Julep May 2017 (Sun Crush) Custom Maven Box unboxing (with promo code!)

Another Julep Maven unboxing! This month’s featured products are some of my favorites from Julep – the Sea Salt Texture Spray, Mint Condition Pedi Creme, and No Excuses Invisible Sunscreen Gel – but I still have those on hand, so I picked other stuff:

The contents:

• Skip the Brush Creme-to-Powder Blush Stick in Moonlit Sand ($24 regular, $19.20 Maven), “Rose Gold Shimmer,” because I ❤ rose gold,
• Eyeshadow 101 Creme-to-Powder Eyeshadow Stick in Pearl Shimmer ($18 regular, $14.40 Maven), “Soft Cream Shimmer,”
• CTRL + Z Eye Makeup Eraser ($10 regular, $8 Maven), which I’m hoping will help me clean up my eyeliner accidents (though it’s got mixed reviews on the website), and
• Sixlets chocolate flavored candy, this month’s freebie. I’d never had them before, so that was fun to try, and the slightly different flavors for each color were kind of interesting!

This month’s quote:

“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art” – Madonna

The promo code that came with this box is FREEMAY for a free polish with a $10 purchase at Julep’s website, expires 5/31/2017.

Here’s a close-up on the Skip the Brush and Eyeshadow 101. I previously picked this up in Sheer Glow and loved it more the more I used it. I find myself frequently using it over other luminizers in my arsenal, so I thought I’d try it in a different shade. I’m not much of a blush person, but this one looks pretty natural, goes on sheer, and is buildable if you want more pigment. I prefer using this on my eyelids and lips more than on my cheeks – yay for multitasking products! Love the subtle touch of rose gold sparkle.

Oh, and I find it works better over bare skin or a BB cream (or similar cream-based product) and not as well with my mineral powder foundation.

Not much to say on the Pearl Shimmer eyeshadow. It’s a pale, shimmery, almost-white eyeshadow. 🙂 As with the other Eyeshadow 101s, I find a primer is necessary to keep it from smearing around.

This is a close-up of the CTRL + Z Eye Makeup Eraser. It’s designed for removing eye makeup mistakes, and I thought I’d give it a shot, despite mixed reviews on the Julep website. Most of the complaints are that the tip is overly rough. I haven’t actually used it yet, but I’ll post an update when I’ve had a chance to try it out. (I currently use a Q-tip dipped in remover to clean up my cat eyes, and I’d love a more convenient solution!)

That’s it for this box! Still waiting on my Spring 2017 Pusheen Box to show up. I know folks who got their boxes ages ago, and mine hasn’t even shipped yet! Customer service says it was scheduled to ship this past week, but still nothing.

Anyway, happy Mothers’ Day to my fellow moms! Can’t tell you how awesome it is the first time you get a Mothers’ Day card from your own kid. ❤

 

Julep April 2017 (Relax & Remix) Custom Maven Box unboxing (with promo code!)

Not quite as late this month posting my Julep Maven unboxing!

This month’s quote: “Give me a sun lounger, a pool and a sea view, and I’m happy.” – Miranda Hart, an English actor and comedian that I wasn’t familiar with until I saw the monthly quote card. I’ve found most of the recent quotes a bit less than inspiring, but at least they have some educational value because I end up looking up the person quoted. :]

Anyway, my picks this month:

• Feels Like Velvet Full-Coverage Eyeshadow Duo in Moonlight & Starlight ($20 regular, $16 Maven), “Lilac Grey Matte & White Sand Shimmer,” a previous release from last May,
• Feels Like Velvet Full-Coverage Eyeshadow Duo in Cinnamon & Spice ($20 regular, $16 Maven), “Auburn Shimmer & Mushroom Shimmer,” new this month,
• When Pencil Met Gel long-lasting eyeliner in Ultraviolet ($16 regular, $12.80 Maven), “Blue Violet Shimmer,” new this month, and
• Brigitte ($14 regular, $11.20 Maven), “Bright White Crème” nail polish, which I think was released in April 2014 and is this month’s freebie. ❤

 

The promo code that came with this box is APRIL30 for 30% off a purchase at Julep’s website, expires 5/30/2017.

Feels Like Velvet really is pretty comfortable to wear, and the colors are great, but so far, I’ve only tried applying them dry, both with and without primer, and they faded more quickly than I would have liked. Reviews on the site seem to say doing a wet application is the way to go, so I’ll have to give that a shot later on.

Moonlight & Starlight is an matte-finish duo and looked subtle and creamy when I wore it. Again, though, maybe a wet application could amp it up a little. Work-appropriate for sure, and super fine/soft texture.

Cinnamon & Spice has two shimmer colors and shows up more dramatically on my relatively fair skin but also seems pretty work-appropriate. It wasn’t overly sparkly when applied dry.

