JULEP MAVEN June 2015 Subscription Box Review

What it is:  A monthly nail polish subscription box.

Cost:  $19.99/month (plus, you're able to purchase additional "add on" polishes at a discounted price

Details:  On the 20th of each month, Julep reveals the theme and polish selections for the following month's boxes.  You have until the 25th of the month to select whichever box you like the best/want to purchase and any "add on" items.  You also have the option to skip the month (and not be charged).

I had planned on skipping June's box since I've been getting quite a few other boxes lately (and honestly don't need anymore polish), but when I saw the selections, I ended up changing my mind.

This particular box is called "Jelly Much?" and features polishes with a clear "jelly" finish.

Here's the list of what it included:

Here's a closer look at the "Tiffany" polish - RV $14

I instantly fell in love with this polish!  It's a beautiful sheer pinkish-red color (which is what I gravitate to the most).

The best part of the Julep website is that they show you what the polish looks like when applied to different skin tones/ethnicity's.  It really gives you a good idea of what the polish actually looks like on.

This purple shade (Lori - RV $14) is pretty too!  (Right on trend)!!

I love this beautiful light Bordeaux color!

Most Julep Maven boxes come with 2 polishes and another beauty item (ranging from lip gloss and lip stick to eye liners, mascara, pedi lotion, etc.).  Most of the time you can choose your shade.  This amethyst color is so pretty!  I'll definitely wear it a lot!  (RV $16)

This month I purchased "Morgan" as an add-on for $4.  (RV $14)

It's a beautiful, vibrant shimmery purple, which really caught my eye!

(Apparently I was really into purple this month).  I couldn't pass up these beautiful shades though!

The final treats were the two lollipops from Chupa Chups.  I've never heard of that brand before, but they were yummy!

FINAL VERDICT:  This is one of my all-time favorite Julep Maven boxes!  I instantly painted my nails with the "Tiffany" polish when I opened it.  I paid $29.14 for this box and the total retail value of everything included was $58 (plus the lollipops).  I'm happy with that!

Have you tried Julep Maven yet?  If so, what did you think?

XOXO,
Stephanie

IPSY March 2014 "Glam Bag" Review

This is my review of the March 2014 IPSY (formerly My Glam) Glam bag.   The theme of this month's bag was "Destination Beauty".  So fun!  I've subscribed to Ipsy since October 2012 and they never disappoint!

The "Stats" -    

Frequency:  Monthly (automatic renewing)

Cost:  $10.00/month (shipping is free)

Products: From their website - "Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag, with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products."  (Based off the beauty quiz you complete).

Here's what was in my March 2014 IPSY Glam Bag:

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

The Products: 
1.  IPSY Make-Up Bag - estimated RV $5.00
2.  Nicole by OPI Nail Polish - .5 fl oz (FULL SIZE) - RV $7.99
3.  Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in "Bora Bora" - .17 oz (FULL SIZE) - RV $16.00
4.  KLORANE Soothing & Relaxing Patches for Tired Eyes - 2 packs of two in each - RV $5.14
5.  bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready" - .05oz - RV $7.50
TOTAL VALUE of the products I received:  $41.63
MY COST:  $10.00

A closer look at the products:
1.  IPSY Make-Up Bag - (5 stars) - I am usually not a huge fan of the make-up bags since I have so many, but this one is really colorful and fun!  Definitely one I'll throw in a clear beach bag!  Love it!

2.  Nicole by OPI Nail Polish - (4 stars) - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE OPI polish!  I'm just not sure if I'll wear this color or not unless I'm on vacation.  (Can't go into a professional presentation with candy blue nails.  Then again, my nails are painted green for St. Pattie's Day right now, so who knows!).

3.  Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in "Bora Bora" - (3 stars) - It gets a star for being a full-size quad, which I like.  It also gets one more for each color I would actually wear out of it (that being the dark brown and the tan ones).  I want to love this, I really do.  But a 36-year old woman only has so many places where vibrant blue and orange eye shadow can be worn.  :)  This is going to end up on eBay for sure!

4.  KLORANE Soothing & Relaxing Patches for Tired Eyes - (1 star) - I tried these on my puffy eyes and for about 10 minutes after I took them off, the puffiness was down.  After that, they were back to normal.  Sorry, but these did not work for me!

