[Review] Julep: Extraordinary Colour Kit (Rita, Zelda, Paris, Holly, Freedom Polymer Top Coat)

I've been loving this set since I bought it as a Christmas present to myself.

This set comes with 4 colours (Rita, Holly, Zelda, Paris) and a top coat. Swatches and review after the jump!

Before Xmas, Sephora was sending out their VIB giftcards and while I was trying to decide what to do with mine I stumbled across this Julep Extraordinary Colour Kit. It was on sale for $36 from $48 so I just kinda splurged on it. I thought why not? These colours would make an awesome new years nail look.

I've always been a fan of Julep even though their polishes are a bit on the pricey end. They are 4 free (no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP) and the colour range is amazing. At Sephora they are $16CAD or $14USD on the Julep site. If you're a Julep Maven, you get them for only $11.20USD! Unfortunately these are only 8ml in comparison to a 15ml OPI bottle for $10CAD.

This set comes with 4 colours (Rita, Holly, Zelda, Paris) and a top coat.

Reviews

RITA

Longevity: 7/10

Pigmentation: 9/10

Application: 9/10

Rita is true to colour so what you see in the bottle is what you get. You'll just need two coats in order to not see your nail underneath and get the full colour payoff.

It applies evenly, doesn't streak, or clump. Each layer dries pretty quickly too. It was about 5 minutes for each coat to dry completely.

I wore this for four days (no base coat) before they started to chip. Chips were really small and if I wanted to, I could probably just touch up the spots.

Staining was little to nothing which is surprising since I find that a lot of purples stain even after having them on only for a day. The picture is of my nails after after removing the nail polish after having had it on for 7 days.

HOLLY

Longevity: 10/10

Pigmentation: 9/10

Application: 7/10

1st Layer

Holly is this super shiny green colour that has a glossy finish. You definitely need two coats to ensure you don't see your nail underneath.

The longevity of the polish is really good! I wore this for 2 full weeks (no base coat) and the polish still hadn't chipped off at all. I think the polish could have stayed on at least another week and I would have tried it but my nails were starting to grow out and it started to look weird.

The formula is mediocre though. You really have to be careful when applying this polish though because if you don't apply an even and thin layer, you get uneven drying and clumping. This colour takes a little longer to dry too. To be safe I waited around 7 minutes before I'd apply the next layer.

Another problem I found was that the formula is a bit more runny and not as thick as some of the other formulas. As a result, I tend to get nail polish drips all over my clothes or desk because I tend to forget to wipe the excess off the shaft of the brush.

ZELDA

Longevity: 5/10

Pigmentation: 9/10

Application: 6/10

1st layer

Zelda is currently my favourite colour. It's silver with pink undertones. Again you need two layers so you don't see your nail underneath.

Application for this one is also tricky. You have to make sure you apply thin layers. If not the polish won't dry and you'll make dents that will take off not only the current layer but the dry layer as well. Ridiculous right? I've waited up to 3 hours and in the 3rd hour when it's almost dry I end up getting a scratch and BAM a chunk is missing. If you manage to apply it nicely and wait for it to dry then your nails will looks amazing :) You can also use a top coat / base coat, but for the purpose of testing I always test without the extras.

The longevity of the nail polish isn't that great. It chips really easily around the edges of the nail. I've worn this nail polish multiple times and every time the edges chip after only 3 to 4 days. I've put the Julep top coat on the negate this but still it only seems to prolong the wear for another day.

PARIS

Longevity: 10/10

Pigmentation: N/A

Application: 8/10

Paris is basically a sparkly clear polish with a mix of large and small gold sparkles. Looking at it now, and it's actually the gold version of Cover Girl's Disco Dazzle. 

The gold sparkles are very thin and when applied, the sparkles don't really clump. The brush is really good for picking up just the right amount of sparkle.

Using the sparkles on top of a regular polish tends to prolong the longevity for a few extra days and minimize chipping. 

Removing the sparkles though, is basically the same as removing any kind of larger sparkles - REALLY LABOUR INTENSIVE. It involves lots of nail polish remover and rubbing. I tend to try and soak my nails in the remover first and then try and rub it off. Since the sparkles are thinner, once all the base polish is removed, you can basically scratch the remaining sparkles off.

 Now, on to the final review from the kit. The Julep Freedom Polymer top coat.

This top coat is one of Julep's best selling products. According to Julep's website, this top coat is supposed to make your nail polish smudge free within 5 minutes using just natural light. It's also supposed to create a gel like finish and smooth out brush strokes and imperfections from your application.

True to advertisement, this top coat works like a charm. The glossy shine is really nice on top of any nail polish and makes everything look like an expensive gel manicure. The thing I love the most though, is that it corrects imperfections. Most of the time I'm pretty impatient (hence some bad nail photos without cleaned edges) but when you apply this top coat, it evens out everything to make it seem like you applied the nail polish evenly. For those nail polishes that no matter how hard you try to apply it evenly, it just doesn't work or the polishes where it's the formula's fault, this top coat is a must.

Overall, I love all the colours in the kit and at the price that I paid this was a total steal. The top coat alone made the whole purchase worth it.

Hope everyone enjoyed my review.
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