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Beauty And Wellbeing

54 Thrones African Made Skincare Egyptian Black-Seed Oil Atelier Fifty Five Feature
Africa Beauty And Wellbeing Ghana Morocco Nigeria

Pamper Your Skin With 54 Thrones Botanical Skincare Made In Africa

More and more people are shunning chemically formulated on the shelf beauty products in favour of natural, holistic handcrafted formulations, and the beauty industry has witnessed a rise in brands around the world catering to this need by tapping into their own homegrown beauty rituals and bringing them to global attention. And Africa is no exception. Natural skin care ingredients such as cocoa butter and shea that have been used by African women for centuries are being recognised for their benefits, but we are only just scratching the surface. Fruit of the African soil, ingredients such as baobab, marula, and […]

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LIHA Inspired by West African Natural Skin Care Secrets
Beauty And Wellbeing Nigeria West Africa

LIHA Handcrafted Natural Skin Care Launching Facial Range

  A few months back I introduced LIHA , a pioneering skincare brand that is all about natural beauty formulations made with rare ingredients. I caught up with the founders Abi and Liha to find out a bit more about the brand and their new product offering. Please introduce yourself, and tell us a bit about your backgrounds, where you are based and what has inspired your interest in natural skin care? ABI: Liha and I met at University in London nearly 18 years ago. After university I became a professional athlete, competing in 2 Olympic Games. Liha moved back to her hometown […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing Ghana Nigeria West Africa

LIHA Beauty Inspired By West African Skin Care Traditions

  We have gone through a cold snap of late, the icy winter winds contrasted with the drying effects of central heating leaving skin feeling skin a bit distressed. Whether you are in a cold or hot climate, it is important to protect your skin as each season comes with its own set of challenges that can be harmful to exposed skin if you go not care for it properly. And with more of us shunning chemical laden products in favour of natural skin care ones it can be tricky to find natural products that are what they say they […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing Kids Zimbabwe

Lifestyle: Taking Care of Baby

Shea Mooti [Zimbabwe] [Image credit: Pampered Baby Sleep Kit, Gift Set – Shea Mooti] Based in London, Shea Mooti founder, and former nurse, Violet Reid started making her own skincare products to treat the dry eczema-prone skin of her newborn son. Baby skincare products, even if labeled natural and organic, often made her son’s skin condition worse, and Violet realised that the only way to ensure the products she used were pure was to make them herself. Violet enrolled in a natural soap-making course in 2007, where she learnt about the effects of certain ingredients; and more importantly, discovered the […]

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Africa Inspired Beauty And Wellbeing

Beauty: Planet Botanicals Natural Skincare

Planet Botanicals [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: Planet Botanicals Natural Skincare Range] As the seasons change from cold to warm, colds and flu become all too common, and unfortunately for me I have been bedridden, trying to shake off a particularly nasty cold, and generally feeling sorry for myself! As one to shun medication for as long as I possibly can, I tend to prefer natural goodness and remedies in essential oils and soothing herbal teas to get me well, as well as aiding overall day-to-day wellbeing, so it always good to get to know new products. I recently came across Planet […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing South Africa

Beauty: Rejuvenation and Pampering with Rain

Rain [South Africa] [Image credits: top, Antibacterial Olive Oil Soap – Rain] The days may be getting longer, but the prevailing sentiment is of winter going on for much too long now. I could not agree more, finding myself feeling tired, sluggish, and longing to shake of the layers of hibernation. This calls for a spot of rejuvenation and pampering; and what better way than using products with the best ingredients Mother Nature can offer. Based in Swellendam, South Africa, Rain is a natural skincare and home accessories line inspired by the life-giving sustenance of its namesake; a philosophy that marks everything […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing Senegal

Beauty: Chouette Mama Natural Skincare

Chouette Mama [Senegal] [Image credit: Chouette Mama] The soothing, nourishing, regenerating and healing properties of West Africa’s indigenous plant life forms the basis of a range of 100% natural skincare products formulated by Senegalese based business, Chouette Mama. The business was founded in 2007 by Phil and Geraldine Pernin, a French couple with an interest in botany, that led them to relocate to Popenguine, a small village on the Senegalese coast with the idea of setting up a laboratory creating natural skincare based around plants that have been used locally for generations.  

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Beauty And Wellbeing Egypt

Beauty: Jeanne Habashi – Le Caire Skincare Fit for a Queen

Jeanne Habashi – Le Caire [Egypt]   Ancient Egyptians were among the early pioneers of cosmetology as they continually sought ways to enhance beauty, and preserve youthful appearances in a society where physical appearance was of paramount importance and whose women were famed for their beauty. Plants and natural ingredients were used to create skincare products that included moisturisers and anti-wrinkle creams, and over four thousand years later have inspired a premium luxury skincare line; Jeanne Habashi – Le Caire. The company was founded in 2006 by Jeanne Habashi who is originally from France but moved to Cairo in 2004, and […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing Kenya

Beauty: Basa Body Coconut Oil Skincare

Basa Body/ Coast Coconut Farms [Kenya] [Image credits: top, Gift Box; bottom, Lotion, Lip Butter and Body Stick – Basa Body] I think its fair to say that most of the beauty and skincare products I have featured lean in favour of using Shea butter as the main ingredient, with others like coconut oil coming in as secondary, well not so in the case of Basa Body whose natural skincare product range is made from virgin coconut oil that is produced by hand in Mombasa, Kenya. Easily absorbed into the skin Coconut Oil is known for its healing properties and contains natural […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing South Africa

