January Boho Glam Julep Maven Box featuring Julep Hand and Cuticle Stick

Happy New Years!  I hope you all had a great and not too hungover New Years.  This year should bring lots and lots of reviews, including tea from Teavana, Twinnings and all sorts of other places.  But first, my Julep Mystery box.

January's theme was Nudes and Neons, both of which are hit or miss for me.  I like bright colors but I often feel like neons are just too obnoxious and I feel like a 16-year old cheerleader when wearing them.  Nudes and neutrals are actually some of my favorite but it's hard to find one that goes well with my skin tone.  Well, this box hit me in my vitals because the two colors in my box (which I could switch out for another) were a really nice looking chartreuse and a light shimmery pink.  I mean, green and a nice pink?!  Sure, I'll bite.

The things you need to know about Julep is that they are a subscription service that sends you two nail polishes and a product or two for $20 a month.  Their polishes are 4 free (free of any formaldehyde, DBP and Touline) and they also donate a dollar from each box to Girlfriends, a woman's charity.  Their boxes are supposed to be worth $40 at the very least, but they mark up their stuff so much that it really isn't.  You can also get your first box for a penny if you enter a certain code.

So, I managed to get this on New Year's Eve, which is cool because it was sent before the month began.  I really liked the way they packaged this (plus I'm recycling all of the paper and stuff, even the box is great).  You have light sandy paper confetti, a bright orange bag, bright chartreuse tissue paper and a pink bow, so very bright and festive.  My box included:



-2 nail polishes (Teresa and Fiona)
-Hand and Cuticle Stick
-3 hair ties (the no kink or damage kind)
-1 sheet of Swatch Me stickers

So, let's get onto the reviews.

Julep Hand and Cuticle Stick:  I like reviewing the products first since honestly, they're a bit more important in maintaining your hand's beauty than the nail polish.  Honestly though, I got this box for the polish but had I gotten this for the stick, I would have probably been disappointed.  It's not that this is a bad product, but it basically is the Age Defying Hand Brightener in a stick.  First off, this stuff smells like soap and not the nice kind from Bath and Body Works, but the kind that you find in a mall bathroom.  It's an ok hand lotion, but it's in this applicator that works like a giant gluestick.  This is supposed to be convenient but I have other fast drying lotions that maybe take 15 seconds longer to dry at most.  It just seems a bit pointless and I have so many hand lotions.  Again, it's not a bad product and if you need a nice shea butter lotion, it works at making your hands feel soft (Can't really speak much about the age-defying part).  But I personally don't need it.

Edit (even though I haven't posted this until now):  Apparently, the best way to use this is by running the stick on the back of your hand and then rubbing the back with your other hand.  This works a lot better for me and is less messy.  This way also uses less lotion so it doesn't smell as strongly of soap, but I still prefer my other lotions and don't think this is worth the price.

Hair Ties:  I got three of these in neon orange, green and pink (though I may have already lost the green).  I like these.  They're a bit like a modern-day scrunchy except I think these don't damage your hair.  I have short hair so I can't speak for how well they hold up long hair or curly hair, but they work well on mine and actually don't seem to cause as much tension on my hair.  Anyway, I thought these were a nice addition.

Swatch Me Stickers:  They're just paper stickers but they're kinda fun and although they aren't the same as a nail wheel, they're something you can stick on a cap or something to tell you what a color looks like.  These are especially useful for glittery shades where you don't know how the shimmer will translate.  It probably cost Julep all of 1 cent to make this but it's fun and adds some needed value to this box.

Julep Teressa:  This is an opaque pink with a pearly silver shimmer.  I'm scared with light pinks because they rarely flatter my skin but this one is absolutely fantastic.  I think the shimmer really makes it because it just looks soft and delicate while almost just blending into my skin.  It's a bit peachier than pink but I think that's what makes this shade for me.  The formula was great.  It was a 2-coater.  A very nice neutral.

