JulieG Santorini

I've griped about the lack of great drugstore polish a lot lately. I think in recent years the best selection of drugstore nail polishes I have found has been at Rite Aid. The problem is, I don't have a Rite Aid in Florida. I had all my Rite Aid adventures in California last year.

I'd have to say my favorite drugstore polish brand of all time is JulieG which is only carried at Rite Aid. I can't even. The good news is that you can purchase the JulieG brand online, but that does take all the shopping fun out if it sadly. This was one of the colors I picked up last year that I recently re discovered it's greatness!

Santorini

Santorini is a light periwinkle blue creme/shimmer (I'll get into that in a moment)

Collection: JulieG Cruise Collection Summer 2014

Color: I need more blues like this in my life. The aqua light blues really get done a lot in nail polish, but I prefer more of the light blues like this. This is a great color. It's pigmented, soft, and just pops against your nails. There is a teensy bit of shimmer in this that is visible in the bottle, but I can't really see it on the nail at all.

Formula: I love JulieG formulas. They're are smooth, easy to apply, self level, and just my favorite formulas when it comes to drugstore polish. This polish did not disappoint.

Price: This is $3.99 and can be found on the Jesse's Girl website.

Overall: I love Santorini. This is a definite staple in my nail polish collection. It's a color that every nail polish lover should have and it's just all around great polish.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Throwback Thursday: JulieG Oh Em Gee!

I've been using bright pink as a palette cleanser for the past few weeks. I don't think pink would typically constitute as a palette cleanser, but it's exactly what I've needed. The holiday colors and glitters got overwhelming, and I've been craving bright and cheerful pinks. This JulieG polish did the trick. This JulieG was part of their original release.

Oh Em Gee

Oh Em Gee! is a neon highlighter pink crelly.

Collection: JuileG Core Line 2012

Color: This one is pretty self explanatory. There is no doubt this is neon, and this will definitely make a statement. I love it.

Formula: This has one of those typical neon formulas. You will need about 3 coats for full coverage, and this does dry that funky matte finish. Top coat is a must here. I call this a crelly because it's in between a creme and a jelly.

Price: This is $3.99 at Rite Aid stores or Jesse's Girl website.

Overall: You can never go wrong with a neon pink, and this one is a great one to have. I love the intensity of the color. I also really like JulieG formulas overall. Nice polish.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

JulieG Fairytale

I've fallen in love with JulieG nail polishes. They're made by Jesse's Girl cosmetics. I picked up a bunch when I was in California at Rite Aid stores, and I'm incredibly impressed with all of them.

I love everything about JulieG. The bottles are super cute, the color selection is vast, the prices are very affordable, but what stands out to me the most is the SUPERB formula. I bought a hand full of pastel creme shades this summer. These have hands down the best formula I've ever tried in pastel cremes when it comes to any mainstream brand, drugstore brand, and I'd even say high end brand from the ones I've tried. Floored. Amazing. Love. I have one of those beauties to share with you today.

Fairytale

Fairytale is a pastel lavender creme.

Color: This is a soft lavender creme. I love shades like this, and this type of shade is a staple in any nail collection. No, it's not original, but when I get into formulation I'll tell you why this is the best.

Formula: Out of this world formula. I used 2 coats above. This applied smoothly, opaquely, and so easily. Pastels can be streaky, overly thick, too sheer, not leveling, chalky, and so forth. I've experienced all of those problems from Sinful Colors to Deborah Lippmann with pastel cremes. JulieG's are pastel perfection. I experienced none of those typical issues with this shade.

Price: This is $3.99 at Rite Aid. You can also purchase it online on the Jesse's Girl Cosmetics website.

Overall: This polish floored me. I use that term rarely. I am so impressed with this brand on every level. I recently did purge of my nail polish collection, and put all of my other lavender cremes like this in the purge box. JulieG Fairytale has me covered on my pastel lavender cremes! That's how good this is! Fairytale is where it's at! Must have!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Julie G Cabana Boy

Who loves blue? I love blue! The bright blue kick I've been on is still going strong since it hit me in early 2012. Bright blue has definitely caught on to all polish brands out there over the past year and  a half, and we've seen multiple versions and variations on this awesome color. Today, I have bright blue to share with you from Julie G line made by Jesse's Girl.

Cabana Boy

 Cabana Boy is a bright medium blue creme.

Color: There are a lot of bright blues out there, but they all have their slight differences. The question out there is how does this compare to the Nails Inc. Baker Street/Sinful Colors Endless Blue variety? Cabana Boy is lighter and not as saturated (see below).


L-R: Julie G Cabana Boy & Sinful Colors Endless Blue

Formula: The formula on this was good. This applied evenly and smoothly.

