Julep Maven Box for September: Flawless Without the Fuss

Disclaimer: I purchased these.

My selections from Julep's September Maven collection were the polishes August and Sammy, plus the new Blank Canvas Illuminating Treatment Primer. Let's look at the polishes first and then I'll give you my initial impressions on the primer.

Every year around this time I'm attracted to deep crimsons to wear on my nails. It must have something to do with Indian summer and the change of seasons, which happens a bit later on the Gulf Coast than it does in other areas.  The polish August is described as a "chocolate cherry ghost shimmer" but reminds me of blackberries, as it looks almost black on the nail, with just a hint of its crimson undertone. The ghost shimmer doesn't really translate to the nail, as August looks decidedly like a cream finish to me.

Sammy is described as a sand dune creme, but I see a bit more lavender grey in the mix. I've got a work trip to New Orleans coming up, and I think I'll be sporting Sammy then.

I've only worn the Illuminating Treatment Primer ($28) twice thus far, so will wait for a true review until I have a better idea of how it performs. I initially saw the "illuminating" and thought there would be a shimmer finish to the primer, but there is not.  It does contain 18 plant extracts for long-term nourishing and brightening benefits and light diffusing pearls for a natural luminous finish. I don't really see a luminosity beyond what you would experience with any cream, but again, I may just need more time with it.

I can say the primer played nicely with my foundation the two times I tried it, which is promising.  I'm a fan of the Blank Canvas Mattifying primer, and the Illuminating primer may be a good choice for colder weather wear.

The extra this month was a sheet of stickers. I'm not really a sticker person, so will probably toss these. The value of my box this month was $56, for which I payed $19.99. Julep continues to impress me with their new products and polishes, making them the only beauty subscription box that I still receive :-)