Julep Fiona:  There was a reason I saved this for last and that was because this green creme is actually pretty amazing.  It's very bright but it isn't neon.  It looks awesome with my skin tone and I can imagine wearing this throughout spring and summer as well as a transition from summer to fall.  Hell, this green is so bright and cheerful that I'll wear it now.  The formula was a bit thick but ok and this ultimately became a 2 coater.  Anyway, I love it.










So, here's my personal price breakdown.

Polishes:  They cost $14 on the site but I think they're worth about $6.50.
Hand and Cuticle Stick:  I really don't recommend buying this on the website as it's about $22.  Personally, I wouldn't pay more than $5 for this but if it had a better scent and I wanted age-defying things, I'd pay about $10.
Hair-ties:  I'd pay $1 for all three
Swatch Stickers:  They're a neat little gift, but you can probably get white dots that are just as effective for 50 cents at an office store, so $1 at most.

2(6.5) + 7.5 + 1 + 1 = 22.5

So, not so great in terms of value.  I'm happy with the colors but I seriously doubt Julep is going to get something I need in the February box, so unless they have that Freedom Top Coat and something awesome, I'll probably skip.  But I saw a possible holo in there so we'll see.

I also am getting an Ipsy bag as well as a GoodiesCo. box (although GC won't be until February), so more subscription stuff is on the way.

Julep New Years Mystery Box!

So, Santa came right on time this year and I got my Julep mystery box.

For those of you who don't know, Julep is a salon which sells monthly subscription boxes for $20 a month (which you can skip).  I'll have information for how to get your first box for a penny at the bottom, but they guarantee $40 worth of product in the box, which is a bit of an overestimate since I think they mark up their stuff at least twice as much.  But, the polishes have been good quality for me so far and if I see a product I want, I'll get the box.  Julep also donates a dollar from each box to Girlfriends, a women's charity and their nail polish is 4-free (their other stuff shouldn't have parabens and such but I saw it in the mascara). 

After stalking blogs trying to find out what everyone is getting, I'm going to assume that the vast majority of people's boxes are worth around 100 dollars.  Mine ended up being around $125, but I don't actually think the products are worth that much anyway, so I'm not upset that I didn't get a "200 dollar box" or anything. It seems like most people are getting a product and 5 or 6 nail polishes, plus 3 remover pads and 2 samples, so I guess I'm lucky that I ended up getting 2 products and no topcoats or anything like that (I have a matte topcoat and it cost me $1.50). 

Here's what I got in mine:
-Julep Sicilian Orange Foot Soak.
-Julep Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara
-2 sample packets of Julep Age Defying Hand Brightener.
-3 Polish Remover Pads
-A nail file
AND 5 POLISHES
-Cindy (Green Jelly with Gold glass-flecks)
-Georgia (Peach with a gold shimmer)
-Sienna (a foil that is probably best described as white gold, but is a light gold that's almost silver)
-Lauren (Classic medium pink.)
-No name New Years glitter (Brown, copper, orange and sliver glitter in a black base)

First off, I'm pretty happy with the products I've gotten.  I was afraid that I'd end up getting the Age Defying Hand Brightener (full sized) and a bunch of polishes that I could get at the drugstore or already had dupes for.  Thankfully, I got things that I'd use or find to be unique.

And now onto the reviews:

Julep Sicilian Orange Foot Soak:  So, I knew that I'd end up getting a product in my box and if I had to pick a number one thing i wanted, it would probably be the pedi-cream or just the pedi-set in general.  My feet are terrible and I've put forth a resolution that I am going to take care of them and at least make them so they are manageable.  Ok, this isn't the pedi cream but this would encourage me to soak my feet and scrub away those calluses.  I think the thing that impressed me the most is that there are actual pieces of orange peel in this scrub and how wonderful and natural this smells.  I'm sure this isn't going to be the end-all-be-all of foot soaks, but I'll post a review of it as soon as I use it.  I haven't used this yet but I'd probably pay $7 to $10 dollars for this, but it actually costs $26.

