Makeup Case: Julep Welcome Box + Bonus Color

Before subscribing to a monthly expense, I like to do my research. Is fancy nail polish worth $25/month? (Julep also offers other boxes, but let's be real, my makeup collection is already outta control except for a severe nail polish shortage.) If you read the title of the post, then you've probably figured out my conclusion was yes. I maintain that you will enjoy my highly scientific means of arriving at this conclusion. TL;DR version of the method: buy a bottle of Julep polish, apply one coat with no base or top coat, and then beat the crap out of my nails.

Florence, 1 coat, Day 1.

In the midst of spending my life savings on MAC brushes, I threw in a bottle of Julep's Florence. It's an ecru shade that I thought would make a nice everyday shade: neutral enough for work, but an unusual color for nails. It applied quite thick for this out of practice nail polish wearer and I had to do some cleanup on my cuticles. Then I spent a good hour admiring my nails because I never paint them anymore. (Note: I think the next picture is a much more accurate representation of the color. Please excuse my minimal photography skills.)

Florence, 1 coat, Day 3.

This is the same hand after a few days. By this point, I had washed many dishes, done a few loads of laundry, worked out, and dusted my room. Chores become surprisingly fun when you are procrastinating lesson planning doing science. As you can see, there was little chipping. I decided that the Julep box was a worthy investment for me, queen of chipping even professional manicures within 24 hours.

Julep welcome box, from left to right: Libby, Teri, and Winter.

Today (look how timely this review is!), Julep's welcome box arrived. Libby is a deep turquoise. Teri is a peachy coral. Winter is a light dove gray.  The above photo serves as evidence that overhead fluorescent lighting is terrible for photography and humanity in general. Sorry my apartment is so dark, everybody.

1 coat of each color.

And here is what all three look like on my nails, this time photographed in natural light. Call me easy to please, but I loved them all. Teri is more appropriate a color for spring or summer, but the seasons cannot dictate my love for the color coral. Libby makes me wish I owned turquoise jewelry. Winter makes me feel as cool as Emma Frost. I refuse to apologize for the number of puns in the last sentence.

Final note: Let your polish set! Five minutes after photographing my nails, I went upstairs to hang up the clothes living on my floor and chipped poor Winter. Impatience kills manicures. Plenty of people already know this, but logic was never my strong suit.

If seeing this makes you want to subscribe to Julep, please use my referral link!

Albums I Have Loved: Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing

Long before "Angel" became the sad animal commercial song, I associated it with the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, along with every other song on Surfacing. "Full of Grace" was in the second season finale, after all. If you're wondering whether I saved Buffy computer wallpapers with Sarah McLachlan lyrics plastered on them in illegible cursive font, the answer is YES.

Before I get into the actual review, I'd like to note that this CD is one I straight up filched from my dad, which will be a recurring theme in this blog feature. Music taste starts at home and with petty theft.

Makeup Case: Face

My makeup regime for my face is not all that intense. Because my skin is naturally dry, I've never had to cover up more than the occasional blemish. Though I don't wear it often enough, my sunscreen of choice is "anything that works." I'll go into what moisturizers and cleansers I use in my bath products review. Here is everything else!