February 2014 Julep Maven: The Dramatic Collection (plus HUGE Julep Changes)

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Love

It’s February Julep Maven selection time! For February Julep is introducing the Dramatic Collection! But first, we have to talk about the changes Julep is making to its subscription service. But even before that, don’t get disheartened about February, because all boxes will include “Love,” a gold, pearl and fuchsia microglitter (probably because our take 3 boxes in a row free polish is out the window, but I’m going to try not to snark it too much). Please leave your thoughts in the comments! And visit Julep to pick out your box for the month!

February 2014 Julep Maven
February 2014 Julep Maven

Julep Skip Option Disappearing

  • Mavens who signed up on or after December 18, 2013 will only get to skip once every 6 months. Julep calls that “earning” a skip (ahem). And no, there was no notice of this.
  • Mavens who signed up BEFORE that time will be “grandmothered” in. That means if you signed up BEFORE December 18 you should NOT cancel.

The elimination of the skip option came as a surprise to everyone – and the information has not been emailed to current mavens. Julep states they are instituting this change to better manage their inventory. If you cancel & resubscribe – are they going to make you pay for an intro box again? Silliness. Nobody would ever resubscribe! So Mavens that signed up before December 18 – basically don’t ever cancel unless and until they take our skip away. I think I wanted to skip once, but I forgot, so it isn’t really that huge of a deal to me (this is my 1 year anniversary with Julep!). But it could be a big deal, and you should know about it.

Julep’s “Breakthrough Product”

Julep also announced that they developed an “innovative way to make polishing so much easier.” This item is called the “Plié Wand” and it is designed to solve the problem of painting your own nails, especially with a non-dominant hand. The Plié Wand is a magnetic, weighted applicator extension that can bend for precision and comfort.  You will be able to reserve one on 1/28 for inclusion in your May Julep Maven box. This is basically the entirety of the information but if you want, you can read the article here.

I actually don’t have a problem painting with my non-dominant hand – but I don’t have picture perfect manicures with either hand. I’m excited to check it out and I will dutifully order it for review. BTW, don’t get this confused with a magnetic polish!

February 2014 Julep Maven Boxes

OKAY, BACK TO THE FEBRUARY BOXES!

For February Julep is offering the new Eye Sheen cream eyeshadow colors – and you can select the color you want! The shader brush is available as an add-on. You can also get it basically in black as the new “Ink Gel Eyeliner!” I love inky black liners so I’m excited about that one.

Dusty Taupe Shimmer, Pale Nude Shimmer, Warm Fig Shimmer, Deep Bronze Shimmer
Dusty Taupe Shimmer, Pale Nude Shimmer, Warm Fig Shimmer, Deep Bronze Shimmer

And, here are some swatches of the eye sheen products! This is making me think a full upgrade. These are gorgeous! You can visit Julep to pick your eye color and change your box if you’d like too!

Julep Eye Sheen Swatches
Julep Eye Sheen Swatches

Also, Julep Maven is again offering the regular upgrade box and the polish lover’s upgrade and the ultimate upgrade box. Core Classics is once again available this month if you have polish overload.

Ultimate2With the ultimate upgrade you get everythingnine new nail colors, all four Eye Sheens, Shader Brush, Ink Gel Eyeliner, Angled Liner Brush, and Love.

Upgrade2With the regular upgrade box you get the polishes and the 2 beauty items – no add-ons are included.

PolishLover

With the polish lover’s upgrade box you get all the Maven colors – but no add-on polishes. The upgrade boxes do not include anything from the new Core Classics Box.

Julep Maven Monthly Boxes

Core Classics Box – Once again being offered this month, it’s only available to view in your Maven actions screen. Perfect if you need to replenish your nail and hand care items but don’t need polishes.

