Julep Maven September Box Opening Part II

It took me forever to swatch them all, but I did it! So now I present to you the Julep Cityscape Collection.

The Cityscape Collection includes (from left to right):

• Daria - Bombshell: "dark slate grey creme"
• Karmen - Bombshell: "golden crimson microglitter"
• Kristy - Boho Glam: "midnight blue creme"
• Tatiana - Boho Glam: "golden burnt orange microglitter"
• Padma - Classic with a Twist: "royal plum creme"
• Florence - Classic with a Twist: "classic camel creme"
• Candace - It Girl: "golden chocolate microglitter"
• Catrina - It Girl: "marigold yellow creme"
• Josephine - It Girl: "deep teal grey creme"
• Reece - It Girl: "Holographic shimmer"

This is the first monthly box to feature Julep's new "Color Treat" packaging.

two coats of Daria over Julep Base Coat

Daria had the best application of all the polishes in this collection.  I find that Julep's creme polishes usually have a shine to them that does not require a topcoat, but if you want extra shine and staying power you can use a topcoat.  I really like this color and will probably be wearing it often.  I am going to wear it with my power suit at work for a chic bit of edge.

two coats of Karmen over Julep Base Coat

Karmen is a bit thick so you need to be careful of over applying or it will take forever to dry;  I wipe the brush on the neck of the bottle before applying a strip down the center and then wipe it off again before going down the sides.  I do love the shimmer polishes that Julep makes as they are my favorite type of finish.  The three shimmers in this collection are like fall leaves in bottles...so pretty.

two coats of Kristy over Julep Base Coat

Kristy is such a dark blue that it looks black to the naked eye and on camera.  I only see the blue when it catches the light in a certain way.  I had to take a closer photo at a different angle to get the blue to show up.  Kristy is a thicker creme than Daria so again, be careful of over applying.  Because this is a dark colored polish it is prone to staining the skin around the nails.  You may need to do a whitening treatment after using this polish so you don't end up with Smurf hands.

Here is a closer picture of Kristy so you can see the blue in it better.  You can also see the staining on my skin (This is after cleanup.)

two coats of Tatiana over Julep Base Coat

Tatiana is super gorgeous microglitter and my favorite color from this collection.  Like Karmen, it is a bit thick and wants to pool at the nail tip, but once applied it is the perfect color for fall.

two coats of Padma over Julep Base Coat

Padma, like Kristy, is a thick dark creme that looks black except for in certain lighting.  It has a purple sheen running through it that makes it easier to recognize as dark purple than black.  It also stains the skin around the nails.

two coats of Florence over Julep Base Coat

Florence is more thin or watery than the other cremes in this collection.  It may also have a smaller brush which may account for some application problems;  It could just be the one I received and not all bottles.  Florence applied very streaky and took some work to even out.  I had to apply a thicker second coat to even things out.  I was surprised by how much I like this color because looking at the bottle it is pretty unassuming, but it looks lovely on my nails.  It is the type of pale beige creme color that may not work for me in the spring or summer, but works well in the fall.  I would say it has a sort of taupe undertone to it.

two coats of Candace over Julep Base Coat

Candace is not as thick as the other microglitters.  It applies fine, but removing it is difficult.  It took a bit of scrubbing to get it off of my nails, plus it stains the cuticle area somewhat.

two coats of Catrina over Julep Base Coat

Catrina is one of those colors that does not work for me personally.  It is the color of a number two pencil and looks odd on my pale skin.  I can see using this as undies for some other polish or as a striping color, but I just don't like it by itself.  It may work for darker skin tones than mine.  Like Florence, this one applied kind of streaky, but not as bad as Florence;  The second coat evened things out.

two coats of Josephine over Julep Base Coat

While I am excited that Julep has a polish name for my grandmother, I am pretty sure this is not a color she would actually wear.  She prefers traditional colors like nude, pink, and red.  She really likes Julep Melissa though.  Josephine, like Kristy and Padma, is a dark color that will stain the skin around the nails.  It is not so dark that it appears black.  It has good application that is not too thick.

two coats of Reece over Julep Base Coat

Reece is supposed to look like the sky at dusk.  It is a gorgeous and shimmery purple with holographic glitter changes in the light at different angles.  Because of the metallic nature of the base you need to make sure your brush strokes are even because they are visible.  This polish is a bit thick but applies fine.

Here is a closeup of Reece so you can see the holographic glitter a little better plus the texture is a bit rough.  I would use a topcoat over this one.

You can purchase the Cityscape collection at www.julep.com

FTC Disclaimer: all items were purchased.