nail color of the week: Julep Viola

happy thursday, beauties! this week i dressed my tips in the fabulous, deep purple Viola from the brand that is fast becoming a favorite in my nail polish wardrobe, Julep.

included in the february Maven Box, Viola, as i mentioned, is deep and so fabulous for this time of year. you'll also notice the box {pictured below} included a hair shine product, dark chocolate and glittering shade, Oscar, to celebrate the award season...

and while there are other colors in this award-season collection {Meryl, Glenn, for example}, i love that Julep put Oscar and Viola together ~ a bit of foreshadowing, perhaps? ;)

what nail polish are you currently wearing?

pics taken by me :)

5 fabulous winter skin soothers...

this time of year is my favorite when it comes to weather. in my neck of the southern california woods, the days are sunny, mild {low to mid 60s}, and sometimes warm {low 80s}, but complimented with a cool breeze {or high winds}. nights and early mornings are chilly {20s-30s} and i love it. it makes me so happy to layer up with scarves; i relish the opportunity to wear my coats and gloves, and i never complain over having a numb face after being out for an interval run or brisk walk with my dog in the early morning hours.

unfortunately, my favorite season of year is responsible for my dry skin, something i could complain about. thankfully, this beauty girl keeps an arsenal for parched skin, so i don't have to!

i love and often use olive and coconut oils , two of the best natural ways to bring soft, suppleness to any dry area of the body, but also turn to these fabulous goodies for dry skin relief...


for hands:

Atopalm Moisturizing Hand Treatment ~ suitable for sensitive skin, i was introduced to this product a couple of months ago; it's a fragrance-free formula and not only makes my rough hands feel instantly hydrated, but contains antioxidants to help keep hands looking young.

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy ~ shea butter and restorative sea salts are key ingredients in this lovely gem of a moisturizer. i love the light fragrance, inspired by the sea air.

Ahava Mineral Hand Cream ~ this silky, lightweight skin savior gives my hands the moisture they need thanks to its richly soothing dead sea minerals.


for body:

Julep Body Creme ~ i've become quite smitten with this brand's line of nail polish and was thrilled when i discovered how fabulous their body cream is. scented in pomegranate, this formula {rich with shea butter, avocado and jojoba oils} is decadent and highly moisturizing, but not greasy in the slightest.


Upper Canada Soap Sweet Vanilla Fig Body Butter ~ talk about fabulous, this rich, hydrating blend of shea butter, cocoa, fig and vanilla fruit extracts leaves my skin feeling amazing and really locks in moisture. the natural ingredients make my eco/green girl side quite happy as well. :)


tell me: what products do you use to soothe your winter skin dryness??

Julep Maven Giveaway Winner!

happy friday, beauties!

as i type this i'm looking forward to a restful weekend, hanging out with my kiddos, visiting with friends, reading and changing my nail polish.

and speaking of nails...

the winner of the Julep Maven giveaway is...Lacey S.!


congrats, Lacey!!! an email has been sent to the company rep. they will contact you soon ~ be sure to check your email {and soon your mailbox!} for more details. enjoy! :)

thank you to all who entered ~ you're all fab! have a gorgeous weekend...

Julep Zoe and Samantha + a giveaway!!!

as my love for nail polish grows {really...it's only slightly out of control! *wink}, i love discovering new brands. like lipstick, gloss and mascara, nail lacquer is something that we gals can purchase as a way to treat ourselves without breaking the bank.

one brand i was recently introduced to, and have had the pleasure of using, is Julep. you may have heard of them by now since they recently started a fun program for nail polish lovers {more on that in a minute} and are being featured quite frequently in print and online.

Zoe is a fierce shade of metallic bronzy tangerine, just fabulous for fall and a shade i wouldn't have picked to wear had it not been sent to me. however, after wearing it, i'm an official fan.


the hot pink, Samantha, is characteristically more *me*, but since i'm in full autumn/winter mode, i've actually only worn only once.

i'm beyond thrilled with Julep's 4-free formula {that means it's free of formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP}; it applies smoothly and lasts with little wear {this is with regard to my personal i-don't-wear-a polish-longer-than-3-days, but i do plenty of handwashing, housework and everyday stuff, like typing, with my hands}.


the range also includes items for keeping hands and feet gorgeous. products like Facial for Hands Glycolic scrub {pictured, above} -- an amazing, simple way to pamper hands at the end of the day! -- spf 30 hand cream and a fun at-home spa pedicure set, just to name a few, is a perfect indication that the brand puts thought into their products when it comes to hand and nail care, but still keeps it fun ~ also makes me wish i lived closer to one of their salons!

another thing i love is that they have come up with, and so excited to share with you, is their Maven program. it allows polish-aholics to receive a set {called a sneak peek box} of their products each month, based on a fun style quiz you take via their website; from there, a selection of products are chosen for you {not-yet-released shades and products, as well as cult faves, plus a surprise}; if for some reason you don't like what is selected for you before the box is sent, you can request what they call a "shelf pull", and they'll select new shades for you. in addition, you'll have access to purchase products from their full line of goodies at 20% off.

each sneak peek box is worth over $40, but membership is less than half and ships for free! you choose when you want to receive your box, or you can skip the month {p.s. ~ if you like the box, but need a fabulous gift, you can opt to have it sent to your gal-pal-- it will arrive wrapped and pretty at her door!}.

sounds fab, right? needless to say, i love the polishes and am in love with this program. since i already belong to a few shoe clubs, and now style and beauty clubs, i figured this was clearly the next club to join! :)

would you like to join? what if i told you could have a 3-month membership for FREE?

you can...because i'm giving one away to one of you, compliments of Julep!!

{the crowd goes wild!} yay!!

i haven't run a contest in over a year, beauties, so i'm truly excited about this for you!

**entry is super simple -- here's how:

*email me, bgmcontests@gmail.com, with Julep in the subject line
*include your full name and mailing address and tell me what your favorite nail color is!
*next friday, december 9, 2011, i'll announce the winner {chosen at random}. u.s. entries only, please.

in the meantime, feel free to take advantage of this offer: enter code beautygirlmusings at checkout and your first sneak peek box will cost only $5! :)

be sure to follow Julep on twitter {@julepnailparlor} for fab tips and nail advice, and learn more about the brand and full range of products by visiting julep.com

good luck!!

*read please: entering this contest means you are giving me permission to forward your name and email address to representatives of Julep for fulfillment and mailing of contest prize. failure to include information requested will disqualify your entry. one (1) winner, chosen at random, will receive the prize mentioned. duplicate entries will not improve your chances of winning. giveaway sponsored by Julep. some restrictions apply. open only to US residents only. entries will be accepted through 11:59 am PST on thursday, december 8. winner will be announced december 9, 2011. thank you. :)

nail color of the week: Nars Bad Influence

this week's mani was actually from last week, but in the hustle of the holiday week, my kids off from school {not to mention i was under the weather...}, blah, blah, blah....i completely forgot to share! thankfully, i did take pics, so i'm doing it now {*smile}.

as you may have already guessed, i dressed my nails in Bad Influence by Nars, a shade that made its debut around this time last year. i bought it just recently via Sephora's f&f {20% off sale and this beauty was also half price {woo-hoo!}!.

Bad Influence is a gorgeous smoky brown taupe, deep enough to make an impact, but still neutral for days you want to play it safe. :)


just to jazz it up a bit, i gave my mani a little accent with Butter London Wallis.

oh, btw, this week i'm rockin' a fun shade called Zoe by Julep {stay tuned~ a post about the brand along with pics of 2 gorgeous shades is coming later this week}.

so tell me, what are you wearing on your tips this week??