Julep Maven FREE 12-Piece Nail Polish Set Review + Coupon

ByJessica HapakOct 14, 2018 | 11 comments

closed Julep Maven box

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.

open Julep Maven box

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

nail polishes laying in the open Julep Maven box

Currently, Julep is offering a free 12-piece nail polish set with a new subscription. This is the review of the free gift I received when I signed up.

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

Julep Maven free gift review

About This Box + Deal

The Subscription Box: Julep Maven

The Cost: The 12-piece nail polish set is free when you sign up for the $24.99 a month + $3.99 shipping subscription

Use this link and coupon code POLISHGIFT at checkout to add the 12 piece Nail Polish Set to your cart.

The Products: The subscription box contains nail polish plus beauty items

Ships to: US

Good to Know: The colors included in the free gift are random—you may not get the same ones I received, and you most definitely will not get the same shades shown in the photo above.

Also Good to Know: This ships separately from your regular Julep Maven subscription. I haven’t received my first Maven box yet even though I have received my free gift!

Our Review

Along with my polishes, I received a little information booklet giving more information about my new Julep Maven subscription.

I also received a coupon for 50% off my next purchase.

Julep Nail Polish in Dylan,

Julep Nail Polish in Dylan, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Dylan is described as a cactus-flower crème, and while technically some cactus flowers do have petals this gorgeous, vivid pink I think Julep was trying a little too hard in the description. Either way, the color is bright, fun, and applies like a dream with no issues.

Julep Nail Polish in Rose, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Rose is a watermelon-red crème, and I do think this color bears a strong resemblance to the juicy summer fruit. There were no issues with application and I am now craving watermelon lemonade.

Julep Nail Polish in April,

Julep Nail Polish in April, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

April is a bright vermillion red crème polish, and it really stands out as vivid in a sea of more muted shades. I did find it to apply a bit unevenly, so I would recommend using very thin coats and building up as necessary.

Julep Nail Polish in Charissa, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Charissa is a lovely berry brick red crème (which Julep calls “mineral red,” whatever that means), and it really could have been a one-coat polish if I wanted it to be. I always go for two coats to be safe, and I love how perfect this shade is for fall.

Here they are swatched! From top to bottom we have Dylan, Rose, April, and Charissa.

Julep Nail Polish in Jesslyn, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Jesslyn is a matte honey gold polish with slight shimmer. I was very happy with the matte finish this dried down to, but I am wary to wear it on its own because matte polishes are notorious for chipping. Make sure you use a good base coat to try and prevent it!

Julep Nail Polish in Athena, Full-Size! Retail Value $14 (currently out of stock)

Athena is a copper crème polish that definitely leans into the rose gold territory—I love it! It has a metallic finish and only very minimal streaks, which is awesome (metallic polishes are known for showing streaks and brush lines).

Julep Nail Polish in Alaina,

Julep Nail Polish in Alaina, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Alaina is described as a driftwood taupe crème, but I believe in calling a spade a spade—it is a light grey. That being said, I love light grey polishes because they go well with almost any other color and they also look chic when worn alone. The formula was a dream to apply, and I had no issues with pooling at my cuticles or patchy streaks.

Julep Nail Polish in Lottie, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Lottie is a pure white crème polish, which is a necessity in every nail polish collection! I found this went on thick when I applied it, so be sure to use thin coats and wipe off excess polish from the lip of the bottle.

Here they are swatched! From top to bottom we have Jesslyn, Athena, Alaina, and Lottie!

Julep Nail Polish in Yumi, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Yumi is a pink, silver, and holographic glitter polish that is so fun! On its own, the shade is a light pink glitter with a tiny bit of holo, and while you could build it up to full opacity with three coats I recommend using it on top of another color (my go to would be a light silver!).

Julep Nail Polish in Jane, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Jane is described as a full-coverage rose gold glitter, but I would say it leans more copper. It took 3 coats for me to build up to full opacity, which means the polish started to get a little thick and it took forever to dry. I would recommend using this with a copper base coat polish, and then one coat should provide enough glitter without becoming thick.

Julep Nail Polish in Maisy,

Julep Nail Polish in Maisy, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Maisy is a purple aster micro-shimmer, and I really loved the almost metallic sheen the shimmer gave to this fun purple color. The formula applied easily with no issues and was opaque with two coats.

Julep Nail Polish in Gayle, Full-Size! Retail Value $14

Gayle is an aubergine crème polish, and I absolutely love this deep eggplant color for fall. It applied easily with two coats for full opacity.

Here they are swatched! From top to bottom we have Yumi, Jane, Maisy, and Gayle.

The Verdict: Wow! Julep really knocked it out of the park as far as free gifts go. All of the polishes are really great - none of them feel like shades Julep is trying to dump off and get rid of. I think my favorite shade is Athena, with Maisy being a close second! Value-wise, I received $168 worth of polishes as a free gift for signing up for the monthly subscription. It is hard to beat that!

To Wrap Up:

Can you get this gift if you sign up today? Yes, this deal is still available!

ACTIVE DEAL: Get a 12-piece Polish Gift ($160+ Value) with your first box!
CODE: POLISHGIFT

Value Breakdown: This set was free with my new $24.99 a month subscription, and I received 12 polishes with a total value of $168.

