Bad, Better, Best

I'm not a big fan of the term "Holly Grail" when it comes to makeup, there is always something better out there, the skin and face and taste changes all the time, and so, what was great last month can just stop working after a while. I guess that so far, the biggest compliment I can give a product is buying something twice after emptying the first batch. I can only think of 2-3 products who won this honor.

Now, my hands and nails are really not my best feature. I work with paints and with my hands, and I spend lots of time with the dogs in a very muddy park. If I can get them to look sort of OK I'm happy, but my nails will never be long and perfect, no matter what I do.
What I have discovered is that the thing that makes them look passable esthetic is cuticle care. If the skin around my nails is hydrated, my hands look cleaner, tidier and my nails grow stronger.

I have mentioned 2 cuticle products before, and now, discovered a new one.

Bad
Not really bad, I actually liked it in the beginning. Julep's cuticle stick smells really good, give gentel hydration and feels nice. Why is it bad then? first of all, because it was the least efective of the 3 products I used, it might be great for someone who doesn't work with their hands or have naturally hydrated hands, but for me, it just didn't cut it. Second, the stick is really uncomfortable to use, it seem like a great idea, bu I found it messy and awkward. The third is that I finished the whole stick in one month, what might be OK, but since it's costs a whooping 22$ that's really not enough product to justify the price.

Better
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is one of those only products that I have bought more then once. It's great, inexpensive ($6-$8 or so), easy to use and works! I was pretty sure that this is as good as it gets. What don't I like about it? the smell is mildly chemical, and especially when it's cold, the cream hardens  and hard to use.

Best!
Enters new favorite (dare I say holly grail?!) Badger Cuticle Care which is just like Burt's Bees but better! it's cheaper ($6 for a larger tin, .75g vs. .6g) The first 2 ingredients on the list are shea butter and olive oil, while Burt's Bees goes for Almond oil and beeswax. What's the difference?! it's a lot softer and easier to apply.
And it smells better then either Julep's stick or Brut's butter. A citrusy fresh smell of geranium, lemon grass and olives.

Plus - the badger on the tin is adorable.

Probably the best $6 I've ever spend on my hands.

Julep Hollywood Icons February Box

This box marks my 3 month Julep membership. I joined at their Christmas special (one free box for any subscription). I got to say, this was quite a ride and I had the best of times. It's everything I like about a beauty box - fun surprise in the mail, opportunity to try new things, fun anticipation and a vibrant community without all the things I don't like - disappointment, getting stuff I don't want or use, and difficulties in skipping \ canceling a box.

It was really fun to see what surprises each box will bring, even something small like hair ties or chocolate makes the whole experience feel so much more fun. There were a few things I used a lot and a few I didn't use at all (brown Marcara, I'm talking about you) but overall, I liked everything I got, I love the polish itself and ever since I signed up, I barely used any of my other polishes. 

The one thing that's slightly difficult for me is that between special price add-ons, a secret store for members that's open for 3 days to of the month, surprise boxes and other special sales, it's just too tempting to keep ordering more and more stuff fro them. I mean - I just got an add-on polish, even though I have at least 5 that I haven't tried yet. I don't think there was even one months out of the 3 in which I just paid for the $20 box and cut it at that.

The box came packed inside in black and gold and looked really festive and glamorous, it contained 2 nail polishes, Ingrid and Julianne, The new Oxygen nail treatment and the new Freedom top coat as well as 2 chocolate hearts and a cute little lash curler. Value for money, this is a pretty amazing deal. If I go by Julep prices on their site it's 44$ worth of product, not including the lash curler for $20. I'm not sure that I would buy an Oxygen treatment if it weren't in the box, but I like having it.

Will I sign up for Julep Maven Box again? I can't make up my mind. On one end, it's so much fun and I love the wait and the excitement and that little bit of histeria around new products and special sales. On the other end, after 3 months, I have so much polishes I haven't used yet or used only once, and I think I should use some of that before putting more money in new nail polish. 

I guess I'll have to wait and see what's in the March box to decide what's next.

Over all, this is one of the coolest services I've even encountered  it's so much fun and I recommend it to anybody who like painting their nails. 

How Much: $20 per month

Buy again: Probably yes