Julep Pile Wand

A little while ago DQN was approached by Julep to help them spread the word about an interesting new product they have just released called the "Pile Wand". Today's blog post will take a closer look at this invention which offers a unique spin on traditional nail polish brushes.

Check out this video from Julep's CEO Jane Park.

So basically the Pile Wand is a brush extender that you can attach to any of your Julep's nail polish brushes. Now before I go into the great things about the wand I have to say this. Until I was approached by Julep I did not actually own any Julep nail polishes. In order to write a fair post I did two things. I researched some other blogs to get an idea of the Julep brand. I also went to a friends house to sample her Julep polishes so I could comment on the original bottle brush.

Ok, so the word on the street (in the land of nail polish crazies) is not so kind towards Julep, mainly due to some technical difficulties around their rewards system regarding their monthly nail polish box (Julep Maven's). However not having experienced this myself or having any first hand knowledge of the situation besides knowing Julep has fixed the issue, I choose to file this information in the "Interesting to know, but moving on" part of my brain.

In regards to the actual polish and the brush. ZOMG! A tall rectangular shaped bottle. Sexy but not at all practical. I had to be extremely conscious and thoughtful so that I didn't knock it over, its quite unstable. I did actually knock it over once! The polish itself "Cody", a bright orange creme was really nice, a fav of my friend who tells me she quite likes the polishes, great formula, reasonable dry time, but shares a similar view on the shape of the bottles. Click here to see the polishes available from Julep.

HOW TO USE THE PILE WAND

Ok so onto my thoughts about the Pile Wand. Not being able to get my grubby hands on one I guess from the outside looking in it appears to be a genius idea, especially for nuggles and those who don't paint their nails everyday. I paint my nails so often that even with my left hand I have practised so much that I'm really pretty good applying the polish. However I can see the benefits of being able to rest the extended brush in the crook on your hand for stability and being able to place it at an angle that works for you. Turning a small brush into a "paintbrush" seems like it would logically enable much greater control, accuracy and more fluid brush strokes, particularly useful for nail art I would think. Also being able to attach it to the Julep polishes you already own is a great design inclusion.

The Pile Wand comes with a options/attachments; a dotting tool, a smaller brush and a striping brush. It's a fab idea and I'm sure there are lots of happy polishers out there using this revolutionary product but honestly because I don't own any Julep polishes I am finding it a little hard to get super excited about it. Julep if you decide to capitalise on your design and include options for being able to attach it to China Glaze, OPI and Zoya bottles, I would be all over that in a second! I really do think its a very clever idea, I just don't have a use for it at the present moment. Maybe Julep will send me some lovely polishes to try *wink wink* and then I can write a proper review. Cheeky!  

If you are interested in reading more about the Pile Wand click here to go to Julep's blog. I would love to hear your thoughts on the wand if you own one yourself.

Nailene Couture Design Nails

Got a hot date tonight and zero time to pimp your nails? Couture Design Nails from nailene just might be the answer to no mess, no fuss instant nail art!

Unfortunately not all of us are blessed with genetically beautiful nails that look amazing all the time. Having gorgeous nails takes work and dedication and whilst we enjoy spending time painting our nails, sometimes we get caught out and need a nail makeover in a flash. You might be thinking, oh no, false nails, but stick ons have come a long way since I tried them back in high school. Now slimmer, more flexible and less damaging to your natural nails, this couture fashion nail set is a great option for anyone needing instant glam.

The set comes with 24 press on nails, an orange stick, buffer and a tube of nail glue. I chose to use them with adhesive Ultra tabs instead to protect Jules' natural nails.  I started by choosing the correct size nail for each finger. I prepared the natural nail with a quick swipe of nail polish remover. Then I applied one tab to the finger I was working on and pressed on the nail. The tabs are uber sticky and the perfect sizes, I didn't need to cut any to fit. 

Both hands were completed in under 3 minutes, it really was as easy as stick and press, done! The tabs worked really well at holding the nail on. They lasted for 3 days with some minor lifting and then the thumb nail popped off. The others came off the next day. If you wanted them to stay on for longer  buffing the natural nail first and using the glue would be the better option. They were very comfortable to wear. The nails themselves were still in good condition with no wear at the tip when Jules removed them.

The design that came on this set is a blue and silver gradient French tip with black and silver glitter accents. Its not the type of thing Id normally do on my own nails but it would work for a whole range of occasions and compliment a variety of outfits both casual and fancy. 

If you would like to check out more nailene Couture Designs nail sets click here. 

**This product was provided to me for review**

Toya-Jade Polish

Today we explore some Aussie indie goodness from Toya-Jade Polish.  New on the market this indie brand has unique polishes with interesting combos and duo shimmers a plenty.  Toya-Jade Polish is a 3-Free polish, meaning its Toluene, Formaldehyde and DBP Free and its available now from their Etsy store. You can also find them on Facebook.

This first polish is Funster. This is 2 coats. The formula was excellent, no fishing for glitter, just paint on like you would apply a creme polish. The white jelly base is the perfect amount of sheer and the pink/purple duo shimmer is a nice surprise. The little black dots are awesome! This is my favourite of the bunch. I wore it for 3 days with no chipping or peeling.

This next polish is Tori. This is 3 coats. I'm not an apricot kinda gal but if you like this shade the formula was good, easy to apply. Its a little bit too sheer but there is a nice gold shimmer to it. Might work really well for a jelly sandwich.

This is Holly. 2 coats layered over the 3 coats of Tori that I already had on. On its own this polish was really sheer, its definitely needs undies. It applied easily and the glitter spread well. Its not a colour I would wear but its a very pretty shade of orange and the sparkle is nice.

This final polish is Shandy. I really like this pink/purple duochrome. It combines my two favourite colours with a little bit of shimmer. This is 2 coats. 

For me the best thing about these polishes is their suspension base which allows for easy application. Another plus is that I had nothing even similar to any of these polishes in my collection so they offer something different and unique. Shandy and Funster are fun and Ill definitely wear them again.  I did find though that the brushes in the mini bottles could be improved as the bristles were uneven making it hard to get a nice line at the cuticle.

If you need these or other sparkly polishes in your life check out Toya-Jade at their Etsy store. 

**These polishes were provided to me for review**