My Awful Experience With Julep Maven

WARNING - This will be a long, boring, negative and just plain rude post. If you are not into that or simply don't care, please skip it, thank you.

I have never felt the need to write a blog post about a negative experience with a company before but this time, I have to let it out and warn my fellow beauty junkies about it. So it all started with that 1¢ promo. I tell you - please never, ever get suck in such marketing ploy. I know, I should have known better, still, being the little curious girl that I am, I simply could not let such an amazing deal pass.

So I went at it. I ceated an account at Julep Maven, browsed the boxes of colorful nail polishes with excitement, finally made my mind, then entered my credit card info. That is when the first incident happened, which should have raised my red flag. I kept getting the same error message that my credit card number and my address did not match. Hmm, what? I kept trying maybe five times with my card, then I tried with my mother's card, but I got the same error message, even though after maybe three times, it finally worked.

Josianne also had this problem: "No credit card would work for me, they said that the address didn't match"

Some days later, my mother got a call from the bank about some unusual activity on her credit card - they asked her if she could confirm that she had really made three 1¢ transactions. When my mother received her credit card statement some times later, she noticed that she had been, in fact, charged  three times for the 1¢ box, which, strangely, is the number of tried it took me to finally succeed. Notice something strange here? Now let's get things straight - I could not care less about 3¢ instead of 1¢ for a box worth around $40, but if Julep does it with such a small amount, don't you think they might do it as well with an higher amount? My doubts have been confirmed when Josianne told me that one of her friend has been charged seven times the normal price of a box ($19.99) on her credit card, and that it took about a week for her to finally get a refund.

I immediately emailed Julep regarding this issue (I was already in contact with Micah as I had questions about the 1¢ promo)

And, of course, these are the answers I got. What was I expecting? Also, why did I get two answers from two different persons at a two-days interval?

They probably knew I would not go through all this trouble for 2¢, and they were right. But it does not stop there.

After trying two Julep Maven boxes (Classic With A Twist Intro Box that was sent to me for consideration to review and Boho Glam Intro Box that I got with the 1¢ promo), I decided that Julep nail polishes were OK but surely not worth $19.99 a month, so I politely asked them through email to cancel my account.

Please note that at this time, I had no idea that I had to call their office to cancel.

Their answer

Since Micah told me I could call their office after business hours, that is what I did the day after, on March 15. I made sure to leave all of the required info in order for them to be able to cancel my account. I was expecting a confirmation, at least by email, but I haven't heard from them since then, so I assumed my account had been cancelled.

But, on March 27, surprise, surprise! The March box was coming my way!

I rushed to email them regarding this issue through their website, hence why I can't include a screenshot of my message, but basically I explained them that I had left a message on their voicemail at the office on March 15 to cancel my account but that I had not heard from them since and so I assumed my account was cancelled, but I was still charged for the March box.

Their "answer" (because they don't really answer anything)

So they are basically ignoring my problem and even want me to pay a $4.95 restocking fee to return the package (I have never heard from a restocking fee from any company before?!), or exchange it for a store credit. Click here to read their return and exchange policy.

They did not answer to this email and I'm starting to get slightly annoyed...

...so I make a second phone call at their office and leave a second message on their voice mail. Yes, I was a bit rude but at this point, I could not care less. Nobody f**** with me!

The day after, on March 29, despite having left for a second time all of the required info to cancel my account, I get a message on my voice mail from someone at Julep Maven, saying something like this "Hi, it's **** from Julep Maven and I'm calling regarding a message that was left at our office yesterday. Please call me back, I can be reached at this number [...]" Hmm I don't think so? Why would I waste my time again to call a second time?

I wrote them another email

While waiting for their answer, I was getting angrier by the minute and of course, I had to vent on Twitter. The people behind Julep Maven's Twitter have tried their best to help and I do think it's because of them that my account finally got cancelled. They told me I should get an email from the CS team regarding this issue and I finally did!

The cancellation confirmation

The email that shortly followed - they were still ignoring my complaints and wanted me to pay for the March box!

My answer

Wow, it was about time!

Wow, they finally understood! Is it wrong that I was still expecting apologies that I never got? But wait, it's not over yet...

I hurried to email them when I received the box...

Their answer, which I received 4 days after

Hmmm excuse me, what? This was not clear at all and I hope nobody has been fooled by this! Their return policy has since been modified with this clause...

Another email from them, on the same day

Of course, now I can't blame them for this. But note the part where she says "the check should be mailed out by the end of the week" - I waited and waited for this check that came only yesterday, April 25, and you know what? The check is dated from April 19! I highly doubt they are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience.

