Julep Maven Jule Box- Free Welcome Box

So I saw the Facebook ad and that my friends had liked and taken the Maven quiz, so I said why not. I took the quiz and got "Bombshell". I didn't like the look of the bombshell box, so I just left it at that. Then someone commented that I choose my box in a different style. Ok, it's a free box, I can cancel if I don't like it. I picked the "It Girl" box, it had 3 polishes and I really liked 2 of the colours and could live with the 3rd. Paying $3.99 for shipping wasn't a big deal when you get 3 $15 polishes for free. The box took about 4 days to arrive from order to ship, which was really nice. It came Priority USPS. I guess their usual shipping method is DHL, but you get free shipping as a Maven, but more on that later.

Opening up the box I found all this stuff. A little "It Girl" description packet, a coupon code and a Julep Flier. The top of the box has a sticker that says Maven, but it's Silver on White so it did not even photograph well.

The polishes come packed together in a white box, and are protected in shipping by all this paper. They also sent along these buffing blocks. I love these things so I thought it was a pretty cool freebie, even if it is super cheap. My rabbits will enjoy playing with the paper.

The polishes also come in their own boxes. This one is called Bunny, and it is a white with small flecks of gold glitter.

This one is called Libby and it's a teal creme polish. It's my favourite of the set.

Lastly is Elle, which I didn't like at first but it has really grown on me. It's a deep redish purple colour with shimmer.

Here are all of them swatched on my nails. Excuse my cuticles, were a mess at the time I took this.

All the polishes went on nice and opaque. It took 2 coats for each one, which is pretty standard, I used to primarily use OPI and I would say this is very comparable to that. I was able to wear this manicure for 4 days without it chipping, which is very good if you ask me. I didn't use a top or base coat either. So it has good staying power.

Over all I am really happy with my intro box to Julep Maven. Since these photos I have actually made 3 other orders to Julep, and it's not even been a month. I went a little overboard, but I have to rebuild my polish collection! Expect more product reviews from them soon!

Want to try Julep Maven for free yourself? Clickhere and use code FREEBOX to get started!

A Simple Pin-up look and a simple review

My fiance and I went out to the mall to look at what Sephora had for the Pantone Colour of the Year Collection. They had some pretty things, but I didn't buy because it was all animal tested since Sephora's in house brand is not cruelty free. They had a display with colours by other brands that matched the radiant orchid colour, but it was slim pickin's. I went to Macy's and bought a swim bottom instead so I could use my new YWCA membership to it's fullest. (Due to my disability the pool is currently the easiest thing for me to do to get exercise, which is nice because I love swimming.)

Here is my look for the day, featuring e.l.f. products!

The main products used to get this look are all by e.l.f! I used their Gel Eye Liner (it comes with a tiny angle brush), which I plan to give a full review of soon. We just have too see how long it keeps. Their Essential Lip Stain in Berry Blush and their Essential Hypershine Lipgloss in Vixen which came with the free Mardi Gras set from my order. I also used their Studio Hi Definition power and their Make Up Setting Spray and that kept my foundation in place and my shine away all day!

It was a fun and easy look, and it was my first time using a gel liner. I had fallen for liquid liners in the marker like tubes so I just never tried one. Well, I needed $35 to get free shipping from e.l.f. so I figured why not get it. It went on smoothly and it stayed put all day. Full review soon.

Here is the review

This is e.l.f.'s Studio Daily Brush Cleaner. It's an antibacterial brush cleaner that you use everyday on your brushes to keep them clean, help them last longer and your skin healthy! As you should know your brushes and make up are prone to gathering bacterial from your skin and having it breed there. This can get unsanitary after a while. This cleaner not only kills that bacterial it also removes make up from the brushes so that you can switch colours if you need to. I just sprayed it on and whipped it on a tissue to get the make up out. It also smells really good. As soon as I took the cap off the lovely smell came out. If your brushes are really full of product it might be time for a good shampoo though!

At only $3 e.l.f.'s Studio Daily Brush Cleaner is a great way to extend the life of your brushes and help keep things a little more sanitary.

First Product Review! Starrydance Cosmetics on Etsy

Hi everyone! Here it is, my first review for you. It's from an indie maker who sells on Etsy called Starrydance Cosmetics, made by fantasy artist Gwynn Farrington. Currently she is making lip balms, themed with My Little Pony or other characters, and solid perfumes in the same vein.

This time I ordered some lip balms. They are cruelty free and contain natural ingredients. Her ingredients are listed on her selling pages for each product. Sorry, vegans, they do contain beeswax, so this one might not be for you. She makes all of these herself, including the artwork in the labels.

I ordered 3 lip balms, 2 are MLP themed despite my not being a MLP fan. But the flavours sounded too good to pass up and at the 3 for $10 deal I was sold. https://www.etsy.com/listing/172690236/shea-butter-lip-balms-3-for-10-pick-your?ref=related-0
I ordered:
Rarity- which is a black berry pomegranate flavour
Pinky Pie- which is a strawberry swirl flavour
Lucky Cat- which is a natural vanilla flavour

I placed my order on March first, she shipped them by the 3rd and they arrived today March 8th. I think the shipping on her end was nice and quick, but USPS left something to be desired (again).

Her packaging on the other hand left nothing to be desired. It was like opening a present. I could have just gifted it to someone right out of the envelope, and I didn't even have to pay extra for this. It was so cute.

 It arrived to my home in a bright purple bubble mailer, and inside that was a box in an organza bag. I could already see the cuteness flowing out of it.

Inside that bag was a smaller bag that contained some cute gifts. The labels and the notes on the box added a nice touch, to help remind which things you ordered. Opening the box I could already smell the goodness that was inside. I was very excited to open up the balms and try them out.

Here is the order, out of the box. You can see the lip balms with the original artwork, and the professional looking plastic covering the whole tube. The kind that seals it all up for sanitary purposes. She included a free dragon sticker, a cute unicorn phone charm (how did she know I love purple?!) and her wonderful business card, which to me doubles as a piece of art.

On to the balms themselves! The go on like butter. They just melt and absorb into my skin. I even tested them on my dry cuticles. The oils used to add scent/flavour to them doesn't leave burning or itching on cracked skin, even my super sensitive skin, which is a big deal! I will be buying these again for sure.

The tubes were full to the top, maybe about 3mm over so I didn't have to wind them up any. There are no colourants added so they are a milky white in colour. The scent is phenomenal. Seriously, it makes you want to just take a bite out of them. Unfortunately it doesn't have much of a flavour to go with that scent. I was hoping it would, but it's also good to keep me from licking my lips.

So, I recommend Starrydance Cosmetics lipbalms if you are looking for a small batch all natural indie balm that feels great on. Especially if you like MLP and other cute things. I for one will be buying from her again.

Buy Starrydance Cosmetics here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Starrydance

Do you know of a natural cosmetics maker that would want to be reviewed in a blog? Email me at seraphimfeathers@gmail.com