What Julep does

Julep is a direct-to-consumer beauty brand founded in 2007 and headquartered in Seattle, with operations and customer support functions in New York. The company sells a portfolio of more than 50 makeup and skincare products organized across eyes, lips, face, and skincare categories, with a flagship franchise built around the Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Eyeshadow Stick and complementary products including the When Pencil Met Gel All-Day Eyeliner, Length Matters Mascara, and Brow 101 Waterproof Pencil + Tinted Gel. Product development is grounded in Korean beauty-inspired, skin-friendly formulations, with proprietary technologies such as a crème-to-powder conversion format, a polymer-based longwear eyeliner formula, and combination 2-in-1 product formats (pencil + gel) that prioritize ease of application and multitasking.

The company monetizes through one-time unit-priced sales of individual products ($10-$25 typical price points) and curated bundle sets (duos from $28, trios from $34-$72, complete kits up to $113). Its go-to-market is product-led growth anchored by a Try Before You Buy program that allows customers to trial products before paying, a tiered loyalty program (Club Julep with Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers), and shade-selection tooling such as the Eyeshadow 101 Shade Quiz. Distribution runs through the julep.com Shopify storefront and Amazon marketplace, with global shipping to the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and across Europe. Julep targets primarily busy women seeking effortless, quick-application beauty routines, with secondary segmentation by eye color (Blue, Brown, Hazel, Green collections) for shade curation. The company has raised approximately $81M in venture funding across 2007-2016 from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Maveron, Madrona, Altimeter Capital, and Trinity Capital, with no disclosed capital raises since June 2016.

Name

Julep

Legal name

Julep

Website

https://julep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Julep is a direct-to-consumer beauty brand founded in 2007, selling 50+ makeup and skincare products through its julep.com storefront and Amazon. It targets busy women with Korean beauty-inspired, multitasking formulations, a Try Before You Buy program, and eye-color-specific shade curation, shipping globally from its Seattle base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Color Cosmetics

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint) (CRABACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clean/Organic/Natural Makeup (Positioning-based Color Cosmetics) (CRABACAJ)

Keywords

• Color cosmetics
• Beauty products
• Skincare products
• Direct to consumer beauty
• Eye makeup

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Julep generates revenue through direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of makeup and skincare products. Products are sold at fixed price points with occasional promotional discounts. The brand also sells through Amazon marketplace, indicated by product listings optimized for the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Julep is a direct-to-consumer beauty brand that develops, manufactures, and sells its own makeup and skincare products through its owned e-commerce website (julep.com) and Amazon marketplace. The portfolio spans eyes (eyeshadow sticks, eyeliners, mascaras, brow products), lips (lip crayons, glosses, oils, liners), face (color sticks, complexion products), and skincare (cleansers, pimple patches, microneedle rollers, konjac sponges). The brand emphasizes Korean beauty-inspired, multitasking formulations designed for quick, tool-free application.

