JOSIE'S TIPS and GIVEAWAY Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil

Hi Beauties!

Your response to my new Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil has been huge! I’m so glad that so many of you are just as in love with it as I am. To help you get to know your new little Argan miracle, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite ways to use this multi-tasker. Dewy beauty, here we come! 

Dewy, Glowy Skin: Infinity Cream makes your skin look instantly dewy on its own. But one of my favorite ways to bump up the glow factor is by mixing a little bit of Infinity Cream with my Argan Powder Illuminzer. The Infinity Cream actually transforms powder products into creamy oils. Apply a little bit of the mixture to your cheekbones, browbones, and down the bridge of your nose. You’ll look like a glowy angel!

Give Delicate Skin Some Love: The skin under your eyes is some of the most delicate on your body. It needs extra love, care, and hydration.  I take a tiny pea-sized amount of Infinity Cream and apply it to my under eye area before I go to bed. When I wake up, my skin looks so much plumper!

No More Crazy Hairs We all get them. Those crazy wispy hairs coming from our hairline or eyebrows that just won’t stay down. Infinity Cream is my quick fix for those pesky hairs. Just warm a little bit of Infinity Cream between your fingers, and use it to smooth over your eyebrows or calm those baby hairs.

Infinity Cream has a million more uses like renewing shine on a week-old manicure, or making a great lip scrub when mixed with sugar. Do you have a unique way that you love to use yours? Tell me in the comments and if I love it, I might pick you to win something special!

Xo,

Josie

Images via: Tumblr, Tumblr, Pinterest, Pinterest

ARGAN INFINITY INTENSIVE CREAMY OIL

It's finally here! I'm so excited to introduce my new multi-tasking face wonder: Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil. Check out my video to see just some of the ways I use this little beauty marvel.

With love,

Josie

GREEN YOUR ROUTINE Brush Care

While we love using our fingers to apply much of our makeup, there are times when a good brush just can’t be beat. To keep things eco and animal friendly, we prefer cruelty-free synthetic bristles and handles made from sustainable resources like bamboo. But believe it or not, even the most earth-friendly brushes can become a hotbed for bacteria if they aren’t cared for properly. If you use your brushes every day, you should be washing them at least once a week to prevent build up of dirt, makeup, and germs. Here’s our favorite routine for keeping things clean.

• Rinse your bristles under your faucet using warm water.
• Take a dime-sized amount of a mild cleanser (think: baby shampoo, natural liquid hand soap, etc) and massage it into the bristles.
• Run water over the bristles to wash away makeup and cleanser. When the water runs clear through the brush, it’s clean.
• Reshape the bristles and lay the brush on a towel to dry. Do NOT store your brushes vertically in a cup until the bristles are totally dry. Excess moisture at the base of the bristles can cause them to loosen from the handle and promotes mold growth. 

Images via: Pinterest

GET THE LOOK Meredith's Dewy Skin

Meredith is so much more than just our Director of Words—she’s a sassy, fun, and fab addition to our tight-knit JMC family. And speaking of family, Meredith is Josie’s aunt; those Maran girls have really got it going on in the beauty AND brains department. We are secretly obsessed with Meredith’s natural beauty, especially her perfectly sunkissed skin tone. Can you believe she’s 61? When we sat down with our resident writing guru to get her inside tips on her skincare routine, we were taking notes! Here’s Mer’s regimen for aging gracefully and gorgeously, including a sneak peek of two brand new products available next week on josiemarancosmetics.com!

1. Apply Argan Creamy Oil Cleansing Treatment (brand new--available next week!) to skin and rub with fingertips to dissolve dirt and makeup.
2. Moisten the Argan Cleansing Treatment cleansing cloth with water, and using the muslin side of the cloth, lightly rub the skin to exfoliate.
3. Flip the cloth over and wipe impurities away with the soft microfiber side.
4. Apply 3-4 drops of 100% Pure Argan Oil to hands and massage into face.
5. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil (brand new--available next week!) onto fingertips and lightly dab under the eyes for extra moisture and nourishment.
6. Apply Argan Lip Treatment to lips. 

WHAT WE'RE EATING Game Day

While we can't confess to being pro sports fanatics, we’re still look forward to the Superbowl for the jazzy halftime show, hilarious new ads, good times with family and friends—oh and the food! We’re feeling like spicing things up a little this year—moving beyond the usual buffalo wings and chips and dip offerings. Check out our culinary plans for Superbowl Sunday. And tell us, what’s your favorite game-day treat?

Fromage Fort

Loaded Nachos

Chili Lime Cashews

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

Blood Orange Bars

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

DO GOOD Adopt a Friend

Hi Lovelies!

I have to tell you, this weekend was a blast! I had a super secret photo shoot for an upcoming collection (details to come, I promise), and got to meet and play with a bunch of furry friends from Much Love Animal Rescue. These dogs were just the sweetest—everyone at the shoot was snuggling and getting some very slobbery kisses all day. Meeting these extraordinary animals made me realize even more how beautiful it is to give an animal in need the loving and safe home that they crave. If you’re ready to give an animal a forever home, consider rescuing! The compassion that you show will be repaid tenfold with the unconditional love of a loyal companion.