5.  bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready" - (5 stars) - My IPSY bag came right as I was getting ready to leave for a weekend trip.  This lipstick ended up being what I threw in my purse and wore all weekend!  It is lightweight and creamy.  Loved it!  And it was the perfect color too!!  Would definitely buy this in a full-size if I needed more lipstick.

The final verdict:  3.6 stars!!  Loved the bag and the lipstick, but the eye shadow quad and under-eye depuffers were a bust!  I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep getting my IPSY subscription or not.  I LOVE IT and IT's A GREAT VALUE!!  However, I'm out of room to store any more make-up and nail polish - my Mary Kay holder is full (and there's plenty more make-up that won't fit into it).

And this guy is full too - I am double-layered on the bottom two rows with nail polish!

What do you think?  Time to cancel my IPSY subscription for a while until I use some of this product up?  I'm trying to decide....


In the mean time, if you found this review helpful and you decide you want to try IPSY out, please click on this link.  (I'll get Ipsy points towards a future bonus product).  :)

My Review of the POPSUGAR October 2012 Box

This is my review of the October 2012 POPSUGAR Must Have Box.

The stats:  $35 + tax/mo with free shipping
You get (per their website):  
• Hand-selected items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness, and food

• Full-size products and premium items worth over $100

Here's what the October POPSUGAR Box looked like:

1st impression - "I wanted the OPI Polish!  Thank goodness I didn't buy it yet!  YAY!!!"

Almost forgot the candle....

This box included:

JK Rowling - "The Casual Vacancy" - RV $35

Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Puffed Rice and Corn - RV $2.50

Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy & Conditioner - 3 fl oz each - RV $2.78 (for both)

Dylan's Candy Bar Gummy Worms - RV $2.00 (estimated)

OPI Pink of Hearts Nail Polish Duo - RV $14.95

Crescent Moon Grippy Socks - RV $9.99

& Red Flower Petal Topped Candle - RV $38.00

TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE:  $105.22

MY COST: $37.36

A closer look at the products:

1.  JK Rowling - "The Casual Vacancy" - (2 stars) - I'll be honest, I wasn't a Harry Potter fan and I really didn't have any desire to read this book.  I put it on Listia and it was gone w/in an hour for gobs of points.

2.  Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Puffed Rice and Corn - (5 stars) - A great size and it tasted great!  I just bought some of this at Kroger this week.  LOVE it!

3 & 4.  Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy & Conditioner - (5 stars) - I had never heard of this brand before, but it works like a charm.  It smells great and leaves my hair shiny and feeling soft.  It's very affordable too!  I'd buy this in the future.

5.  Dylan's Candy Bar Gummy Worms - (4 stars) - These were good, but I wouldn't go seek them out.  This was a good sample size though and if you have a Dylan's Candy Bar store near you, they're worth buying.  

6.  OPI Pink of Hearts Nail Polish Duo - (5 stars) - I LOVE this set!  I was planning on buying it anyway, and then it came in this box.  The pink is beautiful and the shimmery pink is gorgeous.  Would definitely recommend this duo!

7.  Crescent Moon Grippy Socks - (5 stars) - I wanted these as soon as I saw them on the PopSugar workout DVD a few months ago.  They're soft and work great!  I would definitely buy these in the future!

8. Red Flower Petal Topped Candle - (4 stars) - I'm not a flower fan in general, but this candle was beautiful and unique.  I would buy them in the future if they had a cinnamon scented one or something other than a flower.

The final verdict:  4 stars!!  I was surprised by how much lower the value of this box was compared to previous months.  I still loved the Pirates Booty, shampoo and conditioner, OPI polish set, and grippy socks though.  This box is definitely worth the money and is definitely one of my favorites.  Again, I LOVED trying all these products (8 items/products in all).  Despite the lower value this month, I would definitely recommend the PopSugar box to everyone!!

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). 

Julep Maven - Introductory Box Review

Julep Maven is a subscription beauty-box program featuring nail polish/polish supplies that I recently discovered.  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).  (Who wants to put unhealthy stuff on your hands/body when you can avoid it?).

For only $19.99/mo (shipping is free), Julep Maven sends you $40 worth of product.  I just received my Introductory Box (for which I paid only $ .01 for by using the promo code "color2012").  This is my review of my Intro Box.  You can check the Julep Maven website out by clicking on the following link:   http://www.julep.com/?r=23718117.