I was already unsure about all of those monthly boxes subscription services, but I have never, ever experienced such an awful customer service from any other company before, and after my little investigation, I can confirm that I'm not the only one who had problems with them.

Sheila from Maddy Loves

I won't quote everyone because some were not OK with their statement going public and I fully respect this, but I personally find it very important to warn my fellow bloggers about such companies. Please note that I have been told by a few other bloggers that everything went great for them and that's good!

Lovely ladies, please be careful and I hope I won't have to write such a negative post anytime soon. Feel free to share this post to help me raise awareness about such an awful customer service!

Julep Maven Boho Glam April 2012 Box

There is a long and complicated story behind this box that I was not supposed to receive, but this will be for another day, when the issue will have been fully resolved and when things will have properly settled down. For now, I will try to adopt a neutral point of view while reviewing Julep Maven Boho Glam April Box.

This month's box contained little extras such as green shredded paper and the little chocolate eggs, which were a cute touch for Easter.

Let's have a peek at what I received this month:

The Best Pedi Creme Ever! ($22 for 2 FL OZ) was a nice surprise! I can't say I was extremely happy with the other skincare products Julep included in the past boxes I received because honestly, if I chose to subscribe to this service, I would expect nail polishes, not random skincare products... but I must admit I needed a new foot cream as I just run out of the cheap Avon lotion I was using for this purpose.

I think the packaging of the cream is super cute and the product itself smells absolutely delicious and fresh - juicy cucumbers, yum! This pedi cream contains alpha hydroxy acids to exfoliate, shea butter and coconut oil to hydrate and vitamin E to nourish - what more could I ask for? Yes, maybe I wish the tube was bigger, but even though the cream is light, you don't need a lot of product to cover both feet.

Julep recommends to apply nightly for noticeable results in just 1 to 2 uses, and even though I can't say I was absolutely amazed at the difference this cream made for my feet, it did leave them softer and smoother.

I have always been disappointed with Julep nail polishes because for the price, they chipped super fast on me, but the exception to this is their creme finish, which is absolutely awesome and clings to the nails for almost a full week, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that this month's Boho Glam box contained two creme Nail Vernis!

At first sight, I must say I was very sceptical with Alyson ($14 for .27 FL OZ), which is described as an almond creme, the new neutral, as I have never seen anything similar before, and it just looked so dull in the bottle, but to my surprise, it's absolutely gorgeous and creamy on the nails, and I think it's very classic. Sure it's not the most exciting shade around, but I find it complements my skintone well, and I even think it would be appropriate for my friend Gen's wedding that is coming up this summer.

  

As for Molly ($14 for .27 FL OZ), it's the other way around - I thought it looked so gorgeous in the bottle, but it's such a disappointment on the nails! It is described as a classic cherry red creme, but it's more of a boring tomato red to me! Not to mention that it did not apply as nicely as what I'm used to with Julep creme nail polishes, and also, it chipped on the second day - wow.

Included in this month's box was also a makeup bag, which is surprisingly less cheap than it looks! The silver zipper-pull with Julep logo is a nice touch and I also like the quilting, featuring the Julep logo as well. I love how it had compartments that can easily house nail polishes, but also various makeup essentials. Yes, I already have tons of makeup bag, but I'm sure I will have a utility to this one as well.

  

There were also toe spacers in the box but I never use these because they just hurt my toes so bad!

Overall, I enjoyed the content of this box but I must mention that I did not choose this month's box, and I can't help to be a bit disappointed after seeing the content of other boxes on the blogosphere, such as It Girl, which contained three absolutely gorgeous creme nail polishes instead of the makeup bag! 

Personally, I don't think Julep Maven is worth the $19.99 a month because none of their shades are truly unique and so far, I have only been happy with some of their cream nail polishes. I'm happy that my account has finally been cancelled after much trouble that I will soon address in a blog post.

For more details on Julep Maven, please see my Classic With A Twist Intro Box review and my Boho Glam Intro Box.

Julep Maven Boho Glam Intro Box

Some times ago, Julep had a wicked deal going on - 1¢ for any Intro Box, how amazing is that? Of course, I had to take advantage of it! When I took the Julep Maven Style Quiz, I was told I was an American Beauty, but I was not fond of the shades so I decided to opt for Boho Glam instead .

