Maven Madness Boho Glam Box + Nan Add-On June 2013

Hi Everyone!

A new month means a new Julep Maven box, and this month is all about preppy-chic summer style.
This time around I went with the Boho Glam option with an It-Girl add-on.


The Box

Julep Maven boxes are delivered right to your door every month for $19.99 and usually include two polishes, a beauty item, and one or two random extra gifts.

For a more details on all aspects of the Julep Maven program, read my in-depth review here.

The Colors

The Boho Glam box included two shades in "Dianna" and "Lexi."

Dianna is a light, seafoam green creme.

Childhood on my nails.
When I was younger, my mother had my walls painted this exact color with all white wicker furniture.
Oh the 90's southern cottage style.

Not only am I partial to this shade from a nostalgic perspective, but it's just gorgeous.

It's rich  and creamy and the formula is great.
It's thicker than the other two, but just thick enough to apply smooth and opaque in just one coat.

This is a true seafoam green without being muted or leaning towards a more minty hue. Love it!

Lexi is a bright yellow creme.

I think we have a winner for best true yellow ever, at least in my collection thus far.

Let me make my broken record statement in saying that all bright yellows have a streaky formula to some extent.

However, this one had the least amount of streaks, and what streaks it had evened themselves out during the drying process. 

Just to make sure  it was completely even, I used two coats.

It's super bright without being super  pastel or super green.
This is seriously the yellow you need.

The Beauty Item

This month Julep debuted their first face makeup product, the DD Creme.

The DD Creme is available for the retail price of $28.80 and is available in four tones:

Light
Medium
Medium-Dark
Dark

Being the Casper face that I am, I received mine in "light."

The product is advertised to be "dynamic do-all" solution to help prime, perfect and protect the face with a lightweight formula with buildable coverage.

Ugh.

There's been a huge amount of drama revolving around this product since it's release.
Julep has been flooded with criticism by the majority of Mavens.

Not in the know? Let me sum up:

1. There is little to no product in the package.
2. The "light" version is way too dark and way too orange.

Some Mavens even resorted to cutting open the tube at the top to prove how empty the package was.
I didn't go that far, but the shot below hopefully conveys how much the bottle had to be squeezed to release the product upon my second "use."

Yup, it's almost gone.

But is it as dark and orange as other Mavens claim?
Let take a look.

Below shows the product swatched on the under side of my arm, the area that most closely resembles the lightness of my face.

(Pasty skin for the win...not)

Looking at that photo alone will turn people away.

So what happened when I blended it?

 I mean, the amount of orange is tame compared to any cast member of the Jersey Shore,

but it's definitely too dark and too wrong.

The color is actually not my main concern. 

Even mismatched face products can be minimized with the right powder, highlighter, etc.

My dismay for the product lies is how awfully oily it was.

So much so, that I could not bare to have it on my face long enough to take a  full face picture for you all.

In all fairness I have combination skin but GURLPLZ, this was ridiculous.

Had I left it on any longer I would have surely broken out, and that is far from "perfect" as the product was advertised.

The debate continues on, as customers with darker skin tones seemed to have been more satisfied than us lighter skinned ladies who apparently are SOL (excuse my rude abbreviation).

In the end, the mass of Mavens are displeased with the miscommunication and possibly misleading advertising about this creme. Although Julep clearly marked the tube to contain 1oz of product, for the price point it either needed more product  or a second thought on the package design.

I am not in a completely state of disappointment because I never fell victim to the hype of CC, BB, or any other alphabet creme.

Apply sunscreen, apply foundation lightly, and save your money. It's the same thing.

The Extra

To fit in with the beachy theme, this month's little extra was a few bits of Salt Water Taffy.

(All consumables included in Maven boxes are accompanied with an ingredient list and allergen warning.)

 They look sweet, but I'm not a taffy person myself.

My roommate on the other hand is a sucker for salted candy anything, so I was happy to pass them along.

His review? "The strawberry is where it's at." Haha, men.

The Add-On

Interesting enough, this was the color I was most excited about.
The rest of It Girl option wasn't calling my name, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to add-on "Nan."

Nan is described as a "Nantucket red."
Basically, it's a shade of red that looks faded, almost to a dusty rose.

If you're rocking shorties, you could probably get away with one coat, but in most cases the nail line will peek through. 

I recommend two layers as shown in the photo.

I am simply smitten over this color and is possibly one of my favorites Julep has released this year!

Overall

When it comes down to it, the colors popped and the DD creme flopped.

I applaud Julep for trying something new, and in their favor their hand cremes and other beauty items are fabulous. Unfortunately the DD Creme just couldn't live up to the hype.

Matters aside, I'm in it for the polish as most of us Mavens are.
The colors I received were great quality and complimented the theme well.
The yellow is astounding, the seafoam is dreamy and the red is unique.

If you're still on the fence about joining the Julep Maven program, don't let the DD debacle deter you from becoming a member. 

I've been a Maven for over a year and it's been worth ever penny.

What was your favorite shade from this month's box?
What  are you thoughts on the coveted cremes of the alphabet?

Let me know in the comments below or give me a shout on Facebook or Twitter.

If you're not currently a Maven, now is the time!
The selection window for this month opens in 11 days, so join now with my referral link below and get your first box free!

 I think you have to pay shipping now, but it's still worth it!

http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/45305/

If the link has not already filled it in for you, enter my referral ID# 3488485 and then enter promo code "FREEBOX" at checkout. It's that easy!

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Speaking of free, I'm having a GIVEAWAY!

Once I get to 500 likes on Facebook, I'll be giving out prizes to a couple of lucky readers.

More details to come closer to when the goal is reached.

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Thanks for reading!

-Melody