With love for second chances,

Josie

ECO STYLE Jess Rizzuti

With a BFA in textiles from Rhode Island School of Design, and a degree in handbag and accessory design, Jess Rizzuti knows handbags. But instead of becoming yet another chic but not-so-eco handbag designer, Jess put her knowledge to good use for people and the planet. The designer’s eponymous handbag line employs eco-friendly practices like the use of water-based dyes and glues, heat-transferred patterns, and renewable resources like cork. Rizzuti also supports female artisans in Kenya and Guatemala—incorporating some of their custom textiles into her line. Check out Jess’s site for more carefully crafted carriers; the cork bags are our fave!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Warm Up

Things have been brrrrr! here in L.A. We Southern Californians really aren’t used to anything below 65 degrees, so we’ve been going to all kinds of lengths to get warm—bringing heated blankets to work and madly sipping hot tea like we just got off the set of Downton Abbey. This morning when our trainer Michelle entered the building, it was freezing inside! Her solution? To heat things up with a fast-paced 10 minute warm up. Here are a few ways you can get all the benefits of our (very sweaty) warm up.

Keep Bundled: Today, every time we tried to remove our sweatshirts within the first ten minutes of our workout, Michelle yelled “No way! Keep it on!” Why? Because warming up the body not only helps you make the most of your workout, but it also prepares the muscles and joints for more intense activity. Heat increases the flexibility of your muscles, so you can do more without the danger of hurting yourself.  Don’t worry! You can shed your warm clothes after your body feels nice and toasty so you don’t overheat.

Head to Toe: Try warm up exercises that get your whole body moving like jumping jacks. That way, all your muscles are getting warm. Some of Michelle’s other favorites? High knees and cross-body punching. 

Keep Your Heart Rate Up: To get your body super warm, you want to get your heart going and your blood pumping. Michelle gives us short bursts of intense exercises followed by equal bursts of slightly less intense moves to give us a break. The trick is, the less intense ones still keep our heart rates up. So while it might feel like we’re “resting,” our bodies are still working hard. 

Images via: The Berry, Fit Sugar

JOSIE LOVES The Local Rose

When I first read Shiva Rose’s story about having an eco-awakening after giving birth to her first daughter, I have to say I immediately felt that she and I were somehow kindred spirits. Shiva’s blog, The Local Rose, celebrates the natural, holistic, and healthy lifestyle that the actress and activist tries to embrace in her every day life. The Local Rose has it all—recommendations for herbal supplements, beauty products, and gardening tips. Her pictures are beautiful, but the wealth of information Shiva presents to her readers? That’s the real beauty of her blog. Check Shiva out!

With love,

Josie

CHICOLOGICAL GUEST POST Liesa of Daily Glow

Where do we go to get our daily beauty fix? Daily Glow! With everything from fun beauty quizzes to product recommendations, we could browse this site for hours! Daily Glow editor, Liesa Goins has some major beauty experience under her belt—she’s tried it all! And today on Chicological, she’s giving us her must-have list of beauty gadgets that have saved her (formerly) problem skin.

Gentle Tools With Giant Benefits

Acne has plagued me since the 7^th grade. I made the rounds with dermatologists, but none of the treatments – not antibiotics, Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid -- made a dent in my frustrating condition. 

As months passed and nothing improved my severe cystic acne, I took matters into my own hands. My strategy was to bully the breakouts away. I scrubbed, peeled and layered on harsh treatments. Predictably, I irritated my skin and made it much worse. I was eventually prescribed Accutane, which proved to be a miracle cure for my acne.

For years, I still had the idea that manhandling my skin would keep the breakouts away. But over time (and many interviews with dermatologists later), I’ve finally embraced the axiom that the gentle approach is usually best. Now that I’ve stopped using tough love, my skin rewards me. On occasion, I even receive compliments on my complexion – something the 12-year-old me would never have imagined.

Some of the most effective, not to mention most gentle, tools I use to keep my skin happy are in fact tools. These devices keep my complexion smooth and calm without battering it in the process.

Clarisonic Mia

A mild cleanser and this sonic brush keeps my pores clear and my skin smooth without scrubbing or harsh exfoliants. I love that something this gentle can have such dramatic impact.

Honeywell Easy-to-Care Cool Mist Humidifier

One rule I’ve learned from dermatologists is that it’s nearly impossible to give your skin too much moisture. I run this humidifier three seasons of the year, but it’s a must in the winter to fight flakes and irritation.

 Talika Cream Booster

Admittedly this is a luxury, but Talika has aerospace science to back the Cream Booster’s claims. Using light, micro currents and vibration, this wand helps creams penetrate the skin. It’s a form of meditation for me to apply moisturizer and then use this to massage my face for a minute or two at night.

Philips Wake-up Light

What does an alarm clock have to do with my skin? Before I had this light, I could not drag myself out of bed. Every morning was rushed and stressful. And I looked like I could make a guest appearance in the Walking Dead – as a zombie. This uses light to wake me gradually. And when my alarm goes off, I feel more awake and alert. And I look well rested.

 Thanks, Liesa! Argan Beauties, do you have a fave beauty blogger? Let us know, and we'll do our best to feature him or her on the next installment of Chicological guest posts!