So I’ve waited a bit to post my June Julep Maven Box review because I’ve been super disappointed with a lot of the changes Julep has made to the Maven program, and I needed time to digest. I had a super tough time choosing a box, because despite telling mavens that “nothing would change” when Julep created the “my maven” customization sub option, the add-on prices increased from $4.99 to $6.99. They also began adding old products to the “Modern Beauty” box which is my default. For example, this month featured a new topcoat and a new basecoat. Instead of adding both those products to Modern Beauty, they added only the basecoat and then included the oxygen treatment that has been out on the site for a very long time. (They have done this old/new combo again with July boxes).
I spent a lot of time crunching numbers to figure out what the best value would be since I really wanted both the top and basecoat and there were two colors I liked. I swear it was like doing Calculus. Picking my Julep box used to be so much fun and this was just frustrating. And if you chose the option that allows you to customize (my maven), you would need to prepay for 3 boxes to keep your regular $19.99 price or start paying $24.99 per box. Even more disconcerting is that you can’t opt back to your regular maven sub once you switch to “my maven”. Once you switch to a customized box your subscription has to stay that way. (Are you raising your eyebrows at that, cause I am. That’s pretty damn sketchy, Julep.) Frankly, Julep’s constant policy changes and lack of transparency have made me very leery of getting stuck in the My Maven sub. Who’s to say they won’t make more changes (like with the skipping policy) once they’ve got you locked into the new sub?
So after all the math and angst, I opted to go for the Boho Glam box to pick up Natalia and added on the basecoat. With the price increase for add-ons I will be scaling back on the items I select. It’s a much better deal to wait for sales or coupon codes at the Julep site than pay the $6.99 per polish.
“BOHO GLAM” BOX:
Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat: (Retail $18.00/Maven Price: $14.40)
Verdict: Like
Description: “A perfecting, hydrating base coat powered by breakthrough Oxygen Technology and smoothing silica minerals.”
This basecoat goes on very smoothly and I like that it has a bit of a white finish. I have a problem with polish peeling off in sheets, and unfortunately this basecoat seemed to exacerbate that issue a bit. I still like it so I’m going to try it with different configurations of polish and topcoat.
Natalia: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Hit!
Description: Refined copper metallic
Natalia was the reason I opted for this box. (The only other polish I cared for was in the It Girl box). I think the copper shimmer is lovely and reminiscent of rose gold. I also don’t have anything like this in my collection. I think it will work great on accents and nail art as well.
Harlow: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Like
Description: Golden dragonfly iridescent chrome
I wouldn’t have chosen this shade on my own and I do have a lot of gold already, but the iridescence on this is nice. I’m not sure I’ll do a full mani with it, but it might be a good accent.
ADD-ONS:
Oxygen Performance Top Coat: (Retail $18.00/Maven Price: $14.40)
Verdict: On the Fence
Description: “A fast-drying, long-wearing top coat powered by breakthrough Oxygen Technology, nutrient-rich caviar extract, and scratch-resistant platinum.”
The good points – I felt like this applied easily and did try very quickly (especially in comparison to Julep’s freedom topcoat). Unfortunately, it seemed to make my manicures chip quicker than usual. Just like the basecoat I’m going to try some different polish and topcoat combos to see if that makes a difference.
FREEBIE:
Pixie Sticks!
Freebies of any kind are always nice, but I’d really love some small samples of new products, that way I can try things out before I order.
OVERALL:
Unsatisfied
Even though I found most of the products to be okay, the maven experience I had was just so frustrating. Julep was my first sub box and I used to look forward to picking out my box each month. Now I get aggravated. It seems that Julep is finding every sneaky, sketchy way to shoehorn mavens into switching to the customizable option. They stated over and over that nothing would change for mavens who did not wish to switch to the customizable box. Except they have increased add-on prices, added old products to the Modern Beauty box, removed the ability to buy past maven boxes. Why not just be transparent and say they are changing the sub, outline the new rules and prices and let people choose to stay or go?
Sigh. It’s just not fun anymore and the constant changes with no notice are disconcerting. Add to that their limited skips for mavens after the December deadline and their recent large scale shipping and packing issues and Julep gives more aggravation than it does satisfaction.
I paid $32.08 and received $64.00 worth of product ($51.20 maven price). I got my moneys worth, but again the whole process left me annoyed.
