IN THE KITCHEN Homemade Hazelnut Milk

Have you ever made your own almond milk? I can promise you the results are so much better than the sort of grey, blah-tasting liquid you can get in a carton. And it's easy to make too! So when I stumbled upon this recipe in Squeaky Kitchen for hazelnut milk, I knew I had to give it a shot. Hazelnuts are one of my favorites, and mixed with a little agave, sea salt, and a pinch of cinammon, I think this homemade hazelnut milk is going to get high marks with Rumi Joon and Indi Joon too.Who knows, maybe it will even replace almond milk in our hearts. Give it a shot with me this weekend!

With love and nuttiness,

Josie

ECO TIPS: WRAP IT UP!

Hi Argan Beauties!

How cute is this little holiday gift? This little package of goodness is courtesy of my mom. Last Sunday, the LA Times printed some "wrapping paper." When she discovered that adorable picture of kids sledding on the other side of the paper, my mom decided to fold it over and make it part of her wrapping too. I'm obsessed! Do you have any fun eco wrapping tips? Do share!

With love and a bow on top,

Josie

JOSIE'S PICKS for Snuggling Up

It’s been a little brrrr here in Pennsylvania for this California girl! I’ve been cozying up here at the farm and at QVC headquarters, promoting my TSV. Despite the fact that I miss the warm weather back in L.A., there is something nice about getting warm next to a fire with goodies like fuzzy blankets and hot mugs of tea. Here are a few fun picks I found on Etsy for getting in that snuggly Autumn mood.

With love and snuggles,

Josie

Vintage Duck Boots

Beeswax Candles

Leaves Mantle Garland

Wooly Knit Throw

Autumn Mugs

THURSDAY INSPIRATION

-Thich Nhat Hanh

WHAT KIND OF NUT ARE YOU?

ECO STYLE Hand + Cloth

Nothing brightens up a room like a beautiful, vibrant throw. When our wonderful National Trainer, Jacob, sent me some pictures of the beautiful textiles made by Hand + Cloth, I knew I had to learn more about the thrilling patterns and textures! Each of the company's beautiful blankets is made by an artisan in Bangladesh. Basha, the company that Hand + Cloth partners with, provides job training programs and a sustainable income to Bangladeshi survivors or at-risk victims of human trafficking. That means with each purchase you're helping a woman a world away achieve freedom and a better life.

With love and light,

Josie

GREEN YOUR ROUTINE Restore Your Skin for Autumn

The transition from warm summer days into crisp Autumn mornings can take a toll on your skin. I asked some of my chicological product experts in the office to share their favorite tips for keeping their complexions looking fresh and luminous!

Xo, Josie

Exfoliate Gently:  Even though I'm always slathered with sunscreen, spending time in the summer sun can cause dead skin build-up on the surface of my skin. To remove this dull layer, I exfoliate regularly with Josie’s Argan Exfoliating Powder, and follow with a rich coat of 100% Pure Argan Oil to saturate my skin with vitamins and moisture. Applying products on freshly exfoliated skin allows them to absorb better. But make sure you don’t go crazy on your face—over-exfoliating causes irritation! --Annalise, Marketing

Try an At-Home Weekly Treatment: I love DIY beauty like at-home masks. One of my favorite weekly treatments is mixing together greek yogurt with some Argan Oil and raw honey and applying that to my face for 10 minutes. The lactic acid in the yogurt helps dissolve pesky dry and hyperpigmented spots while the Argan Oil and honey work together to seal in hydration. --Jenn, Product Development

Eat Up:  As the weather gets drier and colder, I like to feed my body with lots of good-for-my-skin snacks. I focus on getting plenty of essential fatty acids from whole food sources like nuts and healthy oils. These foods help my skin fend of flakiness and irritation by fortifying the lipid barrier. I also like drinking a glass of hot water with lemon every morning to warm up and jumpstart my body with hydration. --Taunia, Product Development

IN THE KITCHEN Roasted Pumpkin Seed Hummus

Does it feel like Fall where you are yet? It's still in the low 80's here in L.A., which has me longing for some crisp Autumn air! I always get so excited for Fall because of all the pumpkins! I love going to the pumpkin patch with the girls, carving spooky jack-o-lanterns, and whipping up some delicious pumpkin-y treats. I found this recipe for pumpkin seed hummus and I think I'm going to give it a try this weekend to help usher in the new season.

With punkin love,

Josie

Photo Credits: pepitas, naan

JOSIE'S TIPS Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon

When I decided to launch a new concealer, I knew it had to be easy, fun, and have a yummy, creamy texture. My new Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon is what I came up with! It’s a twist up chubby concealer pencil that you never have to sharpen. On days when I’ve been up late with my baby the night before, or have an unexpected breakout, this concealer comes to the rescue. It covers everything from under eye circles to redness to blemishes, without masking the natural texture of skin. Want to make the most of your crayon? Here are my tips!

Rainbows & whiskers: Remember the song from The Sound of Music that goes, “Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens?” Well, I changed it a little bit to “Rainbows on roses, and whiskers on kittens,” to help me remember my favorite concealer trick. Draw two rainbow-shaped lines above each eyebrow. Then, draw lines like whiskers on your cheeks, starting at the center of your face. Using your fingers or a sponge, blend the lines completely into your skin. This technique visually lifts your face, adding highlights to your beautiful bone structure, and covering any redness you have on your cheeks.

Set Under Eyes with Powder: I find that I get a little oily under my eyes, so I like to set my concealer with powder to make it stay put all day. I use just a tiny bit of my Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation, pressing it into my skin with a corner of the sponge.

Fix Boo-Boos: I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly having makeup mess-ups. Whether it’s lip stain that I accidentally draw outside of my lip line, or dark eye shadow that falls on my cheeks, makeup boo-boos can be hard to fix. Creamy Concealer Crayon to the rescue! Just apply a little bit of concealer on a cotton swab, and use it to carefully blend out your boo-boo.

With Argan love,

Josie

IT'S A WINNER! Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil

We are so excited to announce that our Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil just took home Allure's Best of Beauty Award for Best Natural Wonder! We knew Infinity was a winner, so we're absolutely thrilled with the award. In honor of our little win, we've chosen the winner of our Argan Infinity Cream Twitter contest! We asked our Twitter followers to submit their favorite use for Infinity Cream for the chance to win a tube of our favorite multitasker and a $50 Sephora giftcard!

And the winner is....

@skindeepbysteph!

Steph submitted her favorite way to use Argan Infinity: I use Argan Infinity Cream on the ends of my hair, post-shave, and on rough summer feet!

We only have one winner but these creative entries deserve honorable mention:

@mamafashionist1:  I like to use it as a cuticle cream, lip balm and to smooth down flyaways at my hairline.

@runitbymom: I like to mix it with my perfume to help my scent last longer.

@Banina9: I use Josie's Infinity Cream to smooth flyaways, undereyes and mix with sugar to make a lip scrub! Love!

Congratulations to @skindeepbysteph and all the wonderful others who submitted their favorite uses! We'll be taking our victory lap now...