Julep Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara:  Another thing that wasn't exactly on the top of my list but am glad to get anyway.  I actually don't like black mascara.  I enjoy going for a softer, more natural look and honestly, my lashes are pretty long so black mascara makes them look cheesy so I'm glad I got the brown mascara.  Plus, it's a pretty big and pretty great mascara from the few times I've used it.  It does a good job seperating and defining my lashes and keeps them curled, plus it adds length through little fibers.  I actually really like this mascara and will use it often.  Apparently this mascara retails at $24, but I'd say it's worth about $15 since it is bigger than normal and doesn't have the annoyances of most drug store brands I've tried. 

Yep, this is my crappy eye swatch.  Thankfully, my lashes look pretty good.

 Julep Age Defying Hand Brightener:  The reason why I didn't really want the full-sized product of this is because I'm 23 and still don't need something for age yet.  I did use one of these to test it out though and will tell you that you can probably use the amount in the sample packets 2 or 3 times.  The lotion is thick and absorbs really well, but smells like soap, which isn't the worst thing it could smell like but is definitely not something I'd purchase.  I can't tell you much about how this will work over time because I only have 2 packets but it seems like a good but not great hand lotion, so proceed at your own risk.  Since these are tiny foil packet samples, I'm not going to put what I would pay from them, but a full-sized bottle of this stuff retails at $32, which is ridiculous.



Julep One Time Use Nail Polish Remover Pad:  This pad is supposed to have enough remover to get all 10 finger and even remove glitter.  Well, it doesn't.  I was removing my previous manicure with this and it did about 5 fingers before completely drying out.  I still have 2 left so I'll keep them in my purse, but if i need to remove glitter polish then I'll just buy some remover.  These pads retail for a dollar each but they work about as well as CVS pads, so 50 cents is what I'd pay for them.

Julep Nail File:  I didn't get the crystal nail file so I'm a bit sad, but I'm sure this'll work, especially for my toe nails.  I don't think you can buy this on the site so we'll say this is worth a dollar since it seems a bit better than the ones they sell at Big Lots.

A few general notes about the nail color:  I ended up using 2 coats of each although I'll put individual notes on opacity.  All of the brushes were long and thin except for the mystery glitter, which has a much thicker brush.  I had all of my complaints on the bottles and brushes on my intro box review, but it boils down to the handle is a bit too long so you have to be quick with your brush.  Overall, I thought the formula was good for these but will make note of them during the individual colors.  These polishes retail for $14 but I think a more appropriate price for them is around $6.50. 

Let's start with my favorite:

Julep Cindy:  I...LOVE...THIS....GREEN!  It's a lime green jelly base with gold glitter or glass-flecks or something and it's just super sparkly without being over the top crazy.  I have a few shimmery greens like this (such as Sinful Colors Show Me the Way), but this is what I want all of my shimmery greens to be.  The formula was great and you get pretty good coverage after 2 coats or one thick one.  Anyway, this one's awesome and makes the box really worth it for me.

Julep Georgia:  This one made me apprehensive when I first took it out, but is unique and a nice spring to summer shade (when my skin will get more light).  There's a gold shimmer in that peach color that really turns it up a notch and makes this weird pastel color a bit more wearable for me.  The formula was ok.  You need 2 coats to even out the streakiness that the first one brings.

Julep Sienna:  So, this a an interesting little foil in that it looks like it's 2 parts silver and one part gold.  I actually really like it this way and think it makes it more wearable (with a pattern or stamp or something) than normal silver or gold.  If you do want to wear it on it's own, you need 2 coats but the polish was pretty shiny after the first one so you can probably use it for a slightly transparent stamp.  The formula was really smooth too.









Julep Mystery New Years Glitter:  An interesting mix of brown, copper, silver and maybe some orange glitter in a black base.  I really like it.  It kinda reminds me of the inside of a change purse.  It dries matte so you'll need a topcoat but OH GOD, THE SPARKLES!  Anyway, there is a weird new brush on this and it makes applying this glitter a bit more annoying than it needs to be.  But, the formula is good and surprisinly, it only needed 2 coats for full opacity but you can probably use a thin coat for layering.