The Ultraviolet eyeliner looks great on the pencil – a nice cool-leaning violet with blue flash – but on the lid, the blue flash didn’t really show up. Still a beautiful color with excellent application, but I was hoping for more blue shimmer!

I’ll give it another shot and see if I like it better next time. After all, the Sunset Gold color looked almost terracotta to me the first few times I wore it, but later on, the gold metallic shimmer finally made an appearance. No idea why it took a few applications to kick in, but it did, and now I love it!

 

I haven’t tried Brigitte yet, but as I understand from reading various reviews, it’s a standard bright white creme polish, and some people have some issues with the application (pretty typical for bright white polishes, unfortunately). I’ll update the blog later when I’m able to give it a try.

I’m still well satisfied with the value and quality of the Julep Maven box. I just checked, and Julep’s new subscription options now include prepaying for 6 months and getting boxes for $16.66 each (whoa)! I’m still under the oldbie $19.99 month-to-month plan, but either way, it’s a pretty great deal for trying new products or stocking up on past favorites. If you’re interested in trying it and find my posts helpful, please consider using my referral link! (You can also use the code FREEFALL to score an extra set of 12 full-size Julep polishes ($168 value), if you’re a new Maven. :D)

Anyway, that’s it for now. I better get to bed so we can take ‘Fiend Jr. to an egg hunt tomorrow morning!

Julep March 2017 (Spring To It) Custom Maven Box (with promo code!)

Behind on posting, since I was down for the count with whatever slew of viruses ‘Fiend Jr. brought home from daycare the week before last. D: Anyway, here’s this month’s Julep Maven unboxing!

 

This month’s quote: “Spring is when life’s alive in everything.” – Christina Rossetti, an English poet known for “Goblin Market.”

• Skip the Brush creme-to-powder blush stick in Sheer Glow ($24 regular, $19.20 Maven), a multipurpose product that also works on eyes and lips,
• When Pencil Met Gel long-lasting eyeliner in Clay ($16 regular, $12.80 Maven), a new color released last month,
• When Pencil Met Gel long-lasting eyeliner in Fig Shimmer ($16 regular, $12.80 Maven), a new color this month, and
• two One-Step Polish Remover Pads, this month’s freebie.

The promo code that came with this box is SPRING30 for 30% off a purchase at Julep’s website.

Skip the Brush in Sheer Glow works great as a multipurpose highlighter. The finish is lightweight and comfortable. It does look subtly sparkly, which may not be for everyone, but I like it.

I think I’ve said before that I enjoy the Julep eyeliners, so I keep picking up more colors. I haven’t tried the eyeliner in Clay yet, but Fig Shimmer is more purple and less burgundy than I was expecting from the marketing photos. Still a pretty color, though, and application is as smooth and long-wearing as usual.

And, tomorrow’s monthly selection time again. Looking forward to seeing what’s new!

Julep February 2017 (Cozy in Love) Custom Maven Box (with promo code!)

Late post, but no biggie, since it’s another custom with previous releases. This month’s box was a birthday gift to my mom, with some of my recent Julep favorites.

This month’s quote: “Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.” – Elinor Glyn, a British author who, according to Wikipedia, “specialised in romantic fiction that was considered scandalous for its time.” 🙂

• No Excuses Invisible Sunscreen Gel ($28 regular, $22.40 Maven), which I previously talked about in September 2016 – I love it because it’s lightweight and dries smooth and matte;
• Boost Your Radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Facial Oil ($36 regular, $28.80 Maven), which I tried and enjoyed when it came out last month – I love the delicious bergamot scent, which always reminds me of Earl Grey tea; and
• a sample of Love Your Bare Face Hydrating Cleansing Oil, this month’s freebie from Julep, which was unexpected but also a favorite Julep product of mine because it gently and easily removes makeup without stripping skin oils or irritating my sensitive skin.

The promo code that came with this box is POLISHLOVE for a free polish  with a $10+ purchase at Julep’s website.

I hope she likes them – sometimes it’s hard to tell!

Julep January 2017 (Future Fresh) Custom Maven Box (with promo code!) | Julep Ginny & Julep Yulia

A bit of a late post, but here it is: my customized Julep January 2017 Maven box! Since I took so long to find time to post this, I’ve also already swatched the polishes that came in it, so I’m throwing that in here, too.

Looks like Julep’s cutting down on packaging. Instead of the usual pretty tissue paper and paper crinkles, everything was cushioned in utilitarian brown paper. (Hey, I don’t mind. It works and is easier to clean up.) My picks this month:

• Boost Your Radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Facial Oil ($36 regular, $28.80 Maven), this month’s featured new product that I was pretty excited to try;
• Ginny ($14 regular, $11.20 Maven), from Julep’s collection last month, described as a “Sapphire Sunset Holographic,” which actually isn’t a bad description; and
• Yulia ($14 regular, $11.20 Maven), new this month, described as a “Turquoise Sheer Iridescent Shimmer,” which is also accurate.

