As someone who loves to paint their nails, the Julep monthly subscription really excites me. For $19.99 a month, Julep Maven will deliver a personalized Sneak Peek Box to your door. Each box includes the hottest trends in nail color plus special treats for your hands and feet.

Some things I like about this particular service:

• After taking the style quiz, your Sneak Peak Box is tailor-made for you.
• Every nail varnish is free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin.
• You get over $40 worth of products for $19.99.
• Free shipping.

My Julep Maven goodies arrived fashionably in black boxes and a bright pink ribbon.

Inside was the Taylor polish, Maya Polish, Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener, as well as samples of the Glycolic Hand Scrub and the SPF 30 Hand Cream.

Taylor Nail Vernis – First of all, I love the bottles these varnishes come in; the sleek design and heavy glass make them seem extra special.

Taylor is a cool, periwinkle. This was a new color in my collection, and I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, I had a horrible time applying this polish; it was too thick and sticky. I tried using less, but that was even worse. I am not a novice when it comes to applying nail polish, and I really gave this one a good try. I was left with a messy, uneven mani and immediately took it off.

Maya Nail Vernis – Maya is a beautiful pink, shimmering shade. I was a little apprehensive after the Taylor fiasco, but this varnish went on very smoothly. It did tend to streak, but as long as I used even strokes the results were lovely. Also, the color was so opaque it looked great after only one coat.

Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener - The Hand Brightener was the highlight of my Julep Maven Box. It is said to minimize the appearance of fine lines and age spots while adding a radiant glow and evening skin tone. While I don’t have wrinkles and age spots, I love this product because it smells great and leaves my skin so soft. My hands are always dry, so I have been using this a lot. The Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener normally sells for $32 alone, so buying the kit is a great deal!

I have a material connection because I received a review copy, that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content.

I apply nail polish several times a week. Many of the brands I use offer a large variety of colors, but the smell makes you wonder, is it really safe to use these products so often? According to the “Campaign for Safe Cosmetics” website, the three most toxic ingredients in the standard nail lacquer are: dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene.  Fortunately brands, such as Dazzle Dry, offer a safer solution. The Dazzle Dry formula is 100% nitrocellulose free, toluene free, formaldehyde free, and phthalate free.

I have been using several of the Dazzle Dry products lately; the 3 Piece Nail System, Forever Love Polish, and the Jewel Effects: Amber Polish.

The three piece kit includes Nail Prep, Base Coat and Top Coat. The Nail Prep sanitizes your nails and removes oils to promote a long lasting manicure. The Base Coat creates a smooth surface for the polish, and the top coat provides a shiny, protective barrier.

Out of all three products in the nail kit, the Nail Prep is the only one I use every time. It is so important to have a clean surface to apply the polish and this is a great product.

In addition to a safer formula, the Dazzle Dry nail polish dries very quickly. It is a thinner polish and took three coats of the Forever Love to get the color I wanted.

Mascara that clumps and flakes has always been the norm for me. That’s just how it is, I figured. About a month ago, I was sent a sample of the Lashem Double Trouble Mascara. While it’s not the perfect product, it’s my favorite so far!

The cool thing about the Double Trouble Mascara is the two wands, one for length and the other for volume.

For everyday looks, I usually use the volumizing formula only. I love it because it does not clump and creates very subtle, natural lashes.

For more glam looks, use the lengthening mascara on top of the volumizing formula. The lengthening mascara creates thicker lashes that really stand out. This formula does have a tendency to clump and doesn’t noticeably lengthen, however.

I have been using this mascara exclusively for over a month. While it doesn’t do everything it claims, it is my favorite mascara I’ve tried, especially the volumizing formula.

We have all been disappointed by beauty products that fail to live up to their promises. Beautyfix offers a fun solution to this problem. They offer sample (generously sized) and full sized products chosen especially for you. Choose any 8 products for $49.99. This service is great; you don’t have to spend your money on a full priced product you may not like.

How it Works

Step 1: Fill out your beauty profile.

Step 2: The beauty experts at Beautyfix choose a large selection of beauty products especially for you.