Here's what my intro box looked like:

  

The way the program works is that you take a "Julep Maven Style Quiz".  Based on the results of your Quiz, Julep Maven (JM) selects products every month to best complement your unique style profile.  The results of my Style Quiz determined I was "Classic, with a Twist", which I would say is accurate.  If you don't agree with the results of your Quiz, you are able to select a different "style" and receive selections from the alternative style instead.  I LOVE this aspect of JM!  And, the site allows you to select which style you would like to receive for your upcoming monthly shipment too (so basically, you get to pick the color of polishes you will receive).  LOVE!!

Here's the Description of the Program and Style Cards that came in my box:

Now onto what you really want to see - the products!!

The first thing that got my attention (and was VERY important to me) is that everything was SEALED!! The polishes were enclosed in plastic tear-off coverings and the Pedi Creme was sealed within as well.  (I'm not trying to catch any nasty funk from a product that has been opened/used by someone else).  All of these items were sealed up tight!

I received 2 polish colors in my box - "Kate" (the white polish) and "Rose" (the watermelon red polish).  I also received a 2 fl oz tube of "The Best Pedi Creme Ever" (I'll be the judge of that),  an 80% post-consumer recycled tote bag (environmentally friendly - LOVE IT!!), and the Welcome and Style Cards (shown above).  All-in-all, a FANTASTIC deal for only 1 penny!!  However, that's not what's going to get my regular $19.99/mo in future months.

"Kate" - If only I had seen some blog photos before I selected a choice that had this color in it.  I figured it would be a light, iridescent white color that would give a little bit of sheen to my nails, but not much else.  Boy was I wrong!  The directions on the JM bottles say "Apply 2 coats nail color over base coat, follow with top coat for durability and shine".  I couldn't find my clear, base coat polish, so I went right for the two coats of polish.  Here's how it looked (please excuse my pitiful polish job.  I did this early this morning and was still half asleep):

I like the iridescent shimmer of the polish.  However, the color reminded me of a marshmallow or white out.  It was really bold in person and just wasn't what I was looking for.  It went on really streaky as well.  In fairness to JM though, the bottle did say to apply 2 coats!  OK, so not really a fan of "Kate";  onto "Rose"....

"Rose" went on really smoothly!  The color is a gorgeous, watermelon red color.  LOVE IT!!  In fact, I actually took off my favorite gold polish (see 8/28/12 blog entry) and put this on to wear today.  (I am in the heart of Buckeye country after all and there's a football game on today) :).  Even without the top coat, it still has a lovely, shiny finish.  This is definitely a polish I will wear a lot in the future and would recommend to everyone!

Last, but not least - "The Best Pedi Creme Ever".....

First of all, I like the size - 2 fluid oz.  It's small enough to throw in my purse or my make-up bag, yet contains enough product for me to adequately sample it to see if this is something I want to buy in the future.  Second, the smell is nice - very peppermint-y.  The bottle says:  "Exfoliate with AHA's (not sure what those are).  Hydrate with shea butter and coconut oil (I like those items).  Nourish with essential oils and vitamin E".

The texture is nice - not watery, but not too heavy either.  It feels a bit greasy when first applied (which I've found is common with shea butter), but absorbs nicely.  I applied it all over my feet and after about an hour, my feet feel softer, including my heels.  However, I don't think I'd say this is "The Best Pedi Creme Ever" as the product name states (but then again, I've only ever tried 3 or 4, so my frame of reference is still expanding).  The bottle says to "expect noticeable results in just 1 to 2 uses".  My feet do feel softer, so that claim is accurate.  This is definitely a product I'll continue using to see exactly how noticeable/great those changes are.  

My overall impression of Julep Maven - so far, I like it.  The intro kit was really nice (retail value $50 - $22 for the Pedi creme and $14 each for the polishes), especially for 1 penny!!  (You can't beat that)!!  I like the recycled tote bag, Welcome and Intro cards, and the Pedi Creme.  Not so much a fan of the "Kate" polish due to the streaky application (not sure if the iridescent finish had something to do with that) and the bold, white color, but I'm excited to see what future shipments hold - especially since I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the watermelon red "Rose" polish!!  I will definitely continue this program (at least for another month or two to get a real feel for it/the JM products). 

Product Junkie in the City and Kitty approved!!

Hope this review helps!