Monday, April 23, 2012

Julep Maven Subscription : 1 Cent!

Hi All!
    So there has been a huge rush for subscription boxes, which you pay a fee for deluxe- full sized products.  Some offer points for filling out surveys, others offer a discount.  I had come across a really stellar deal for a nail polish subscription box.  I think I've heard 2 youtube gurus mention this company but...it is JULEP MAVEN!  So, I started my subscription about a week ago, and even with a shipping issue, I got it within one week. I have to say that the website is well organized and VERY clear about when you should opt out of a month if your on a budget, if you want to switch your style etc.  It's very user friendly and even the style quiz was more interesting then most of others that I have seen. The style quiz, in the end also gives you a peak at your colors, so if you really REALLY hate them you can redo the quiz and get another pair of shades. This is something pretty different from most other companies because they really do take into account that some people just can't wear certain shades.

 So a normal box is 19.99 and they offer one-time payments for several months, which I believe gives you a little discount. Now this is a more expensive box than most others, especially for a monthly product, but I used a coupon code and got a introductory box for a PENNY (doing a little dance in my chair right now!) The Box comes with a nail file, a hand product and two nail polishes that are 8ml each.  (To put into perspective, the Sally Hansen Xtreme wear bottles are 11.8ml so you are getting roughly 2/3 of that size)

ONTO THE ACTUAL BOX!
So it came in a simple black box with Julep Maven on the side with the company logo. It's a sturdy box so if your box gets caught in the rain it will not get ruined.  When I first opened my box I saw this: the typical card explaining the company with a reminder of what my style profile is (Classic with a Twist) along with a welcome card outlining details of when you can change your style profile if you don't like the next month's colors, when you can cancel, and exactly when your card gets charged. (Good idea!)
  
Next under the cards I saw nicely bundled together this: (There was some crinkle products at the bottom so nothing would break) 
  The first product I pulled out was a basic black nail file with the company name on one side. The next product I pulled out was the "Facial For Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub" in 3 fl oz.  It's a nice sized product and has an orange essence scent. I have not tried it yet, but worst comes to worst I can use it on my body!
 
Finally the nail polishes came wrapped in bubble wrapped and then packaged in a pink bag with a black bow on it. Pretty cute if you ask me. The two colors I got were Anne- which is a rich violet color with definite blue undertones and Kelly- a cream colored polish with a buttercream-y tint to it. They are packaged in tall bottles so they stand out from the other bottles I have. They both have the standard brush, so it's nothing super fancy with that.
So I had to put off the next box because it does come with a 20 dollar price tag. I feel like this subscription is one that I'll purchase 2-4 times a year because they are pretty colors. (Plus it was nice getting something other than bills in the mail) One little thing I would nit-pick at is the fact that the colors were not both labeled.  If you check the photo above, the cream color has a label but the purple one does not have it at all. I would probably just give Julep a heads up just for the future.

SO if your interested in signing up and testing it out for a penny (ONE CENT with FREE SHIPPING) the code to use is: COLOR2012.
It's easy to put off a month or to cancel (they ask you to call) 
Here is a link to the site:

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Product Review: Stile Smudgeproof Eye Definer in Peacock

Hi Everyone,
            So going on with my products I'm working on getting through/ finally using, I decided to use the Stile Smudge proof Waterproof Eye Definer in the color Peacock.  I got this a few months back through my Birchbox and yep...JUST now started using it.  I've never used Stile products before although I have had a "makeover" done at Sephora using just Stila products.So you can imagine that I was rather excited to see how this color and product would work on me.
          The consistency of the liner is so smooth and creamy, so I can understand all the fuss about their texture. It went onto my waterline very nicely and even when I swatched it on my hand it was consistent and not bumpy or chunky. The color is this beautiful deep aqua with a metallic finish to it. I have never used a color like this before but it added such a nice emphasis on my blue eyes and gave me something different than my typical browns.
        I wore this color with a purple/ neutral eye to just allow for the blue to really pop but the purple makes the look come together. I have been able to wear this look to my job which is very conservative and my boss had no issues with the color so that is an added bonus! (yay)
       Now for the disappointing part of this product (there just always seems to be one!) This liner was not waterproof nor smudge proof. When I swatched it on my hand it was tough to get off and all I could think about was how awesome this would be on the water line. WRONG! Within an hour the color faded from the deep aqua to a lighter aqua (still pretty but if I wanted a light aqua I'd BUY a light aqua). While it didn't smudge easily, it still had a decent amount of smudginess that actually left lil lines of the color right under my eye. I don't know if I could say that it is waterproof because it did obviously start to breakdown after 2 hours or so.

Final Verdict?
- I like the color and the product but if I am going to purchase a product that claims to be smudge proof and waterproof....it better BE smudge proof and waterproof. It isn't a repurchase but I do like it for just that added boost.

Have you tried this product? Can anyone suggest a good liner that is REALLY waterproof?
xoxo Ema
     

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Project Cut Back Spending Update!

Hi All,
   This post is more of just a quick update of my "Project Cut Back Spending" for makeup is going. I am waiting to hit another 20 products before I actually do a photo and whole post about the products (maybe even experiment with making a video version of it!? *would anyone want to watch that instead of reading the post?*) but figured I can at least give the newest calculation of my spending! So from January 1st, 2012 to April 5th, 2012 I have spent *drum roll please!*


 15 BUCKS on makeup/ skincare/ body products!

I find that to be really awesome because it has pushed me to use what I have, and even scramble a bit to use a product or two up before it went bad.  I have been able to develop an idea of what I really like and which ones I would love to repurchase. 15 bucks is what I would typically spend in a month, or more!   I plan to save up for the next Sephora F&F sale and then purchase a few staple (or hopeful staple) items.

I don't know if this is technically cheating, but I have been to Sephora to pick up a few foundation samples, so I'm finally learning to use it and what I like in it! (yayyyyyy)

How is everyone else doing??
xoxo,
Ema