Currently Obsessed: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Eye Shadow in Playa del Pink

Hi, everyone! If there's anything to help beat a case of the Mondays, it's a beautiful brand spankin' new makeup product. And that's what I have for you today! A few weeks ago, I was innocently wandering through Sephora, a month into a successful makeup no-buy thinking "I've seen all this stuff before, I can easily resist". As I stumbled across the Josie Maran display, however, I felt my resolve weaken. I spotted these little bottles of watery, colourful goodness, which proved to be the Coconut Watercolour Eye Shadows. "Now these are new!", I thought- "uh oh!". Then the swatching began and I knew that my no-buy would have to be left in the dust. If I was going to break it for anything, I'm glad it was for this!

So let's take a closer look at the product that melted away all of my makeup related self-control ;) The Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Eye Shadows come in shiny pink rectangular boxes that are just so sleek and pretty!

The box states that these eye shadows offer 50% coconut water, intense hydration, and bold pigmentation. How very interesting! The formula is aimed at smoothing and moisturizing the eyelids while providing long-wearing, highly pigmented colour. All sounds quite promising!

Upon first removing the product from the box, I found that the shadow came in two parts that had to be "assembled" as such. The little glass bottle of shadow was sealed tightly with a cap for extra freshness, and the actual lid and applicator came separately. All you have to do is remove and discard the black cap and screw on the white lid and ta-da!

You'll see that when the bottle is at rest, the product separates. On the bottom are the colour pigments, and resting at the top is the coconut water! Such an interesting and unique feature.

Just give the bottle a little shade and- voila! The separate layers mix together easily. You do have to shake the bottle before every use (the elements separate quickly), but this isn't such an arduous process, as the mixing is nearly instantaneous!

As for the colour choice, I tried to opt for the practical option, a neutral shade that I could wear on a regular basis, including to the office. All of the shades in this line are absolutely stunning, but I ended up taking home Playa Del Pink, a warm shimmery champagne. In some lights it looks nearly white, in others a pale pink, in others a deeper gilded beige. Quite multifaceted!

Here are some swatches of Playa Del Pink on the back of my hand (MAC NC20 skin tone). On the left is a more concentrated dab of the product and, on the right, a look at it more blended out:

And here are some shots of me wearing it! In all of the photos below, Playa Del Pink is the only eye shadow I'm wearing:

So, we know this was pretty enough for me to break my makeup ban, but here are my full thoughts on this lovely little product:

Pros:

• Despite being half coconut water, this is incredibly pigmented!
• At the same time, this can also be sheered out quite nicely
• Playa Del Pink can be used as an all-over wash of colour, built up for more intensity in the crease/outer corners, or dotted on inner corners and brow bones as a highlight. Quite versatile!
• Feels smooth and hydrating on the lids, without any hint of greasiness
• The wear time is incredible! Once applied, this really stays put and it totally smudge proof. Yet, it also removes effortlessly with makeup remover. All good things!
• Sturdy, compact, practical packaging
• Packed with natural, moisturizing ingredients
• Earth-friendly and cruelty-free
• At $23 CAD, I find this to be a pretty good value!

Cons:

• If you are a fan of matte eye colours, this one isn't for you! The finish is quite shimmery, almost frosty.
• Playa Del Pink might be a bit too stark and pale for darker skin tones
• Some might not want to be bothered with shaking the bottle before each use

So there you go! The Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Eye Shadows are the perfect example of a brand new product taking me by complete surprise. I'd heard nothing about them previously; no blogger raves influenced this purchase, for a change! My experience with them in-store was just so lovely and I'm so glad I took one home! I've been wearing Playa Del Pink like crazy- it really is such a pretty summery shade and the perfect choice for when you only want to wear one eye shadow, but want it to look like you've put in tons of effort. It's quite the stunner! I may have even purchased another shade from the line since then, but that's for another post!

Have you tried the new Coconut Watercolour Eye Shadows? What are your favourite Josie Maran products?

Have a fantastic week!