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Julep Maven Pool Party Mystery Box Review + Coupon– Jun 2016

Chris Acree
ByChris AcreeJul 1, 2016 | 27 comments

julep_box_poolparty

Julep Maven
3.8 overall rating
176 Ratings | 76 Reviews

Julep Maven is a monthly nail polish and beauty subscription box. They make all their own products, so subscribers get a good value each month – over $40 retail worth of product for $24.99 a month.

And, if you sign up for 3-months up front, you get the $19.99 rate.

Each month Julep releases a new collection on the 20th, and you can decide which box you want, you can upgrade to the entire collection, or you can skip that month.

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

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The Subscription Box: Julep Pool Party Mystery Box

The Cost: $24.99

COUPON: Get a free box when you signup for a 3-month subscription ($19.99 a box) or 50% off your first box (regularly $24.99). Sign up with this link and use coupon code FIRSTBOX

OR

Sign up with this link and use coupon code HEYSUMMER to get a free Summer Brights 6-piece gift featuring four vibrant nail colors, a bold lipstick, and a luminous highlighting powder – everything you need to brighten things up for summer. A $106 value.

OR

Sign up with this link and use coupon code GIFTCOVET to get a free 12-Piece Mini Nail Color Gift Set featuring twelve of Julep’s most-loved nail colors in a limited-edition, artist-series gift box when you sign up for a monthly, 3-month or 6-month subscription! An $84 value.

The Products: Nail polish plus beauty items.

Ships to: US and Canada

Check out all of our Julep Maven reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your Wish List or Subscription List!

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Julep frequently offers a Mystery Box of some sort. Here is everything that came in the Pool Party Mystery Box in June.

But, because I read this MSA post, I learned about the coupon hack to get a free $14.99 Major Mystery Add-on with this box. Score! So that added on the 2 bonus items shown below the box here:

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I want to briefly talk about the free Major Mystery Add-on and then will get back to the regular mystery box.

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Julep Luxe Up Your Lips Tinted Conditioning Lip Treatment – Candy Apple – Retail Value $24

Julep describes this lip treatment as “enriched with natural ingredients that soothe, hydrate, and plump lips, this silky-smooth treatment delivers major moisture with a hint of tint.”

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Here is the Zamac tip to sooth lips and boost microcirculation. It does feel cooling on lips.

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This is the third time I have tried Julep’s Luxe Up Your Lips. The first time, when I included it in my monthly box, I was not a fan of it even though I usually like most of Julep’s beauty line. The second time, my tube was defective and Julep kindly replaced it with the lip item of my choice. Shockingly enough, I am here to tell you the third time is the charm for me on this one! This time, I actually really liked the treatment! I am not sure whether they have changed it in any way which seems unlikely but possible or exactly what is going on, but there will be no complaints from me.

Since this is a Pool Party Mystery Box, let’s head to the pool!

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This was my other free Major Mystery Add-on item.

Julep Nail Color in Hayley – Retail Value $14 (beetroot crème)

If you aren’t familiar with it, Julep nail color is a 5-free, vegan-friendly formula with a built-in nail strengthener.

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Here it is swatched.

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Here is what 2 coats look like in the sun.

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And in the shade.

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Okay, now back to the regular mystery box itself!

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Julep + BRIKA artist Shana Frase collaborated to create this “Makeup the Rules” bag which is perfect for bringing your sunscreen and other must-haves to the pool, beach, or really anywhere. This item was the spoiler for this mystery box.

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This is the second time Julep collaborated with BRIKA. The May 2015 Mystery Box was the first time. I have both bags and love each of them!

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Here is a closer look showing the contents of the Mystery Box itself inside the bag for scale.

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Julep Lip Gloss – Enchanted - Retail Value $20

This is a sheer, subtle gloss that makes lips shiny and moisturized. I have this in a couple of colors now and I like it a lot.

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Doe foot applicator.

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The lip gloss has more staying power than the lip treatment, but the colors look quite similar when worn.

