It’s time to review my last Julep box for 2015. I once again stuck with my luxe upgrade and went a bit crazy with makeup and add-ons but I figured they could be a Christmas gift to myself. December brought us the All Night Long Collection filled with new orbital eyeshadows and Julep’s brand new matte lip mousse in an array of shades. Let’s get to it.
MAVEN LUXE BOX
It’s Whipped – At Midnight – Matte Lip Mousse (Retail $22.00/Maven Price: $17.60)
Verdict: Hit
Description: “Fireball Red hydrating, liquid-to-matte mousse that glides on mess-free, grips for all day vibrancy, and has a weightless finish.”
A limited edition fireball red matte lip for the Holidays? Sign me up. This goes on nicely and isn’t super drying like most matte lip products. It’s a bright pin-up type shade that is a lot of fun.
It’s Whipped – Ooh La La – Matte Lip Mousse (Retail $20.00/Maven Price: $16.00)
Verdict: On The Fence
Description: “Sepia taupe hydrating, liquid-to-matte mousse that glides on mess-free, grips for all day vibrancy, and has a weightless finish.”
I’ve been searching for an everyday pinkish brownish shade and while this is lovely, it truly is a sepia color and when I wear it I feel like it washes me out a bit. The formula is quite nice, but I’m just not sure it’s a good color for me. I may just end up using it with some shimmery gloss on top to offset the issue.
SWATCHES:
Dial Up Your Glam Multidimensional Orbital Eyeshadows (Retail $18.00/Maven Price: $14.40)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Our multidimensional eyeshadow with triple the pigment for intense brightness, incredible stamina, and endless looks.”
Julep’s orbitals are glittery shades that can be applied wet or dry. I’ve found they go on best with a smaller eyeshadow brush and if you’re applying dry, tap any excess off the brush before you begin.
Luna: White Gold with Gold Pearlescence
This is my favorite of three. It’s a white gold and perfect for highlighting or for Holiday looks. I love it paired with a classic black cat eye.
Cosmos: Moss Green with Gold Pearlescence
I love that we have a green in the collection and I think this will work well with my brown eyes and red hair.
Eclipse: Slate with Silver Pearlescence
I’ve been experimenting a lot this winter with different shades of grey eyeshadow so I thought I’d add this to my collection. I’m a bit worried I’m going to look crazy goth, but I’ll need to experiment a bit to make it work.
ADD ONS!
Elsa: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Snowdrift iridescent stardust
Doesn’t this look exactly like frost on a windowpane? It’s a unique fun shade for winter and I don’t have anything like it in my giant polish horde.
Brooklyn: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Ruby red microglitter
Red Microglitter just screams out Christmas. This shade reminded me of Zoya’s Delilah (one of my faves) so I decided to snap it up and try Julep’s version.
Brenna: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Blue glow-in-the-dark iridescent microglitter top coat
I bought this because it was such a pretty blue jelly and the whole glow-in-the-dark thing is just a secondary perk. I want to try layering this with other shades for fun Spring looks.
Brandy: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Steel grey with blue microglitter liquid holographic
This polish is absolutely gorgeous. I love that it’s both edgy and feminine and I think the holo on it is lovely.
Silver Nail Studs: (Retail $8.00/Maven Price: $4.99)
Verdict: Love!
Description: Excellent staying power and three dimensions of cool.
This product only seems to be available as an add-on during the Maven window. I keep snapping these decal type things up and then forgetting to use them. I think I’ll start simple and try using these for an accent nail first.
DECEMBER FREEBIES!
Free sweets are free sweets! Yah for candy!
ADD-ON FREEBIE!
Katie: (Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love/Gift!
Description: Orchid iridescent chrome
I really really wanted to keep this because the shade looked so gorgeous but it was needed to round out a Christmas gift. I think this was a great add-on freebie that many ladies would love to receive.
OVERALL:
Verdict: Love
The retail value on this box was a crazy $178.00 and the maven value was $140.00. I paid $73.77, which is a bit pricey but I got 3 shadows, two lip products, five polishes and some nail studs. That’s a ton of product for the price and I really like all the items I received. I’m definitely going to have some fun playing around with all the new makeup. I’ve got another Luxe box for January so be sure to come back and see what goodies I got.
Have you tried any matte lip products? If so, what are your favorites?
THE BACKSTORY
COUPON CODES & LINKS:
Subscription Box Offers & Discounts:
(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. You can also opt to skip a month and you will not be billed.)
Winter Ice Beauty Welcome Box:
Join Julep and get a FREE Winter Ice Beauty Box (just pay shipping)
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:
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 (Take the quiz here):
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.”
Bombshell – “You’re a confident frill-seeker with magnetic appeal.”
Classic With a Twist – “You’re an iconic beauty with a timeless aesthetic.”
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, change it, or skip. 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 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 
Not inexpensive but you got so much great stuff. Those eye shadows remind me of the Japonesque Pixelated Shadow Palette. They look beautiful!
I love Julep’s Orbitals, my absolute fave is Borealis. It’s got an amazing peacock color shift. If you can swing it I highly recommend trying one out.
Nice. I must buy Elsa at some point.
She’s very unique. 🙂