Boost Your Radiance was new this month and comes packaged like What Your Skin Needs Restorative Facial Milk in a frosted glass bottle with a dropper. Julep touts this as “[a] reparative ‘wonder booster’ that leaves all skin types radiant and hydrated. Prevents and repairs the appearance of fine lines and hyperpigmentation while regulating oil production.”

I tried the oil for about two weeks, and it really does wonders for my face. I love that it takes only a drop or two, and though I have the annoying kind of skin that gets dry patches and eczema here and there, this oil seems to smooth out those spots without making the rest of my face feel greasy. It’s pretty great! Might be too early to tell, but I have no idea if it helps for hyperpigmentation, and I don’t really have fine lines to repair yet, so hopefully it’s doing its job preventing them!

And, for your reference, here’s some swatches of the two polishes from this month, Ginny, plus one coat of Yulia over accent nail, topped with Essie Good to Go top coat:

#Julep Ginny, 2 coats, on all nails, plus 1 coat Julep Yulia on the ring finger. Outdoor natural light. #julepmaven #nails #nailpolish #swatches #shimmer #holo #sheer #jelly #holographic #duochrome #notd

A post shared by Lacquerfiend (@eternaldecember) on Jan 8, 2017 at 1:39pm PST

Ginny is quite possibly my new favorite Julep polish and is a sapphire-blue jelly packed with just the right density of fine holo shimmer/microglitter to create that starry-sky look. It’s similar to Zoya Dream, another favorite, but it looks like it’s probably more purplish, with finer holo shimmer, and it has that extra, subtle pink flash. I love it.

Yulia is sheer, as advertised, and designed to be a topper. It reminds me of Pure Ice Heartbreaker, but I’d have to do a side-by-side comparison to really tell. You can see from my photo that from some angles, it’s hardly visible (at least at once coat), but at some angles, it’s got a strong teal flash.

Both polishes had excellent formulas and dried on the faster side of average for me and had pretty good durability. They almost lasted an entire week!

Also in this box:

• Monthly collection intro & quote card: primarily introducing Boost Your Radiance and this month’s quote, “Never dull your shine for somebody else,” from Tyra Banks;
• Tootsie Pop, this month’s freebie (which amused my toddler, then fed my husband); and
• Promo code card: $10 off $25+ purchase at Julep.com (use WINTER10, expires 2/28/17).

That’s it for this box…and it’s already time to make our choices for the February box. Where does all the time go?

Winter 2016 Pusheen Box unboxing!

My Winter 2016 Pusheen Box arrived last week!

This box was gift-wrapped Pusheen and Cozy Pusheen-themed. So cute!

Another nine adorable Pusheen items, with a description card.

(1) Pusheen gloves (Pusheen Box Exclusive), the fingerless kind with mitten caps and 100% acrylic, and (2) a fleecy Pusheen-shaped scarf (Pusheen Box Exclusive), 100% polyester, are perfect for cold weather. The gloves are a bit on the small side. I usually wear size M women’s gloves (size 8), and these are pretty tight – as in the area where the thumb connects to the rest of the glove stretches so much that there’s a small visible hole at the junction. If you have larger hands than mine, you might not be comfortable wearing these!

(3) The Pusheen String Light Set has eight lights and can be used indoor or outdoor at 120V AC 60Hz and requires 2 AA batteries. I haven’t tried these yet because their reliance on batteries kind of limits their usefulness to me. Might try to alter them later to plug in to power.

(4) The Pusheen gift wrap and gift stickers (Pusheen Box Exclusive) with two sheets of wrap and four gift-tag stickers and (5) the metallic light-blue Pusheen Printed Tape have a present and cake theme that can be used for just about any occasion, not just the winter holidays. The print on these is crisp and very cute!

(6) The Pusheen Holiday Stamp Set is my favorite item in this box. It includes eight rubber stamps with wood handles and a brown ink pad. Not all of the artwork has the same line thickness, probably because they aren’t of the same scale, and the stamps aren’t all glued very straight on the wood bases, but they’re decent stamps that make clear impressions. The included ink pad works well, too.

(7) The Pusheen Tea Infuser (Pusheen Box Exclusive) is made of silicone, including the chain, and is dishwasher and food safe.

(8) The Pusheen Stainless Steel Thermos (Pusheen Box Exclusive) is a dainty little thermos – only about six inches tall! It holds 280mL (a little less than 9.5 fluid ounces) and promises to keep beverages hot or cold for four hours and fit in standard cup holders. The outside of the body has a grippy rubbery texture – silicone? – and the head feels like normal smooth plastic. Hand wash only.

