October 2013 Julep Maven Box

I bring to you the contents and review of my Julep Maven box for the month of October. I know 99% of people know what the Julep Maven program is, but for anyone who doesn't I will give you a quick break down right now! Julep is an independent company who started out producing nail polish and nail & hand products. Recently, the company has ventured into cosmetics, skin care, and hair care. The Julep Maven program is a monthly subscription service that you can opt into at $19.99 per month. There are 4 different profiles and after you take a quiz it will put you under 1 of them. 1 is only cosmetics or beauty products, 1 is only polish, and the other 2 are a mix. You can choose your own profile though if you're not happy with the 1 they classify you under. You also have the option every month to Skip and not pay the fee. They have a new option where you can buy all the products offered under all of the profiles for an extra $35 + the $19.99. Unlike most subscription services that come out on the 1st with their monthly picks and make you choose by the 5th, this service comes out on the 20th of every month and you must choose by the 25th. The boxes are usually sent out on the 27th, unless it falls on a Sunday or holiday.

Feel free to use my code. It'll help me get points towards a free box! You don't have to if you don't want too. Also, Julep always has some sort of sale where you can get a box free and just pay shipping or get a box for $0.99. If you need help finding a code for your first box to try, let me know!

Now, onto my box! As always, Julep puts together a beautiful presentation and is always pleasing to the eye.

I'm normally a Bombshell (which is one of the boxes that mixes polish and beauty products), but I went with the Modern Beauty box so that I could try both the mask and the eyeliner, or "eye glider" as Julep calls it. 

The mask is great! I like that it exfoliates and seems to help clear out the pores without leaving residue or make my face breakout. I have had a lot of problems in the past with excessive breakouts from masks. This is a peel mask, however. Once you let the mask dry on your face for about 10-15 minutes you peel it off and I have also found that peeling masks don't break me out as much as ones you wash off. The mask does make your face completely black and if you do a search on Instagram or Google you can find some funny pictures posted by others while they're using it. - The company claims that the mask:

Features and Benefits of Mask Noir:

Black volcanic ash boasts anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial peptides.

Kaolin Clay is as gentle as it is deep-cleaning.

Incredibly clean, visibly brightened skin upon removal

Enriched with Julep’s proprietary Power Cell Complex™, a trio of skin-boosting superstars:

1. Rosehip seed oil – a nourishing oil (and natural source of vitamins A and C) that helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and post-acne marks. Contains natural fatty acids that bond moisture to skin
2. Malvaceae Lipid Extract™ – a lipid complex that provides immediate and long-lasting hydration and works to rebuild skin structure from the inside out
3. Green coffee bean oil – a natural anti-inflammatory that promotes cell turnover

So far, I find these claims to be accurate. The price tag is $32 or $25.60 if you're part of the Maven program. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep buying it or not, but so far I really like it and I feel that the price tag could be worth it consistently if it keeps proving to improve my skin. 

The Eye Glider is what turned out to be most disappointing. First off, this is just an eyeliner pencil. Julep is pretty good about taking products that are already on the market and changing their name, like their "DD Creme" which is really just a BB Creme. It is a 2 sided pencil; one side is black and the other side is brown. The company claims:

Two intensely pigmented colors—carbon black and brown shimmer—that glide on smoothly and blend like a dream.

Features & Benefits of Kajal Eye Glider:

Two colors

Ideal for inner rims, tightlining, and smoky eyes

Blends like a dream—won’t drag or pull on delicate skin

Opthamologist-tested

Kajal-friendly, round-tipped

The black color is titled "Carbon Black" and in my opinion it is your typical black eyeliner pencil, leaning more towards the higher end side. It's definitely a step up from most drug store brands, but I would not put it up there with my favorites- Urban Decay & Buxom. For the most part, I felt it stayed on decently. I have really oily skin and as the day goes on I have an issue with most of my makeup, especially eyeliners & foundation. A lot of people complained a lot about the wearing off and raccoon look after 2-4 hours, but for me the black wasn't too bad. Just a little bit of smudging after about 4-6 hours. I will say that I wear a primer every time I wear makeup and that may have helped me out.

I always say if you want to judge an eyeliner don't use black. It seems to me that it's pretty easy to make a good to decent black liner, but when it comes to colors, especially grays or browns, it seems to be a challenge. So, the brown color, "Brown Shimmer", was the one I was most intrigued to try. Unfortunately, it has very bad wear. Less than 2 hours and I ran into problems with it running and it did not let up as the day wore on. The primer didn't seem to help much either. 

The nice thing about the eyeliner is that it is a very fine point and it does go on very nice. You don't feel a lot of tugging or pulling and it doesn't hurt you to put it on. However, for $22 (or $17.60 if you're a Maven) it doesn't really seem worth it. That's $11 per pencil and that's only half a pencil. Honestly, I feel like Wet 'N Wild's standard pencil has better staying power; while it doesn't go on as smooth or have as natural of an ingredient list, it does stay for the greater part of the work day, for me and I can't say the same for Julep's glider.

Overall, I was pleased with this box. I even was given a sharpener (which the sharpener comes with the pencil if you were to buy it today, it's standard). The sharpener is pretty nice. If I had wanted to try these products outside of the Maven program it would have cost me $54 and instead I paid $19.99 (including shipping and tax) to try 2 full sized products, so it was worth it. - If I were to give my best advice I'd say definitely try the mask, especially if you have any major skin problems, acne, wear makeup a lot, or have dry skin. However, I'd skip the eyeliner and spend the high price on your favorite high end liner.