Chugging through my backlog of boxes, I realized I’m overdue for a Julep Maven box review. September’s theme was “Cheers to Five Years!” to celebrate Julep’s anniversary. The collection featured some cute makeup kits and an array of cheerful polishes.
If you’re interested in grabbing a Julep sub, there’s a great promotion going until 11/25/16. If you’re a new subscriber, use the code FREEFALL and get this 12 piece polish gift set with your subscription.
MY CUSTOMIZABLE MAVEN BOX
Cheers to Five Years! Mini Eyeliner Set
(Retail $40.00/Maven Price: $32.00)
Description: “Five brand-new mini shades of our cult classic eyeliner, When Pencil Met Gel. A waterproof eye pencil with the formula of a gel eyeliner that glides on smoothly without tugging or skipping. Sets in 30 seconds and provides 10+ hours of wear. Ophthalmologist tested.”
Set includes (swatches from left to right):
When Pencil Met Gel – Galaxy Black Shimmer
When Pencil Met Gel – Deep Sea Foam Shimmer
When Pencil Met Gel – Gilded Gold Shimmer
When Pencil Met Gel – Lilac Shimmer
When Pencil Met Gel – Ultraviolet
Verdict: Love!
I love Julep eye gliders because they go on so easily and have great staying power. As soon as I saw the fun colors, I knew I had to grab this set. The shimmer in the black really shows up, and the sea foam shade has a great boho vibe. The gold is more of an antique tone and feels art deco. The lilac is my least favorite of the bunch as it reads a bit faded. The Ultraviolet is a fun shade that feels kind of 80s (but in a good way). This is a fun set to play with and while I wouldn’t pay the retail price of $40, I think it’s worth at least $18. Julep has tons of great holiday sales so keep this in mind if you see a great coupon code.
Meredith
(Retail $14.00/Maven Price: $11.20)
Verdict: Love!
Description: “Sea Mist Chrome”
I love mints and sea foam shades and this one is lovely. I think the shimmer in it will make it great to wear during the holiday season.
SEPTEMBER FREEBIE!
You’ll note that there’s no picture here. Why? Well, it’s another one of those unfortunately consistent Julep screw-ups. As part of Julep’s anniversary, they promised to include a free makeup bag in every box…except of course they didn’t. People had to ask about it and when they did Julep said the bags arrived not up to their standards and so they didn’t include them. No mention of including them at any other time. I believe people who complained to Julep might have gotten a free item or a coupon code, but they didn’t offer that to everyone affected–you had to call and complain. I didn’t bother since it was a free item and I didn’t really need another makeup bag, but this constantly promising things they can’t deliver needs to stop.
OVERALL:
Verdict: Good
This box would have been a “love” if not for the makeup bag fiasco. I paid $21.39 and got a great little eyeliner set and a pretty polish. The retail value on these items is $54 and the maven value is $32. The eyeliner set features a lot of colors I didn’t already own and that I think will look great for the holidays. It’s fun to experiment with bright eye colors and a mini kit is a great way to try lots of things without committing to the cost of one full size product.
Have you ever tried a colorful eye liner?
What did you think?
COUPON CODES & LINKS:
Free 12-pc Fall Nail Polish Gift Set for New Subscribers ($168 Value!)
(Expires 11/25/16)
COUPON CODE: FREEFALL
THE BACKSTORY
(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.)
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 