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When Pencil Met Gel – Electric Teal Shimmer - Retail Value $16

Julep describes this as “Clinically proven to last for 10+ hours, this easy-to-use eye pencil delivers the creamy formula & intense color payoff of a gel eyeliner. The waterproof formula glides on, sets in 30 seconds, and then stays put.” I can’t vouch for 10+ hours since I have never tried it that long that I can remember, but it has always stayed put for as long as I had it on. I do agree with the rest of their description. This is a great eyeliner that comes in 17 colors now. Highly recommended.

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Julep Nail Color in Jacqueline – Retail Value $14 (bright grenadine shimmer)

This is my favorite nail color in this box! So pretty and goes on smoothly and easily.

Julep Nail Color in Lillian – Retail Value $14 (alabaster pink crème)

This color took me about 3 coats to make it opaque. I find the crèmes to be a bit trickier to apply than Julep’s shimmers.

Julep Nail Color in Madelynn – Retail Value $14 (imperial purple shimmer)

This color came in as a very close second to my favorite.

Julep Nail Color in Makenna – Retail Value $14 (gilded lilac glitter)

Julep definitely knows how to make a really nice glitter polish as well.

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Love this shot.

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Lillian is so light in the bright sun that the swatch is practically invisible here.

Action shots!

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It struck me that this combination has an almost patriotic twist to it in the shade.

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Here is the Mystery Box all together (not including my free add-ons).

Verdict: This mystery box cost $24.99 and promised $100+ worth of products. The retail value of the lip gloss, eyeliner, and 4 polishes in the mystery box itself add up to $92. I am not sure how much the makeup bag is worth, but it is pretty large and would definitely retail for well over the $8 left to push this box over the $100 minimum promised. I would say the value of this box is easily 4+ times what it cost. Plus, I was able to use the promo code to get another $38 worth of lip treatment and polish which puts this at 5+ times its cost. Either way, I think this is an awesome value! 

I’m very happy with this mystery box! What do you think of the Julep Pool Party Mystery Box?

Starting at $24.99
Active Deal
Get a 12-piece Polish Gift ($160+ Value) with your first box!
Use Coupon Code POLISHGIFT
Subscribe Now
Julep Maven is a nail polish and beauty subscription service. Each month you can choose one of five boxes, skip that month, or upgrade to the entire collection of beauty and nail polish products for an additional $30.
Chris Acree
Chris Acree
Chris is a moderator on the MSA forum. Her current favorite subscription boxes are Box of Style, RawSpiceBar, Julep, and My Pretend Place although the list changes frequently. She cannot resist a spoiler.

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27 comments

Jinytte

Great review Chris! Now I’m slightly sad I passed on this. But just a little – because I have over 60 Julep polish at this point and I’ve actually only gotten around to trying 8? or so of them.
Swimming pool…*-*
We’re looking to move and I’m really hoping we find a place with a pool!

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chris

Good luck!

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Melissa

Hmmm, I didn’t make the connection that it was patriotic colors. It makes me appreciate the box more. I wish we had a guesstimate on the value of the bag. I am receiving swap requests for it.

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chris

I will do a guesstimate for it later today! I think I can get pretty close based on past mystery boxes.

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chris

Based on past mystery boxes and the price of other BRIKA items, I am going to say the Makeup the Rules bag has an RV of $15.

DS

Chris, I love your engagement ring! Thanks for showing pics with the polish on–it makes a big difference.

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chris

You are welcome! 🙂

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Steffy

I got this too, same items, and at first glance was like, NOooooo, not THAT awful lip stuff again! But then I tried it and it’s a totally different product now, thank goodness. Otherwise I thought that’s the last time I get a mystery box if they’re just dumping old stock, but not the case, happily! I got a couple dupes of the np, Mackenna and the purple one, but that’s ok since I like them, and they work well together. The teal liner is very similar to UD Flipside, too! And wears just as nicely, if not better.

