Sunday, March 26, 2017

I Miss the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadows


Sometimes, when I'm wasting my time eating ramen and watching Keith Olbermann videos instead of grading papers like an adult would, I start thinking about things I usually avoid thinking about. And I realize that I whine a lot. I can be borderline nasty when it's not entirely warranted, and I probably spend too much time ranting about my weird pet peeves. I admit this about myself--nobody is perfect. But I don't think it's wrong for me to whine, yet again, "Why u discontinue dees, Josie Maran?!" They're so flawless that they deserve a monthly post, if not a weekly one, I swear.


The Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadows are one of two eye shadow products I've loved, the other one being Wet n' Wild's Brulee eyeshadow. That's it. In all my years of wearing makeup, even when I wore plenty of eyeshadow, there were certainly products I liked, but none that I borderline worshiped like these. They're easy to use (slap it on and go) and so fantastically metallic that I get asked what I'm wearing every time I use one. Also, unlike many frosty cream shadows, these have a super-thin, watery formula that feels weightless on the eyes.

And yet Josie Maran is discontinuing them.


The process of getting rid of them seems to be taking a while. As mentioned in my last "Whhhhhhy?!" post, linked above, these disappeared from Sephora some time last year. But yes, they are definitely fading from the public eye. Here is the Josie Maran "Good Buys" page as of today; of these listed shades, three are still available, including this purple shade I want for no apparent reason. I haven't bought it yet because it's purple and I need more makeup like I need a hole in the head, but there's a little voice inside me screeching, "GET IT BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS YOU WILL REGREEEEET THIIIIS!!!"


Why is Josie Maran discontinuing these if they're so beautiful and I'm a one-woman marketing campaign? I have a few guesses:

  1. Josie Maran Cosmetics is having trouble selling their makeup. I've noticed that people buy up their skincare, particularly the argan oil, like it's going out of style, but I heard very little about the makeup. Check their Good Buys section and you'll notice that quite a lot of their makeup is heavily discounted. 
  2. The applicators kinda sucked. Don't get me wrong, they apply the shadow decently, and the packaging is visually appealing. But the doe foot applicators in the lids quickly earned a reputation for snapping off, something I soon experienced myself. When I contacted the company, they sent me three replacement lids, which was amazing. Still, can't they just improve the packaging? Do they have to throw the  baby out with the shimmery bath water?
  3. Some people found them tricky to apply...? I guess? I know the Beautypedia review complains about how hard it is to get a "blended" look with them, and I'm so used to applying them that I maybe don't think about the learning curve. That said, you actually CAN get a soft look with them if you know what to do. Personally, I apply the product all over my lid first, then--as the last step--I run a little in my crease. Immediately after placing the shadow in my crease, I use a soft shadow brush to blend it out and fade it in to my skin. These do dry quickly, so you have to be strategic, but again, it's not impossible to do it.
Regardless, they're definitely discontinuing the Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadows, and I'm still trying to make my peace with the decision. I've poked around the web looking for viable replacements, but the closest possibility I've found--the Milk Makeup Eye Pigments--have been quickly shot down by others. Most of the people I've spoken to who have tried them have said that they're "pretty, but you can feel them on your eyes." Eh, no. That's not the same. I'm still waiting for a replacement.


So I've got two things on my mind. One, I'm going to try fiddling with eye makeup a bit more to try some new things and break out of my comfort zone a little. It's likely going to be atrocious, so please don't judge me too harshly. Two, if you have any recommendations for a viable replacement product, please tell me!

17 comments:

  1. So you've talked about these enough that I decided to wander over to Sephora Canada to see if any were still kicking around, and they are at least still on Sephora Canada. Also the full price of $23CA, and the choice of six colours.

    I'm pretty tempted to toss one in my cart during the sale, based on this rave. Which I realize was not exactly your quest.

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    1. The website has several colors on sale for $10 each--will they ship to Canada?

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    2. It seems like they will and possibly for a not extortionate price! I think I'd come out ahead even with the exchange rate - I'll have to play with it later.

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    3. They shipped to me in Toronto, Canada and their customer service is SUPERB !!!!

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  2. I think the liquid foil side of the Touch in Sol dual-ended metallist things is quite similar in formula and they have really good reviews, though I've only swatched them in Sephora so I couldn't entirely vouch for it.

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  3. I wonder if they're at all similar to the Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilbury cream shadows - the finish looks similar to me, though obviously the consistency is somewhat different. Worth a swatch perhaps if you haven't tried them.

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    1. I've heard the Charlotte Tilbury ones are very beautiful, but crease immediately, and the Tom Ford are expensive and sheer. #neversatisfied

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  4. Are the Armani eye tints similar to these at all? Rouge Bunny Rouge also has double-ended liquid eyeshadows. No idea how they compare though.

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    1. The Armani apparently aren't--I'm told they're patchy and drying--but I've been curious about the RBR!

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    2. I like the Armani tints a lot, and don't find them patchy or drying, but they're definitely a little sheerer and not quite as metallic as the Josie Maran ones. Also: $40/color, so while I love one of the colors (Senso) and really like the other I've bought (Emeraude, probably?) I don't generally recommend them.

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  5. Have you checked out the new Stila Magnificent Metals eyeshadows? They look a bit more glittery and high-maintenance, though.

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    1. Ding ding ding. Part of me wants to try them, part of me is turned off by the reviews that say they drop glitter fallout. D:

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    2. I also love these Josie shadows, esp. the rose gold - it's amazing. I have not had good luck with the stila and would not say they are comparable at all, sadly. In my experience/opinion they have a weird texture, are hard to apply, and even if I can get it to look nice right after application I will be hot mess of glitter flakes and creasing within no time (and creasing is not usually a problem for me). I've tried it both wet and dry, with fingers and all manner of brushes, with their tiny bottle of "special" primer, Lorac primer, fyrinnae's pixie epoxy, and every possible combo of the above. In short: I don't recommend them as a replacement (or at all). : (

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  6. You might like Laura Geller Cool Lids cream eyeshadow. Very metallic and they have a thin, almost runny texture.

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