Here is what the Boho Glam Intro Box contained:

• Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener 
• Heather Julep Nail Vernis (chic platinum greige with a metallic glow)
• Blake Julep Nail Vernis (sunny butter yellow crème)
• Julep Facial For Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub sample
• Julep Everyday SPF SPF 30 Hand Cream sample

Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener $32 for 89mL / 3 FL OZ

Visibly minimizes the appearance of fine lines and age spots on your hands while adding radiant glow and evening skin tone. Contains rare African plant extracts that are clinically proven to block melanin production and reduce hyper-pigmentation and micro light diffusing technology gives hands an instant glowing and luminescent appearance. Advanced emulsion system imparts water-resistant, non-greasy softness.

I must say I was not happy to see a random hand cream in this box (even though I knew I would received it). It's super light and it's absorbed incredibly quickly into the skin without leaving any residue behind, but still, it's not moisturizing enough for my patches of eczema. Also, because I don't have a problem with hyperpigmentation, I almost immediately gave this cream to my mother.

I think I would prefer if Julep included more manicure related products instead of skin care products. I would have personally be happier to receiv three nail polishes, or even, two nail polishes and a top coat. Who needs another hand cream, after all?

Heather and Blake Julep Nail Vernis $14 for 8mL / .27 FL OZ

Professional quality “4-free” nail polish formulation, developed without carcinogens such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP.

From my past experience with Julep Maven, I already knew that I would not like Heather. Yes it's pretty in the bottle (I'm in love with greige nail polishes) but I personally think the metallic finish spoils it all. I have a preference for cream finish but Heather just looks dull in my opinion. It's not as pigmented as I would have liked it to be on the nails (I needed three coats to be somewhat happy with it), and of course, it chipped after only 2 days, which is not what I would have expected from a $14 nail polish!

Blake was love at first sight - it's the sole reason why I chose the Boho Glam box! I love yellow nail polishes, they cheer me up and they just look unique! The only yellow nail polish I had in my collection was Avon Nailwear Pro in Sunshine and as happy as it made me feel, it was still more of a mustard-y yellow and I've been on the hunt forever for a more banana-y yellow... well I have finally found it in Blake!

I think the formula is perfect - smooth, creamy and easy to apply. The color is perfectly opaque after 2 shades and OMG, this thing clings to the nails like crazy! Blake lasted a good four days on my finger nails without any chip, and I couldn't resist to apply it on my toe nails too... where it lasted about 2 full weeks! Wow!

My opinion has still not changed about Julep Maven - I'm not sure it's worth the $19.99 a month becaue none of their shades are truly unique and so far, I have only been happy with their cream nail polishes. For more details on Julep Maven, please see my Classic With A Twist Intro Box review.

I have a little surprise for you lovely ladies! Feel free to use the code GABYSBEAUTYBLOG at checkout to receive your first Julep Maven Sneak Peek Box for just $5! (valued over $40).

CLOSED - Giveaway: Win A Julep Maven Intro Box Of Your Choice!

If you appreciated my review of the Julep Maven Classic With A Twist Intro Box, now here is your chance to win it for yourself, or if you prefer, you could also take the Julep Maven Style Quiz  and receive the according Intro Box - it's up to you!


Rules:

• This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only
• You have to follow Gaby's Beauty Blog via GFC (you don't need to have a blog)
• Giveaway/freebie "hunters" or blogs made solely for giveaways will be disqualified (my giveaways are to thank the lovely ladies who truly read my blog!)
• Do not fill out the Rafflecopter form more than once (I have your IP address)
• This giveaway ends on February 23 at 12:01 am.

To enter (mandatory):

• Fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post (when asked for your GFC or any other extra info, you MUST provide them in the according field or else you will be disqualified! I thought it was common sense but apparently, some people did not understand!)

Good luck!!!

Please wait for the Rafflecopter form to load!

Julep Maven Classic With A Twist Intro Box

Welcome to VIP treatment - because your opinion matters to us.
YOU are our favorite beauty editor! 

Become a Julep Maven to get beauty editor treatment and style! 

Being a Maven, gives you exclusive access to COLOR! You get it first, and YOU decide how often you want to receive your beauty editor Sneak Peek Box. 

For just $19.99 a month, you'll receive over $40 worth of trendsetting polish colors and cutting-edge treatment products each month customized in a gift-able Sneak Peek Box. Each Sneak Peek Box features new, never before released colors and treatments FIRST to you, before anyone else. Your box also includes hits and cult favorites - the products we like to keep on the top of editors' minds
. 

Which magazine beauty editor's style are you most like? Take our Julep Maven Style Quiz to find out!

I was not familiar with Julep Maven before being offered to be sent an introductory box and even though there's tons of those subscription services on the market already, I like that this one focuses on nail polishes - no to mention they are free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin!

