February Maven Box + Giveaway

I don't know about you, but, I love Valentine's Day. Even when I was single, there's just something about that day that just makes me feel happy and warm. So, when I saw this month's collection I jumped on pretty much everything. I wish I would've got all the polishes because the colours are so gorgeous. I settled for 2 and ended up getting a gift from Jane (more details below). Here's what was in my February Personalized Maven Box (and details as described by Julep themselves):

Glow Highlighting Powder in Champagne - A multitasking marvel designed to play up light and play down wrinkles, discolouration and pores.
Julep Fan Brush - Plush synthetic bristles , designed for highlighting face and body.
Becky - Oil slick duochrome silk

Add Ons:
Julep Lip Gloss in Lively - A sheer, subtle gloss that makes lips look and feel amazing.
London - Heather blossom creme
Hartleigh - Holographic heart glitter top coat

I don't even know where to begin because I am so obsessed with all the items in this box, but, I suppose there's no better place to start than the Glow Highlighting Powder. It does exactly what it's suppose to do: brightens up the colour of my face and makes me glow. I was worried it would be like the Orbital eyeshadow and leave me covered in glitter, but it doesn't. My boss is a professional make up artist and she loves it, too! I apply it to the crease in my eyes, or apply it to my cheek bones and chest with the Julep Fan Brush, which is the softest brush ever. I didn't think I'd really need it but it works wonders with the powder, and doesn't look quite right unless you use the brush. A match made in heaven!
I received one of these lip glosses in a box a few months ago, and it's been my go to gloss ever since. I've been meaning to snatch another up but wanted to try new things first. Finally, I chose Lively because of its luscious red hue. It actually ended up being a deep pinkish red, but it still is so gorgeous on my lips. It leaves my lips a nice pink gloss instead of a bold red which is nice because I can wear it casually, or to work. I've never had a gloss quite like it!

I cannot stress enough how much I love purple and gunmetal. It was a no brainer for which ones I'd pick this month. I must admit, I have a few shades in my collection that are almost exactly like London, but I just can't get enough of how this lilac-y purple is a cooler tone than most light purples. Can't wait to wear this one all Spring. 
Becky is, for lack of a better term, sexy. I'm not a huge fan of the Silk polishes that Julep puts out, but its a perfect finish for this purplish green chrome. The photos do not do this polish justice. I might have to buy a second bottle of this gem. 
Hartleigh wasn't something I chose for an add on, it was a gift from Jane, the CEO of Julep, just for being a Maven! It's an adorable glitter with big red hearts and white speckle and red glitter. Perfect for nude nails but even more gorgeous on pale pink. This isn't something I'd normally buy for myself but am I ever glad it's in my life now. Definitely will be apart of my ensemble for Valentine's Day! 

Another amazing perk of being a Maven for awhile, not only did they give me Hartleigh as a Valentine's Day gift, they sent me FIVE more bottles to share with my friends! I couldn't believe it, what a generous and kind thing to do. This isn't the first gift I've received from them either and I feel so lucky to be a Maven. If you'd like to try it out, click through here and use the code BEMINE for a special Valentine's box. There's also a gorgeous Bridal Welcome Box, worth $100 that is to die for,  PLUS a $20 gift code, and you can have it even if you're not getting married. Just click here to get started.
I'm saving four to giveaway to my lovely ladies on Valentines Day, and wanted to share one with my readers! So, if you love hearts, glitter polish and candy, scoot on over to my Instagram and enter my Valentines Day Giveaway! Contest ends Friday/13.
xo Amber
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Julep Plie Wand Review + Free Box Promo Code

This maven box was purchased by myself and was not provided by Julep themselves for review. That being said, I am affiliated with Julep, and will receive a commission for any links clicked that result in a purchase. However, all opinions expressed are my own and I only endorse products and companies that I love!

It's been awhile since I've reviewed a Maven box. Which isn't to say I stopped liking Julep, I just haven't really been into the colours the past two months. I'm a creme kind of gal, and there has been a lot of shimmer happening! I have got a couple people in my family addicted to Maven boxes, so it's a big plus that my mama lives downstairs and I can play with the stuff she gets if I skipped out that month. 
I was pumped when they announced they were releasing the Plie Wand, because it sounded amazing and would help anyone achieve great nails. However, I did not order it after having a few weeks to think about it because I realized that I was already pretty good at painting my nails and hey, why try and fix something that ain't broken? Lucky for me, my mama orders every month regardless of what the product is, so I got to test it out anyway! The Plie Wand came in the May Maven Box, with two polishes. Mama got the Bombshell box which came with Laree (Golden pink taffeta shimmer) and Saaya (Golden apricot shimmer), both of which are very beautiful, but just not my style. I ended up receiving one polish that month called Kam (Vintage spearmint creme), my sister is awesome and got it for me with her Jules points! It's so beautiful, and kind of reminds me of Zest soap.

For those of you who don't know, the Plie Wand is an ergonomically correct tool you attach to your Julep polishes for a perfected, comfortable brush stroke and helps everyone achieve beautifully, neat manicures. It's sleek, lightweight and a nifty gadget for anyone who feels they could use a little help painting their nails. The wand has a magnetic end which attaches itself to a cap that can be attached to any Julep polish cap. The wand then has two pieces that swivel and bend so that the want rests in the ditch where your index finger and thumb unite, much like a pencil would, to ease your hand into perfecting your brush stroke. Sounds amazing right?
At first, I thought so too. My mama liked using it and I had seen it demonstrated, so I figured it must come in handy. Like I said before, I am already pretty good at painting my nails to begin with, so when I tried the Plie Wand, it almost made me confused and not perform a manicure as well as I usually do. Although, the wand sit very nicely in my hand and helped me be more steady, I found that I was bringing the polish too close to my cuticles due to the (very little) extra weight of the wand. It was good for my left hand, which is my dominant hand, and not so good for my right hand. My manicure ended up very nice still, but I found the wand only complicated things for me. 

I hate to give Julep products anything but a fantastic review, because I am so in love with their polish, but, I probably won't be using the Plie Wand again to paint my nails. However, I would love to try it still with the attachments you can get for striping and dotting. I feel like it might help a lot with striping, as I am pretty sloppy with that! I feel like if you practice with the wand it might actually be your best friend. I'd love to hear from anyone not so good at painting their nails, who have used the wand and had great results! For those of you curious about seeing the wand in action, here is a short video I put up on Instagram last week.

For anyone interested in trying out the Julep Maven Subscription box, there is this really great limited edition Welcome Box available at the moment that is all things Nautical. Three gorgeous creme polishes, a lip tint gloss and a double sided eyeliner with sharpener - and you can have it all for free! Just use the code SHIPSHAPE when checking out. But hurry quick, because there's limited quantities!

Not into a nautical theme set of polishes? Go for the Limited Edition Summer Brights Welcome Box instead! Or, if you're just into the profile box chosen for you after doing the Maven profile quiz, just use code FREEBOX to receive your first box free!

Are you already a member? What did you think of the Plie Wand? xo

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