Review -- Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals and Lip Gloss in Timeless and Posh

 So I've been a Julep Maven for about a year and a half.

It's another of those monthly subscription boxes, but this one is put out by Julep, a company mainly known for their nail polishes.

The difference between the Julep Maven box and others is that you can choose to receive or skip the box in any given month -- and they show you what's coming in your box each month to help you make your decision.

I typically skip every other month or so because I've got so much nail polish that unless a shade really catches my eye, I can't justify the expense.

However, over the past year or so, Julep has been expanding in makeup products and my box type (there are several different categories that you can be placed in based on how you fill out your profile; keep in mind that you can change your category for a given month if a different box appeals to you) has included these color products instead of nail polish the past few months.

You know me -- I can't resist trying new makeup, so I've been getting the boxes a little more often.

But you don't have to be a Julep Maven to purchase products from Julep, so I thought I would review a couple of the items I've tried recently in case you're curious.

The Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals is Julep's answer to all the nude/natural shadow palettes out there. It contains five shadows: Tiramisu,a satin beige; Glow, a shimmery golden bronze; Dusk, a satin mauve-y brown; Toffee, a shimmery bronze; and Cocoa, a dark brown with gold shimmer.

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals (from l. to r.): Tiramisu, Glow, Dusk, Toffee, and Cocoa

Julep's shadow formula is actually pretty nice. They are soft and they blend easily on the eyes. When used with a shadow primer, they last all day without creasing.They are a little powdery, though -- I don't notice it so much when I'm applying them to the eye, but as you can probably tell from the photo of the palette, the packaging gets a little messy after use.

I like the shades a lot too. I would quibble with the idea that these are neutrals, though -- they all seem to lean a little warm. (But that's fine with me because these kinds of warm natural shades are really flattering on my blue eyes.) I particularly like Dusk, which strikes me as a slightly unique color because of its mauve undertones.

I do think that there could be more variety among the shades, though. The three darkest shades, Dusk, Toffee, and Cocoa, are all similiar in intensity, so when I did a look using all five shades, they all wound up blending into each other and looking pretty much like one shade.

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals (from l. to r.): Tiramisu, Glow, Dusk, Toffee, and Cocoa

The palette comes in black cardboard packaging with a small mirror on the inside. It's very small itself, so it would be easy to throw in your bag to take along during the day or travel with.

I also received the Julep Lip Gloss in Timeless, a sheer pale nude, and Posh, a sheer blackberry color in another box.

I really like these -- they aren't the least bit sticky, but they're slightly thick so their staying power is pretty good. They also have a delicious sort of cotton candy scent when first applied that I absolutely love.

Julep Lip Glosses in Posh (top) and Timeless (bottom)

Julep Lip Glosses in Posh (l.) & Timeless (r.)

Julep Lip Gloss in Timeless

Julep Lip Gloss in Posh

Timeless is a perfect gloss for topping nude lipsticks, but it's very light and sheer so it doesn't work particularly well on its own. Posh, on the the other hand, is sheer but it's still dark and pigmented enough to wear on its own.  I really like this color for the fall and winter.

Julep Lip Glosses in Posh (l.) & Timeless (r.)

Here's the thing about both the eyeshadow palette and the glosses, though -- while I like both products quite a bit and would recommend them, I feel like they're kind of overpriced.

The palette retails for $24, but only contains 6 grams of product. The glosses are $16 each for 0.25 fluid ounces of product.

I received the items in boxes that contained at least one other full size product and paid $20 for the entire thing -- for that price, I think they're more than worth it.  At their individual prices, though, I'm not sure I would suggest getting them.

The good news is that Julep has coupon codes from time to time, so if you spot one and are interested in the palette or glosses, I would definitely give them a try.

If you're interested in becoming a Julep Maven, you can sign up here. (FYI -- this is my referral link and I do get points in the Julep rewards program for anyone who signs up through it.) Right now, they only ship to the U.S. and Canada, but their FAQ section claims that they're hoping to expand their shipping area soon.

Are you a Julep Maven? Have you tried any of their makeup products?