Julep Zara

Nothing To Disclose
Julep just recently stopped their monthly boxes, something I had been a subscriber since the very beginning. Granted, I've skipped a lot of boxes but one of the boxes that I got included Zara, a sheer grey holo that's very subtle.

#HePicksMyPolish Julep Diane

Nothing To Disclose

Not too long ago, there was a popular video tag on YouTube of "Boyfriend Does My Makeup" where the lovely ladies handed over control to the guy in their life. Most were pretty disastrous but funny to watch no matter what.

Recently, on Facebook, the blogger Sparkle Queen allowed her fiance to pick her polish and long story short, #HePicksMyPolish was born. Much like the #31DC2013 Challenge, there aren't any REAL rules on this - just have fun!  You can read more about the #HePicksMyPolish tag here and check out this graphic from Sparkle Queen. (Click for full size.)

So when I told my husband that I needed him to pick a polish for me, he got way too excited to run to my stash. What I didn't realize was that he was picking "his favorite color" (this is news to me) which is also probably my least favorite color I own... dark forest green.

In the sake of challenges, I give you Julep Diane.  I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 3 thin coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast. This polish is super dark so don't be too upset if all you can see is black - there is green under there, promise.

See - green. Definitely one of my least favorite colors I own. I got this as a part of the November 2011 "Polish Lover Option" Julep Maven box.

I'd like to let him pick more often but I think I may have to get my son to pick (he's 6) for some more fun in my posts.

Julep is available on their website for $14 a bottle.  You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Be apart of #HePicksMyPolish

Nail Polish Monthly Subscriptions

When I was a little girl, I used to really want to be included in a "x of the Month" club where I'd get samples of the product each month mostly because I loved getting mail ^_^.  I never knew it would turn into such a booming business!

With the popularity of monthly subscription beauty services like Birchbox and Glossybox, nail polish lovers were feeling the cold shoulder.  I was talking to a dear friend this summer about how I'd love to launch a nail polish only monthly subscription service and how it would be a great way for people to try new brands without traveling to different stores or shopping blindly online.

Fast forward a few months and I've now heard of three such companies launching this year!

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Photo Courtesy of Lacquerous's Facebook Page

Lacquerous will be launching soon and is centered around "Luxury Lacquer ".  Right now, it's under an invite only and I have a referral link here.  They haven't fully explained what the referral links are for, so if you prefer the main sign up website, it's located here.  Judging from Lacquerous's Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Tumblr accounts, brands featured should be on par with butter LONDON, Tom Ford, Chanel, OPI, MAC, Dior, NARS and Dolce & Gabbana.  Price has not been announced nor has international capability.  This company is based out of New York, USA.

Update 11/13/12!
The "How it Works" has been posted. Think "Netflix for Nails".  For $18 a month, you receive 3 new or slightly used nail polishes from your queue that you are allowed to use 3 times/3 manicures.  Then, within 30 days, you mail the polishes back to Lacquerous in a pre-paid package.  They will measure how many polish has been used to keep track.  Some polishes may be purchased by emailing their customer service (but not limited edition).  You only get one package per 30 days, even if you return your package before the 30 days are up.  Only available for 18+, living in the USA.  Please be sure to read the full Terms of Service - a credit check may be obtained in order to subscribe to their service.

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Photo Courtesy of Club Nail Polish's Facebook Page

Club Nail Polish is launching in 33 days and is more like a "x of the Month" club.  The image above shows bottle shapes that resemble butter LONDON, deborah lippmann (or is that the new NYX Professional bottles?), LVX/NARS, Ciate, OPI and Pixi, & their Facebook includes pictures of Sephora by OPI, Nicole by OPI, Essie and NYX (drugstore bottles).  Their website is still in the pre-launch stage where you can only sign up for their newsletter with your email address.  They are offering giveaways with your sign up although further details are not available.  Their Facebook also says that you will receive "a surprise color of nail color monthly" and that it is "not costly" to join.  Price has not been announced but their Twitter does say it will be available for USA and Canada residents.  This company is based out of Washington, USA.

