If you're in the United States and live in Washington or if you ever visited a Sephora, you have most likely seen these skinny and pretty nail varnish bottles on the shelves of the boutique or salon. While $14 is pretty steep for an 8mL (.27 fl oz) bottle of polish, the hype around this company only grows stronger with the introduction of their "Maven" subscription program.
What's a subscription service you may ask? In short, you pay x amount of money + shipping for what is usually claimed to be double or triple the value in a box containing specially curated or themed products. These products usually include sample sizes and discount codes with a couple of full size products thrown in.
Julep works a bit differently. The base price for the boxes are $19.99 a month + free shipping, always. However, instead of hoping and praying for something neat in the package, you get full previews of what's in each box along with multiple "style profiles to choose from." Your initial style profile is chosen based upon a short quiz taken when you enter the website. You may choose to take the box based upon your results, but you have the option to choose any of the following styles:
American Beauty
Boho Glam
Bombshell
Classic with a Twist
It Girl
(Occasionally Julep will offer a special option known as the "Maven's Choice" box. This is usually provided when there is enough feedback from Mavens who are not satisfied with the color/finish combinations in the other boxes.)
The Boxes
You receive an email on the 20th of each month notifying you that the profile selection window is open. You have until midnight on the 24th to finalize your order. During this time you may also choose to skip the month entirely if you are low on funds or just not crazy about any of the options for the month. You will not lose your account if you choose to skip a month. If you miss the window, you are automatically shipped the box associated with the profile you were first assigned. Shipping is normally very quick. I live in Georgia ALLLL THHHEE WAYY on the other side of the states, and I receive my box within three days at the most. However, if you live in Canada, I hear it takes a bit longer.
Each month promotes a special theme such as glitter polishes, matte finishes, pastel colors, etc.. Every box except for the "It Girl" profile generally comes with two nail polish colors based on your chosen profile, one beauty item or tool and some thrown in candy or other extras based upon the overall theme for the month. The "It Girl" box comes with three polishes as opposed to the usual two, but does NOT come with the extra beauty item or tool. Sometime when Julep releases a brand new item, they will include it in all boxes as a second extra for free.
Each month promotes a special theme such as glitter polishes, matte finishes, pastel colors, etc.. Every box except for the "It Girl" profile generally comes with two nail polish colors based on your chosen profile, one beauty item or tool and some thrown in candy or other extras based upon the overall theme for the month. The "It Girl" box comes with three polishes as opposed to the usual two, but does NOT come with the extra beauty item or tool. Sometime when Julep releases a brand new item, they will include it in all boxes as a second extra for free.
When you first open up your Julep Maven box you will see two cards. One is a tiny square listing the month and a quote on the back. The larger (pictured above) will show the colors of the polish you have received on the front along with the style you chose. Usually the back would show a nail art inspiration to give you an idea about how you can wear your different colors together. However Julep has just changed a few details to the bottom of their bottles (as described in the bottom left), so this particular card explains the ID sticker.
The Polishes
Although my assigned profile is American Beauty, I change to another style almost every month. This month I went with Boho Glam because I was dying for Julianne, that beautiful dusty blue creme that is fully opaque in almost one coat. It really only needed a second to touch up a minor brush stroke. It's a bit darker when in an indoor setting, but is just as beautiful.
I love Ingrid too. Many are scared of orange polishes, but this darker burnt hue makes it much more wearable. It was also opaque is just one coat. Overall, Julep's formula is thicker compared to OPI, China Glaze, etc...but in the right way. It goes on smoothly and I personally tend to have less bubbling with this brand. So if you were wondering why the charge $14 retail? Welp, the formula would be my guess.
I'll be happy to update this post with swatches later, but I recently nubbed my nails down on the account of breakage during some heavy house cleaning. Ashamed by their current state, I'll wait a week for them to grow before exposing them to you.
