I want in!!!!  I have recently been turned on to this novel concept where different companies have membership programs that you join and receive monthly gift boxes FULL of goodies.  Yea - Mr. Mailman soon begins to take on a portly shape and grow a white beard in this mirage.  Is that a sleigh or a mail truck?  Who cares - he's got a package with my name on it!  Here's two of my newest finds: Julep Maven program and Birchbox. 

I stumbled upon Julep nail products while perusing Vogue.com.  The rich purple shade they were featuring for spring was just gorgeous - and the bottle was incredibly chic.  So on the hunt I was - to find these julep jewels and see if I would love the rest of their colors.  To my dismay, they were not sold in NYC (imagine that - isn't NYC the center of the universe? says all New Yorkers), but since I do have a black belt in online shopping - I was pleased to find I could buy them direct from their website.  Founded by Jane Park, a former Starbucks executive, Julep is a small chain of nail salons in Seattle that now carries their own line of nail and beauty products.  And here is where the story gets good - while browsing (hunting) through their website, I came across their Maven program - a membership program that sends you pre-selected full size nail polishes monthly accordingly to your style.  I chose the $19.99/month program and each monthly box contains over $40 worth of full sized nail and beauty products.  My first box arrived just a few days ago - and it was just a little piece of beauty junkie heaven.   

Birchbox is an online beauty company that sells various beauty products, but also offers this simply addictive monthly sampling program.  Frankly, I am not a sample gal.  Don't want 'em, don't need 'em - I put them in the knick-knack, doo-dad category of crap that can clutter my apartment and subject me to a future submission on an episode of Hoarders.  BUT - when I took a look at this lil' diddy of a program - I gladly found space for more stuff.  Though they have many different membership programs available, the one that I chose was the $10/month deluxe beauty sample program.  And while they say sample - these buggers are often full sized or a large travel size - and run the gamut of products.  My first box that arrived this evening contained a full size Essie nail polish, full size Tarte lip stain pencil, travel size Shiseido blotting papers and a Annick Goutal fragrance sample.  Knick-knack patty wack - give Maree a Birchbox!!!!