January Julep Maven Box: Future Fresh

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Julep's January collection is called Future Fresh and gives us a new skincare item - Boost Your Radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Facial Oil ($36).  I customized my box to also include the Freedom topcoat and Pacita, the Wonder Maven polish from the collection. Let's take a closer look!

I love a good face oil, and this one features a streamlined ingredient list with Rosehip seed oil as the star.  Rosehip seed oil is indeed known as a skincare power house, as it is supposed to:

• hydrate skin while also regulating oil production
• protect against sun damage and even out hyperpigmentation
• reduce appearance of scars, burns, stretch marks, fine lines and wrinkles
• help with eczema and acne scarring

So where do these magical properties come from? Rosehip oil is harvested from the seeds of Rosa aff. rubigninosa or Rosa moschata, which are predominantly grown in Chile.  The chemical structure of Rosehip oil is what gives the powerhouse properties I listed, as it is rich in several essential fatty acids, which convert to prostaglandins (PGE) when absorbed by the skin and are involved in celular membrane and tissue regeneration. Hence the "reparative" in the title. It is also high in vitamin C, which is another great ingredient for anti-aging benefits.

Rosehip oil on its own is delicate and can easily go rancid, which is why vitamin E gets added to the mix to help improve shelf life. You will also want to keep it is a cool place and out of sunlight. Bergamot oil is an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial and also helps with hyperpigmentation. Since Rosehip oil is also a dry oil, it does not feel excessively oily and sinks quickly into the skin.

I've been using about 3 drops during the day as part of my skin care regimen (after serum and before moisturizer) and have not noticed it added any more oiliness/shine to my already oily skin. I've also mixed one drop to my more matte foundations, to good effect. Granted, I've only been using this about a week, but I've had no skin irritation or breakouts, and I'm happy to add this to my collection of facial oils!

Pacita ($14) was the polish I was most drawn to this month, as it is a duochrome that shifts slightly between a coppery russet to a dusky grayish mahogany. This is a sheer finish polish which can be built up to opacity or layered over another polish. It's pretty, although I've probably got 4 or 5 polishes in this same color family now. Clearly they appeal to me.

I'm a fan of the Freedom Polymer top coat ($18), although I do find it starts to get thick before I can finish a bottle. I had the same problem with Seche Vite, which is my other favorite top coat. Freedom gives great shine and dries pretty fast, and I generally get less tip shrinkage with it then I do with Seche Vite.

Julep continues to impress me with their skincare offerings and their polishes. The full retail value of my box is $68 and I paid $19.99, which I'm quite happy with. I look forward to seeing what other new products they will release in 2017!