Product overview

Julep is a direct-to-consumer beauty brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of makeup and skincare products primarily designed for busy women seeking effortless, quick-application beauty solutions. The core product line centers on the Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Eyeshadow Stick franchise, complemented by the When Pencil Met Gel All-Day Eyeliner and Length Matters Mascara in the eye category. Lip offerings include the It's Balm Full Coverage Lip Crayon, So Plush lip gloss and oil collection, and It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse. Skincare features include cleansing oils, cream cleansers, pimple patches, and microneedling tools. The brand organizes products by eye color (Blue, Brown, Hazel, Green collections) and offers curated Value Sets and multi-product kits. Julep also operates a loyalty program (Club Julep Rewards) and Try Before You Buy service. The brand is rooted in Korean beauty principles with skin-friendly formulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Eyeshadow Stick Waterproof crème-to-powder eyeshadow stick with built-in smudger, available in matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes; delivers crease-proof, all-day color with vitamin E and vitamin C for skin defense and brightening.
• When Pencil Met Gel All-Day Eyeliner Long-wearing gel eyeliner combining pencil ease with gel smoothness; tug-free, quick-setting formula delivering 10+ hour wear in 24+ matte and shimmer shades.
• Length Matters Buildable Lengthening Mascara No-clump mascara that volumizes, defines, and curls lashes; formulated with beeswax for flexible hold and vitamin B5 and aloe for conditioning.
• Brow 101 Waterproof Pencil + Tinted Gel Two-in-one brow product combining a waterproof pencil for filling arches with a tinted transfer-proof gel for setting and sculpting; contains jojoba oil, synthetic beeswax, and apricot oil.
• It's Balm Full Coverage Lip Crayon Full-coverage lip crayon with vitamin E and sunflower butter for conditioning and moisture lock-in; available in 23+ shades with finely milled pigments.
• So Plush Glossy Lip Oil Glossy lip oil providing hydration and shine to lips.
• So Plush Plumper Lip Gloss Lip plumping gloss formulated to add volume and glossy shine to the lips.
• So Plush Ultra-Hydrating Lip Gloss Ultra-hydrating lip gloss delivering moisture and a glossy finish.
• It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse Matte lip mousse delivering full coverage with a light, airy texture.
• With a Trace Retractable Lip Liner Retractable lip liner providing precise application and color definition.
• Skip the Brush 2-in-1 Color Stick for Cheeks and Lips Multi-use color stick for contouring, blush, and highlighting on both cheeks and lips; cream-to-powder formula for versatile application.
• 24/7 Shea Butter Balm Lip Treatment All-day lip balm treatment with shea butter for deep hydration and nourishment.
• So Appealing Wipe-Off Lip Tint Peel-off lip tint product for temporary color application.
• Vitamin E Hydrating Cleansing Oil + Makeup Remover Cleansing oil and makeup remover with vitamin E for hydrating makeup removal.
• Green Tea Makeup Removing Cleansing Cream Cleansing cream with green tea for gentle makeup removal and skincare.
• Vitamin E Hydrating Cream Cleanser Cream cleanser with vitamin E for hydrating facial cleansing.
• Patch Me Up Waterproof Pimple Patches Hydrocolloid waterproof pimple patches for targeted acne treatment.
• Slowpoke Microneedling Facial Roller Microneedling facial roller for at-home skincare treatments.
• Charcoal Konjac Face Sponge Exfoliating cleansing tool made from konjac with charcoal for deep pore cleansing.
• Lip Pudding Deep-Hydration Lip Balm Deep-hydration lip balm for intensive lip moisture and care.
• Cushion Complexion Concealer+Corrector+Foundation with Turmeric All-in-one complexion product combining concealer, color corrector, and foundation with turmeric for comprehensive base makeup.
• Bright Intentions Under Eye Color Corrector Under-eye color corrector for brightening and concealing dark circles.
• Brow 101 Clear Gel Clear brow gel for setting and holding eyebrow shape without color.
• 24/7 Lip Treatment Nourishing Mask + Exfoliating Scrub Two-step lip treatment combining a nourishing mask and exfoliating scrub for complete lip care.
• Torpedo Eye + Lip Pencil Sharpener Dual-tip pencil sharpener designed for both eye and lip pencils, with a mess-free design that catches shavings.
• Eyeshadow 101 Eye Color Trios (Blue-Eyed & Bold, Brown-Eyed & Breezy, Hazel-Eyed & Happy, Green-Eyed & Glowing) Curated eyeshadow trio sets designed to enhance specific eye colors; each trio includes three crème-to-powder eyeshadow sticks in complementary shades.
• Value Sets Collection Bundled product sets offering curated combinations of Julep products at discounted prices, including duo sets, trio sets, and multi-product kits.
• The All-in-One Hazel Eye Kit (Eyes, Lips, & Cheeks) Five-piece kit featuring Eyeshadow 101, mascara, lip balm, color stick, and eyeliner curated for hazel-eyed customers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Honest Beauty: Honest Beauty is a clean color cosmetics and skincare brand selling through DTC and major retail, directly comparable to Julep in clean beauty positioning and target customer.
• Glossier: Glossier is a pioneering DTC beauty brand offering makeup, skincare, and fragrance with a similar direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, eye color-inspired product stories, and a comparable millennial-skewing customer base to Julep.
• Kosas: Kosas is a DTC clean color cosmetics and skincare brand with similar positioning around skin-friendly, multi-use products and a comparable mid-premium price point to Julep.
• Ilia Beauty: Ilia Beauty is a clean color cosmetics brand with a strong DTC and Sephora presence and skin-friendly, natural-inspired formulations directly comparable to Julep's positioning.
• Tower 28 Beauty: Tower 28 is a DTC beauty brand focused on non-toxic, sensitive-skin-friendly makeup, directly competing with Julep in the clean color cosmetics space across eyes, lips, and face.
• Milk Makeup: Milk Makeup shares Julep's multi-use stick format innovation (color sticks, eye sticks) and direct-to-consumer positioning, with comparable price points and a similar focus on effortless, on-the-go application.
• RMS Beauty: RMS Beauty is a clean color cosmetics brand with a similar skin-friendly, organic-focused formulation philosophy and a DTC-plus-retail distribution model that overlaps with Julep's go-to-market.

Emerging players

• Merit Beauty: Merit Beauty is an emerging minimalist beauty brand focused on effortless, multi-use products that target similar busy-women use cases as Julep, with growing DTC and Sephora distribution.

Broad incumbents

• e.l.f. Beauty: e.l.f. Beauty is a mass-market color cosmetics powerhouse offering affordable makeup across eyes, lips, and face with broad retail distribution, competing with Julep on accessible price points and breadth.
• Tarte Cosmetics: Tarte is an established color cosmetics brand with a natural/clean positioning similar to Julep, sold through Sephora, Ulta, and DTC with a much larger scale and product breadth.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpk73wmZqKGXCIbidi7RWDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/julep
• Instagraminstagram.com/julepbeauty/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@julepbeauty
• Pinterestpinterest.com/julepbeauty
• Xx.com/JulepMaven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/julep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Julep