Review: Josie Maran Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil

 

In previous posts I discussed how two brands of pure argan oil performed similarly on my face.  Price was the main difference and my take away lesson was to use that as my criteria when shopping for my next bottle of argan oil.  However, I also recently received a few more Josie Maran skincare products as presents so had a chance to try another argan-based product, Josie Maran's Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Oil.

As a a mix of argan and other plant oils, this cream moisturizer quickly melts upon application into a smooth oil.  I assume it's called "Infinity" because it's supposed to have a ton of uses (for face, hair, lips etc).  After trying this product on my face, eye area and chapped lips I find it worked as a so-so moisturizer for my dry face but failed miserably as a lip treatment.  (My Carmex lip balm outperforms this product by miles.)

All-in-one products aren't designed to be the best at everything, just okay at a bunch so that they earn points as a convenient item to carry around.  I personally prefer using different products for different targets knowing they'll work, rather than using one item for everything and getting a mediocre outcome.


This is probably a silly thing to mention, but Josie's dark pink labels really don't do anything for me.  I suppose it's aiming to be more sophisticated than a bright pink, but this shade always looks sad to me, like a gloomy version of pink.  Anyhoo, the first thing I noticed after squeezing the oil out was the citrus scent, a really fresh and mouth-watering aroma.  I actually tried dabbing some on my neck/wrists like perfume but it left such glossy splotches I was afraid of rubbing it onto my clothes.

The cream oil spread over my lips smoothly but I still felt dry patches when I smacked my lips so it clearly didn't sink in.  As a moisturizing treatment I didn't like how this creamy oil sat on top of my face and refused to absorb.  I suppose my skin type is closer to normal now instead of dry so it no longer drinks in oils so easily.  My skin did feel soft after applying this product, but once I washed it I didn't feel hydrated anymore.  One of the ways I test the hydrating power of a moisturizer is by using it on a dry patch of skin directly under my left brow bone.  If I don't pay special attention to it this dry area gets increasingly rough, especially during winter.  Even with concentrated massage the area remained rough, just with a greasy sheen over it.  When a product really permeates my skin I can feel the lasting moisture even over the next day.  This creamy oil didn't deliver in that respect so I'd rate it as an average moisturizer and nothing special.

The ingredient list includes so many plant oils I'm surprised at its mediocre performance on my skin.  Once again, like with the pure argan oils I previously reviewed, this cream product refused to play nice with the serums and toners I like to layer on before applying moisturizer.  (Weirder still, I noticed the cream/oil layers separating one week after opening the tube which reminded me of how sunscreen separates after it's old.)  If this really was an awesome moisturizer then perhaps I would be happy using it solo during daytime but this Josie Maran product was overall a disappointment for my skincare needs.  I want to see the quality of my skin stay improved even after the product is washed off.

As to the rest of the "infinity" uses, I didn't bother trying it as a hair or make-up product.  To smooth down random flyaways I can use $1 brow gel on a wand that does the same thing more efficiently and doesn't require me to dirty my fingers.  My $0.79 tube of Carmex lip balm can hydrate my lips so easily there's no comparison, either.  I'm glad I only received this small-sized version as a gift because it doesn't deliver for me.  If an expensive all-in-one product can't even impress me in a single area then it's time to move on!

Summary

• Packaging:     4/5 (hygienic; easy to control flow; opaque)
• Smell:             5/5 (yum yum citrus, my favorite!)
• Performance:  2/5 (average moisture; absorbs poorly; hard to mix with others)
• Value/Price:   2/5 ($28 for 2.2 oz $_$... like all Josie Maran products)
• Recommend? No (only the smell impressed & I can eat an orange for that!)
• Repurchase?  No (greasy & mediocre; falls short of way cheaper products)