Julep Lauren:  This is one of your more basic pinks that isn't too bright or dark or pastel or neon, but I have pinks like this (lots of them.  One even smells like raspberries).  I think this one is a bit lighter than most of the ones I have though so that makes it a bit more wearable from winter to spring.  The formula on this was solid and less streaky than Georgia, although I felt like i still had viable nail line after 2 coats so maybe do a thicker 2nd coat or three coats.







Here's a price breakdown from the Julep Website:

26 + 24 + 3 + 5(14) = $123 (for a $20 mystery box)

And here's how much I think it's worth.

10 + 15 + 1.50 + 1 + 5(6.50) = 60

So, I still made out good in the end.  Plus, I can buy an 8 oz or whatever foot cream at Sally's for 7 bucks so guess it's not a big deal that I didn't get my must-have thing.  Anyway, I'm pretty happy with my box and if anyone wants to join Julep for a penny just to get these mystery boxes, here is my referral link or you can type in 7383222 for the invitation code.  There are a variety of codes to get your box for a penny (I've seen PENNY2012 and JULIPVIP) and Julep is a subscription service but you can skip boxes you don't want and just get the mystery boxes,  Anyway, have a happy holiday whether it be Christmas or Yule or Kwanza or no holiday at all! 

And now for my other obsession: Julep Maven Boho Glam intro box with Julep Essential Cuticle Oil

I know that this is supposed to be a tea blog and that this is obviously not tea, but I love nail polish.  It has become a recent obsession in my life and I paint my nails pretty much every day.  Well, a nail company called Julep recently had a holiday sale and I ended up getting a mystery box as well as an intro box for only $20 (the intro box only cost me a penny, plus it's free shipping).  You first take a "style profile" quiz, which asks you what kinds of accessories you wear and which outfit do you like the best, and divides you into categories.  Since I'm clearly a big hippie (not entirely sarcastic), I got the Boho Glam profile, which focuses on more earth tone colors with a few brights mixed in, but it doesn't matter what you get because you can change your box if you don't like the colors. 

Normally, these boxes cost $20 a month but you can get an into box for a penny if you're a new customer by typing in a certain code (mine was PENNY2012).  Each Maven box is supposed to contain $40 worth of products so theoretically, you're saving a lot by getting one.  The nail polishes are actually 4-free (free of Formaldehyde as well as formadehyde resin, Touline and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which are supposed to be carcinogens).  In addition, $1 of any product purchased goes to Girlfirends, a women's charity.  In addition to the box, you can also pay a bit more and get reasonably-priced add-ons (this month, it was 3 polishes for the price of 1) as well as 20% off online products (which is still overpriced). 



I got my box three days after ordering it (although I also got a mystery box and that hasn't come yet).  A lot of bloggers have pictures of them but mine was stuck in the snow for a few hours so it was all wet and frozen, not worth me taking a picture of.  There was a lot of black confetti, a pink bag with a bow and the presents.

This box also came with a red sparkle glitter and an opaque white irridescent glitter (which I'm a bit sad I didn't have for my snowflake mani), but they're glitter so I don't feel the need to review them.  They do make a nice touch though and think they'd be great for the holidays.

The back of the container.  Shows the glitter nicely.

Julep has their fancy emblem on the front.

Before I get into the other individual products, I'm just going to make some overall comments.  A lot of people have been complaining about the long, thin bottles and I agree that if you're a clumsy oaf then the bottle is going to be easy to knock over.  It's also an obscenely small bottle for $14 a polish (.27 oz or about half the size of a normal nail polish like China Glaze or OPI).  There is one good thing about these polishes in that the small, thin bottle will make it very potable and these will be good for traveling.  I haven't had issues with the actual brush but since the bottle is so long, the handle is extremely long so make sure you're quick or else you might end up with giant globs of nail polish everywhere.  On the upside, the amount of polish on the brush when I painted Michelle made it so that I painted my entire hand before having the re-dip. 

