While a long modeling career with work for Maybelline, Guess, and Sports Illustrated under her belt exposed her to makeup artists and products alike, Josie Maran's true love for beauty came from more personal places: her mother, her grandmother, her pregnancy experience, and nature. When she was pregnant with her first child, she quickly realized that non-toxic products were few and far between—so, she took matters into her own hands and built her namesake brand with argan oil as the hero ingredient.
But before that, her childhood taught her that beauty and nature are very much intertwined. "I grew up in Northern California, where beauty didn’t feel overly managed," Maran says. "The women I admired looked like they’d been outside. Their hair had weather in it. Their skin had sunshine on it." Throughout her childhood, Maran couldn't help but notice the joy her mother found in the ritual of self-care, with the importance of a good moisturizer still instilled in her to this day.
Josie MaranAt the same time, her grandmother was teaching her how to think about beauty completely differently. "I remember her hands. They cooked, gardened, hugged people, played tennis, made things," Maran says. "They carried evidence of a life well lived. I think that's where I first learned that beauty is about living life fully!"
Josie MaranIt's this lesson that, through action, her grandmother taught her that inspired her to launch her new platform, The Great Beauty Slowdown. "I’ve noticed is that the most meaningful moments are rarely the big ones. They’re the in-between. The light hitting a table just right. The first bite of something simple and perfect. A walk that turns into a magical adventure," Maran says. "The Great Beauty Slowdown is an invitation to notice more, savor more, and create a life you don’t need an escape from." Alongside the launch of her new platform, Maran is offering her cult favorite body butter in a brand new scent: the perfect balance of vanilla milk and cashmere musk.
Ahead, we caught up with Josie Maran about what she shops, browses, and consumes when she's not busy wandering new cities, disconnecting, and relishing the small moments.
Where Are You From?
Josie MaranFrom: Northern California
Located: Los Angeles & the Carribbean
"Northern California gave me my love of open windows, bare feet, vegetable gardens, and beauty that feels lived in instead of perfected. Los Angeles feeds my curiosity. There’s an incredible creative community there. Everyone is building something, dreaming something, making something from nothing. The Caribbean reminds me that a beautiful life isn't necessarily a busy one. Dinner starts when it starts. We're always going back for another swim. Nobody seems especially interested in checking what time it is. There’s a quiet appreciation for what’s already here. Moving between all these places has probably shaped my philosophy more than anything else. One teaches me how to create. The other reminds me not to miss my life while I'm creating it."
What's Entertaining You?
Josie Maran"I’m entertained by long lunches, beautifully made films, handwritten recipes passed down from all the amazing women in my family, ceramic studios, and conversations that accidentally last three hours. I also stopped drinking this year, and ice cream quietly inherited cocktail hour. Pistachio is now my house wine. I love the ritual of walking with my daughters to get a cone after dinner, standing there debating flavors as though the decision has real consequences, stocking the freezer with far more ice cream than any household reasonably needs, making giant sundaes at home, and always going back for a second scoop. It’s become one of my favorite ways to slow down and be present. My team knows how obsessed I am with ice cream, which is why we’re actually partnering with David Protein at their new ice cream Scoop Shop pop-up in New York City this August. It feels like such a joyful way to celebrate the simple rituals that inspired The Great Beauty Slowdown with our community.
What's In Your Cart?
Josie MaranHand-thrown ice cream bowls from Notary Ceramics: "I own far too many bowls. Unfortunately fortunately, there always seems to be room for one more."
A beautiful Japanese market bag from Manipuri
Vintage silver dessert spoons from Chairish: "I’ve been spending way too much time on Chairish lately hunting for vintage French silver dessert spoons. I love pieces that already have a history and make dessert feel a little more special."
Hand-loomed linen napkins from Libeco: Life is too short to save beautiful linens for guests. Use them on a Tuesday.
What Are You Browsing?
"Independent ceramic studios, restaurant menus, old houses in Italy I’ll probably never buy, Japanese stationery, and bookstores in Paris."
What Are You Saving?
Josie Maran"I’m saving things I love enough to use again and again: my oldest jeans that are so soft and holey and perfectly patina’d, a white shirt that somehow always feels right, gold jewelry I’ve worn for years without taking off (my husband’s mother’s wedding ring, a signet ring from a great uncle, and an old snake bracelet I’m fairly certain once belonged to a goddess), and my whipped body butter, obviously—I finish every jar."