Update 01/26/2014
This brand never seemed to have launched. Sorry folks :[

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While not quite a nail polish only subscription, Nail Art Society is working on its launch as well.  They have a website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.  They are offering nail art tools, accessories and polishes for $9.95 a month.  This is available in the USA only.  This company is based out of California, USA.

Update!
The sign up page is located here and there are 3 payment plans - monthly ($9.95/mo), quarterly ($29.85/quarter) and yearly ($99.40/year).  Brands included on their website are China Glaze, LVX, Zoya, butter LONDON, OPI, essie and The Creme Shop.  They are in talks to make this service available to Canada and Europe for the near future.

Update 12/7/12! 
Nail Art Society has doubled their current prices. If you're a member who signed up during the $9.95 plan, they kept you at that but going forward the prices are $19.95 monthly, $59.85 quarterly and $219.40 yearly. According to their new description of the service, all Nail Art Society Members have exclusive access to Q&A’s, video tutorials, trend reports, and tips from Celebrity Nail Artists, Bloggers and Beauty Insiders.

Update 9/9/13!
Nail Art Society shut down for the summer of 2013 and completely reformatted their back end, including adding new Gurus like yours truly! Price is back to $9.95 with an additional $4.95 in shipping.

Update 10/17/13!
Gurus have been remaned to "Renowned Artists". The price has increased to $11.95 with an additional S&H charge. My referral link is located here.

Update 08/28/14!
Nail Art Society has shut down & removed its social media.

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For those interested in the Julep Maven, I did want to include them.  They first launched in August 2011 as a Julep brand only subscription box.  You take a "Style Quiz" to match you up with one of 4 programs but they also offer special boxes from time to time.  You may also change your style at any time.  They had multiple issues with their referral program which has been revamped twice now, subscribers getting the wrong box or being charged twice, and issues with canceling the program (which can ONLY be done over their phone number 877.651.3292, citing security reasons).  Thankfully, I haven't had issues of being charged twice or receiving the wrong box, but I did have issues with the original referral program where I didn't receive all my credits.  With the new referral system, you receive points or Jules for different transactions: "1,000 Jules for referring a friend to Julep Maven, 300 Jules for each full priced Maven box you are billed for, 200 Jules on your Birthday, 500 Jules on your Maven anniversary, 750 Jules when you pay for the monthly upgrade box. You even get 100 points just for becoming a Maven!" [Julep's website].  My referral link is located here.  As for the customer service, I haven't had issues but you can find both positive and negative comments by searching Google.  Price is $19.99 + tax and is available for USA and Canada residents.  Julep's social pages are as follows: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube.  This company is based out of Washington, USA.

Update 1/26/14
It has come to my attention that new members (as on 12/18/13) are only allowed to "skip" a box every 6 months. Previously, you could skip a box whenever you felt like it, either because you didn't have the money that month or didn't like the choices offered.

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Photo Courtesy of Square Hue Facebook Page

Square Hue is another monthly nail polish service featuring colors they have created themselves (much like Julep).  Each month, they send out three pre-selected colors that they feel are in season.  The polishes are 0.5 fl oz (same size as China Glaze or OPI), and are big 4 free (to include Camphor).  They do not say they are vegan, but they do not test on animals and their polish is made in the USA.

Price is $14.99 + $5 for shipping/handling. If you live in Florida, you will also have to pay sales tax. You may suspend or cancel your subscription at any time.  Additionally, a portion of their proceeds goes to charity - the current focus is on human trafficking.

Square Hue has a Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for you to interact with.  They are located in Miami, Florida.  They ship to both the USA & Canada.

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Launching in 2013, the Nail Collection is a monthly subscription where you receive 4 luxurious polishes for $30 a month. Brands include a mix of Essie, OPI, China Glaze and ORLY and they plan to add more brands. International shipping is available. Additionally, you will be able to buy individual colors with most orders shipping free.  This service is based out of New York, USA.

The Nail Collection currently has a Facebook and a Twitter.

Update 9/9/2013: The Nail Collection send out an email today stating they are going out of business & all orders placed that have not been shipped will be fully refunded within the next 48 hours.

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Announced on 8/31/2013, nail e-tailer Llarowe will be curating a subscription called "A Box, Indied." This is a month to month subscription that can be opted out each month. Left over stock boxes will also be available for purchase for those who aren't subscribed on a first come first serve basis.