Toni

I will appologise for the poor quality of swatches, but I don't have a light box or a good camera and this is just to show you what you're getting.

Julep Toni:  I think this is supposed to be a taupe shade but thankfully (because I already have two identical taupes), it's more of a medium purple with a dusty pink and drop of grey mixed in.  This actually reminds me of grape popsicles except a bit pinker, and is actually both edgy and delicate.  The formula was a bit thick but in a creamy kind of way instead of a streaky kind of way.  This took me 2 coats and then I topped it off with Seche Vite.

Julep Michelle:  A very dark navy blue cream.  I think the color's right at that point where it's really dark blue but definitely not black in everyday light.  Again, I really liked the color and thought it would be flattering on pretty much any skin tone (I lean towards olive and it looked good on me).  Again, the formula was thick and creamy but this baby was (almost) a 1-coater.  Two fingers needed a second coat, but it did well.

UPDATE:  As for wear and tear, I've been wearing Michelle for 2 days.  On the majority of fingers, there is little if any tip wear although the polish is not as shiny as I'd like ti to be.  The only major chippers are my pointer fingers and that makes sense.  I was cooking and cleaning all day so honestly, that's not bad for a polish and unlike China Glaze or a few other brands, Julep's polish doesn't have any weird interaction with Seche Vite and my Orly Bonder Base Coat.  So yeah, it's actually lasting as well as my Nubar and Butter London so that's good.  

 

Michelle

  Julep Essential Cuticle Oil:  I have a few cuticle balms but never used a cuticle oil before, so this is a new experience for me.  One of the nice things about this is the rollerball applicator, making this ideal for on the go.  This is a blend of lavender essential oil and vitamin E, so it smells like lavender and herbs.  I like the smell a lot since it smells like my favorite sleep time tea, but if you don't like lavender then be forewarned!   The rollerball only leaves a small amount of oil that you rub in but it's fast absorbing and not greasy, so again, this is great on the go.  I'll write an update in a few days but I do think that my cuticles look noticeably better after a few hours.  There's a big problem area where a few layers of skin ripped off that still feels rough but is barely visible.  Another good thing is that you use so little of this per application that even with the
small size, this oil will probably last you 6 months with everyday use.  Overall, I like it and although I don't think it's worth $18, I think it's a nice thing to have.

UPDATE:  After using this a few days, I will say that this is a good product for everyday use, but you could probably find a slightly better one for problem areas.  My rough patch on my finger is not visible to the naked eye but I can still feel it a bit whereas I think my Burt's Bees Cuticle Balm would have made it softer by now.  However, this is a lot more portable than my BB or Posh Cuticle Cream, and will probably last a lot longer too.  It also doesn't remove cuticle like my Posh one does.  Still a good product and glad to have it.  

So, Maven Boxes are supposed to have about $40 worth of products but these prices are so inflated that it's silly to think that they actually are worth that much.  What I'm going to do is put down how much I would think is a reasonable price for each product.

-The glitter pots would probably cost me $1 or $2 for both.  They're nice, but you can get glitter in any craft store so it's not really going to add much value.
-The nail polish took a bit of thinking.  I think the formula in general is better than China Glaze and more opaque than my Butter Londons, but the brush makes it much more of a pain in the ass than it is.  Maybe if they improved the design a bit more then it could be better than Butter London, but it isn't (Butter London practically paints itself on my nails while this is obviously trickier).  I'll go with $6.50 a bottle since the formula is great but there's so little of the product.
-I can't deny that the cuticle oil is nice but the average price I see is around 7 dollars for the more expensive brands, some of which have twice as much product.  However, the applicator really helps push it up and also helps in not wasting as much product.  $10

$1 + ($6.50 X 2) + $10 = $24

There you have it.  Although I only paid a penny, it would have still been a net gain for me.  Can't wait to get my mystery box, which is supposed to have $100 worth of stuff at least. 

If you want to try Julep, here is my referel link or you can manually enter 7383222.  I get points for this so that I can save a bit when getting these boxes.