The cap is a slightly different gray from the body, but it doesn’t really bother me. The print is crisp.

And, finally, this month’s exclusive vinyl figure, (9) Cozy Pusheen Vinyl Figurine (Pusheen Box Exclusive), with the eponymous chubby kitty dressed in a hat, scarf, and booties. Here, I’ve placed her next to Baker Pusheen from the Spring 2016 Pusheen Box, so you can see them side by side. I think the paint job quality has improved with the last three figures I’ve received, since there’s no more bleeding paint on the newer ones. 🙂

So cute. ❤ #PusheenBox #pusheen #pusheenthecat #cozypusheen

A post shared by Lacquerfiend (@eternaldecember) on Dec 16, 2016 at 11:48pm PST

This box wraps up a year’s worth of Pusheen Boxes (four total, one per season), and I haven’t been disappointed! Definitely a fun and useful box for anyone who loves Pusheen, and if anything, the quality of the items has improved.

Speaking of which, I’d mentioned with my Fall 2016 Pusheen Box that I’d contacted customer service about the defective teacup and saucer that came in my box, and they were nice enough to send out a brand new one to me! It took a little while for the replacement to ship out, likely because it’s imported, but the new one is good, so I’m a happy customer. ❤ Plus, I now unexpectedly have a matching set, even if one has a smudged saucer.

Not sure if I’ll get another post in before Christmas (my nails are, in fact, naked right now – I’ve hardly even had time to pick up presents for family this year!) and not sure when I’ll get a chance to post next, so just in case, happy winter holidays and New Year!

Julep December 2016 (This Way to the Soiree) Custom Maven Box (with promo code!)

Has it been a month already? Life’s been so busy that I can hardly keep track!

Anyway, time for another quickie unboxing post! Here’s my customized Julep December 2016 Maven box!

Teal paper crinkles, wine-colored tissue paper (though it doesn’t look it from the photo), and:

• Lock Down Your Brows Iconic Brow Gel ($22; website doesn’t list a Maven price, for some reason), “Clear-setting gel infused with brow-boosting peptides and nourishing Power Cell Complex™ that shapes and tames brows with a flexible, natural-looking hold,”
• Bree ($14 regular, $11.20 Maven), described as a “Golden Gardenia Multidimensional Glitter” (whoa, uh, I somehow got two, even though I actually only ordered one!),  and
• Light on Your Lips Full-Coverage Creme Lipstick in Shimmy ($22; again, no Maven price listed) a sort of rusty, orangey red.

I’m still riding out those gel nails, so I haven’t painted my nails in a long time, but maybe I can try out Bree with last month’s Mercedes next. I had a hard time choosing out of Bree, Ginny, and Kristjana when I first saw the December 2016 reveal, and I’m still not sure I picked the right one of the three! Bree reminds me of those Maybelline Color Show Brocade polishes from 2013.

Other than the polishes, my choices this month are maybe a bit weird for me. My sister likes the brow gel, so I decided to give it a go, but my wiry brow hairs are adamant about sticking the way they want to stick, and the gel honestly didn’t seem to make any difference, even with extra coats. I like the brush, though. It’s spiraled like a shorter mascara brush, or a bottle brush, and is firm without being too scratchy. The gel itself hardly feels like anything.

Finally, I’m not typically one to wear lipstick because of skin sensitivity issues, but that just means that when I need to wear some, I can’t seem find any I can or would like to wear. I’ve, therefore, made a point of nabbing a lipstick here and there (when economically prudent ;P) to try out so I can figure out what works. I didn’t have an orangey one like Shimmy yet, so I’m going to give it a try!

Also in this box:

• Monthly collection intro & quote card: info on the new It’s Whipped Matte Lip Mousse colors (which I didn’t pick up) and a quote from socialite and fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer, “That’s what life is about: Let’s have a party. Let’s have it tonight.”
• Gilliam Green Apple Old Fashioned Candy Stick, this month’s freebie (yum), and
• Promo code card: free polish with $10+ purchase at Julep.com (use FREEDECEMBER, expires 1/31/17).

Oh, also, I love the Julep bird-and-stars print compact mirror I picked up during Black Friday. It’s really cute and happened to be free with a $30 purchase:

Early birthday present to self, thanks to Cyber Monday. 🙂 That rainbow bird print… 😍 #Julep #compactmirror #lookingglass #chameleoneyeliner #eyelineraddict #julepmaven

A post shared by Lacquerfiend (@eternaldecember) on Dec 2, 2016 at 9:30pm PST

The chameleon eyeliner trio is pretty good, too. In that subtle Julep way, the liners look black but have a hidden shimmer (silver, gold, or violet are the shimmer colors in the trio) that’s visible (when the light hits just right) but not too flashy for work. 😀

That’s it for now!