REVIEW: Julep Maven March 2013

I don't need more nail polish.  I have way too much nail polish - trust me it's like an episode of Hoarders in my bathroom.  Every time I take stock of my polish excesses, I tell myself I'm not going to buy any more polish and I'm going to cancel my Julep Maven subscription.

THEN Julep goes and sends me a box like THIS.  WTF Julep - why do you torment me so?

Normally the Maven box has two limited edition polishes and an extra full size nail care goody like cuticle oil or quick dry drops, you get the drift.  This month someone at Julep knew I was thinking about pulling the plug and sent me a nail junkie's equivalent of a mail bomb.  Those bitches don't play fair.  I got SIX polishes, a full sized hand cream, a lip balm and a bracelet.  Crazy I know!

Leila: Lemon yellow opalescent shimmer
Adrianna: Smoky pistachio crème
Shenae: Pastel mint green opalescent shimmer
Lucky: Cheers to the Irish culture with this festive kelly green and gold coin multi-dimensional, full coverage glitter. May the luck of the Irish thrive with you at your fingertips!
Simone: Soft pastel lilac opalescent shimmer
Minnie: Warm pastel pink opalescent shimmer

The bracelet was kind of a random add but it is quite pretty and I think I will get a good bit of use out of it.

Purty isnt it?  From the Frosted Willow etsy shop and a nice surprise in my Maven box

The March colors are straight out of a Salon Pas egg dyeing kit.  I feel like I should be wearing an Easter bunny outfit.  Very pretty but I don't think the Lavender works on my skin tone and I dont see myself wearing the yellow much.  It is nice tho to move away from the fall vampy shades and I'm really looking forward to more spring and summer brights.

Seriously, how gorgeous is Lucky?  It's a one coat glitter that is REALLY thick, bordering on gloppy but still workable and the result is worth it.  Slap a good top coat on there to smooth out the rough glitter and you are good to go.  I already feel ready for St. Patty's day with this one.

Overall I'm sort of non committal about Julep polishes in general.  The colors are really nice, but the packaging is just annoying.  The bottle is pretty but it tips over easily and the  8ml is a bit on the skimpy side when most other brands give you 14ml.  I like that it doesn't have all the bad chemicals that other polishes have, but not sure if I like that enough to pay the premium price for it.  The cream formulas require usually 2-3 coats for opacity and the first coat is always a streaky mess.  Keep calm and do another coat, all will work itself out.

For now, my fickle subscription consumption has been appeased by this generous offering and I'll keep the subscription going.  Just don't go the way of Glossybox and Birchbox and build me up only to let me down.