Each box will contain 5 full sized polishes the above indie polish lines that have not been produced before and are exclusive to the A Box, Indied box. 

Price per box will be $50 and free shipping in the USA. In the next 6 months, Llarowe hopes to have free shipping available in other countries. Currently, to qualify for free shipping from Llarowe for Canadian orders, you must purchase $100 in product, for international orders, you much purchase $200 in product.

The 10 indie brands are (Facebook pages have been linked): Liquid Sky Lacquer, Black Cat Lacquer, Different Dimension, Ethereal Lacquer, Jindie Nails, Freak Show Polish, Dollish Polish, Laqerlicious, Wicked Polish and PolishMeToGo.

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Nailette launched in October 2013 and creator Lynn was looking for a way to provide customers with something that all the above subscription boxes lacked - mini bottles. Nailette sends customers 2 or 3 mini-sized bottles of nail polish in colors based on their skin tone, style and current trends. At launch, they carried Essie, OPI and Orly. Boxes are $7.99 for 2 minis and $10.99 for three minis + $2.50 for shipping. You are on a monthly schedule and will be billed on the 20th of each month.  You can also select a gift option of 3 months at a time ($29.97 for 2 minis, $40.47 for 3 minis). The only ship within the continental USA at this time.

Nailette social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest.

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POLISHBOX is the only nail polish subscription service that will bring you the complete nail care experience. Unfortunately, that's all the information I have.

Their website www.mypolishbox.com redirects to a sign up page where you can get more information when they launch. They are also on Twitter and Instagram.

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The Lacquer Cabinet by Nailtini debuts its first collection in February 2014 at rates of $25 per month, $23/month for a 6-month subscription, or $20/month for a 12-month subscription. A true happy hour for hands, each collection offers an over- $44 retail value plus free shipping, and members enjoy up to 15% off all ‘Tini Beauty products at www.tinibeauty.com for the life of their subscriptions. USA only.

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The Monthly Nail subscription box is the first of it’s kind to offer an in-house indie nail polish brand, Eugene Malibu, as well as the salon brands O.P.I. and Essie. They take it a HUGE step further by allowing subscribers to completely customize your Eugene Malibu nail polish to your exact specifications as well as choosing which color of the salon brand you would like to include. By filling out the form on the website, you can choose the base color and finish, the color and shapes of glitters to include or not include, and you can even decide on the name of your nail polish creation! 

With basic subscriptions starting at $15.99 for two custom lacquers up to $23.99 for four custom and salon brand nail polishes, there is a price to accommodate every budget. Prices include first-class USPS shipping with tracking for domestic members or a low flat rate shipping fee for international subscribers. Plans to expand and offer more options are in the near future.

International and domestic subscriptions can be purchased now at http://www.themonthlynail.com

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PISTOL is a subscription-based nail polish brand where you receive 2 full sized polishes each month based on the company's color trend studies. PISTOL polish is made in the USA, cruelty free, FDA approved and Big-4 free. You can choose either a monthly subscription for $17.99 (shipping included) or $199.99 for a one year subscription. No information is available on how to cancel or if you can purchase polishes ala carte afterwards. 

PISTOL social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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Nailbox launched their own subscription box in 2014 called "TrendBox" which is curated by well known nail bloggers like All Lacquered Up and Chalkboard Nails. The box contains a mix of brand polishes on their website as well as premium brands (like JINSoon). There are 2 subscription plans - $35 for quarterly (excluding $6 for shipping) or $140 for an annual subscription (shipping included).  Subscribers can preview the upcoming box for 2 weeks before it ships and skip a box if they'd like.

Nailbox social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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And there you have it!  As I find out more information about each company, I'll update this posting.  Happy polishing!