Remember I mentioned the occasional extra polishes? To start out the new year Julep has introduced a new treatment and top coat to their line. The It Girl Mavens did not receive the Oxygen Nail Treatment, but everyone received the top coat regardless of profile.
I still need to do more long-wear testing, but the top coat has surpassed one of my personal favorite tests...dishwashing. Yes, I applied the top coat within the hour of taking on a sink full of grimy dishes left by my boyfriend and other roomate and suffered NO chipping whatsoever. Not even my Seche Vite has passed that test.
The Oxygen Nail Treatment sounds like a fancy base coat right? Wrong.
So what is Hexanal exactly? I did what anyone would think to do...I googled it. Hexanal is an organic compound of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Now...that's about as far as I'm going to get into the science of it. I mean I took AP Chemisty in high school and all...but that knowledge withered away shortly after graduation. Basically it's a compound that stems off of ingredients commonly found in the fragrance industry and is supposed to smell of freshly cut grass. Immediately after reading that I grabbed my bottle and took a whiff and you know what? It kind of does! That is...if you were stick a few blades of grass in acetone, but you get the idea.
This is the perfect time to test the claims of "restructure" within four weeks. As my nails regrow I will apply and update you all on whether or not I notice a difference.
All Mavens receive a non nail-related Julep product each month. These can items can range from body products, cosmetics, beauty tools and even jewelry and accessories.
For February, all Mavens received this innovative little eyelash curler. I have yet to see it available for purchase on their website, but that could always change in the future.
This is the perfect time to test the claims of "restructure" within four weeks. As my nails regrow I will apply and update you all on whether or not I notice a difference.
Beauty Extras
All Mavens receive a non nail-related Julep product each month. These can items can range from body products, cosmetics, beauty tools and even jewelry and accessories.
For February, all Mavens received this innovative little eyelash curler. I have yet to see it available for purchase on their website, but that could always change in the future.
As you can see it's significantly smaller than the average size curler. The one pictured to the right is a standard sized curler I got on sale at Forever 21 for less than a dollar. However Julep's curler will absolutely be my preferred curler for travel as its shape will not be troublesome or be demolished inside a cosmetics or travel bag.
Every month usually has some sort of theme which will be complimented by candy, glitter, hair ties or whatever Julep can conjure up. And what better to include for the month of love?...
Themed Extras
Every month usually has some sort of theme which will be complimented by candy, glitter, hair ties or whatever Julep can conjure up. And what better to include for the month of love?...
...chocolate of course!
(An allergy warning was included for anyone concerned.)
Add-Ons and UpgradesEveryone pays $19.99 for the box of their choosing, but as a Maven you also have the option to select up to three "add-ons" for an extra cost. You are given a menu with available add-ons during the same selection period as your box. The majority of the selection of add-ons usually consist of colors that were offered in the profile styles you did NOT choose. In addition to those you will often find a variety of other featured colors, curated sets of three polishes, and other beauty products and tools. Individual add-on polishes are priced at $4.99 each (a big drop from the $14 price, eh?), and the curated sets of three (which will count as ONE additional add-on) are usually set at an extra $19.99 each. Add-on prices of misc. beauty products and tools will vary.
You also may upgrade to the entire collection for the month, meaning you will receive the polishes for every style profile, along with the extras for an additional $30. This will bring the total cost to $49.99.
I myself have never upgraded to the full collection as Julep charges right around when bills are due. However when funds are available I'll sneak in an add-on or two. This month I chose two colors from other profiles.
The first is Sally, a pale buttery yellow from the American Beauty box. This one was a bit thick and streaky on the first coat, but with help of an additional coat it was as smooth as well, butter. If you are afraid of the dreaded "lobster hands" I would be cautious with this color. I have pretty fair skin and this still managed to bring out the red undertones in my hands.