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

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

What do you think of the free gift from Julep Maven? What colors did you receive when you signed up?

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

3.8 overall rating

176 Ratings | 76 Reviews

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.

Read customer reviews >

Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Nail Polish Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Jessica Hapak

I am a staunch believer that pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza and when I’m not working as a family law attorney I enjoy hiking the Louisiana trails (alligator sightings are a favorite!) or relaxing with Duchess, my cat. I’m a sucker for anything labeled a mystery box and I’ve never met a bath bomb I didn’t like.

Read More By Jessica Hapak >

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11 comments

Kirsten

I absolutely LOVE Julep! I have never commented before, but had to now because I believe in this company and really admire how it is operated. I received the exact same 12 colors that are shown in this review, and they are all gorgeous! Additionally, the formula goes on flawlessly, wears excellently, and has helped my nails to grow stronger and longer than they’ve ever been! My first month I was sent the oxygen nail treatment in sheer peach; it not only repaired and strengthened my nails, it looked pretty while doing it!

To top it off, the Julep customer service is incredible! I love their monthly box; it is so great to be able to receive the items they curate, change the items up, skip a month, or even send the box to a friend. I wholeheartedly recommend this company!

KimberlyB

Jessica, thank you so much for this review! I had no idea of most of this info, like that mattes and metallics tend to behave in certain ways. Now I won’t blame myself for not being careful with my nails that have matte colors on them.

It’s funny (in a GOOD way, IMO), how different people have different tastes and reactions to things. My thought at the first glance of these 12 colors overall was Ugh, crappy muddy shades they couldn’t get rid of — then I realized: it’s mostly warm colors, and my nail polish palette is 75% blues, greens, blue-toned violets, and some blue-leaning pinks. I’m so happy that so many shades of nail polish (and all cosmetics) exist!

Jennifer

I wanted to like Julep, but I’ve had way too many issues with the polishes and make-up to recommend it.

Of my free box polishes, only a few were easy to apply. Most were streaky or gloppy (which likely means they were older inventory.) Some (like Cathy) were basically unwearable. Most (free box or ones I bought later) chipped faster than drug store polishes when I tested them without top coats. And a number of them take forever to dry – I don’t have 10-20 minutes to wait between coats.

I did find a few favorites as far as shade goes between my gift box and purchases – Yumi is a gorgeous glitter topper, and another of my free box was Charissa which is a lovely burgundy shade (doesn’t apply well but the shade is gorgeous.) I got Wilma as an add-on and love it – gorgeous rose gold, and May is a pretty copper. I’ve got a few I haven’t tried out yet that look gorgeous in the bottle.

But even ‘hits’ I often only gave a three star in reviews for application reasons or it wearing off fast. And for every hit there was a complete miss.

Right now I am giving my nails a break from Julep as I am having the same issue I had with nail degradation as I had with the Take a Breather Oxygen Treatment. Over about a month (with the Oxygen treatment and now with wearing the polishes) my nails got weaker and weaker, peeling more and slightly discoloring. This time with the polishes I even ended up with a deep ail groove coinciding with my start of wearing the polishes. My cuticles have thinned to near non-existence and I even lost the one on my left thumb. I haven’t had major snapping like I had with the Oxygen treatment but my nails do break easier and the peeling is so bad I have to clip them constantly – they won’t grow out to the normal pre-polish length. I’ve stopped wearing the Julep polishes for the past week and a half and have been treating my nails with cuticle oil and taking Hum Biotin supplements, so I am hoping I will see a bounce back within a week or two.

I like Julep but they’re not very consistent. A lot of their nailpolish simply doesn’t work for me. And I hate their bottles. I like to paint my nails in my bed and that skinny bottle is impossible to stand up. Make-up-wise, I think their cushion foundation and lip balms are amazing. Julep used to be my favorite sub but I’m definitely on Julep overload after subbing with them for a few months.

Teresa

My nails only peeled when I used the Gel finishes – which is really too bad, as I love the way they go on, look, and last. Maybe it’s just me; I didn’t seem to have that problem with their regular polishes.

KimberlyB

Thank you for this! I thought my nails were just normal post-menopausal super brittle. Maybe they’re not! I will be paying a lot more attention to exactly what goes on my nails and what happens. I usually paint each nail a different color, so this will be interesting!

TheGirlWhoLived

My free gift this past September was almost the same shades shown here. They look better in person and the few that aren’t my type, I gave away. It’s really a great deal.

Jody

Love the Athena and Maisy colors.

Ashby

I love your colors! I’ve always wanted to try this promo, but I’ve heard they sometimes send all blah unwanted colors. I’d sign up right now if I knew for sure this was the set they send!

sara

They send different ones for that promo each time, depending on what they have in their warehouse. So what was reviewed here cannot be guaranteed as what someone else would receive.

As I side bit of info, their customer service was always great for me. Quick responses and committed to making mistakes right for the customer.

Lori

I love Julep. Excellent review, thanks for being so thorough and taking the time to both swatch and try on all the colors. My free gift back in the Spring was very similar and overall, I was quite happy with it. I always feel good about what I purchase or get in mystery boxes with Julep, never ripped off.

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Julep Maven FREE 12-Piece Nail Polish Set Review + Coupon

About This Box + Deal

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