Mani Monday: Anatomy of a Mani with NCLA and Julep!

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish!

Don't hate/judge me for my raggedy cuticles! I've strayed away from doing nail polish related posts because my hands are a MESS but, I had to share this one...

An Unboxing with a Twist! London Models My March Julep It Girl Box!

The inspiration for this month's Julep color selections was "Get ready to play!" With just about everyone longing for the warm, bright welcome of Spring, I think it's a super fitting theme!

My Beauty Resolution with Julep! AKA: A Different Kind of Mani Monday

I've been a Julep Maven for about a year now and I must admit, it is my favorite beauty subscription box to date {meaning, I've never ever felt inclined to skip a month AND I have no plans in the near future to cancel}! For $19.99 a month, you receive up to 3 nail polishes {depending on your style profile, you either receive 2 polishes and a beauty treatment or 3 polishes}, that are "4-free" and right on trend. I've featured them quite a bit on the blog, both in "unboxing" posts and as part of my "Anatomy of a Mani" posts, but this time, I'm going to show you a little something different...

NAKED NAILS!!!!!

Mani Monday-Falcon's Edition! AKA: Anatomy of a Mani

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish!

As the hubby mentioned in his Game Day recipe post, I'm a diehard Atlanta Falcons fan so yesterday was a big day for me! I decided to show my team spirit in the best (and most stylish) way I could-with a Falcons' inspired manicure! Here's what I used: 

Julep Nails Lashes! AKA Julep's American Beauty Volumizing Mascara

Do you like my little pun in the title? Lol. You all already know how much I love Julep and their awesome polishes and even more stellar subscription service, but who knew they could hit the ball out of the park with mascara too!

Leave the Cold for Resort Living! AKA: January Julep Maven It Girl Unboxing!

(above photo via Julep)

This month, Julep wants to help you escape the winter blahs with a collection of vibrant neons and contrasting nudes to bring some color to your grey world! As an It Girl, my box came with 3 shades (other profiles received two shades and a brand new hand lotion), 3 bonus (super cute) hair ties, and a sheet of Julep's brand new "Swatch Me" stickers...

Anatomy of a Mani-An Attempt at Nail Art

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish!

So I decided to try my hand (ha!) at some free hand nail art and went for a leopard/cheetah print accent nail. I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt, but there is definitely room for improvement for the next time I give it a try (and I will be doing it again). I don't think that I'm adept enough in the terminology to describe how exactly I did this, but I will tell you the polishes I used to do this...

Gifts for the Tips! AKA: A Gift Guide feat. NCLA, Julep, and Sally Hansen

Once again, no preamble, just the goods! Here are a few awesome gifts for the nail polish addict in your life...

It's So Glitterful! AKA: December Julep "Unboxing"/Mani Monday!

I was super SUPER excited about this box as soon as I saw the preview! Literally, I was in anxious anticipation of the "shipped" email, and when I began to see photos of other mavens with their boxes, I eagerly awaited the arrival of mine! The offerings this month were so bombdiggity in my opinion, that I even opted to get an add on purchase (which I'll cover in a separate post)! Behold the glory that is the December Julep Maven It Girl Box...

November It Girl Box! AKA: My Julep Maven Unboxing

One of the things that I absolutely love about Julep is that the box is PROMPT!!! My It Girl box arrived today. The theme for the month is "Stay Warm in November with Suedes" and of course, "Gratitude."  Honestly, I was tempted to skip this month-I've not been a fan of suede/matte color in the past. But I didn't skip when they wanted to put a crackle polish in my box, so I didn't skip now. Plus I'm trying to be more adventurous with my selections (in general) so I decided to stick with it.

Anatomy of a Mani! AKA: Mama's Mani Madness

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish!

Want to know more about the polishes used? Keep reading...

October It Girl Box! AKA: Julep Maven Unboxing

My October Julep Maven It Girl Box was actually full of surprises! Not only did I get the 3 lovely polishes that came with my profile (Caroline, Leslie, and Glenda), I received an add on polish (Sofia), two glitters (y'all know I'm all about the glitters), AND some candy corns (which I don't generally like, but my girls enjoyed them). 

Trina Turk + YSL, Oh My! AKA: Julep Maven September It Girl Box

No doubt with Fashion Week on the brain, this month Julep collaborated with noted fashion designer Trina Turk, to create a beautiful collection of nail colors inspired by her Modernist Maverick Collection. I literally had to restrain myself, as I wanted to buy the entire collection-it is utterly perfect for the fall and with all the beautiful creme colors-it's right up my alley! I showed some self control and settled on the It Girl Box, and as usual, I am not disappointed.

