Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Powder Veil Review

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

This compact can brighten up a dull skin and erase some time off of your face with its soft natural glow.

I am a big fan of highlighting products.  The reason I am so obsessed with them is because with the soft glow they can give the skin, it can subtract a few years from a face to make it look younger.  Therefore, I was pleased when PR kindly sent Josie Maran’s Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Powder Veil along for me to test.

This is a buttery-textured, champagne colored powder that has micro-fine shimmers that can give skin a natural glow with its beautiful golden-beige cast of light.  It is easy to blend and just the thing to wake up a dull complexion and enhance any foundation with its extra radiance.

I really liked how this silky formula complimented my fair warm complexion with its more neutral beige toned sheen instead of one being overly glittery, powdery looking or having too much white or pink to it.

If you’re interested in a great natural looking highlighting powder, I definitely recommend checking Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Powder Veil ($30) because I think it could work with practically any skin tone to help it along!

Review: Josie Maran Whimsical Wonder Argan Oil Color Essentials Set for Upping Your Holiday Beauty!

**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 Whimsical Wonder Argan Oil Color Essentials 

The holidays are the perfect time for you to shine.  If you want your face to genuinely glow with a natural unmade look, then argan oil inspired cosmetics like the ones that PR sent with Josie Maran's Whimsical Wonder Argan Oil Color Essentials Set is the way to go.

You got to love the nourishing and protective skin benefits each product in this kit has for bolstering your beauty.  After all, cosmetics can add color but you can’t always say all provide such a rich source of antioxidants and squalene from argan oil to treat your complexion at the same time.

Five products in Whimsical Wonder Argan Oil Color Essentials Set

Inside this $34 kit with a value of $72, you get five sample-size versions of Josie Maran products.  These include the following: 
- 0.5 oz. 100% Pure Argan Oil Light 
- 0.16 oz. Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow in Beach Sand 
- 0.095 oz. Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée 
- 0.17 oz. Argan Black Oil Mascara 
- 0.23 oz. Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer 

I never tried her original formula of Argan Oil to compare the Pure Argan Oil Light with. However, I liked how this product absorbed without any greasy feel left on my complexion.  This one was nice as a moisturizer or to prime before makeup.

The Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelees are wonderful for giving your complexion a fresh, hydrated sort of flush due to the abundance of coconut water in the formula. With my light warm complexion, I thought Pink Escape gave my cheeks just enough of a sheer wash of healthy pink color.

Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Pink Escape

To draw more attention to my cheekbones, I had the Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer to do the trick.  This gently gives the skin a champagne gleam to it wherever you apply.

For some reason, I never got around to picking up any of the Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadows until now.  I got a small bottle of the color Beach Sand, a liquid shadow complete with a doe-foot applicator that you need to vigorously shake to blend the pigment with the argan oil before using.  I would describe the color as a metallic beige-copper that is so neutral for about any coloring or outfit.  It went on smoothly and looked lovely without the same problems associated with dry eye shadow that can occasionally get into your eye from its flying powder.

Another first for me was experimenting with the Argan Black Oil Mascara.  This formula left my lashes emphasized beautifully with more length and volume.  They felt softer and not hard.  Furthermore, my sensitive eyes did not experience any irritation, clumping or fallout.  

The great thing about buying this Whimsical Wonder Argan Color Essential collection for yourself or those ladies on your holiday gift list is that you can try a variety of Josie Maran products in one box to find exactly the shades and products that you like the best before buying full-size.  

 You can find this kit at Sephora.  Do look for it!

Josie Maran Cosmetics Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelees Trio Review + ($66) Giveaway!--Ends October 10, 2014

Disclaimer: This post is based on a free product provided by a company as a press sample so that I may offer my own opinion, which may be the same or differ from yours.

Josie Maran

An incredibly natural way to blush is with Josie Maran’s Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelees.  Their natural sheer glow helps get you effortlessly gorgeous in a formula that really holds up for hours.  I was fortunate to be sent three for this review and giveaway.  

Take a look at Berry Bliss.

There are a six shades in this line.  Berry Bliss is an ideal Fall color of a sheer wine. Coconut Oasis is a tangerine orange color that was my least favorite of the three with the yellow tones in my skin. On the other hand, Getaway Red delivers a red wash of color that also suited my fair to light warm complexion very well.

Here is Coconut Oasis.

What surprised me was the feel when I first put a finger in it. This gelee looks like it would have a looser, wiggly type of consistency and smell of coconuts. Instead, it is rather firm and void of scent.  But, this gelee was still easy to apply and blend.  A little of the product was all that was necessary to awaken my cheeks like the blush came from me and not a jar.

