You might have noticed that blushers hardly ever get featured here on Witoxicity and I have a good reason for that. One word: Acne.
I err on the side of caution and would rather not flirt with blushers (and foundations and concealers). In fact, for a very long time, I went without blushers and hey, it wasn't the end of the world for me. Then, round about the time I embarked on my journey of beauty awakening, I took a gamble and bought my first blusher in umpteen years, a blush duo called Jane Iredale Twice Blushed Cheek Color Kit in Ginger & Whisper. You've seen it floating around on Witoxicity as I use that sometimes for my Face posts.
I don't mean to sound dramatic but well, this
is historical for me. This Josie Maran Argan Color Stick is only the second blusher that I've owned in
all my adult life. I was fortunate enough to have won it in a giveaway held by Jeanie of
Makeup Merriment round about Christmas time last year.
Given my past, I was naturally very cautious at first, not of the product itself but wary of how my silly skin would react to it. I did patch tests near my jaw line before going ahead with applying it as a full-blown blusher on my cheeks. I'm happy to report that there have been no breakouts.
According to Josie Maran Cosmetics
The Argan-oil infused color stick is a sheer tint that gives lasting, natural- looking color to cheeks and lips. All shades are designed to flatter every skin tone. The paraben and fragrance free formula contains Josie's signature ingredient, organic Argan Oil-the world's richest source of vitamin E and essential fatty acids.
Price
The normal size of .55oz/16g retails for USD22. The one I have is just under half the normal size and came in a four-piece Limited Edition gift set called Love Nest. The set basically contained Josie's favourite beauty must-haves from her own line.
Ingredients
In the Josie Maran Cosmetics videos, Josie tells us that the Argan Color Stick contains 50% argan oil, which is mighty impressive, if you ask me. That fact is strangely left out in the product blurb on the packaging and on the website.
The actual list of ingredients is full of asterisks and double asterisks which I found terribly distracting. I have taken the liberty to remove them to keep the list clean. Basically, all the ingredients on the main list (before the 'May Also Contain') are natural and the Argan Kernel Oil is organic.
Apricot Kernel Oil, Argan Kernel Oil, Beeswax, Cocoa Seed Butter, Carnauba Wax, Candelilla Wax, Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter, Avocado Butter, Vitamin E Acetate, Wheat Germ Oil, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Lemon Tea Tree Oil, Menthol, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol (and) Phenoxyethanol (and) Hexylene Glycol
May Also Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Blue # 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 22 Lake (CI 45380), Red 27 (CI 45410), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 (CI 73360), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Shades
The Argan Color Stick is available in two shades - Petal Pink and Rosey. The one I have is in Petal Pink which Josie Maran describes as a neutral pink. It looks dusty rose on the stick but when swatched, it's a sheer sweet peachy pink.
Scent
I have read that many are put off by the smell, with most calling it too herbally and medicinal. I have a pretty high tolerance for all kinds of smells and I love the scent of the Argan Color Stick. The first few times I smelt it, I thought it was familiar but I couldn't put my finger on what it reminded me of. It struck me one day that it smelt like......ginger. The Argan Color Stick contains no ginger, mind you, but in dissecting the scent, I can definitely detect the argan, rosemary, lemon tea tree and menthol. To my nose, an amalgam of the four produces a gingery scent.
Uses and Application
The Argan Color Stick is essentially a balm. It functions as both a cream blush and a tinted lipbalm (or sheer lip colour, whichever way you want to see it).
I don't care what the experts say, but I like rudimentary methods and for this, I use my clean finger to apply. Just get some colour on a clean finger, dab on cheek and blend out. Ditto for lips. I don't put the stick directly on my cheeks to avoid contaminating the Color Stick with say, the concealer that I have on my face.
• Cheeks
As with most cream blushes, this one gives the cheeks a natural healthy glow. It's difficult to go overboard with Petal Pink because it's such a sweet, subtle shade.
• Lips
I use it as often on my lips as I do on my cheeks. Considering the ingredients that this Argan Color Stick is made of, you can't really find fault with it when used as a tinted lipbalm. For the first 10-15 minutes, there is a faintly cool sensation on the lips which must be from the menthol. Of course, it keeps the lips nicely moisturised. I do find it less waxy compared to other good lipbalms that I've used.
The Petal Pink shade does little to add colour to my lips but hmmm, it manages to make me look a tad more hale and hearty. My lips but better, I suppose.
Ah, finally, MLBB!
Durability
I apply the Argan Color Stick after my concealer but before my pressed powder foundation. The blusher lasts more than half a day (5-6 hours) on my cheeks (my cheeks are quite dry, I have an oily T-zone). By the end of the day, it's faded but you can still see that it's there.
On the lips, about 3-4 hours, if I don't eat or drink.
Conclusion
You've gotta love a dual-purpose product. It's easy to carry around, if you wish to. I like to keep it in pristine condition, so I prefer to keep it at home. From my research, different people seem to have different experiences with it - not bad, hate the smell, not longlasting. I'd suggest reading multiple reviews on this before deciding to buy. Personally, I love this Argan Color Stick.
About Josie Maran Cosmetics
For those who are not familiar with Josie Maran Cosmetics, it is a beauty and makeup line started by American model/actress Josie Maran in 2007 to fill a gap in the eco-friendly natural beauty market which, according to the creators, lacked luxury and sophistication at that time. The Josie Maran products of today do exude an air of luxury and class but over and above that, it is a brand that embraces the motto:
Luxury with a Conscience. The brand loves its eco-chic icons. Below is a selection of those icons flaunted on the packaging. It'll give you an idea of its ethos and practices.
There are actually more of these icons on the Josie Maran website. They love their icons too much but all right, I get the point they're trying to make.
Josie loves argan oil and naturally, all its makeup products are argan oil-infused.
As far as I know, Josie Maran products are not available on this side of the pond. Pity.
My Face posts with the Josie Maran Argan Color Stick:
•
Batwing With Chatreuse
•
Teardrops On Georgette
More information:
A pretty face certainly helps to sell a product, so here's a
video of Josie Maran introducing the Argan Color Stick
Josie Maran Cosmetics website
You know, mere words aren't enough to express how much I appreciate all my readers who follow my writings. That's why it's nice to be able to 'give back' through the giveaways that I hold now and then for all of you.
