At home with …Josie Maran & Rumi

Founder, Josie Maran Cosmetics
& daughter, Rumi | Los Angeles, CA

Josie Maran burst onto the modeling scene at the tender age of 12, and was working full-time by 17. Supermodel status followed thanks to a decade-long Maybelline contract, countless magazine covers, and appearances in the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Little did the world know that Maran’s biggest career accomplishments were still to come. While pregnant with her first child, the eco-conscious mom-to-be realized she couldn’t find “healthy makeup that was good enough for a makeup artist.” True to her trailblazer-spirit, she created it herself. Six years later, Josie Maran Cosmetics has become the go-to eco-beauty brand. Maran’s love of nature influences every aspect of her life—she delivered daughter Rumi in the lavender-filled field of their Laurel Canyon family compound and plans to give birth to her second child, due next month, at the Pennsylvania farmhouse they’ve decamped to for the summer. It’s all about balance for this earth mother, though in some cases, Maran admits, extremes win out, “I’m either in 4-inch heels or barefoot.”Rumi, 5 and a half, April 2012

“I’ve realized the importance of building a community and leaning on them when I need to. Even superwoman needs time for herself to find focus and balance. I see my work community as an extension of my personal community, so I don’t have much division in my life between professional and personal. My JMC coworkers are like a second family to me—a big part of ‘the village’ that have helped me raise Rumi, and will help me raise baby number two.

A Few of Her Favorite Things...

1. “My iphone helps with balancing schedules and answering emails

2. Being in nature

3. Eating pizza

4. Hearing Rumi laugh

5. My espresso machine (for when I’m not pregnant or nursing)”

“I make sure to go on dates with my husband, who is also my business partner. And, when it is just the two of us, we try not to always talk kids, or business.”

“When I had Rumi, my mom told me to remember how I was as a child. If you can be empathetic with your kid and see their perspective, you can always find a solution.”

“I’m always in two places, mentally and emotionally. No matter what else I’m doing, I’m always thinking about Rumi and how to be the best possible mom to her.”

“Rumi Joon was born right out here, next to an inflatable kid’s pool. I had a midwife, but my husband, Ali, ended up being the midwife. I started out in the pool, but eventually delivered her right next to it, and Ali caught her. At first, she wasn’t waking up or crying, and everyone was nervous, saying, ‘Come on, come on.’ But I was totally calm; I knew everything was going to be OK because we were still connected. Throughout my pregnancy, I always sang You Are My Sunshine, so I just started singing it to her, and then all of a sudden she started crying. I was like, ‘See, it’s cool.’ I never knew I was capable of such pure love.”

Maternity Style...

“I try to stay comfortable when I’m pregnant, without giving up my chic. I still need to feel like myself. Hatch makes great clothes you can wear before, during and after pregnancy.”

A Few of Rumi's Favorite Things...

1. Favorite thing to do with your mom: “Going to the beach, going on the swing at our farm, and catching butterflies, moths and fireflies together

2. Favorite food: “Clams and shisito peppers”

3. Favorite music for dancing: “Adele”

4. Favorite fairytale character: “Little Red Riding Hood”

5. Favorite joke: “How do you make a tissue dance? With a boogie.”

6. Favorite book: “The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies because it’s funny.”

“Believe it or not, I actually craved pickles and ice cream when I was pregnant with Rumi. So stereotypical, but true. This time I’m craving pizza and Thai food. Go figure.”

On Rumi: Thomas Wylde top, worn as a dress

On Josie: Melissa Odabash bikini

“At every big moment in my life, there’s been someone saying, ‘There’s no way you can do this. You can’t be a supermodel, you’re too short. You can’t run a company, you have no experience. You can’t create a line that’s high-performance and natural.’ I’m most proud of the fact that I always believed in myself, and that through love and a lot of elbow grease, I’ve made my way successfully by staying true to who I am.”

“After I realized there was more to life than being a model, but before I founded Josie Maran Cosmetics, I took some classes in the Waldorf education method to see if I wanted to become a teacher. Instead I became a Waldorf parent, and I’m so grateful to Rumi’s teachers, who work even harder than I do.”

“Luckily, my husband and I see eye-to-eye on parenting (even when our eyes are crossed from lack of sleep). We understand the value of communication and we’re pretty good at making decisions together, so neither one of us has to be the hard-ass.”

“I was creating my line when I was pregnant with Rumi. Even though I didn’t know if I was having a boy or girl, I was clearly thinking girly because I was so into rose gold and ended up choosing it as the color for all of the packaging.”

On Rumi: I Love Gorgeous dress

“Rumi’s curious, and she’s not shy about asking anything of anyone. She loves nature, playing outside, and dressing up (even more than I do). The new baby is due on Rumi’s sixth birthday, and I’m already training her to help me.”

“She loves to chase our bunny, Angelina Ballerina, around the house. Sometimes, the hutch doesn’t quite get locked and suddenly our landline doesn’t work because someone chewed through the wires…”

“I’m excited about reusing a lot of Rumi’s baby gear for our new baby. I read Goodnight Moon to Rumi every night I was pregnant and then for the first two years of her life, and I’ve already continued that tradition with the new one.”

Beauty...

“Multi-tasking products save me every day, which is why I try to develop as many of them as humanly possible. I use my 100% Pure Argan Oil on my face and body every morning and evening. It’s an organic, natural moisturizer that nourishes skin, hair and nails and gives me that glowy look that everyone wants.”

“I love spending time outside with Rumi. We go on hikes in the canyons near our house and we’re always finding new places to have outdoor adventures. I like to expose her to a lot of different outdoor environments—the beach, the hills, the forest, and now our summer farm in Pennsylvania. Seeing the wonder on her face gives me a new love of nature, too.”

“I wish someone had told me that I didn’t need so much stuff to raise a happy baby. Before Rumi was even born, we’d collected a mountain of stuff, and hardly any of it ever got used. As we speak, Rumi’s running around outside, picking wildflowers, staring at ladybugs, swinging on an old rope swing. No stuff required!”

“Watching Rumi love her cousins so tenderly and sweetly makes my heart sing.”Rumi and cousin Sophie playing dress-up

“My parents taught me resiliency, to have a strong work ethic and to be resourceful. I also grew up with a support system that encouraged me to find what made me happy and helped me feel confident in the person I am. Rumi has that same foundation. She’s happy, determined and she could probably teach us all about being organic.”

“I wish I was better at everything! Isn’t that the essence of being a mom—trying to do everything better every day? Just the thought of her lifts my spirits and motivates me to be a better person and leave her a better world.”

For Kids (clothes)...

“I love all of the great eco items from Oeuf. Their toys have a handcrafted look that’s authentic and imaginative. We also love to shop for kids’ clothes and toys at the cool store my cousin Peter and his wife Sophie run in Los Angeles, called Broome Street General Store.”

“We’ve been bringing Rumi to the beach since she was born, and she’s a total ocean baby. It’s a treat to raise a child as I was raised: in a garden paradise where food and flowers grow year-round and it’s (almost) never too cold for a trip to the beach.”

“When you’re pregnant, your body changes so fast that you’re just trying to catch up with it. Things that fit yesterday don’t work anymore. And I have no time to shop. My workout these days is walking through airports in heels. I also love to do yoga. Ali, Rumi and I eat well, too—healthy, whole foods as often as possible. At our office, we work out together on Workout Wednesdays—it’s pretty hilarious to see our entire team doing sit-ups together in Ali’s office.”

Mama glow

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