Here's what my Classic With A Twist Intro Box contained:

• Julep "Facial For Hands" Glycolic Hand Scrub
• Nicole Julep Nail Vernis (shimmery brick red)
• Whitney Julep Nail Vernis (mushroom greige, the perfect neutral)
• Glitter pot for nails
• Julep Everyday SPF SPF 30 Han Cream sample 
• Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener sample

Facial For Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub $32 for 89mL / 3 FL OZ

Unique double-exfoliating action of glycolic acid and apricot seeds reveal noticeably softer and younger looking hands after just one use. Gentle, non-sudsing natural esters whisk away dirt and excess oil while comabtting flakiness. Radically boosts effectiveness of hands cream.

Because of my eczema, I have to be super careful regarding what I use on my hands and I must that, as delicious as this hand scrub smelled (orange, yum!), I was hesitant to use it on my hands because the slightest touch can trigger severe eczema flare-ups. I decided that I had to give it a try - the truth is that I just could not resist to the smell - and wow, I was amazed at the texture and at how soft my hands were left after only one use!

I love that this scrub is non foaming, so you really get a good exfoliation because the beads take more time to "vanish". I think they are quite abrasive, just like I like them! Julep says that Facial For Hands can be used to cleanse and exfoliate your hands, and also that it is gentle enough to be used every time you wash your hands, which I'm not sure applies to my eczema-prone hands, but I decided that I will use it a few times a week on my hands and one time a week on my body.

Nicole and Whitney Julep Nail Vernis $14 for 8mL / .27 FL OZ

Professional quality “4-free” nail polish formulation, developed without carcinogens such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP. Shine on! $1 will be donated to organizations that support women through our Powered by Girlfriends program.

Nicole is very pretty in the bottle, it looks like a very dark red, almost burgundy, with a hint of shimmer - however, on the nails, it's more like a blood red and I have found that it applies quite unevenly - I was not able to get the opacity I was hoping for after 2 coats. It's still pretty, but I have tons of red nail polishes already, and this one is nothing special. Also, I prefer creme finish for nail polishes but I'm glad this one is not overly shimmery.

Whitney, on the other side, is LOVE! I'm seriously a sucker for greige nail polish and this one is just perfect. It's a cream, the formula is thick and easy to apply and it's perfectly opaque and pigmented. I have found Whitney chips less quickly than Nicole - Whitney lasts about 3 - 4 days while Nicole tends to chip after the second day.

What I personally like with Julep Maven compared to most of the other subscription box services out there is that you can see what you are going to get each month, so you can choose to skip a month if you are not fond of the products. I know some people prefer surprises, but I would be too afraid to be disappointed and for my $19.99 to go to waste.

Honestly, I'm not sure this Julep Maven is for me because I already have too many nail polishes in my collection and none of the shades that Julep currently offer are very unique nor really appeal to me, but please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion. I know there are a lot of nail polish junkies out there and I'm sure you will be over the moon with this service!

I was kindly confirmed that Julep does not test on animals - Julep employees are animal lovers and they would never approve of animal testing. In fact, Patti, Julep's Product Director, would rather test on herself before anything else. Julep also has four Julep Nail Parlor locations in the greater Seattle area and they perform their secondary testing there on amazing customers who let them try and test our products all the time! I was also assured you that all of Julep products are vegan - animal products or by products are never used for anything that Julep makes.

Julep is comitted to creating vibrant nail color and the most effective mani and pedi care products. All products follow their Girlfriend's Oath to pack in lots of good stuff without any of the toxins and carcinogens. Julep is serious about supporting girlfriends everywhere, that's why they donate $1 from every nail color sold to organizations that support women through their Power by Girlfriends progam.

I have a little surprise for you lovely ladies! Feel free to use the code GABYSBEAUTYBLOG at checkout to receive your first Julep Maven Sneak Peek Box for just $5! (valued over $40).

