Julep^™ Oxygen Nail Treatment

I have weaned myself off the gel/shellac nails due to the health concerns of the process. This so-called "oxygen nail treatment" by Julep was supposed to have been the new and improved kid on the nail block; however, while it looks shiny and pretty when first applied, it doesn't last more than two days. I had read that two days was what others had found, but I thought I could get more days because I don't do dishes and am careful with my hands. But the chips show up like Halloween pumpkin carved teeth -- all raggedy and jagged when you happen to look down at your nails. They had correctly pegged the timing of the chips. Another thing, for $18 -- the bottle is extremely small. Two applications and I have used about 1/6 of the bottle. If the polish had lasted longer than other polishes, I wouldn't mind the price. Disappointing. Just more hype and good marketing.

I used this because I have been wearing polish for months without a break and my nails were stained yellow from using neon polish so I didn't want to go bare. This is a good polish choice if this ever happens to you! I don't know if it makes your nails grow stronger because my nails are already very strong, but I did feel like my nails were having a break while having a bit of tint to hide the stains. I wore the polish for about a week and it did seem to lessen the stain, but it was already fading so I can't say whether it was the oxygen treatment, or just time. I didn't notice any chipping, but did use 2 coats to get a pinker color. See attached photo for reference. Also, according to the instructions, this isn't a base coat so it is really meant to be worn by itself.

I have done my own nails for 50+ years, and am always looking for what's new. After a three week trial, using this alone on my nails, I see a definite improvement. One thumbnail that always split at the center before the next manicure is now holding itself together. When applied to clean, shaped nails, I found this not only to be a natural-looking blush, but also it was strong, and didn't chip. It is expensive, and I'm not crazy about the shape of the bottle, but for me, it's very much worth the price.

The color of this polish is a similar effect to colors like Essie's Waltz - in the bottle, it looks cream, but on the nails it is sheer and gives the effect of whiter nail length and lighter nail beds. It will minimize the look of imperfections on your nails, but not hide them completely like regular polish. It covered the vertical ridges in my nails and mild staining from dark polish, but not the two areas where I banged my nail and the top layer split. The formulation is a little bit runny and sticky, but it dries to a smooth, rubbery finish that is flexible and keeps nails bendable, which prevents breakage for those of you who have nails that are too dry/brittle or cracking/peeling to use nail hardener. Along with a good hand lotion and cuticle oil, this would be a great help for people with thin, dry nails. Whether or not this is a good product for you depends on the composition of your actual nails and what the issues you have with them are - this will not give you the same thick, plastic-y feeling nails that a good nail hardener will. The star I took off was for ease of use: the runny formulation is a little hard to manage with such a wide brush, and it takes some time to fully dry. Overall, this is great to use for people who need to protect their bare nails on the go, to help grow them out, and to give shine and protection to those who can't wear traditional polish to work or school.