Julep Maven Box: July 2013

I wasn't into any of the nail colour combos that came with any of the July Julep Maven boxes, so I did something very out of character and actually chose the box that didn't come with any nail polishes — a new style option from Julep called "Modern Beauty," which focuses on non-nail products. Now, anyone that follows my Julep Maven reviews will know that I generally hate any of Julep's non-nail products. Their foray into make-up has seriously left me disappointed and disheartened. But this month, they came out with two new products that really piqued my interest — the Sea Salt Texture Spray for hair and the Beach Tonic Dry Body Oil — both of which came with the "Modern Beauty" box. Now, the "Modern Beauty" box doesn't come with nail polish, but that doesn't mean I didn't get any nail polish. I didn't like any of the combos that Julep put together in the other boxes this month, but it doesn't mean that I didn't like any of the shades. Julep came out with their California Coast collection for July, a range of ten shades inspired by "the natural beauty of the California coastline," so I decided to get the two shades I was most interested in as add-ons for $4.99 each.
Blakely (top) and Alaina (bottom)
Blakely and Alaina

Blakely is a dark purple-burgundy with iridescent micro-shimmer in a metallic-chrome finish. It will flash bronze, brown, plum, indigo, and teal depending on the angle and the lighting. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in two thin-medium coats. I couldn't think of a dupe for this; it is darker and has more of a plum-teal duochrome than Chanel's Black Pearl, and is lighter and has more of brown-plum duochrome than Deborah Lippmann's Don't Tell Mama. 

Alaina is a medium warm taupe in a cream finish. It has a fluid consistency without being too thick or too runny. It goes on smoothly and evenly, without any pulling, bubbling, or streaking. It has high pigmentation and will reach opacity in one thick coat or two thin coats. It is slightly more grey than Essie's Chinchilly, lighter and warmer than SpaRitual's Pebble, and lighter and much more grey than Chanel's Particulière.

Even though these two shades are more autumnal, I totally see the oceanic inspiration behind them. Blakely captures the complex dimensional colours of a mussel shell, and Alaina looks like driftwood that's been cleaned and washed smooth from ocean water. Gorgeous. And with beautiful formulas to boot. Definitely pleased with this month's colours. As for the other two products... I recently cut off six inches of hair and had a ton of layers added to create a more choppy "long bob," so I was quite excited to try out the Sea Salt Texture Spray. Julep promises that it "creates soft, natural looking texture without getting crunchy or greasy" and "adds texture and volume with a slight matte finish." I'm happy to report that it does exactly what says it'll do. I have straight, coarse, East Asian hair, and while it didn't add as much grit or make my hair look as "tousled" as some other sea salt sprays out there, it made my hair look more piece-y and and "rockstar bedhead," if you will. I wash my hair everyday, so this is a great way to get that "second-day hair" texture without actually feeling dirty. I like that it has a light marine scent and doesn't make my hair feel stripped or dry, either (unlike, say, Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray). I'm not huge into sea salt sprays in general, but I really like this option.
And as some of you will know, I've been really quite into body oils recently, so I was also excited to try the Beach Tonic Dry Body Oil. Judging from the name, I assume they made this specifically for beach-goers, which I equate to "hot weather." It is lightweight and smells fresh and citrusy. I like the easy spray application (as opposed to something like Bobbi Brown Beach Body Oil, which you have to pour out and can get pretty damn messy, as in, everywhere), and I like that it doesn't feel heavy or greasy. It definitely isn't enough hydration for me in colder, drier months, but for humid days (like during that insane heat wave we had a few weeks ago), it's just perfect. It leaves a nice sheen, too, and smells light and fresh. I imagine it would be a great option to bring to the beach to get some hydration after tanning or frolicking in ocean water... you know, if I actually did those things.