Bombshell's Ginger, on the other hand, is such a beautiful sandy colored shimmer that there is not a swatch in the world that can do it justice...but I'll update this post later with one anyway. In an outdoor setting, the micro shimmer is a lot more noticeable, but in an indoor setting you can barely see it. The formula is much thinner than other Julep polishes, but by some magic still managed to be completely opaque in just one coat. The biggest surprise is that it dries matte. It's only flaw is that it will flake immediately without top coat due to the layer or layers being so thin.
Maven Perks
If all the options and extras for the boxes were not enough, all Mavens also receive a 20% discount to their online store all year round. This brings the $14 price of an individual polish down to $11.20.
Soon after the boxes ship Julep opens the online "Secret Store" exclusively to its Mavens for three days. This area of the website can only be accessed once you have logged in to your Maven account. The selection and sale prices vary from month to month, but as an example I recently purchased a color via the secret store for somewhere around $4.20. There is a tiny catch, if you chose to skip the current month's box altogether, you will not have access to the secret store for that month.
Julep frequently offers mystery boxes priced at $19.99 which may contain anywhere from $70-$200 worth of products, and not every mystery box is the same. A few lucky winners may also find very special surprise in their mystery box, usually in the form of high-value gift cards.
Speaking of very special surprises, each month all Mavens who do not skip the month are entered to win a "Golden Box." Golden boxes are similar to mystery boxes in the aspect that there are different sizes you may win. You are not notified beforehand, so if chosen you will still receive the box you paid for along with the golden box. This means you will most likely receive duplicates, but I don't know about the rest of you...but the more polish the better.
Soon after the boxes ship Julep opens the online "Secret Store" exclusively to its Mavens for three days. This area of the website can only be accessed once you have logged in to your Maven account. The selection and sale prices vary from month to month, but as an example I recently purchased a color via the secret store for somewhere around $4.20. There is a tiny catch, if you chose to skip the current month's box altogether, you will not have access to the secret store for that month.
Julep frequently offers mystery boxes priced at $19.99 which may contain anywhere from $70-$200 worth of products, and not every mystery box is the same. A few lucky winners may also find very special surprise in their mystery box, usually in the form of high-value gift cards.
Speaking of very special surprises, each month all Mavens who do not skip the month are entered to win a "Golden Box." Golden boxes are similar to mystery boxes in the aspect that there are different sizes you may win. You are not notified beforehand, so if chosen you will still receive the box you paid for along with the golden box. This means you will most likely receive duplicates, but I don't know about the rest of you...but the more polish the better.
"Jules" and the Maven Rewards Program
While the rewards program alone could be a post by itself, it works basically the same as any other. For each person that becomes a Maven under your referral code, you earn "Jules" which can be put towards free products and monthly boxes. There are multiple ways to earn Jules as stated on the Reward Program FAQ page:
"Earn 1,000 Jules for referring a friend to Julep Maven,
300 Jules for each full priced Maven box you are billed for,
200 Jules on your Birthday,
500 Jules during your Anniversary month,
750 Jules when you pay for the monthly upgrade box.
You even get Jules just for becoming a Maven!"
As of right now there are limits on what Jules can applied to and what they cannot be, mostly when it comes to certain sales. Julep is pretty up front about their policies and ensure to keep their Mavens informed.
I have used Jules towards free add-ons and such, but until now haven't really taken the path of spamming my referral code in order to receive free Jules. If you are interested in becoming a Maven, you may click my special link by clicking on the pretty little button on the right side of the page that says "Become a Maven Today!"
Yeah, in that case...why not?!
If you are a mobile/tablet user or otherwise unavailable to see the widget on the right hand side of my page, you may visit Julep's sign up page through my personal refferal link as follows:
Once you have followed my referral link to Julep's website, you can enter code "PENNY" or "JULEPVIP" at checkout and receive your first box $0.01 and free shipping. This is for new customers only.
Although the code was different, I did the same thing almost a year ago and never looked back. You may choose to cancel after you receive your intro box, but in the end you are paying drugstore prices for high-end polishes.