I won’t have a review of the July box, because despite having enough jules to get it for free, I chose to skip because of the Modern Beauty box once again featured an old product, despite their being three additional new products they could have included. Instead of the maven box, I will be reviewing one of their “Truth or Dare” mystery boxes, and we’ll look at the items and discuss some of the packing, shipping and customer services issues that are happening with Julep right now.
Are you a Julep Maven? If so, are you frustrated with all the changes or are they just part of an evolving brand?
THE BACKSTORY
COUPON CODE: If you love Julep’s products, you can try out a box for freejust use the code: FREECOLOR
Just remember this signs you up for a monthly subscription. If you don’t wish to receive boxes you will need to call Julep to cancel .
Julep specializes in toxin-free nail color but also features beauty products. They are a small company based in Seattle and have been featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things List.
Monthly Maven Options:
Maven Subscription: $19.99 – Monthly Maven box where you choose from the boxed sets in each category.
My Maven Subscription: $24.99 per month – Allows you to customize your box
3 Month Prepaid: $19.99/month
Maven Luxe: $39.99 per month – Gives you access to add on more expensive items
3 Month Prepaid: $34.99/month
The options:
Modern Beauty – (For those who prefer beauty items over nail color) – “You’re a savvy tastemaker obsessed with the art and science of beauty.” Get two full-size beauty products in every box.
Boho Glam – “You’re a dynamic free spirit with a creative eye.” Get two limited-edition nail colors and one full-size beauty product in every box.
Bombshell – “You’re a confident frill-seeker with magnetic appeal.” Get two limited-edition nail colors and one full-size beauty product in every box.
Classic With a Twist – “You’re an iconic beauty with a timeless aesthetic.” Get two limited-edition nail colors and one full-size beauty product in every box.
It Girl – (For those who want polish only) “You’re a colorful trendsetter who’s not afraid to be bold.” Get three limited-edition nail colors in every box.
Julep will email you with the contents of your regular box selection, and at that time you can opt to keep it as is or change it. Every time you purchase a box you get the option of add-ons along with access to Julep’s “Secret Store” that lets you get other products at great prices. Another perk is that when you’re a maven you get 20% off anything you purchase from Julep’s website along with free Shipping. Julep polishes retail at $14.00 each, so a Maven box of two to three brand new polishes for under $20.00 is a great steal.
Julep also has a rewards program that gives you “jules” for taking your monthly boxes and on your birthday. You can use jules to pay for monthly boxes and some other items chosen by Julep
Lisa Preziosi 
This really sums up how I feel about Julep lately. The Maven boxes used to be a really fun treat, but now they feel complicated. I wish Julep was more transparent in their business practices. Those colors are gorgeous though! Kind of making me wish I had taken a June box!
I would be far less annoyed with Julep if they just changed everything and were upfront about it. It’s a bummer that they removed the ability for mavens to buy previous months boxes, otherwise you could pick up this box. I can’t tell you how many previous maven boxes I’ve given as gifts. I’m so disappointed that they removed that perk. I’m really hoping they rethink some of these changes and make the program fun again.
I’ve found the way Julep has handled the last few months in terms of customer service to be pretty off-putting. And the changes they’ve made? I’m with you – if they just said, “This is the way things are going to be,” I think it would have been a much smoother transition, and customers wouldn’t feel jerked around. Honesty is almost always the best policy with things like this.
I’m likely to start skipping Julep regularly and splurge on other subscriptions. I have high hopes for Wantable.
I’m giving julep another month or 2 then I’m moving on! I’m not crazy about the changes either.
I really keep hoping it’s just some poor leadership and someone will step in (like with the plie wand) and fix some of these problems. I loved the maven sub before the changes.
Aww man, I was on Julep earlier today wondering why I couldn’t find the past boxes, and your blog confirmed that they no longer allow us to purchase past boxes. What a bummer! That was one of my favorite perks. There are times when I cannot afford to get everything I want during the usual time of selecting your box, but I always had the option to go back and purchase later and still get a great deal (minus receiving Julep points). Super disappointed, I haven’t yet switched over to “my maven” and I’m likely to cancel before doing so. In other news, if you haven’t heard of Rainbow Honey, they are a new nail polish monthly subscription that I have been VERY satisfied with thus far. The main difference is that their subscription is a mystery bag. You’re always guaranteed 3 polishes and a few other items, you just don’t know what it is until you get it, but they’ve yet to disappoint! You should check them out.
I’ve heard of Rainbow Honey. Thanks for the recommendation. They are on my list of other polish subs that I’ve been thinking of trying. For Julep it’s another month with an old product in the Modern Beauty. I really am getting fed up with them.