Julep "Jennifer" Nail Polish Swatch + Review

Julep "Jennifer" Nail Polish 

On Monday I finally got around to posting My Julep Nail Polish Collection! And after editing that post, I had the sudden urge to exchange my bright purple nail polish for a more subtle look. And "Jennifer" is an obvious choice--a soft pale pink (almost nude) color. As I've mentioned before, I have a love-hate relationship with "Jennifer". It was a very expensive purchase ($14.00) and I hoped that it would be the perfect polish. Let this be a lesson: a high price tag does not guarantee a better product. While I love the color, the formulation is a pain in the butt. It is extremely sheer. Don't expect a quick manicure with this color. Today when I sat down to paint my nails it took seven coats to get an opaque finish. 

Julep "Jennifer" Nail Polish

In the end, I will not be repurchasing "Jennifer" when I run out. Julep polishes are very expensive but I haven't found a difference in quality that justifies the difference in price. I don't think "Jennifer" is worth the money and I recommend looking for a less expensive polish at the drugstore. Personally, I love Essie "Fiji". It isn't as nude as "Jennifer" but it's half the price and only takes two coats to get an opaque finish. Now I call that a fantastic deal. I suggest saving some money or checking out Julep polishes that are a bit more unique (try "Jessica" or "America").

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Julep "Parker" Swatch + Review

four coats, natural light

Another NOTD post? What? So soon? I know it's crazy. And the fact that they both happen to be Julep nail polishes is just an odd coincidence. After wearing Julep "Jessica" for two weeks straight I figured that it was time to mix it up a bit. The best way for me to describe Julep "Parker" is a slightly lighter Crayola crayon orange. It is bold and bright color. Just the thing to inspire me to study for my midterms--or so I thought. I never used to wear orange nail polish but recently, thanks to Zoella (who loves the color orange), I have begun to have a new appreciation for the color. It is still one of my least favorite colors to paint my nails but at least it is no longer my least favorite color. That's an improvment, right?

In my review for Julep "Jessica" I mentioned that I have a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polish. "Jessica" was a strong mark in the love category and unfortunately "Parker" is an equally strong mark in the hate category. It was very thick and I found that I was having a lot of problems getting a opaque and smooth finish. It was blobby and wouldn't settle across my nails like most nail polishes do. It was just werid. The color is nice enough. It's bright and bold and the more I wear it, the more I liked it.

However, the weird formulation and the amount of effort it took to get the polish to look decent on my nails certainly made it impossible for me to write a positive review in the end. Julep polishes are high end polishes(costing $14 per bottle). It is not too much to expect that the polishes apply easily. "Parker" is not such a unique color that it would be difficult finding something similar for a much better price.  Final thoughts? I'm not impressed. My appreciation for orange nail polish is growing but if you want to add a color to your orange nail polish collection--don't pick this one. It is not worth the money.

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Julep "Jessica" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

It has been too long since I did a NOTD. Much, much, much too long. Considering the content on my blog it would be nearly impossible for anyone to conclude that I am, in fact, an open nail polish junkie. And by nail polish junkie I mean someone with entirely too much nail polish (Wait! Is that even possible?) but still continues to buy more. This was actually a present that I bought for my sister this past Christmas...but after seeing her wear it, I became obsessed. And, being the lovely and gernous sister that she is, she allowed me to wear it and swatch it for my blog.

I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polishes. It is really hit-or-miss and I find it hard for me to spend so much money on something that isn't a sure thing. These are not cheap--retailing at about $14 at Sephora or a Julep.com (although as I'm writing this post it is out of stock!). But despite all my mixed feelings I've had with Julep nail polishes in the past, I ADORE "Jessica"! It isn't as thick as some of the Julep polishes I've used in the past but it's still super opaque. I probably only had to apply one coat for full coverage but I applied two just in case. And I wasn't the only one who thought this color was stunning. I can't begin to count all the compliments I got. I mean...look at it! It is the perfect it's-winter-but-I-want-it-to-be-spring nail polish. It's the best of both worlds.

But if you are drawn to this color and would like to use this as your perfect it's-winter-but-I-want-it-to-be-spring nail polish be aware that it chips like crazy. I had it on for only about thirty-six hours or so before I lost my entire right pointer finger (obviously, not my actually finger but all of the nail polish on my right pointer finger). It was only a matter of days before the rest of my fingers followed suit. But despite it's short life-span, I still love it and I still recommend it.