  • Kajal Eye Glider & Sharpener: Ideal for tightlining and waterlines, this double-ended liner features two intensely pigmented, blendable colors—carbon black & brown shimmer.
  • Bare Face Cleansing Oil: This lightweight, antioxidant-rich cleanser dissolves makeup, dirt, and excess oil with over-drying skin, then rinses clean with no oily residue.
  • Konjac Sponge: Gently enough for everyday use, this super-soft, all-natural exfoliant is enriched with skin-clarifying charcoal.
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

coreclassics_pdp_1_2

Modern Beauty

  • Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow
  • Ink Gel Eyeliner: Long-wear, smudge-proof formula with a jet-black finish
  • Angled Liner Brush: Firm, angled bristles for precise application
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

mb

Boho Glam

  • Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow
  • Rooney – Boho Glam: Walnut bark crème
  • Cameron – Boho Glam: Silver lilac stardust
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

bg460

Bombshell

  • Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow
  • Kristen – Bombshell: Deep jungle green with silver microshimmer
  • Judi – Bombshell: English violet crème
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

bs

Classic With a Twist

  • Eye Sheen Liquid Eyeshadow
  • Octavia – Classic with a Twist: Smoky indigo crème
  • Greta – Classic with a Twist: Loganberry multidimensional microglitter
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

ct

It Girl – curated & named by Jay-Z’s rocnation

  • Glam Roc – It Girl: Midnight purple & gold stardust
  • Roc Solid – It Girl: Vintage military crème
  • Diamond Theory – It Girl: Full-coverage multidimensional copper glitter
  • Love – Bombshell: Full-coverage gold, pearl & fuchsia microglitter

it460

February Julep featured Add-ons

Every month you can add on additional items to your subscription. Plus, Julep is now shipping your add-ons with your box!! There’s also a NEW glitter polish removal kit for $19.99!

Goldie: Full-coverage gilded gold microglitter. $4.99
 Goldie

A-List Eyeliner Duo: Create gorgeous, dramatic looks with Ink Gel Eyeliner and the precision Angled Liner Brush. $17.99

Gianna

Which Julep Maven box are you getting this month? If you’re not a Julep Maven already you can join up with code FREEBOX to get a complimentary intro box and you may cancel any time, but the Maven benefits (free shipping, 20% off) are great if you like polish or beauty products. For me…. I basically LOVE everything except for Goldie.  I’m not so keen on the army green color, but I do have a little boy who likes to have his nails painted. I THINK this is an upgrade month for me! This month’s box is already a great value with the extra polish thrown in there but I really do love everything. I only upgrade when I do. The big question is.. Which upgrade?! Even though I’m excited about the eyeliner it’s probably easier for me to justify new polish over new eyeliner. But I might anyways. I’m not sure if I care about the shadow.

The Subscription: Julep
The Description: Nail polish box and a beauty box. Get either 3 polishes, 2 polishes and a beauty product, or 2 beauty products per month.
The Price: $20 per month
The Coupon: Use code FREEBOX to get your intro starter box free! (Pay $3.99 shipping) Use code FREEBOX to get your intro starter box free! (Pay $3.99 shipping)

See more Beauty Subscription Boxes & Nail & Nail Polish Subscriptions  or see all my Julep Maven Reviews!

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  • Mary Q.
    01.25.14

    Ack, I totally missed the window this month – oops! Well, I think I’ll be plenty happy with my default profile at least. This whole no more skipping business is insane without notice. I’m so glad I made it in *just* in time (Dec 16th!). All thanks to that Naughty & Nice mystery box that got me hooked and your disbelief that I hadn’t subscribed yet – so I did! Lol. See what a good influence you are? And I just signed up for Petit Vour too, thanks to seeing your reviews and Jennifer’s. Yippee!

    • Brandy
      01.25.14

      I *totally* thought of you and I was pretty sure you had squeezed in. WHEW! I *am* a good influence! PV Review for January & giveaway coming up later today after I wrangle the trash to the bottom of the hill. And the kids with of course! I can’t get to the recycling bins because of the snow… It’s starting to get nightmarish in here. And after all that we are going to make brownies and then paint our nails! I’d like to say I’ll unpack some more (I’m still not done) but… no.

