My Review of the October 2012 JULEP MAVEN "It Girl" Box

This is my first regular Julep Maven that I've received.  (Last month, I received their Introductory box and reviewed it).  This month's box had a Halloween theme to it.

The stats:  
~  Their polishes are "4-free” and do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP (a plasticizer that's used in adhesives and printing inks). 
~  For $19.99/mo (shipping is free), Julep Maven sends you $40+ worth of product.  You do have the option to skip a month if you don't want/need any polish for the following month.  This month, Julep also offered Mavens a free add-on as well.  I selected an additional polish as my free add-on.
~  Once you subscribe, you will complete a profile.  However, Julep allows you to change your polish selection style if you don't like what they've selected for you (which is nice).  This month, I changed mine from "Classic with a Twist" to "It Girl" because I liked the "It Girl" polishes that were offered better.
~  You can check the Julep Maven website out by clicking on the following link:   http://www.julep.com/?r=23718117.

Here's what my October 2012 "It Girl" box looked like:

First Impression:  "Oooh!  There's extra goodies in here this month!"

This box included:  (Retail Values are listed for the size actually received in the box, not the full-sized product unless that's what they sent in the box).

The Products: 

1.  Julep "Glenda" Crackle Polish - .27 fl oz - RV $14

2.  Julep "Leslie" Polish - .27 fl oz - RV $14

3.  Julep "Caroline" Polish - .27 fl oz - RV $14

4.  Orange Glitter Pot - RV $3 (estimated)

5.  Black Glitter Pot - RV $3 (estimated)

6.  Candy Corn - RV $1 (estimated)

7.  FREE ADD ON - Julep "Boris & Nicole" Polish - .27 fl oz - RV $14

TOTAL VALUE of the products I received:  $63.00 (estimated)
MY COST:  $19.99

Now a closer look at what you really want to see - the polishes!!

Once again - something that's VERY important to me - everything was SEALED!! 

Left to Right:  

1.  Julep "Boris & Nicole" Polish - (5 stars) - This was my free add-on for the month.  I must admit, I love it!  It's a rich, shimmery dark copper color - unlike anything else I own.  I'm typically not into wearing brown polishes, but this is one I think I'll wear this fall.  The polish went on smoothly and was so beautiful (see photo below).  

2.  Julep "Glenda" Crackle Polish - (5 stars) - I have purchased several OPI crackle polishes in the past and haven't liked them.  So, I almost didn't even try this one.  I'm glad I did though.  This polish also went on smoothly and then separated into a nice design that let just enough of the darker "Caroline" polish thru.  I can't wait to put a vivid red under it for the Holidays (see photo below).

3.  Julep "Leslie" Polish - (Not yet tested) - This is a lovely black polish with silver shimmery particles within.  I've heard it's absolutely lovely on, but I have a similar polish I recently purchased in another brand.  Not sure if I'll keep this one or put it onto Listia. 

4.  Julep "Caroline" Polish - (4 stars) -  I am a HUGE fan of red nail polish of all shades.  When looking at the bottle, this polish looked to me like it would be a deep, fire-y red color.  However, when you apply it, it is a very, very dark mahogany color.  It's so dark, you barely see the red in it (and it looks more brownish).  I will still wear this color for fall (probably on my toes), but it's not what I was expecting. 

5. & 6.  The glitter pots - (3 stars) - I had to log onto the Julep blog to figure out how to use them.  Per the blog:  

1. Prep your nails and apply two coats of your favorite Julep nail color

2. Sprinkle glitter over wet nail

3. Let dry completely and apply clear top coat.

It's a cute concept, I just don't know if at 35 years old, I need to be wearing glitter on my nails.  Plus, glitter gets everywhere.  Not sure if I'm in the mood for that.  I may try this out on Halloween, but I doubt I'll use it for anything more than a craft project someday.

7.  The bag of Candy Corn - (5 stars) - LOVE candy corn and it was a nice way to tie in this month's theme!  Gobbled it up in 2 seconds :).

My overall impression of Julep Maven so far - I like it.  This month's box was a really great value ($19.99 for approx. $63 worth of products - AND I got 4 new nail polishes).  This brings their average price to less than $5 each.  GREAT DEAL!!  I will definitely continue this program for the foreseeable future (until I decide I have enough polishes).