Fields of Lavender

About a week and a half ago, this box was delivered to my home.  After placing my regular monthly Julep Maven order, the "secret store" was opened up to those who accepted their box.   It is a special page offered for 72 hours and has products discounted quite a bit.  I looked through and decided I didn't have many purple shades from Julep.  There was a trio offered that caught my attention.

It was called Fields of Lavender and contained (from left to right) Billie Jean, Renee, and Eden.  All three polishes are, obviously, shades of purple. I believe it was about $13.99. I knew I had recently seen Eden in a monthly box, and regretted not selecting it ever since.  I figured this was my chance to get it!  Beyond the polishes, they included a small sample of their Rock Star Hand Cream.

Billie Jean is kind of a fuchsia-purple. It is bright, without being neon, and perfect for spring and summer.  Renee is a soft, gray-lavender.  It is probably close to something like Essie Lilacism, but with more grey in it. I don't have Lilacism near me at the moment to compare.  I have a lot like Renee, but one more surely can't hurt anything.  Eden is the star, in my opinion.  It is a vivid, electric violet.   Now, while I might have something similar in my collection, my mind can't draw any names.  I do know for a fact that if I do have any similar, they don't have the same finish.  This dries down to a rubberized matte finish.  I've said before that I am not the biggest matte fan, but something about this one I enjoy.  I think it would also be stunning with a glossy top coat. 

Eden is probably going to be the first one I apply.  I'm really excited to have my fingers and toes done in this color.  I'm madly in love with it. 

If you'd like to take part in their secret store and montly Maven boxes, you can sign up here! and enter "FREEBOX" to receive your first box on the house!

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Julep: Martha

I feel like I am always on the lookout for a good, pale, creamy, baby pink.  I want it to be a true powder pink, I want it to be opaque, I want it to apply with ease, I don't want it to streak, I don't want it to darken on the nail, and I want it to last!  I realize this is a rather high list of expectations from a nail polish.  I have had a hard time finding a baby pink that will hit all of these marks. Julep's Martha comes pretty close, though!

I bought Martha as an add-on to my June Julep Maven box. I selected it specifically because I was hoping for a fabulous pink that would hit all my marks. It is a beautiful soft powder pink.  I'm madly in love with it.  I know it seems so simple to just find a pale pink.  I have to disagree, though!  I feel like for two full years I have been buying pinks and not being entirely satisfied.  I have had this ridiculous quest for a good pale baby pink.

Part of me expected Martha to be sheer.  Thank goodness, though, it wasn't!  I only had to apply two coats to get it to the point that you see in the photos.  I was a bit shocked!

The first coat did leave a few streaks, but once you brush on the second coat, it is golden.  I don't feel that my nails appear patchy in any way.

The color you see in the bottle is the color you will get on the nail.  I find this to, oddly, be rare for pinks that are this pale.  I have had so many turn a couple shades darker as they dry.  It is almost as though they are oxidizing in the way we think of foundations doing.  It is the strangest thing!  Martha doesn't do that at all.

While I can't say that this lasted me a week, it did last me a couple of days longer than most polishes I wear. I'm quite rough with my hands, too, and even tip wear held off.  Color me impressed!

The one flaw that I had to check off for Martha was the ease of application.  I found this particular bottle's brush to be misshaped which created a strange, uneven application.  The polish itself is slightly on the thicker side, too.  It wasn't so bad that it was tacky or starting to string, but it also took longer to level itself out and become completely smooth.  As you can see, I managed to get it on just fine...  but it was something I did notice as I was doing my manicure. 

Over all, I have to admit I'm quite smitten with Martha.   I'm pleased with the way it looks on my nails, I'm happy with the finish (cremes are my favorite), I love the color, and I'm excited it lasts pretty well.  I wish I had a bigger bottle of it.

If you'd like to sign up to become a Julep Maven and receive a discount on their products, please feel free to sign up: right here and use code "FREEBOX" to get your intro box for free!

I'm Wearing:

-1 coat of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

-1 coat of Milani Smoothe Base Coat

-2 coats of Julep Martha

-1 coat of Out The Door Top Coat

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Say Goodbye To Google Reader!

We're getting close to the date when Google Reader (which a lot of us have used/are still using) will disappear.  I've already switched over to following the blogs I enjoy on BlogLovin.  It is easy-peasy to switch over and import everything from your Google Reader to BlogLovin.  On their page they have instructions on how to go about it.

BlogLovin also has a nice, clean layout that I think you'd enjoy. It makes it simple to see the newest posts from people you follow, you can see how many people are following you, etc.

Switch over, guys, if you want to keep getting updates about this blog's posts along with anyone else you follow!  :-)

(click the icon below to start following TheSwatchingSprite.com)

Essie: Jamaica Me Crazy

I have had this nail polish for a very long time, but I don't know why I hadn't posted about it yet.  This is a very popular Essie color.  Especially this time of year, I see more and more on it.  I decided it was about time that I get it up on the blog and show the color of it.

The color itself is lovely.  I won't deny that.  My moods come and go with certain colors, and right now, I just don't think this is my cup of tea.  I'm just not particularly drawn to it.  I think this is a shade that my mother in law would adore, though.  She loves the purple/berry kind of shades.  Give it about another month or two and I'll probably be drooling over this one.  I'm fickle, what can I say?

This is sort of a fuchsia-magenta-berry-wine.  HA!  How is that for a jumbled description?  It has a lot of micro shimmers swimming through it.  They are very finely milled so you won't feel them in the finish.  

The opacity is quite nice with Jamaica Me Crazy.  I was having a particularly lazy nail day, so I only applied one coat.  That is what you are seeing in these photos.  Not too shabby, huh?  Even when I'm being nit-picky and close up to the nail, I don't really see through the polish.  I will give it brownie points for that!  There aren't a lot of polishes that can be brushed on once and end up nearly completely opaque.  

I am wearing a top coat.  I'm really trying to force myself to like Out The Door, so that is what I have on.  It did dry fairly quick....  though, not as quick as Seche Vite. 

A Sparkling Neon Rainbow

If you haven't noticed, I'm on a neon kick.  The warm weather has been sticking around, the bees are buzzing, the sunshine is hot....  summer is around the corner.   Summer is the perfect time to sport the neon shades.

For this manicure, I am wearing mostly all Studio M. neon polishes.  I  have other brands with neons, but I have a nearly complete range of colors with the Studio M. ones.   I do need to pick up a neon purple from them, though.  That is a horrible gap that needs to be filled.  So, for the purple, I substituted in a polish from Milani.

I started at the thumbs and the gradient went from yellow, to orange, pink, purple, blue, and then green at the pinky nail.  This was the same for both hands.  Basically, each nail is split in half with two polishes.  You can use any kind of colors whether they be neons or pastels.  Just select six different colors. The trick is to sponge them on.  That will help to create a nearly seamless transition.

For the base of this manicure, I applied a coat of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  This isn't a pure white, but it is enough to help boost the brightness in the neons.  The colors within the gradient are: Studio M Neon Caution, Orange Hot, Infusion, Milani Rad Purple, Studio M Lightening blue, and Neon Greenlight.   Over the entire nail I dotted on a bit of Nicole By OPI Make A Comet-Ment and then used the brush to smooth it over.  The Nicole polish is very heavy on the micro glitter, so if I were to go straight into swiping it on, it would dull down the gradient.

Let's see how long this neon kick lasts.  :-)