      • Mary Q.
        01.27.14

        Oh man, the snow is crazy. I didn’t think driving on it would be so bad. Ooooo what fun activities! Who needs to unpack when you’ve got baking and painting to do? 😉

        • Brandy
          01.27.14

          HAHAHAHAH this is nothing! California girls are so cute 🙂

  • slumsofharvard
    01.23.14

    I had to skip as none of the offerings appealed to me, and my budget is rather tight in February.

    BUT

    I’m so in love with “love” the free polish.Do they ever offer the special “bonus” polishes for sale? If not I will sadly be scouring eBay come march 🙁

    • Brandy
      01.24.14

      I think so! also someone may trade for it, etc!

  • SomeKindaHappy
    01.21.14

    As much as I don’t like the new rules, when I saw those polishes I had to re-subscribe and get them all. I was too disappointed that the glitter remover add on was sold out right away though.

  • Laura
    01.20.14

    If I get the intro box, can I still get this month? Or do I have to wait for March?

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      i *think* if you sign up and then call in you can, but i’m not sure. it’s worth a call to julep in the morning. this is something i need to find out myself!

    • Brandy
      01.21.14

      Julep basically tells people to purchase the collection February 1 if you are a new subscriber, I checked. I think it’s worth a call to them anyways.

  • Melissa
    01.20.14

    Just wanted to let u know that the it girl still has the names from last month 🙂

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      You are a doll. I always miss something!

  • Prettylights
    01.20.14

    I just subscribed a few weeks ago and have to admit the not being able to skip is a real turn off. One of the reasons I joined was to be able to skip. I feel like they should have made this a “Starting on this date (the date of the announcement) you can’t skip…” thing, instead of backpedaling on us new members who subscribed with the understanding we could skip any time. It seems very shady to me, and also shady that I never got informed of it from Julep themselves. I found out about it on makeuptalk.

    Anyway, despite that I am very tempted to go for the full polish upgrade this month before I cancel. I am loving the dark creme jewel tones. I just don’t need any more eyeshadow! The stardust finishes look a lot like Zoya’s Pixiedust shades, which I love, but I already going to order Lux from them which looks just like Cameron. I wonder how close of dupes they are.

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      I agree 100%. The notice was in a julep blog post, which I read, because I have this blog, but otherwise, who would read that? Isn’t the point of a sub box to have it come to you and have someone do all your work for you? I heard they were fielding lots of angry calls. Not a surprise.

      They could have gained a TON of excited and happy and loyal mavens by saying after X date skip option disappears, hurry and sign up. I’m in a wait & see mode.

      • Prettylights
        01.20.14

        I completely agree Brandy. I think they handled this very poorly. I do understand their need to keep stock so I don’t blame them for making it harder to skip. I just don’t think it’s fair they are making this a retro-active thing instead of something starting for future subscribers. I missed being grandfathered in by 12 days, and if that wasn’t the case I wouldn’t be canceling. Their loss I suppose. There is no problem finding any of the colors I want new on eBay from a third party, so I guess my money will go to those third parties instead of straight into Julep’s pocket.

  • Dragngrl03
    01.20.14

    Thanks so much for posting this information! I am fairly new to the whole subscription box thing (somehow I have managed to sign up for ipsy, birchbox, sample society, Beauty box 5, and LWF…oops) and was considering julep based on the idea that I would be able to skip when convenient!! This one is now out of the running of boxes to try! 🙁

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      🙁 As much as I love Julep, I have to concur with that sentiment. I am really curious to see how the cancel/resubscribe thing goes down for people who aren’t under the old rules. This used to be such a great budget friendly option and an excellent starter subscription because of the ability to skip.