This one is Getaway Red.

Though this product adequately moisturized and felt lightweight on my dry skin, I had expected more intensive hydration from its formula featuring 50% coconut water to 100% argan oil.  Still, I cannot complain especially when considering how long this blush wears.  In fact, this product can adhere to your skin so well that you might need to work a little harder to take this gelee off!

Have you tried these Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelees ($22) yet?  If not, I do recommend look into picking one or few up because you will like them.

Disclaimer: Free products were provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

Thanks to Josie Maran Cosmetics, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the United States wins all three Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelees (Berry Bliss, Getaway Red, and Coconut Oasis) for a $66 total value!

Mandatory to Enter: 

You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count. INCLUDE your ***EMAIL*** with NAME in a comment even if you already follow! 

Extra Entries:

(Provide proof once with email when doing each form of entry and number the rest):

Tweet! Be a #BlushingBeauty! #Win #CoconutWatercolorCheekGeleesTrio @josie_maran ($66) Giveaway @Nuts4Stuff  http://bit.ly/1mT2yPr--Ends 10/10/14

Go to Josie Maran Cosmetics and tell me what other product would you love to try in another comment--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

"Like" Josie Maran Cosmetics on Facebook--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Follow Josie Maran Cosmetics on Twitter--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Follow Josie Maran Cosmetics on Pinterest--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Subscribe to Josie Maran Cosmetics on YouTube--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Follow Josie Maran Cosmetics on Instagram--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

"Like" Nuts 4 Stuff on Facebook--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments)

Add @Nuts4Stuff to Your Twitter and tell me so in your comment with your Twitter id--3 extra entries to leave in three separate comments

Subscribe to the Nuts 4 Stuff blog by email--3 extra entries (must confirm) to leave in three separate comments

Subscribe to Nuts 4 Stuff in a reader--3 extra entries (Orange button in my sidebar) to leave in three separate comments

Follow Nuts 4 Stuff on Bloglovin'--10 extra entries to leave in ten separate comments

Boost on Blog Nation--5 extra entries to leave in five separate comments with proof in one.

List this giveaway on any giveaway site just leave a link to this post wherever you share it--8 extra entries (leave eight separate comments and tell me where with proof in one of them)

Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link to the post--6 extra entries (leave six separate comments and tell me where with proof in one of them)

Grab my Nuts 4 Stuff button and paste it in your sidebar--10 extra entries (leave ten separate comments and tell me where you left it with proof in one of them)

Add Nuts 4 Stuff to your blogroll  (using my URL) with a link back to me (comment where you left it for five more extra entries to leave in five separate comments)

Leave a comment on another one of my posts--3 extra entries to leave in three separate comments

Leave another comment on a second post--4 additional extra entries to leave in four separate comments 

Enter another Nuts 4 Stuff giveaway (enter as many as you want, however, only 1 extra entry will count) and tell me which one in a comment--1 extra entry

Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.  This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States.  No PO boxes only USA-based street addresses are eligible.

**Any entries that contain a link or website address for redirecting readers to your site to sell your products will be deleted when found.  I am giving you a chance to win, not advertise for free.*** Do follow the rules because I check entries.   Be alert that if you attempt to enter using multiple identities will be grounds for disqualification. 

This giveaway ends October 10, 2014 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

Review: Josie Maran Argan Color Sticks (Spice & Red)

**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 Argan Color Sticks Line

I loved the idea of Josie Maran’s Argan Color Sticks as a convenient, portable way to revive pale cheeks in a flash.  I got a chance to two of the shades when they arrived for this review.

Spice is a natural looking rosy brown that provides a sheer, healthy glow.  Check out the color below.

Josie Maran Argan Color Spice Stick.

Red is also a warm tone of a sheer brick red as you can see below.

Josie Maran Argan Red Color Stick

These creme blushes go on smoothly while nourishing cheeks and even lips with argan oil, apricot kernel oil, cocoa butter, mango seed, avocado, shea butters, lemon tree oil,   

and vitamin E.  It has menthol as well, which gives it a gentle cooling effect.

Feel good about knowing this brand is produced without parabens or potentially harmful chemicals that could give you reason for concern.  This brand also does not test on animals for the sake of beauty.

You’ll appreciate how natural these tints look against your skin.  Now I’m intrigued about whether I would like more these or the Coconut Cheek Gelee that I also heard a lot of good things about.

If you haven’t tried Josie Maran’s Argan Color Sticks ($22), then I do recommend giving them a shot.   

*Disclaimer: Free products were provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

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.*