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Julep "Natasha" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natural light

After I fell in love with Julep "Sofia", I knew that I wanted to wear another Julep polish. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polishes. Some of their polishes are beautiful but at the same time some of them are rather lack-luster. Natasha is easily one of my favorites. It is a bright orange-red color. It reminds me of Nicole By OPI "Kourt is Red-y For a Pedi"--although KIRFAP is a very true red. I love both shades but right now I can't get enough of this color.

Here is a close up show. The formulation of this polish is perfection. It is thick--I probably could have gotten away with one coat but I added a second just be safe--and glides on easily. I wish all Julep polishes were this easy to work with. It doesn't dry very quickly so be sure to use a quick-drying top coat!

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Julep "Sofia" Swatch + Review

 I got this once in my Julep Maven boxes--I can't remember which--but I remembering being SO disappointed with this color when I first got it. I didn't think the color was very pretty and the super bold glitter wasn't my thing either. To top it all off, when I applied the polish it has the oddest finish. It isn't glossy at all. It has a more satin finish to it. It's weird and I don't like it. Once you put a top coat on it isn't a problem but I was just not impressed.

A few weeks ago I was feeling adventurous so I put this on my nails. Maybe I was being too judgmental. Maybe it was a really pretty color and I was just remembering it wrong. No. I had the same reaction as I did the first time. I didn't like it. And I was going downstairs to pick out another polish to wear because I'd decided to change my nails but then the coolest thing happened. It glowed in the dark. I don't know if it's supposed to do that but it literally glowed in the dark. I called my sister down and she was there to witness it. And as lame and as stupid as it sounds, the fact that it glows in the dark completely changed my mind.

I'm so fickle. I immediately fell in love. I decided not to change my nails because I wanted to show it to everyone else in my family. And the more I wore it the more I didn't hate it. The color was beginning to grow on me and the glitter wasn't as obnoxious as I'd once thought. I decided to wear it again today to celebrate Halloween and I suggest that you wear it as well. It is just so cool. I can't get enough. I guess it goes to show you that you shouldn't judge a nail polish until you check to see if it glows in the dark. Or something like that. Happy Halloween! Be safe!

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Julep "Brooke" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light 

I got this color courtesy of Julep in my March It Girl Maven Box. I think this color is stunning. It is a top coat and I think it would be almost impossible to get a completely opaque coat with this polish. I tried to take pictures that captured how truly beautiful this color is in person. If you look at the polish in the bottle, I think it can give you a better idea of what the color looks like.
  

I was a bit sceptical of this polish because I really disliked Sofia--a shimmery, green top coat. Sofia was thick and goopy. It dried with a matte finished and didn't very apply evenly. I was apprehensive but this polish impressed me. I think that this is my favorite Julep color for spring or summer. It adds a subtle twinkle to any nail polish. I know the photo above is a little out of focus but I was finding it difficult to take a picture that captured the shimmer and sparkle. Also, in case you are worried about difficult removal--I found that it was relatively easy to remove. For a shimmer polish. Sigh. It is so pretty. I can't say that enough.

     
FTC: This product was sent to me for review

Julep "Catherine" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

This was my first time ever wearing a Julep polish and I have to say that I'm impressed. In my opinion this is a fantastic, winter red. The consistency was great. Not gloopy or hard to work with. The only problem I had with this polish was because the brush is so long [it is very similar to a lip gloss wand] the polish would run down the stem of the brush and make it difficult to paint my nails. It was a bit of a hassle but I just had to take the time to wipe off and carefully wipe off any and all excess polish on the brush. After I did that I didn't have any problems. I received this polish in my December Julep Maven box but due the insanity that was my winter quarter, I'm only now getting around to posting about it. But it was a great winter/fall red. Alongside the ranks of OPI's Bogatta Blackberry. Now that it is spring, I find myself no reaching for it as often but it will still be there in my collection once the weather begins to cool.
  

One thing I must say, I adore Julep packaging. I think it is timeless and classic. But I do hate that it comes with so much less product than an OPI or Essie polish but it is more expensive. I sometimes find it hard to justify buying Julep polishes. They are definitely a splurge.

 

Here's a closer look at the color of the polish. I have no complaints about this polish at all. It has a glossy finish and even my father--who hates nail polish--complimented this color. And that's saying a lot. Currently Julep is available online but I have heard rumors that it will soon be available in Sephora. I'm going to cross my fingers. I mentioned the Julep Maven program earlier in this post. If you are more curious about that I've done a more in depth blog about that here. Also, here is a link to purchase Catherine on the Julep site.

   

Have you ever tried any Julep products? Please tell me about your experience below!