We've Got Spirit! AKA-Score an Awesome Deal at Julep

I LOVE football. I even participate in a fantasy football league (and I WON last season, BTdubs). So I was really drawn to this cute idea and awesome, limited time deal from Julep!

There's Never Been a Better Time to Become a Maven (+ a GIVEAWAY!!!)

It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Julep and the Julep Maven program. How could you not love a monthly subscription service that feeds your nail polish obsession? So I can't even describe how excited I am to be a part of their VIP Blogger program and to have the chance to share the perks of it with you lovelies!

August Julep Maven "It Girl" Box- A Chromatic Anniversary Celebration

My August "It Girl" box from Julep just arrived and it's my favorite one yet! This month marks Julep's  year anniversary, so they sent out an extra special box...

I Might Be Obsessed: Argan Oil Edition

I Might Be Obsessed: Argan Oil Edition by mamafashionist1 featuring Josie Maran body moisturizers

I LOVE ARGAN OIL! To me, it is like the nectar of the gods. Women in Morocco have been using Argan oil for generations to achieve more youthful, healthy skin. It reduces inflammation and redness, improves hydration, and can even be used to treat scars and acne. You can also use it as a hair treatment for deep conditioning or as a pre-styling product to add instant shine. It’s packed with twice as much Vitamin E as other oils so it's amazing for your nails and cuticles. I LOVE THIS STUFF! It's a good thing that there's an abundance of it on the market, and trust me, I've made it my duty to try every one. Here are the brands/versions I'm loving so far...

MMM: Simple Gradient/Ombre Manicure with Essie, Julep, and Sinful Colors

From l-r: essie ridge filling base coat, Sinful Colors in Easy Going (300), Julep  Nail Vernis in Kelly, Hayden, Alicia,
and Sasha, essie luxeffects in Set in Stones, Julep Nail Vernis in Oscar, and Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat (picture taken without flash)

July Julep Maven "It Girl" Box

Mila, Kate, Daphne, and America-The Beautiful

So, I'm a little late with this (I actually got my box in the mail last Saturday), but better late than never! I absolutely love Julep and my July "It Girl" Box definitely did not disappoint. This month I received 4 bottles of polish and two of them are beautiful glitters (I love using glitters on my accent nails and for my little girls). Here are the details on the 4 polishes I received this month:

From left to right in the picture above:

Mila: A Charcoal, Multi Colored Glitter

Kate: A Soft, White Pearl

Daphne: Fresh, Seafoam Green Creme

America-The Beautiful:  A Shiny Red, with Royal Blue Glitter and Sterling Silver Stars

I'm really into everything nail related lately! I love all the nail trends (nudes, metallics, neons, pastels, and glitters) and I've even been trying my hand (ha!) in nail art (I've pretty much mastered polka dots, now I'm working on stripes, etc.). 

This post is actually the first in a series (I don't have a name for it yet, but I'm thinking Mani Madness... I'll get back to you on that though) about all things nails. I already have posts planned about some great drugstore brand options (like Sally Hansen and Rimmel London) and even Avon (hey, don't sleep on Avon!), not to mention OPI, Essie, China Glaze, and Zoya. There's so much out there in the world of nail care; it's hard to keep up, but it sure is fun trying!

Are you a Julep Maven? In my opinion, it is TOTALLY worth the $19.99 a month! Here's a link if you'd like to sign up:  HTTP://JULEP.COM/?R=18536523 (If you choose to sign up through this link, I do earn a credit towards a free month, just so you know). 

What nail trends are you digging? Are you a do it yourself girl, or do you hit up the salon for your mani/pedis? What's your favorite nail polish brand right now? My inquiring mind wants to know! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Until next time...

Ciao, XxO 

Q

June Julep Maven Box

I am a huge fan of nail polish. I think that it's a fun and (relatively) inexpensive way to incorporate the latest trends in beauty and fashion and some creativity and individuality into your wardrobe.

There are tons of subscription services out there (and I've tried a bunch of them), but one of my favorites is the Julep Maven program from Seattle based company Julep (and they have the cutest, chicest Julep Nail Parlors out there). I'm not going to go into a long spiel trying to sell you lovelies on the service, but I am going to share my latest box with you...

My Julep Maven It Girl Box :)