Review + Swatches: Josie Maran's Argan Beautiful Eyes Palette (Beautiful Smoke)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Josie Maran's Argan Beautiful Eyes Palette (Beautiful Smoke) 

Though Josie Maran's Argan Beautiful Eyes is also available in equally bewitching palettes such as Beautiful Nudes, Beautiful Purples, and Beautiful Blues, I was immediately drawn to Beautiful Smoke.  Those smoldering shades in this set of four coordinated eye shadows and one shadow liner really got my heart soaring as I gazed in admiration at the gold-toned compact in my hand.

What makes these powder shadows different from other brands is the fact these pigments are infused with argan oil along with floral and fruit extracts to give them a creamier, smoother texture.  In the process, this naturally formulated palette helps treat the skin of the eye area to keep its best condition without any parabens or synthetic fragrances.

Here is the opened Josie Maran Argan Beautiful Eyes (Beautiful Smoke) Palette in a different light.

With that argan oil, I had been expecting these shadows to be a softer texture instead of slightly hard when I swatched them.  However, this is only a problem is you are planning to use a sponge-applicator instead of a brush. 

If you use a sponge-applicator then you might be disappointed in how sheer the shades become when blending.  Instead of blaming the shadow, you are best to blame the applicator because it does distort and make that application a challenge.  

Once I swiped these shadows with my medium size eye shadow brush, I got more color and had an easier time to smoke those shades out since they go on very smoothly.  Something else I want to mention is the powder clung to the brush better than I expected without creating excess dust to irritate eyes.

Starting near my wrist and working down my arm is the steely-gray eye shadow shade, then the silver, dark brown, and ending with the off-white.  These were applied with a sponge applicator, which lightened those shades against my skin.

I followed the directions on the back of this compact to see how these shades were meant to be applied.  I started with cool dark ash brown shade that has some taupe to it on my lid.  Next, I applied the shimmering silver color over the crease and carefully blended against the brown.  I did not go overboard with too much shadow since I wanted the effect a soft, illuminating haze surrounding my dark brown eyes.  On the outer corners, I layered the darker shimmering steely-gray and subtly blended.  To highlight, I tried on the off-white shade and worked it in. Along my lash line, I used the matte charcoal shade with enough for emphasis before smoking everything together again.

I do also recommend using an eye primer first to make these shadows wear for the longest amount of time, especially if you are going heavier on the shadows for a glamorous, nighttime look.

I was quite pleased with the effects I achieved with this Josie Maran's Beautiful Argan Eyes Palette.  Have you tried any Beautiful Argan Eyes shadows yet?  They retail for $36 at Josie Maran.  Do look into this line and think about which of those pretty palettes would make the most of your own eyes.
*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  A free product was provided solely to facilitate this review.*