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Spring into Action with Josie Maran’s Natural Wonder Powder Palette

by 31 Comments

DANG that Josie Maran! Whoever handles the packaging of this eco-friendly line deserves a Prius, a wheatgrass shot and a pat on the back.

A quick glance today at the Monarch flutterbyes on her new Natural Wonder Powder Palette ($35) was all it took to put a spring in my step.

Talk about practical, environmentally conscious design (also friendly and feminine) that *hella* works!

It gets even better when you open the palette. 🙂 BOOM! It holds five eyeshadows, two blushes and a bronzer in a mix of neutrals and brights. I’ve seen a few spring makeup releases so far, and this one’s been one of the most exciting to me so far.

The eyeshadows, blushes and bronzer in the Natural Wonder palette are infused with Argan oil, an antioxidant-rich oil from Morocco known to calm and soothe troubled skin. And, like all Josie Maran makeup, the palette’s free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances and phthalates.

First, there’s the variety. The shades feel fresh and youthful, and I can easily see myself doing looks with them from subtle/sweet to bold/bright.

Then, there’s the shadows, about which I noted a few things (DROOL!)…

  • Brights: I LOVE the brights in this palette! Both Hope (the blueish purple) and Desire (the greenish teal) are downright iridescent — like alive, with colors that are multi-dimensional without looking too frosty or shimmery. I think it makes them pretty easy to wear (even for daytime looks to work). SIDE NOTE: Over the past week several friends — normally die-hard neutral makeup girls — have confessed a desire to experiment with colorful eyeshadows. PERFECT! I think this puppy right here would be a great place to start.
  • Texture: Hope, Desire and Think (the shimmery bronze) feel rose petal smooth to the touch and apply like velvet. Daydream (the shimmery pink) and Trance (the shimmery gold) are maybe a little on the gritty side … but they’re still quite wearable.
  • Pigmentation: A mix of semi-transparent shades and pigment-rich colors. Hope, Desire and Think deposit intense color, while Daydream and Trance are delightfully sheer.

As for the blushes, yeah, Illusion (the matte rosey red) and Fiction (a matte peachy pink) look bright in the pan, but DO NOT BE AFRAID! 🙂 They look natural on cheeks. For a soft flush, try applying either shade with your trusty skunk brush and a light (careful) hand.

If you have light-to-medium skin, Natural Wonder might even be worth it for the bronzing powder alone. I see the glow from Beach #1 — the sheer, shimmery golden bronze — really flattering lighter skin, and if you’re tan like me or even darker, no problemo. It makes a great highlighter, too.

For $35, with all this flexibility and the overall quality of the products you get, Natural Wonders is a flat-out good deal. Through Feb. 1, orders for it through JosieMaranCosmetics.com also direct 50% of the proceeds to the American Red Cross for Haiti — a very thoughtful and cool thing to do. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wow, those are such gorgeous colors! I want that bronzer, it looks delicious on the swatch. I’m so pale though, bronzers usually make me look like I feel like I tripped into some mud. I would just LOVE a few tutorials, reccomendations or something for us ghosts out here! Blush and bronzer, preferably.

    I love your blog, Karen! It makes my day just that much happier just getting my daily post and checking it. It’s like a little piece of chocolate 🙂

    Reply

  2. awesome! great review Karen, thanks…..too bad I already used my sephora g/c card yesterday. 🙂 Maybe I’ll still be able to get this, especially with the haiti incentive.

    Reply

      • aw! no problem 🙂 like I said I may still pick it up (I actually had it in my cart and changed my mind at the last minute….)

        I got nars easy lover gloss, tarte eyeliner in green, and the new living proof “full” styling lotion.

        I actually think I have shadow very similar to these…I may get the bronzer on it’s own, which was what I was *least* interested in until your swatches and review. go figure!

        Reply

  3. Such a gorgeous palette. I like all the colours and would love those blushes. Do you by any chance know if they ship to Europe?

    Reply

  4. i am totally getting this esp to help with the haiti cause

    i just lost my SIL who was visiting during the earthquake and i have been telling everyone i know to donate to haiti in some way or form

    BB couture has a beautiful polish collection dedicated to haiti in which they make a donation as well from the proceeds

    this earthquake has been very devastating especially to me because it hit so close to home in affecting my family directly. She is my other half’s twin sister and i love her very dearly

    PLEASE EVERYONE donate in one way or form to help this country!!!!!

    (karen i hope you dont mind me posting like this in your comments i am just so passionate abt this !!)

    hugs K

    Reply

  9. I had never heard of Josie Maran, but I will definitely be checking it out! The packaging is so lovely, and all the colors look rich and gorgeous as well. And I’ve been trying to get into more natural makeup lately; I think all my dad’s conspiracy theories about makeup chemicals’ realationship to cancer are starting to get to my head!

    Reply

  10. I had never heard of Josie Maran, but I will definitely be checking it out! The packaging is so lovely, and all the colors look rich and gorgeous as well. And I’ve been trying to get into more natural makeup lately; I think all my dad’s conspiracy theories about makeup chemicals’ relationship to cancer are starting to get to my head!

    Reply

  13. Butterflies = LOVE!!!

    I just spent a pretty dollar on the UD Alice palette, but I am definitely adding this to my to-buy list. I love the shades and I think it’s just perfect for spring/summer 🙂 Not to mention half of the proceeds going to a good cause? I’m sold.

    Reply

  16. I love the butterfly packaging, it is very cute and I like that the palette is metal and not plastic or card box. The colours are very vibrant and fun too.

    Reply

  18. I just bought this! My first purchase based on your review here, Karen =) I’m so excited! I second the request for a bronzer tip roundup for us super-fair folks – can’t wait to try this out!

    Reply

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