Double Feature: Trina by Julep and Tutu Cute by Ulta

Since I had gotten sidetracked while working through both my ULTA and Julep polishes I decided to hit two birds with one manicure (and how convenient that they were both shades of purple!). On the nail Trina is a deep, almost black, purple that really comes alive in the sun. Tutu Cute is a creamy lavender that served as a perfect contrast. Per usual of ULTA polishes Tutu Cute went on smoothly and achieved perfect coverage in just one coat. The color alone is not one that I'm crazy about, but it has endless combination possibilities. Trina also went on easily and only required one coat for solid coverage. This is a color that is more up my ally, but I think it also shines in the world of combinations. 

Trina Rating: B+

Tutu Cute Rating: C

Combination Rating: A+

Holly by Zoya

Though my next color should have been Trina by Julep, I skipped ahead on my color wheel as a special Christmas treat to myself. My first experience with Zoya polish, Holly was a metallic green with breathtaking depth, and I could not have asked for a more perfect Christmas color. The Zoya brush was thin and easy to use, the polish went on thick enough for full coverage but not so thick that it would be difficult to apply, and this manicure stayed chip free for its entire duration. In order to really get into the holiday spirit I used a half moon manicure combining Holly with Glitzerland by OPI. This combination turned out to be one of my all-time favorites, and I was so sad to see this manicure go.

Rating: A+

Christina by Julep

Continuing on down the road of Julep, we have this complex metallic blood orange beauty. Though in the bottle it looks like a simple shimmery red, when painted on the nail Christina transformed into a color I just could not define. In some lights it was red, in others it was orange, and in the sunlight it truly came alive. Even though this manicure was rushed and thus a bit sloppy, I could countless compliments while sporting this on my nails. For being a color that came in a pre-grouped box, this one certainly managed to make me fall in love. 

Rating: A+

Kim by Julep

As you guys might remember, I recently enrolled in the Julep Maven program. When my first order finally arrived I was so excited to try out the colors, and Kim was first up to bat. On the nail the color becomes a dark silver, almost charcoal, metallic. This was perfect for me. I can't get enough metallic, but the classic silver metallic can sometimes appear juvenile and more often than not looks cheap. Julep's take on the color successfully avoided both pitfalls. My only complaint is that the brush is on the thicker side and therefore proved a bit unruly. Since I'd grown a little tired of just one color being on my nails I decided to spice this manicure up with a stripe of OPI's DS Magic across the top of my nail. This is a color I adore, but we'll get to that full review down the road. 

Rating: B-

What Happens When I'm on the Internet

Today I have a lot on my plate. Rather than face my to-do list head on, I defaulted to my favorite time waster: getting lost in the internet-rabbit hole. This time, as so many times before, I found myself researching all the wonderful holiday collections by some of my favorite brands. BUT today I decided to branch out. That is how I ended up ordering my first polishes from Butter, Zoya, and Julep! I have been dying to try out all three of these, and cannot wait for my purchases to arrive. With the approaching holidays in mind, these were my selections for Christmas and New Year's respectively:

Holly by Zoya

Wallis by Butter 

In my internet travels I also stumbled upon Julep Maven. This program allows women to receive a box of brand new polishes and mani/pedi care products on their doorstep every month! Julep sends these boxes to beauty editors of magazines such as Vogue and Allure, and they decided that their costumers deserve the same first-peak advantage. For just $19.99 a month, you receive $40 worth of products. The products are selected according to the results of a style quiz, but if ever they are not to your satisfaction you can request a different selection. The best part is the flexibility of the program--any month you can chose to send your box to a friend or even cancel the box, free of charge. No hassle, no commitment, just half-price, pre-released polish every month. What could be better?! For my first month I will be receiving these products: 

Julep Nail Therapy, Kim, Trina, and Christina

I may not have been as productive as anticipated this afternoon, but now I can now slave away on my work with the knowledge these all of the beauties will soon be mine. It is indeed the season to be jolly.