Disclaimer: One or more products were sent to me for consideration to review. I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the products were free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Mail of the Week (January 23 - 27)

I Love... Strawberries & Milkshake products to review I was given the wonderful opportunity to test and review some I Love... products in the flavor I wanted and even thought I had a hard time making my mind, I finally decided to go with Strawberries & Milkshake. I was sent a Body Butter, a Bubble Bath & Shower Gel and a Shower Smoothie. These products actually smell more like Strawberry Daiquiri or an alcoholic drink of the like to me, but it's still yummy! Stay tuned for my ucpoming review... as well as a little surprise for you guys (:

My prize from Shaylee Anne I was lucky enough to win a MAC High-Light Powder in Golden Nectar from the Naked Honey collection, which is a muted golden tan with gold shimmer. This powder features a beautiful embossed honeycomb pattern. It is super fine, impeccably pearlized and it creates soft high lights on cheek, brow, shoulders – anywhere on the body. I usually don't bother with highlight powders on a daily basis becaux I don't know, I'm not convinced they really do somethin, and honestly, I'm just too lazy =P But for this one, I will definitely make an exception, it's just too pretty not to to use! Thanks Shaylee! =D

ShaToBu High Waist Get Fit Tight ShaToBu has come up with a revolutionary shaper that helps women shape, tone and burn more calories during everyday activities. Yes, the benefits go beyond ordinary shapewear - ShaToBu instantly gives a sleeker silhouette, but women can also see and feel a difference in their bodies with regular use over time. By incorporating resistance bands right into the garment, muscles work a little harder and more calories are burned during daily activities. This just sounds too amazing not to give it a try!

My 1¢ Julep Maven Intro Box They recently had a wicked deal for a 1¢ intro box so of course, I had to take advantage of it! I'm not telling you which one I chose yet, I want to dedicate a complete post to this box =P

♫  Turn Me On - David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj

Mail of the Week (January 9 - 13)

I didn't get tons of exciting things in the mail recently not to mention the postal service is on hiatus during the Holidays, but I know some of you love these kind of posts so I felt bad not posting it for what... three weeks? I even contemplated - again - to stop posting what I get in the mail but I don't want angry readers =P Oh well, I hope you will enjoy this post anyway!

Marcelle BB Cream I don't know if you remember me mentionning the big surprise at the Marcelle/Annabelle #Avant1reBeauté event... but it was the BB Cream! Yes, Marcelle came up with the first Canadian-made BB Cream formulated specially for Canadian women in pharmacies as well as mass retail stores!

If you don't know what is a BB Cream - I'll admit it, despite seeing these all over the blogosphere, I was confused before being finally able to try one for myself - well, "BB" stands for Beauty Balm and it's designed to perfects the skin to reveal a more even epidermis and well-hydrated, flawless complexion, all in one. Ideal for any age and any skin type, the Marcelle BB Cream comes in two shades and is suitable for a wide variety of carnations thanks to its self-adjusting pigments that transform and adapt to skin tone.

Marcelle BB Cream will be available at pharmacies and mass retail stores across Canada as of February 6, but while stocks lasts, beauty trend-setters like you lovely ladies will be able to order BB Cream as early as January 16! Sold at its regular price of $22.95, shipping is FREE with any purchase over $25.00 before taxes at shop.Marcelle.com. How awesome is that?

Stiletto Hardware insoles I still remember having to walk home barefoot from the Marcelle/Annabelle #Avant1reBeauté event because my new heels were killing me - of course I catched a cold after, what did I expect? I have tried quite a few shoe insoles in the past but none of them worked, not even the ones from Dr.Scholl's! They would all slip or loose their grip after a few use. I really hope these ones are different! Here's what I've been kindly sent:

• Ball-of-foot Cushions for painful high heels
• Ball-of-foot Ultra-Slender for shoes that are too tight to fit a standard size ball-of-foot pad
• Heel Cushions for flats

Introductory "Classic With a Twist" Julep Maven Box I was not familiar with Julep Maven before being offered to be sent an introductory box and even though there's tons of those subscription services on the market already, I like that this one focuses on nail polishes - no to mention they are free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin! I'm not posting the content of the box I received already because I want to dedicate a whole post to it... along with a little surprise for you lovely ladies! In the meantime, feel free to use the code GABYSBEAUTYBLOG at checkout to receive your first Julep Maven Sneak Peek Box for just $9.99! (valued over $40). Also, for a limited time only, you can use code NEWYEAR2012 to get a box for 1¢ only - yes, 1¢!

Telus 2012 calendar Telus were giving this calendar for free to all of their customers so I grabbed one for myself as it's just too cute! Now I'm stuck with three 2012 calendars though, hmm...

Winter issue of Compassion Over Killing magazine I didn't know that but COK sends out their members magazine once to twice a year. Not yet a member? Join today! You can also view this issue (and the older ones) online.

February issue of Glamour

February issue of Cosmopolitan Wow, the little Dakota Fanning is all grown up! I can't believe she's turning 18... I still remember the little girl from I Am Sam! Also, is it only me or does Cosmo really have troubles with Photoshop sometimes? Come on, I didn't even recognized her at first!

♫ Born To Die - Lana Del Rey