October 10, 2008

Josie Maran Cosmetics Review and Swatches

A few weeks ago I had blogged about Josie Maran’s new cosmetic collection and today I’m bringing you my review.

The collection was actually appealing to my eye as I liked the pink packaging that everything came in and as you know the Muse is a sucker for cute packaging. Honestly, that’s what originally attracted me to the brand. After lusting after the sweet pink metallic compacts I decided I must try it for myself and see if the content is as good as the products! Today I’m bringing you a review of a few of the items in the collection and I think I’ll be pursuing the line further so perhaps you’ll see another review shortly as I was impressed with the few pieces I’ve tried so far!

First of all, good news for the green goddesses, Josie Maran cosmetics are very green friendly in both packaging and ingredients. The Muse is the first to admit she isn’t always conscious of what goes onto her face however I do respect that many of you are so you’ll be happy to know that a majority of Jose Maran Cosmetics are paraben-free, organic, and contain many natural, non toxic ingredients. The packaging is biodegradable and recyclable so the outside packaging is just as green friendly as what’s inside it! You can find further information about the packaging, ingredients and more by clicking here.

Today I’m doing a round up review today of products I used to do one complete look. The look I created was a very simple, natural yet elegant work friendly face. I think a majority of the line creates a softer look so if you’re yearning for a bolder look you may have to look elsewhere but if you love softer colors this should be exactly what you’re looking for.

The shadows I’ve seen from the line range from soft shimmery powders to easily blendable matte shades. Yes, I know, shocking, matte shades that are easy to blend! What’s the world coming too? But it’s quite true! In the look I created I used Josie Maran Eyeshadow in Maple which is a soft matte brown. The texture is beautifully silky and smooth and it blends like a dream. I’ve never run across mattes that are easy to work with but this applied smoothly and blended in wonderfully. The shadow glides right onto the eye like butter and leaves behind nicely pigmented color!

To compliment my nude eye look I gave my cheeks a hint of natural color with Josie Maran Cream Blush in Sunrise. Sunrise is a very soft pink and comes in a weightless formula that glides on smoothly, absorbs into the skin easily, and leaves behind a soft, natural pop of color. I wish I had picked this blush up for the Summer as it would have been an ideal lightweight cream blush for the warmer weather!

In consideration of how light and fresh my look was turning out I thought a darker color of lipstick would be ideal so I used Josie Maran Lipstick in Devious to spice things up a little bit! The formula is lightweight and moisturizing while manging to keep a good healthy pigmentation when applied. Devious is possibly the truest red I own in my collection and I quite love how it complimented my natural face and eye look!

Since I’m ALWAYS on a concealer binge, I, of course, needed to try out Josie Maran Concealer for myself. Although I’m a self confessed hater of stick concealers this was actually an interesting little concealer. It’s not smooth enough to be call moisturizing in all honestly however it still manages to have a certain thickness to it and staying power that I found interesting. It doesn’t crease into fine lines or cake for that matter and it’s a bit too drying for my already dry under eyes however this doesn’t prevent me from actually liking it. It works well at hiding light to medium dark circles and it manages to stay exactly where you put it. It just sticks really well to the under eye area and doesn’t move which I thought was a big plus and a redeeming quality considering it’s not as moisturizing as I like my concealers to be! The color I choose was the lightest shade which is entitled Butter. Butter was slightly disappointing as it contained a healthy amount of beige and being the lightest shade available it still looked too dark for me however it actually does do a good job of freshening up my eyes and making me look awake as any good concealer should!

Here’s my completed look using the products I just reviewed:

Swatches from Left to Right: Josie Maran Eye Shadow in Maple, Josie Maran Lipstick in Devious, Josie Maran Cream Blush in Sunrise, and Josie Maran Concealer in Butter

Overall, I liked the items I tried from Josie Maran cosmetics. I know I’ll be going back for more shadows for sure as I loved the buttery smooth formula and I think I’ll indulge in another cream blush for myself! I’m also very curious about the tinted moisturizer!

You can see more of the offerings from Josie Maran by visiting www.josiemarancosmetics.com

How about you?

Tried any of Josie Maran’s new line?

Want to?

Tell the Muse!

Further Information About Josie Maran Cosmetics

12 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Dao

    You glow girl! Josie Maran used to be a model for Maybelline, isn’t she? She’s as cute as a button.

  • Gee

    Have you ever heard of PeaceKeeper Cause-metics? I have a friend at PK and apparently, she totally ripped the eco-friendly idea and some ingredients from them.

    I was hoping to hear a crappy review about it b/c of it, lol. Ah well, karma! What comes around, goes around 😛

  • the Muse

    jkim it’s good stuff 🙂 I’m going back for the TM 🙂 and I want to try more of the shadows 🙂

    Stop back and do tell me what you get and how you like it 🙂

  • savannah

    This is my favorite brand of all time. The bronzer is the best bronzer ever. The cream blush and tinted moisturizer gives my skin the best glow ever. My HG of tinted moisturizer, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, etc. 🙂 I don’t even have to moisturize my face before using the tinted moisturizer. It feels heavenly. Although people with oily skin might think otherwise.

    • the Muse

      hey savannah I really like some of her stuff too 😀 I really like her argan oil! It’s lovely 😀 I’ll have to try the TM!!

  • jojoba (My Makeup Reviews)

    super super lush packaging and colouring on you! i love JM’s My favourite powders (one colour’s already totally used up!) and I love her new Natural Wodner Powder Palette too. I only wish her lipstick wasn’t as slippery and smelly (largely because of the organic ingredients as i read…)

  • lexi

    I’m getting into her a little now – haven’t tried anything, but I do love how argan oil acts on my skin and hair.
    have you tried her pressed powder?