You've Got Nail 31

I have been really excited to try the Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat. When I saw it for trade on eDivv, I jumped at the chance to get it. (Seriously... eDivv is so awesome for trying new products!) My experience with Julep polishes has been pretty good. The makeup has been not-as-exciting, but thats a different story. The claims on Julep's site that this is a great polish for smoothing imperfections, quick dry, and a high shine are what had me hooked.


For starters, this mani was an experiment. I'm not totally happy with the results, but I'm not totally disappointed either. I decided to try the sponge ombre method for the first time. It was pretty easy, but my polish selection wasn't great for it — my beige to thin and my purple too thick. They didn't blend well together. If I were to do this again, I'd select colors that were a little closer in tone and consistency.

But that's where the Freedom Polymer Top Coat does well — the texture left behind by the sponge ombre technique was smoothed out entirely. And the shine is great. But beware — this topcoat drags designs.

I let my coats dry for a long time in between the next, so I have no doubts that my dots were dry. The top coat pulled a lot of the purple dots' color — you can especially see it in the pointer finger. While the finish is nice for this topcoat, I'm not blown away. It would be fine for solid nails, but not for nails with designs. I'm really thankful that I got this through an eDivv trade rather than spending the $14 on it. If you compare, you can get a bottle of Seche Vite which is nearly twice the size for half the price. I think I'll stick with Seche Vite for now, as $18 for dragging top coat isn't really my cup of tea (also, I'm so glad I didn't select the newest Julep Maven box with the polymer topcoat. I would have been bummed.)

Beyond that, I tried the OPI polish in Coney Island Cotton Candy for the beige shade. Again, not impressed. This was another polish I got through eDivv. So far, I haven't been terribly impressed with any polishes I've used by OPI. Even after two coats, this stuff is sheer as can be. Le sigh.

What I used:
❖ OPI Nail Laquer in Coney Island Cotton Candy
❖ Milani Nail Laquer in 06 Violet Dash
❖ Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat (Seche Vite recommended instead!)
❖ Dotting Tool
❖ Makeup Sponge (see this tutorial!)