Price: I paid $3.99 for this on the Jesse's Girl website. You can also find this in Rite Aid stores if you are one of those lucky people who I am jealous of who have Rite Aids in your state!

Overall: I like this blue. I'm sucker for bright blues as you all know though. I will say in all honesty I gravitate to the the super bright and saturated cobalt blues, and this is a touch lighter than that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Cabana Boy though, and I like the lighter touch.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

JulieG Frosted Gumdrops Collection

I have the entire JulieG Frosted Gumdrops collection to show you all today. These are a great assortment of colors with that sandy/gritty texture. Yadda. Yadda.  Who am I kidding? I'm sure most of you know about these already. Let's get started!

Hot Cinnamon

 Hot Cinnamon is a warm red shimmer.

Sugar Rush

Sugar Rush is bright red-coral shimmer.

Tangerine Dream

Tangerine Dream is a orange shimmer.

Rock Candy

Rock Candy is a teal shimmer with silver glitters. 

Blueberry Fizz

 Blueberry Fizz is a berry blue shimmer with silver glitters.

Crushed Candy

Crushed Candy is a purple shimmer with silver glitters. 

Color & Finish: The Frosted Gumdrop line has a perfect assortment of colors. I love the sparkling finish on all of these, and the textured appearance really suits these colors. I will add, that the warm toned colors have a fine gold glitter added to them, and the cool toned colors have some larger silver pieces. Great line up!

Formula: The formula on all of these was great. These were easy to work with and were a breeze to apply. I used only 2 coats on all of these except Tangerine Dream where I used 3 coats. Top coat is not needed on these, but if you'd like a smoother finish, go for it! 

Texture: These are very textured. The only other textured polishes I have tried are the Milani and OPI ones, but the JulieG ones are a lot grittier and rougher to the touch than the other brands I've tried. Personally, if it weren't for these awesome colors I'd be bit turned off by the texture. I know the texture thing is personal, but I felt a need to share that. 

Price: I pre-ordered this set awhile ago for around $20, but they are $3.99 individually on the Jesse's Girl website and at Rite Aid stores. 

Overall: Love the variety of colors and sparkling finishes on these polishes. The price is a steal for such a great on trend collection, and I think many people will love them. The texture of these is a bit much for me, but I'm willing to overlook it because everything else is so great!

My Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters. 

Happy Monday!

JulieG Sharks Cove

I haven't been on a vacation in almost 2 years. I normally don't feel a need to have a vacation often, but I'm feeling it today. I saw someone's cruise pictures on Instagram, and I wanted to cry. Crystal blue waters, sunshine, and not a care in the world....-cries-. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery and routine. I think with a move coming up in 4 weeks and the end of a school semester approaching I'm a little overwhelmed. Life in no way is bad, and I have nothing to complain about, but a change of pace for a few days would be nice! This next polish makes me think of those crystal blue waters and tropical locations.

JulieG Sharks Cove

Sharks Cove is a minty blue-green with a silvery shimmer.

This color is so refreshing. I want to jump right in. It's seriously hard while writing this post not to start daydreaming of being on vacation. This is definitely one of those colors that makes you happy. I love the addition of the shimmer because we all know there are plenty of shades like this that are cremes. It is nice to have one a color like this something special. The formula on this is a bit sheer, but built up nicely in 3 coats.

I purchased this one from the Jesse's Girl website for $3.99, but you can also find it at Rite Aid stores.

Happy Monday!

JulieG Tokyo Nights

I'm pretty sure blue is my favorite color nail polish now. My blue stash has been growing so much in the past year. I need all the blues! That seems to be the way of nail trends too lately. Blue is very popular! I spotted this new JulieG blue on the Jesse's Girl Facebook page a little while ago, and had to order it!

JulieG Tokyo Nights

Tokyo Nights is a rich deep navy blue creme.

This is actually deeper than my camera would allow me to capture. What I like about his blue, is it has this hint of a muted quality to it. I think it must have a touch of black or gray added to it. I love this color. The formula on this was great. I don't have really any complaints other than I wish we had Rite Aid in Florida so I could shop Jesse's Girl Cosmetics in person! 

I purchased this on Jesse's Girl Cosmetics website for $3.99. 

JulieG Holla-Peno

I have a new JulieG by Jesse's Girl polish to show you today. Jesse's Girl released 27 new shades for the JulieG line this year. I do not have a Rite Aid here, so my experience with this brand has been through people sending me them or purchasing them online. The JulieG line of polishes is awesome! I've always been impressed with their selection and the price. This is an awesome green!

Holla-peno

Holla-peno is a medium muted green creme.

I'm not typically a green polish girl, but this polish caught my eye. This is not a typical green shade I have seen. I love that it has a softness and dustiness to it which makes it original. I also like that this leans more towards the green or the yellow-green side rather than a blue-green side. This applied really nicely, and I do not have any complaints about formula. I will say though it did take me a few times to realize the name was a reference to jalapeno. The simplest things always boggle my mind. Oy.

