Ah, yes. After last month's starter Julep Maven box, I was pretty excited to receive my December subscription. The first box I received was the It Girl Box, but when I had the option to preview and change to one of the others, I opted for the Boho Glam Box.
Initially I was a bit nervous to try a box that wasn't all nail polish — I have mentioned time and time again that I am super picky about eyeshadow palettes. I did, however, have the option to get the $4.99 add on (the amazing gold flake you see up there), so I went for that and settled on the Boho Glam. Here's what I received:
● Sweep Eyeshadow Palette: Neutrals
● Julep Nail Color in Gianna (add-on)
● Julep Nail Color in Misti
● Julep Nail Color in Joelle
● Twistbands
Okay, for starters, the palette. I threw out all of my other neutral palettes after using this one for three days. I followed the "Day Look" how-to on their blog but substituted the brown liner for my standard black winged liner. The colors are awesome and compliment my skin so well. The coverage and staying power is great when I pair it with my ELF eyeshadow primer. Included are the following colors:
● Tiramisu — Nude satin. This is my basic everyday base color. I LOVE it.
● Glow — Golden shimmer. I use this to line my lower lash line.
● Dusk — Mauve satin. When I want just a little color, I use this is my crease.
● Toffee — Bronze shimmer. Another great one for a little more color.
● Cocoa — Chocolate Brown with gold shimmer. I use this on my creases when I'm blending a neutral smokey eye. I also use it on the outer corners of my lower last line when I'm going out at night. It's the perfect combination of darkness with some gold shimmer.
And before I get to the polishes, I want to talk about Twistbands. I loathe these things. In fact, I think they're the thing that tipped the boat for me on Birchbox. I have so many of these lying around because of previous box subscriptions and have very little uses for them. Big, big disappointment (even though it was almost comical considering my friends and I always joke around about how someday all subscription boxes are going to just show up entirely filled with Twistbands.). Kudos on the purple, Julep, but I'm still not digging it.
Now, the polishes. I was really pleased with each of these. Some of you may remember that in last month's post, I mentioned that I would have been disappointed in the polishes if I had paid the full $14 for them. This box, however, I felt the total opposite!
● Gianna — Gianna is actually the exact type of gold flake I've been trying to find lately. It's filled with large, jagged pieces rather than a normal gold glitter. It has really great coverage and leave a great affect when given two coats. Here I have it layered over last month's Bunny. I used it on my recent tartan manicure! (buy similar)
● Misti — I was a little worried upon ordering this box that Misti would be a little too close to last month's Libby. Upon receiving it, I was happy to see that it's a much more neutral, toned down cool teal. (buy similar)
● Joelle — Ugh, I can't talk enough about how much I love this holo. The coverage is amazing and I'm actually almost out of it already! Check out the photo below for a super-close up of the effect! (buy similar)
PROS
● I'm still digging Julep Maven so hard. Even moreso after I read about their bumpy start and bad PR with some beauty bloggers — seems as though they really listened to those bloggers and got their act together!
● With this being my second box, I got to experience the ability to "switch" to a different kind of box and opting for the add-on. It was so easy (the window to make your decision is about a week) and I'm really glad I got to explore some of the other options. I think a lot of other subscription services could learn from this!
● Very, very pleased with the polishes and beyond stoked for this eyeshadow palette. I already ordered myself a backup!
● A very intuitive and quick referral system. It's easy to share the referral link on social, blogs, or even just send to your mani-ready friends to earn points that can lead to free boxes, add-ons, or online store purchases.
● As mentioned in last month's post, Julep is a female-focued brand — something I can totally get behind.
● The polishes are $14 each MSRP and the eyeshadow palette is $24. So for $25 (I paid the extra $4.99 for the Gianna add-on), my box rang it at around $66. Total deal.
● Julep Maven, like Scratch, gives you the option to gift your box to a friend or skip a month.
CONS
● What's a lady gotta do to never see another Twistband again in her life?
● The polishes seem to have a stronger scent than most others I buy — make sure you're working in a ventilated area. Save those brain cells, Minis!
I'm already drooling over the January selections — I know it's going to be a little tough for me to decide which box I want. You can subscribe to Julep Maven here — let 'em know Mini Penny sent you! You'll get your starter box and then be able to select your monthly box each time after that! Oh, and use the code FREEBOX to get your very first box for free!
For this manicure, you can see the how-to here or buy your own set of MANI PENNY press-ons here!
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