Step 3: Select 8 products for $49.99.

My Beautyfix Kit

Each Beautyfix kit comes with 8 beauty products of your choice.

Included in my Beautyfix kit was:

• Nail polish from SpaRitual. Color – Enlightened (AKA purple). Full size.
• Nail polish from Nailtiques. Color – red. Full size.
• Glitz Blitz Glitter Eyeliner by Pop Beauty. Color – Olive Oomph. Full size.
• Skin VitaLight lotion from DermaQuest. 2 oz.
• Nick Chavez Angel Drops with Argon Oil. 2 oz.
• Cures By Avance Age Defyer Eye.  0.5 oz.
• Bare Ease and Cream
• White/Pink Highlighter Pencil by Jane Iredale. Full size.
• Complimentary cosmetic bag.

My favorite products in this kit were the Jane Iredale highlighter pencil and the Nick Chavez Angel Drops.

The highlighter is a thick, two-sided pencil with a creamy consistency. I use the peach/pink color for eyeliner and the white side for brightening the corners of my eye.

The Angel Drops contain Argon Oil and leaves my dry hair noticeably softer. I use this product after showering and before styling when my hair is dry.

When it comes to food, we all know that things found in nature are the healthiest for our bodies. I believe the same philosophy applies to our skincare routines.

Vivoderm was created with the concept that natural ingredients are the best option for nourishing the skin. The creator of Vivoderm has been a dermatologist for over thirty years and combined his knowledge and experience with natural ingredients to create this line of skincare products.

Review

I received a sample kit of all the products offered by Vivoderm.

Facial Care

The first day I tried the products, I used this combination:

• Facial Cleanser
• Anti Acne Mask
• Facial Toner
• Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream
• Zinc Repairing Cream

The Facial Cleanser has a creamy consistency that leaves skin hydrated. It is great for removing eye makeup.

The Anti Acne Mask comes as a powder which you mix with water to form a paste. This product is said to unplug pores and kill bacteria using herbs with natural antiseptic properties. Many acne masks are very drying, and I liked that the Vivoderm mask did not cause dry, tight skin.

I’ve never consistently used a facial toner because I didn’t see the point, but this toner is said to: purify, hydrate, as well as allow the skin to receive the maximum benefit from any following skin care products. With all those benefits, I might as well try it. I liked this grape seed and green tea toner because it does not contain any alcohol and was soothing on my skin.

The Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream is very thick and hydrating, almost too hydrating. It takes a long time to absorb and looks shiny around the eyes. I think this would be a great product for bedtime; the skin around the eyes is so delicate and this extra moisture is definitely beneficial.

I had similar problems with the Zinc Repair Cream being too hydrating for my skin. It took too long to absorb to be easily used during the day. Again,  I think this would be a wonderful nighttime product.

Body Care

In addition to facial care, I received samples of the Chamomile Body Butter and Cocoa Butter Foot Cream. I really like both of these products, they smell great and are exceptionally moisturizing.

Because of my borderline curly hair, I never really experimented much with curling irons. In recent years. I’ve noticed the underside has decided to straighten itself out. To make things worse I, like many curly girls, have my hair cut in layers, leaving me with a long, straight, scraggly layer on the bottom.

I was excited to try the InfraShine Spring Curling Iron and see if it would help me correct my mismatched hair.

This curling iron has several important features:

• ceramic infused barrel to smooth and defrizz
• versatile 1 inch size
• 6 temp setting ranging from 170-360 degrees Fahrenheit
• heats up quickly (light blinks when ready)
• long swivel cord
• stable built-in stand

First, I blow dried my hair mostly straight so I could create a uniform curl. I then clipped the hair into sections and began curling along the bottom. Since my hair is so long, I curled each section in two parts. I curled the hair closest to my scalp first and then curled the ends. Tip: To avoid kinks caused by the clamp on the iron, make sure the tips of your hair line up with the end of the clamp.

Overall, the InfraShine Curling Iron meets my needs. It is easy to use, heats quickly, gets hot enough to curl thick hair, and appears to be a sturdy, well made iron.