I purchased this from the Jesse's Girl website for $3.99. You can also find this one at Rite Aid.

Happy Thursday!

JulieG Bubble Bath

The polish gods have answered a long time prayer for me with this JulieG polish.

You know those times you want a nice palette cleansing color that is soft, clean, and fresh on your nails? These colors at least for me are those soft pinks shades. These are also the shades that are streaky, uneven, and taken 5 bazillion coats to build up to opacity. These are the shades that never dry because there are so many layers of polish on them 7 hours after application you get a dent in your polish. I have never found a polish in this category to fit my needs.....until now.

THANK YOU to the wonderful people at Jesse's Girl and Julie G for creating this amazing creation of a polish!!!! I bow in your presence.

Bubble Bath

Bubble Bath is a soft pink with a subtle pink-golden shimmer.

This is not streaky. This is not uneven. This only took 3 coats. This is exactly what I've been looking for, for probably 3 years now. You do not have to work with this polish to make this look nice. This applies beautifully and effortlessly. The color is soft and lovely. This is the type of color I feel would work on anyone for any situation. Love love love love love love love love this!!! This in my opinion is a must have, and I have added it as a contender on my ongoing Top 20 of 2013 list.

This is one of the new color additions to the JulieG line for 2013. The only downside is this brand is only sold at Rite Aid. I don't have Rite Aid in Florida, but I ordered this polish along with some others on the Jesse's Girl Website for $3.99 each.

Happy Monday!

JulieG Gelato in Venice

I am in love with these JulieG polishes. This makes me want to go into another tirade about how Florida needs Rite Aids or  how Jesse's Girl (who makes JulieG polishes) needs to put their brand in CVS or Walgreens. I love these polishes. I got a Jesse's Girl polish yesterday too in the mail, and it's amazing. We're really missing out here! On that note, I have another JulieG polish to show you today. I want more!

Gelato in Venice

Gelato in Venice is a pastel mint green creme.

This is a gorgeous mint green. What I like about this color is it looks like a true green to me. I have a lot of mint-like shades that have a lot blue tones in them. This color definitely leans more green. It does give me a bit of lobster hands, but I blame that more on the camera. The formula on this was good, and like Cupcakes and Castles the name is very cute. It makes me want some gelato. I love the JulieG polish names!

I know you can only get JulieG at Rite Aid stores, but you can purchase them on the Jesse's Girl website too.

Happy Friday!

JulieG Cupcakes and Castles

We have all done it. We've bought polishes for very silly reasons. One of these reasons usually pertains to the name. The name is just too darn cute or funny we can't pass it up. This is how I felt about this JulieG polish. The color did appeal to me, but the name was the selling point!

Cupcakes and Castles

Cupcakes and Castles is a sheer baby pink with a subtle aqua microshimmer.

Seriously? How could I not have a polish called Cupcakes and Castles? The name itself evokes happy rainbows, clouds, sparkles, and fuzzy panda bears. Yes, panda bears. I really love this color. The best part about it is that it is build-able. I used 3 coats here, so it's not one of those sheerer pinks you'll be painting on endlessly in hopes that it will be your last coat. This is cooperative! I also really love this subtle microshimmer. I like the contrast of the aqua with the pink. It gives this polish some personality.

Happy Monday!

JulieG 9 to 5

Rite Aid, will you please come to Florida? I think those of us without Rite Aids in our area are really missing out. They seem to have quite the selection of brands that other stores like Walgreens and CVS don't have like Jesse's Girl. JulieG polishes are made my Jesse's Girl, and quite a few caught my eye. My parents were kind of enough to pick me up some of these while they were in California last month. This color is unlike any other I've seen.

9 to 5

9 to 5 is a bright pastel cantaloupe-orange creme.

Is this color weird or what? It does absolutely wonky things with my skin tone, but I can't help but love this color. I do not own any other colors like this or even close this. I can't even think of a color similar to this. It is really very unique. I thought the formula on this was average, what I'd expect for a drugstore polish. It was a bit tricky considering it is pastel, but nothing I was not expecting. Cool polish for sure!

The JulieG line has a handful of really great color polishes, and so does Jesse's Girl. I so wish I had a Rite Aid here. I would love to have more access to this brand. You can order these online from the Jesse's Girl website. They are $3.99. I'll probably take advantage of that in the future, but shopping in person is so much more fun!

P.S. JulieG is a makeup guru on Youtube. I remember watching her videos back in 2008. She mentioned nail polish in her videos back then, and it caused me to take a second look at nail polish. I can't credit her completely for my now undying love for polish, but her mention of it definitely propelled my interest!

Happy Tuesday!