Julep Trina

I became a Julep Maven back in August when the program started.  Now I'll be brutally honest, their Maven program has had some errors... first the referral system was not working and while they did offer ALL Maven's a free box one month ($20 savings for the user), not all were happy with that apology.  There have been other issues with their PR writing a blog posting using blogger pictures that were not credited.  That is a huge unspoken NO in the blogging world as bloggers work hard to photograph and edit their pictures and then to not be credited was very frustrating.  For the record, I was not one of the bloggers whose pictures were used, but I did recognize some of the nails.  They have also changed their referral system from $15 store credit to a point type system.  Your friend has to remained enrolled for 30 days after their first Maven box for you to get your 1 credit.  After 2 credits, you get a free box.  I know that they were also offering Maven boxes for 1 cent using the code SHAREON, but I do not know if that offer is still valid.  Please note that the above Julep link is linked to my referral link, and if you join the Maven program using my link, I will get 1 credit providing the above was adhered to.  Oh and finally, I learned that my blog was being used in a court case against Julep because they are using the same "naming" system as Zoya Nail Polish - using women names for their polishes.  Last I heard the court case is still pending.


That being said, I haven't had any personal problems.  My box changes have always gone through without any issue (you can change what kind of box you receive), I haven't had any charging issues (once had 2 pre-authorizations but only one charge), haven't had any shipping issues, and I'm really happy with the way that people who go into the salon, are treated (they have salons in Seattle).  


Enough about that, let's get to the polish.  Trina is a shimmery deep aubergine (eggplant) from the November "Polish Lover" box.  I'm originally an "American Beauty" Maven boxer (heh), but I couldn't resist switching to the Polish Lover that month (3 polishes, no other beauty products).  Please note in my bottle picture that the top of the polish does come off like Chanel, Illamasqua or Dr.'s REMEDY to reveal a smaller round handle, but it's not necessary for polishing.


I used the Julep Base Coat ($14), 1 coat of Trina and a top of CND Air Dry.  I do have the Julep Fast Dry Topcoat but couldn't find it when polishing my nails.  This polish was so super thick that I'm going to have to add some thinner.  I had to wipe my brush several times.

Here in the sun you can see how deep of a color this is.  I really like that while it's a dark plum, it doesn't have the red and blue sparkles that you typically see in colors like this (think China Glaze Let's Groove).

The shade just kinda is "ick"... the color is so dark that it doesn't translate well on camera.  It's a great fall color and I always love darker color on shorter nails.  I don't see me pulling this one out too many times this year though.

Finally indoors with the flash and you can see how pretty this purple truly is, but it is just a bit dark for me.  Vampy purples aren't really my thing, but this is a pretty one!  Just thick formula'ed.


You can purchase Trina on Julep's website for $14.


Julep is available on their website for $14 a bottle.  You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Julep Maven

ThePolishAholic has stopped supporting the Julep Maven boxes.  You can read her comments why here.  I have removed the links to her posts since they no longer exist on her blog.


After reading ThePolishAholic's post here on the Julep Maven "beauty editor Sneak Peak Box"*, I knew it was time to bite the bullet and try it myself.  You take a small "quiz" on colors you like, people you relate to (it's not long promise), and will get your "style" persona.  (I was the American Beauty.)


The boxes ship on the 26th of the month, so it will be a bit before I see mine, but it seems like a great program.  The FAQ has a lot of great answers including that you can send your box to a friend free of charge by just changing the address on your account before midnight of the 25th of the month.  You can SKIP a month which hello, that's amazing.  Shipping is always free.  Oh did I mention that it's $40 worth of new, never released, trending polish colors and treatment, current hits and cult favorites but only costs $20?  My friend Karen goes to the actual Julep Parlor for her pedicures and constantly raves about the products so I'm excited to check it out.


Even better, right now, the first 100 people who sign up (according to their Facebook page) can use the code FBMAVEN and get their first month for only $9.99.  I just tried it now and it worked, so if you want to spend $10 and check it out, please do use my referral link* or any referral link you've seen on a blogger's site (like ThePolishAholic - I used her link when I signed up!).  Anyone can get a referral link, and you receive a $15 credit each time someone signs up.


Once I get my box, I'll review it but again, check out the ThePolishAholic to see what was in the August box!


Updated 2 January 2012
*The Julep link is an affiliate link.  If you sign up using this link, I will receive 1 "credit."  After 2 "credits", I receive one free month (only applies if you remain enrolled for 30 days after purchasing your first Maven box).