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.
Julep recently released two new mystery boxes—the Keep It Shining Mystery Box and the Leaf It Behind Mystery Box.
This is a review of the Keep it Shining Mystery Box, which is summer-time themed and no longer available.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About This Box
The Subscription Box: Julep Keep It Shining Mystery Box
The Cost: $24.99 + $3.99 shipping
Julep is offering this 12-piece nail polish FREE set with a new subscription!
Use this link and coupon code POLISHGIFT at checkout to add the 12 piece Nail Polish Set to your cart.
The Products: No more summer would be a bummer! This seasonal mystery box is full of beauty & nail surprises.
Ships to: US
Julep Maven Keep It Shining Mystery Box Review
Be Strong Oxygen Nail Therapy, Full-Size! Retail Value $18
This nail treatment is made with an oxygen nail formula to allow nail beds to breathe, botanical extracts to fight breakage, and hexanal to harden nails. I have had acrylics for almost three years (ignoring a spat with a hand mixer, but that is a different story), and I will probably have acrylics until the day I day. Yes I know, I should let my nails *breathe* and acrylic *damages* them, but I just do not feel like myself unless I have a coat of acrylic overlay on my natural nails. Anyways, the point is that I do not use treatments like this but I have a plethora of friends who do, and this will be happily received by whoever I end up gifting it to. In my pre-acrylic days I religiously used nail strengtheners like these as base costs and my nails responded well to that, so I can see the value of including this in the box.
When Pencil Met Gel Eyeliner in Electric Teal Shimmer, Full-Size! Retail Value $16
This is such a gorgeous eyeliner! The teal shade is bright and the shimmer is noticeable, and this can really help to add to a statement eye look with minimal effort (a swipe of this on your lower lash line, a couple coats of high volume mascara, and I promise you at least one person will compliment you). Julep has a really great pencil eyeshadow formula that is creamy and smooth to apply, but it stays put once it sets.
It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Beso, Full-Size! Retail Value $20
These lip mousses from Julep are probably one of the most comfortable liquid lipsticks you can find on the market—there is zero drying, and my lips feel like I only put on a light coat of lip balm rather than a vivacious orange lipstick. With that comfort comes sacrifice, however, and this does transfer and wear down easily throughout the day. Beso is described as a “spicy orange,” and while I don’t normally like orange lipsticks with my skin tone this shade really does just scream summer.
Your Lip Addiction Tinted Lip Oil Treatment in Crave, Full-Size! Retail Value $22
I absolutely LOVE tinted lip oils, as they are always incredibly nourishing and usually leave a nice tint of color when the oil is fully absorbed. This one by Julep is no exception, and the very light tint of orange is another great summer shade. This also has zero stickiness, and it left my lips soft and hydrated. Two thumbs up on this one—now they need to release more shades!
Here are the swatches. The lip oil is above the lip mousse and the eyeliner is at the bottom.
Julep Nail Polish in Dylan, Full-Size! Retail Value $14
Dylan is described as a vivid cactus flower crème, and while my thoughts lean more bubblegum than "cactus flower" the vivid description is certainly on point. This pink is bold and in charge, and it really is a true summer shade. The formula was pretty good—I noticed some patchy-ness after one coat but the second coat smoothed things out. One issue I had with this bottle is that the tops of these polishes are removable, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get mine off. Oh well, that isn't the end of the world. Swatched below.
Julep Nail Polish in April, Full-Size! Retail Value $14
This is described as a vermillion crème and if we are being honest, I do not quite know what vermillion is. Anyways, this is a bold orangey-red polish that is another perfect summer shade, but I have issues with April. The formula was way thicker than it needed to be, making application uneven and, quite frankly, irritating. After I painted my nails I finished with my tried and true top coat, Seche Vite, and then I went to bed. In the morning when I was showering I noticed that one nail hard already chipped! I was flabbergasted—Chipping is NOT an issue I have, especially with acrylics and my trusty top coat. I wasn't even able to take a picture in the daylight before this chipped on me. Hard pass on this one for me, guys.
Here are the swatches plus some ombre nail art. I will say that both of these cremes blended beautifully and built up to opacity quickly, so this nail art didn’t take long at all.
The Verdict: I was happy with the colors selected for this summer-themed mystery box, and the makeup choices were real winners for me out of this box. I am still salty over April chipping on me so quickly, but the nail polish shades really do feel like summertime at my fingertips. This box has a value of $104, which I do think is a great deal for full-size products in a mystery box that cost $24.99 before shipping.
To Wrap Up:
Can you get this box if you sign up today? No, this box is sold out.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get a 12-piece Polish Gift ($160+ Value) with your first box!
CODE: POLISHGIFT
Value Breakdown: This box cost $28.98 ($24.99 + $3.99 shipping), and I calculated a value of $104. That means you are paying approximately the following per item:
- Nail Treatment: $5.02
- Eyeliner: $4.46
- Lip Mousse: $5.57
- Lip Oil: $6.13
- Dylan: $3.90
- April: $3.90
Check out all of my Julep Maven reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!
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What did you think of the Julep Keep It Shining Mystery Box? Are you still enjoying summer or are you ready to “leaf” it behind?
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