  • Jennifer at Momsgotmail
    01.20.14

    This is terrible news! Thanks for sharing it Brandy. I am more interested in the shadow this month than the polish! But I am skipping, because funds are tight. Just after xmas with all the stepson bills rolling in (doctor’s, lawyers) my husband’s 40th and grandma’s 76th this week and my birthday next month? Skipping was one of the main reasons I stayed subscribed to Julep. I am glad I am grandfathered in, but it really is terrible for new customers. I can’t think it will be a good decision for Julep’s subscription service, either.

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      I know, I can’t imagine that people who signed up after dec 17 will be long term subscribers now. I think something better would have been to introduce buy 6 boxes in a row, get your 7th box free. “Earning” a skip just seems silly. I am upgrading this month because I LOVE the colors, and you know that is not all the time with me. I need to do my nails more frequently though to justify it.

  • Andrea
    01.20.14

    Thanks so much!

  • Andrea
    01.20.14

    I am a new member and I don’t know if I can select a different box for February. Can you tell me if that’s possible and how to do it? Thanks!

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      Yes, it’s super easy! Just log into your account and pick “try a new style”!

  • kaylaann2013
    01.20.14

    If I reactive my old account , as I was thinking of doing this month, do the new changes apply to me then?

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      Did you cancel before? I am thinking unfortunately yes.

      • kaylaann2013
        01.21.14

        No, my card expired and I just never updated but GREAT news…. they said if I reactive I am still under the old terms so I will be able to skip whenever! Now I just have to decide which one I’m going to get!

        • Brandy
          01.21.14

          Ahhhhh that is so awesome!! It really is! Hooray!

  • roboex1013
    01.20.14

    I didn’t sign up before Dec 18th. I JUST signed up a couple weeks ago. And I’m going to have to cancel anyway if their is no longer a skip option for anyone new. I only signed up because they had that option and I knew I could use it when I needed to (which likely would have been a lot of the time).

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      What a bummer. I wonder if you can find someone that has an old sub that doesn’t want it any more. I could totally see that happening!

    • roboex1013
      01.20.14

      Actually, I just realized the charge for the next box apparently just tried to go through and I have exactly zero money in my account until after the 30th. So, they’ll likely cancel for me since the charge won’t go through. I didn’t know it would charge before the 1st.

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      And yeah, if it was me, I would cancel too. On the hook for 6 months without a discount on the sub?

      • roboex1013
        01.20.14

        Yeah. I actually really like their makeup. And so far I don’t seem to have any allergy issues with it. But $20 every month is just to much for me. I get my Honest Company box every month but that saves me money and I can adjust shipping dates if funds are tight. I’m keeping ipsy and I haven’t gotten my unmentionably cheeky box yet but I think I will likely keep it. And my toothbrush subscription. That leaves Julep and Conscious Box. I def can’t get both every month. I may actually end up canceling both depending on how much I like conscious box (got my first box for shipping only). I may cancel both to try other new boxes and then go back to whichever is my favorite. There are so many to try…

  • roboex1013
    01.20.14

    Well, I’ll likely cancel soon. I can’t afford to get a $20 box of makeup every month. I really want the products for february (sticking with my original Modern Beauty box choice – I chose the deep bronze shimmer and I added the It Girl nailpolish). So, i’m getting this and then canceling. :/ Maybe I’ll try to resubscribe later on just to find out what happens. lol.

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      No no no! Do NOT cancel if you subscribed before Dec 18! You can still skip! It’s only people who signed up Dec 18 or after.

  • Shelby
    01.20.14

    Ooo 4 polishes this month? Might be a good time for me to not skip LOL. Good to know about the skipping too. Thats weird. I’ve been skipping for quite awhile now LOL.

    • Brandy
      01.20.14

      Yeah, they’re being really weird about it. Who knows if they ACTUALLY changed the terms & conditions on their website last month? So basically don’t ever cancel, just skip. For new people, ummm, I can’t wait to see what happens if someone cancels & then wants to resubscribe.