Beauty: Miöja Natural and Holistic Skincare

Miöja [South Africa] [Image credits: Skincare range – Miöja] I fell for Miöja’s packaging as soon as I saw it; the colours, so intense and gorgeously vibrant make you take notice. However, the colours as I later found out not only serve to create standout packaging but have a deeper significance in distinguishing and highlighting the specific benefits of each range. Based in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa Miöja was started by Tasha Saha, a practicing Holistic Healer and as a chronic sufferer from eczema sought to create her own natural and holistic skincare range using the plants from her garden, simple ingredients […]

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Africa Inspired Beauty And Wellbeing Burkina Faso

Beauty: L’Occitane Marks International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day with L’Occitane [Burkina Faso] [Image credit: L’Occitane Women’s Day Soap] First observed in the early 1900s, Women’s Day has grown into a day of appreciation; inspiring women, celebrating their achievements and acknowledging the challenges still to be overcome. The Day sees a diverse range of events being held across the globe and in some countries today has become a tradition taken as a holiday, which sees men taking the time to honour their Mother’s, wives, girlfriends and colleagues with symbolic gifts. In celebration of the Day, French Skincare care company L’Occitaine has created a special limited edition bar of […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing South Africa

Beauty: Savane Luxury Protective Skincare Range 

Savane [South Africa] [Image credit: Savane Skin Care Products] The African continent is said to contain a quarter of the world’s biodiversity; with the Southern African region home to more than 30 000 indigenous plant species many of which have been traditionally used over the centuries for their holistic benefits. Utilising the power of these indigenous plants is Savane, a luxury range of protective skincare solutions that blend traditional botanical treatments with modern techniques in green science.

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Beauty And Wellbeing South Africa

Beauty: Africology Urban Spa at Bloww, London

Africology Urban Spa at Bloww [South Africa] [Image credits: Africology Spa at Bloww] Can you believe, the New Year is not so new anymore and today is already the 1st of Feb! Keeping busy has made the time fly by, however, the combined effects of a sudden cold snap and central heating on a full blast is causing me to feel extremely sluggish making it time for rejuvenation; and what better than to head to the spa for a few hours of self-indulgent me time. London has no shortage of spa spots to choose from, but I’m looking to African inspiration. In early […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing Ghana

Beauty: Coccolily London Pink Nail Polish Collection

Coccolily [Ghana] [Image credit: Pink London Nail Polish Range – Coccolily] Whilst going through and updating the site I revisited a few brands that I hadn’t check-in on in a while. One of those was a Canadian based fashion label, Coccolily, click to read the profile. It seems that for most fashion brands after accessories the next diversifying favourite is creating a signature perfume, but in the case of Coccolily, a range of girly nail polishes have been the product of choice. 

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Beauty And Wellbeing Malawi

Beauty: Thea Skincare Enhancing Beauty the Natural Way

Thea Skincare [Malawi]   Named after the Greek goddess of natural beauty, Thea Skincare is a luxurious range of products designed to feed your skin with the best pure, nutrient-rich and active natural ingredients Mother Nature has to offer. Thea Skincare was founded by Althea, who coming, from a background in the cosmetics industry developed a range of ethnobotanical skincare products that work to soothe, nourish and hydrate skin naturally and were inspired by a visit to Malawi and the natural, effortless beauty of Malawian women of all ages, in particular the texture and tone of their skin. During her time in […]

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Africa Inspired Beauty And Wellbeing Uganda

Beauty: pureDKNY A Drop of Vanilla and Verbena Designed to Make a Difference

pureDKNY [Africa Inspired] [Image credits: pureDKNY – A Drop of Vanilla] Whiling away time in House of Fraser, a leading UK department store that got their byline ‘temptation on every level’ bang on, I found myself wandering the perfume aisles and came across, pureDKNY, a perfume with a purpose that was launched by the quintessential New York fashion label last year. Designed to make a difference the first pureDKNY fragrance entitled ‘A Drop of Vanilla’ comprises as the name suggests a drop of vanilla in water as the main ingredients. The vanilla used comes from Uganda, sourced with the aim of working towards sustainable long-term […]

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Africa Inspired Beauty And Wellbeing Ghana

Beauty: Packaging Inspired by West Africa’s Love of Wax Cloth Fabrics

L’Occitane [Africa Inspired]   Escaping the crowds on Regent Street I ducked into L’Occitane in search of a few moments of respite. When it comes to tourist attractions London’s Regent Street is notoriously congested. I have been spending quite a bit of the time in the area due to a current assignment and most lunchtimes have literally found myself doing battle as I try to make my way along… frustration is not the word, but in an attempt to avoid the crowds have found myself wandering off the beaten track, discovering some quiet oases in the process. One day however I wasn’t […]

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Beauty And Wellbeing South Africa

Beauty: Malée Skincare Tapping into Africa’s Ancient Wisdom

Malée [South Africa] [Image credit: Product Range – Malée] It is getting chillier and chillier as the days go by and more important than ever to protect your skin from the harsh drying effects of winter; makes for a good excuse (not that you really need one!) to indulge in some luxurious pampering sessions with products that care for and soothe mind, body, and soul. A premium range of bath and body products made using natural active ingredients; I first stumbled across the Malée skincare line when I followed a link from the Timbuktu Chronicles blog. Based in South Africa, Malée was named after […]

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