My overall experience with Julep has been amazing. As with any company, their will always be a few sour apples to say that the customer service is terrible. However most, including myself, will tell you that both their customer service and social networking team are incredible. They are constantly listening to feedback from their Mavens to improve the program and are quick as possible to respond to any questions. I belong to other subscription programs and none of them have the variety of benefits along with the incredible level of communication that Julep has.
So if you're undecided and have a penny in your pocket, I say fancy up those fingers and give Julep a try.
I have used Jules towards free add-ons and such, but until now haven't really taken the path of spamming my referral code in order to receive free Jules. If you are interested in becoming a Maven, you may click my special link by clicking on the pretty little button on the right side of the page that says "Become a Maven Today!"
Still on the fence?
The next thing I am about to tell you is exactly what got me started with the Maven program almost one year ago.
YOU CAN GET YOUR FIRST BOX FOR A PENNY!
Yeah, in that case...why not?!
If you are a mobile/tablet user or otherwise unavailable to see the widget on the right hand side of my page, you may visit Julep's sign up page through my personal refferal link as follows:
http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/45305/
(If the code is not automatically entered for you, enter code "3488485" where it asks for the invitation code.)
(If the code is not automatically entered for you, enter code "3488485" where it asks for the invitation code.)
Although the code was different, I did the same thing almost a year ago and never looked back. You may choose to cancel after you receive your intro box, but in the end you are paying drugstore prices for high-end polishes.
My overall experience with Julep has been amazing. As with any company, their will always be a few sour apples to say that the customer service is terrible. However most, including myself, will tell you that both their customer service and social networking team are incredible. They are constantly listening to feedback from their Mavens to improve the program and are quick as possible to respond to any questions. I belong to other subscription programs and none of them have the variety of benefits along with the incredible level of communication that Julep has.
So if you're undecided and have a penny in your pocket, I say fancy up those fingers and give Julep a try.
i have always been on the fence about julep. their colors never seem to wow me and those bottles are so tiny. thanks for the in-depth review though. i may consider it one day but, right now, i think i have more than enough polish sources.:)
ReplyDeletefishgirl183 @ the painted ninja
I felt exactly the same way you did when I first started working with them as a blogger. They were really great and responsive and I had quite a few people sign up under my referral link. I have been pleased, overall, with the quality of their polishes, but I have seen a seriously lapses in their customer service. I had an issue with someone who was trying to use my referral link and Julep has pretty much ignored every attempt I have made to contact them and ask them for help. Not only could I not get anyone on the phone (had to leave a message that no one ever called me back on), they ignored my two subsequent emails and also ignored the message I left on their facebook page and also the one on twitter. I was never snotty in my messages or anything so I'm kind of confused about what they are doing. Oh well. I guess one customer lost isn't that big of a deal to them.
ReplyDeleteI've been a subscriber for probably four months or so, and I am kind of getting stuck on the fact that the bottles are half the size of an ordinary nail polish. Which makes them extraordinarily expensive for nail polish! I mean, it's pretty steep to charge $14 for a regular-size nail polish. But if you take the size into consideration, it's the equivalent of them charging $28.
ReplyDeleteI kind of shocked myself with the math there. I had been doing it the other way before - "it's $14 and a regular polish is generally only like $8 for twice as much!" which doesn't sound as bad. Yikes.
I had been sticking with it, because it's fun to get all these different colors, and, I guess, because my wife and I split the box, so it seems like it's less expensive and it's something fun we can do together.
I guess that the whole point of the boxes is that instead of paying that much, you only (!) spend $20 for three (or $20 for two and a sort of random third thing that's always new so you can't test it out and read reviews first) which is like spending $6.67 on half a bottle of nail polish. So if you stick to the boxes, it's the equivalent of ONLY $13.34 for a full-sized bottle of nail polish.
Which is still excessive. For my budget, it's really, really excessive. It would have to be a pretty gorgeous, amazing indie polish for me to spend that much on a bottle on purpose.
MAN. They really have their marketing strategy figured out, don't they?!