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chris

I am so glad they figured out the lip treatment! (I had the exact same initial reaction, LOL!)

Good info about UD!

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Leslie

I wish they just had a makeup/skincare beauty box option. Unfortunately, I do not like the consistency of their nail polish. I have a had time painting my nails in the first place, yet with Juleps nail polish, my home manicures are always deeply flawed. I love Dior’s nail polish formula. It is my golden standard, but I can’t really afford it. So I buy one bottle of nail polish each summer from them and keep them fresh by adding a drop of nail polish remover to the bottle each year and they all still work beautifully.

Yet from the reviews I’ve read and the pictures I’ve seen of the makeup and skincare, I would love the option to buy one of those boxes. Julep, do you hear me? I can’t be the only one who would like to see this option available.

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Jinytte

Please don’t use nail polish remover to thin out nail polish. It may seem like it’s working at first but it’s actually slowly destroying the polish. Buy a bottle of nail polish thinner instead. Polish thinners work by replacing certain chemicals that have evaporated over time, so the polish is restored to its original consistency.

There are a few brands where they run approx $4-$8. I use the one made by Orly (Think it was around $6). I’ve still got more than half the bottle left and used about 500? drops so far. I used 100-150+ drops each on two bottles where the polish was completely dried out and solid, but most polish would only need about 2-6 drops so a bottle will last you a long time.

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chris

The only nail polish thinner that I have tried is Julep’s Voila! here: https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2016/06/julep-maven-review-free-box-coupon-code-june-2016.html and I was totally impressed.

Very interesting info about how these work; thank you!

asagaobalcony

Oh, wait. Sorry. I just realized you may have meant an all-skin care MYSTERY box. You’re right – they don’t offer that and they should.

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Steffy

I think you can get just makeup or skin care by choosing the It Girl curated box. They also let you customize your entire box so you can do it that way too.

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asagaobalcony

You can swap out the polish if you choose to. You’re not tied to what they say will be in your box – boho or it girl or whatever. Just click “edit your box.” As you swap out items you may find that your options change because they keep the value of the box contents at a certain level, but you can certainly create boxes without polish. I do that often myself as I just have too many polishes. And if you still don’t like the options, you can just skip that month – even after you’ve played around editing your box to see if it’s worth it to you that month. I really like Julep for this flexibility.

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asagaobalcony

Thank you! I’ve been stalking this site waiting for a review because I – like most people, I assume – got the mystery add-on and had no idea what came with what. It’s great reference for determining if future mystery add-ons will be worth it. How did you find out? Did you have to contact them and ask?

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chris

I figured this out by comparing my box with that of a friend who didn’t order the add on. 🙂

I didn’t ask Julep, but that would’ve worked as well.

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Lisa

Awesome review, Chris!

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chris

Thanks, Lisa!

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Ragan

I regularly wear those eyeliners from like 8:15 AM to after 6 PM and they do stay looking pretty good. I already have that color and I like it.

But, I am glad I did not get this box. The polish colors, while not identical to that 4th of July special set they offered awhile back, are quite similar, and I did get that. Also, I kind of shy away from stuff where a pouch or makeup bag is advertised a lot. I have like 100 makeup bags under my bathroom sink that I never use. Most of them are going in the donation bin! But I try not to accumulate more.

Thanks for the review, though. I was curious as to what was included.

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chris

That is good to know about the staying power of the eyeliners. Thanks, Ragan!

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Nich

OMG love the detailed pictures Chris and how you had all the pics near your pool to match the “Pool Party” Mystery theme box. Creative

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asagaobalcony

Agreed! Thank you for the extra effort.

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chris

Of course! It was fun!

Amber P

Great review1 Thanks for so many pictures!

I absolutely adore Julep’s mystery boxes, but I didn’t buy this one because I had just signed up as a Maven – of course this would be the one mystery box that wouldn’t have had any dupes for me! Oh well.

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chris

Next time! You are welcome. 🙂

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