Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

So, this month’s Julep Maven box actually blew me away. This 1920’s/Great Gatsby inspired delight was perfectly executed – so perfect, in fact, that the only way I can imagine them being able to go up from here is if they did a Victorian themed Maven box (which, come to think of it, I really hope they do).

Here’s what’s inside the May Maven box for “Classic with a Twist”:

– 1 full size nail polish in “Zora” ($14 value)
– 1 full size nail polish in “Myrtle” ($14 value)
– A trio of miniature lipsticks ($28 value)
– 2 sets of rose embellished hairpins ($3 value – estimated)

Total Value: $59

Zora

The Zora polish is absolutely beautiful and surprisingly opaque. The color is a very light pink – so light that it’s nearly white – with a shimmering pearl finish. The formula is a little thick which made application a little tricky, but it only took two coats to get a lovely, streak-free finish. It did take a while to dry completely – about 30 minutes with my Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

The Myrtle polish is a classic red crème polish. It’s a beautiful, iconic shade and it the formula has a nice consistency. I used two coat, but this color is so rich that I could have just used a single coat and still had solid, streak-free coverage. Myrtle dried a little faster than Zora – about 20 minutes to dry completely with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

Charleston

Charleston swatch

The lipsticks are adorable and packaged very beautifully. Charleston and Lady in Red look very similar at first glance, but once swatched it became apparent that Charleston is a more casual, almost sheer red. Lady in Red is totally glammed out, opaque, classic red. Sweet Lorraine is extremely sheer – almost too sheer. I really had to layer it on to get a swatch strong enough to be visible in a photo.

Lady in Red

Lady in Red swatch

Sweet Lorraine

Sweet Lorraine swatch

I’m really excited about this box and hope it’s a sign of what’s to come in Julep’s future Maven offerings. If you’d like to subscribe to Julep Maven, you can get a box sent to your door for $20 a month by signing up here (referral link). If you use the code FREEBOX when you sign up, your first box is free!

Skin & Tonics Rating:

Performance: 3/5 – Great coverage for the nail polishes, though I wish the formula for Zora was easier to work with. The lipsticks are all easy to wear. Lady in Red lasts for several hours without touch ups.

Quality: 4/5 – Two of the three lipsticks are perfect – Sweet Lorraine could have used a touch more pigment. And I wish Julep would tweak the formula for their lighter opaques to make it a tad less thick.

Value: 5/5 – $20 for $60 worth of fun products is a fantastic deal.

Overall: 4/5

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