Julep Maven Subscription Box Review July 2016

When it comes to nail polish, I am a huge fan of Julep’s five free formula. These polishes chip less than most, and the polishes themselves are a good deal when you have a Maven membership. They are quality polishes, so I would probably purchase them at $14 each if I did not have my Maven membership. Luckily, I do not have to pay that much. The color selections and polish finishes are more vast than almost any other nail polish line. Every month, they release seven to nine new colors (and at times re-release 1-2 from the vault). I have not skipped a box since I first subscribed in May 2014, because I find something I want every month. More often than not, the nail polishes are what draw me in, but I like to try Julep’s beauty products as well.

One or both of the lip butters I ordered was/were not ready to ship around the normal time, so my box arrived on the 19th instead of the first half of the month. Julep did offer a code as an apology for the late shipment, JULY20. It gave 20% off, and I used it to purchase my next polish from the Zodiac collection, Cancer. Codes that work in the secret store are rare, and the only other time I remember one working there was around Black Friday. Each code works twice, but this one expired yesterday. I already removed it from my Julep Page, but there are other promos available, including one for 20% (that does not work in the secret store). Outside of the secret store, there are usually better codes than 20% off.

If you’re not already familiar with the Julep Maven program, read my review. My subscription renews after three boxes for $59.97, or $19.99 a box. Paying month to month charges $24.99, so I like paying in advance to save 20%. There is a new subscription option that offers six boxes for $99.96, or $16.66 a box. This is the plan I will probably go with when my current subscription expires. Sales tax applies in select states, and my state is one of them. New Maven subscriptions allow you to swap products in, so I always suggest trying that. You can get a higher valued box with swaps. Assuming you really want an item you are swapping out, you can generally get it in the add-on section, so put the more expensive item inside the box. Plus, swaps make the box possibilities almost endless. Swapping also gives a subscription where you actually want all the box contents every time. If you cannot find enough items to swap in, skip the box that month and pay nothing.

Every box comes with a coupon code. There are usually 2-3 codes, and while I’d love if mine was always the best available, it is not always the case. I keep a listing of all promo codes I am aware of. My code is SUMMERCOLOR for a free nail polish color with a $10 purchase through 08/31/16. The candy this month is a lemon-lime sugar-coated gummy.

Julep usually launches a new beauty product every month. This month it launched new Lip Butters. These are SPF 30 lip protectants crafted with a nourishing blend of moisturizing butters and natural oils that deliver a sheer wash of color. I wanted to try a couple of them, because I only saw one polish shade a I wanted.

Sheer Lip Butter Lip Shade Crimson is a beautiful red SPF 30 lip balm. I was not surprised to see the swatch looks more pink than red, because lip sheers are very muted from the way they look in the container. As soon as I wear this, I will add a photo and review. It disappoints me that the SPF in this product expires at the end of August 2016. That is a little too fast, but the balm lasts a lot longer, thankfully.

This is incredibly comfortable. As much as I love the It’s Balm, I think I may love this more. It is just as comfortable, even without the moisturizing center in It’s Balm. My dry patches were not accentuated and my lip lines were not highlighted. The color lasted a long time, and my lips felt moisturized long after the product wore off. Julep is really good at making balms that impart color. I wish the SPF in this product did not expire at the end of August 2016. That is a little too fast, but the balm lasts a lot longer, thankfully. If this wore as red as it looks in the tube, I would love this a little more. As expected, it looks more pink on the lips than red. Those looking for a red-wearing lip balm should not select this.

These glided on nicely and have the texture of a lip balm. I am always looking for a lip balm that does as well imparting color as they do to moisturize. So far, I’ve only enjoyed the Fresh Lip Balms for both. Hopefully these can compare.

Sheer Lip Butter Lip Shade Currant is a beautiful lilac purple SPF 30 lip balm. This shade swatched almost as dark as it looks in the tube, which is not usual for lip sheers. The swatch is usually a lot lighter.

This is incredibly comfortable. As much as I love the It’s Balm, I think I may love this more. It is just as comfortable, even without the moisturizing center in It’s Balm. My dry patches were not accentuated and my lip lines were not highlighted. The color lasted a long time, and my lips felt moisturized long after the product wore off. Julep is really good at making balms that impart color. I wish the SPF in this product did not expire at the end of September 2016. That is a little too fast, but the balm lasts a lot longer, thankfully.

These are actually a lot more pigmented than I expected in the swatches, and they actually impart some real color.

Annalise is a vivid wisteria ghost iridescent. This retails for $14. It is a purple with a blue micro glitter. Blue is only visible from certain angles or when the glitter catches the light. The finish is semi glossy and smooth. Compare this to my other purple polishes.

If you select three add-ons, you get a free surprise item. I usually only get 3, because I can wait for items to go on sale and/or use promo codes. If I cannot find 3, I get 0. That is better than buying everything I see in the add-on section when it only takes three to get the gift. There were not three items I wanted this month, so I passed on add-ons.

I swapped all the items out of my Bombshell box and selected three that suited me better. My swaps were not high value items (although I could have done that if I wanted to). The total box value is $58, and I only paid $19.99. That is also my personal value, because I will use everything. Read my program description to learn more about Jules. Jules redemption are more valuable if you select beauty products instead of polish, but I got the beauty products I wanted and the polish I wanted for the best value.

If you want to join Julep, visit my Julep Maven page to see all start-up offers. Visit my regular Julep page to see more offers for shopping. All polishes above are swatched once. They get darker with more swatches. See all Julep Subscription articles. Tips For Getting the Best Deal lays out every way I can think of to save money at Julep. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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