MARYSE – Plant-based Skincare from Auckland

MARYSE is a collection of considered, plant-based skincare preparations formulated by natural beauty specialist, Maryse O’Donnell. Drawing from natural and organic ingredients – including macadamia, avocado and kiwi seed oils amongst others – the brand’s naturally potent formulas are handmade in its studio in Auckland, New Zealand.

Each blend – from her Bio-Nutrient Face Oil and Bio-Boost to the Multi-Vitamin Body Oil and Enzyme Refine Cleansing Balm – delivers a refined combination of phytonutrients to not only optimise and encourage a beautiful and healthy skin but also to revitalise every complexion through its omega fatty acids, mineral, vitamins and anioxidants; without unwanted chemical additives.

Two of our hero products are the brand’s Bio-Nutrient Face Oil and Mineral Dew. A blend of nutrient-rich botanicals including kiwi and camellia seeds, the Bio-Nutrient Face Oil helps the skin maintain optimum hydration while delivering powerful, antioxidant (e.g. Vitamin E) properties. Unlike other face oils, MARYS’s formula is non-greasy and readily-absorbing. Drawing from broccoli and grape seeds, its silky Mineral Dew delivers a fresh finish. Infused with organic ingredients, the dew is a nice skin-enhancing formula for a post-facial glow.

MARYS’s botanical skincare collection currently includes eight products – all of which are prepared in small batches.

HORACE – The New Way of Grooming

Mint-flavoured Whitening Toothpaste by Marvis - LEARN MORE

Safety Razor Set by Mühle - LEARN MORE

Natural Shave Kit - LEARN MORE

Hand-picked Selection by Horace - LEARN MORE

Over the past few months, Paris has increasingly become a place of exciting encounters for us. During our last trip to Paris, we had the chance to sit down with Thomas Cerkevic and Jonathan Andrès, founders of premium leather goods brand RSVP. Our latest discovery is Horace – a new grooming and lifestyle destination that develops and offers daily essentials for today’s men.

“We’ve seen that to men, buying grooming products is an unpleasant experience,” says Horace co-founder Marc Briant-Terlet. “We develop and find the best products and make sure men are fully informed to make their decision.”

Horace carries a well-curated and well-considered selection of items, with products covering the entire grooming spectrum, from safety razors and shaving creams to hair treatments, cleansing gels and body moisturisers. Alongside some of the industry’s most trusted men’s grooming brands like Dr. Bonner, Baxter of California, Murdock London, Ren and Mühle, Horace also offers its own line of high quality care products, which currently includes flavoured toothpicks, a Binchotan toothbrush and a natural exfoliating face puff.

But Horace goes beyond just offering quality grooming products and a hassle-free service – Horace lets you order via messenger, offers re-order alerts and delivers within three hours in Paris.

The brand is adding a great layer to its experience. Its magazine and how-to guides are absolutely on point; they’re nicely written with the right advice, the right amount of humour, personal touch and insight. Our favourite articles include ‘How to rebalance your dry skin’ (how to) and ‘Why it’s time to shave it off’ (editorial). Go and see for yourself – the guys are doing great work.

SEEM SOAP STUDIO - Product Design Duo, Paris

Mathilde Lehmann and Valentine Sée are the founders of Paris-based Seem Soap Studio. After completing individual studies in Strasbourg and Geneva, the two young women decided to open their own studio in 2015 after crossing paths in Paris. We met the trained plastician and product designer in Paris to talk about their work, their approach to product design and the importance of everyday objects.

Mathilde and Valentine are fascinated by working with functional everyday objects that seem often forgotten. Experimenting with natural colour pigments, various moulds and 3D printed shapes, the duo approaches the everyday mundane in completely new ways – often bridging the gap between design, art, sculpturing and functionality.  

What had started as an experiment, ended up in their first collection, which the studio launched at Paris Design Week in 2015. Taking a new approach to soap, the duo questions and explores the function of this, often unnoticed, object, reimagining it as a sculpture that adopts new states as time passes. Seem Soap’s four collections – Songe, Patience, Vertige and Paradoxe – apply this careful consideration of product design. Made with a vegetable soap base and formulated with natural ingredients and pigments, the artisan soaps are not only fragrance and allergen-free, but also ergonomically shaped to fit your hand with ease. Mathilde and Valentine make up to twenty soaps per day by hand in their Paris based studio.

Today, soaps are everyday objects; and their shapes have developed into something quite standardised. We wanted to push the boundaries of new approaches in conception and production.

Seem Soap have recently been added to the selections of WallpaperStore*, Papier Tigre and the London Design Museum and have launched an exclusive collaboration with Emily Marant. 

@seemsoap

seemsoap.fr

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The composition of images below is a personal selection of Mathilde and Valentine's Favourite Works of Art and the things that inspire them.

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Thevoz Choquet for Bloc Studios - Marmo Domestico Collection N°1 (2015)

Ladies & Gentlemen - Scales & Folds (2015)

Delpozo SS15 Backstage (2014)

Studio Swine, Hair Highway (2014)

Henri Matisse - Formes, PL. IX (from Jazz, 1947)

Hella Jongerius - Gemstone Tables (2013)

Aude Pariset and Juliette Bonneviot - Last Spring/Summer IV (2015)  

Éléonore Delisse - Day & Night, Lights (2015)

Gustaf Nordenskiöld - Beardrops, Ceramics (2011)

Louise Zhang - Slosh Samples (2014)

Dephine Coindet - Modes et usages de l'art (2015)

Delpozo, Resort 2017 Collection (2016)

The Getty Museum - Los Angeles

Celia Hannes - Emissaire, Glass Objects (2013)

Botanical Gardens, Geneva

Camille Henrot - Sculptures Massées (2011) 

Tomas Alonso - Lines & Waves, Marble (2014)

Epiforma - Meanwhile Curiosities: A Conceptual Representation of Time (2015)

Pierre Charpin - Oggetti Lenti, Vases (2005)

Anny Wang - Treasures (2016) 

Button - "Déboutonner la Mode" (2015)

Philippe Jarrigeon - Baccarat, Harcount Bday (2011)

Bruno Peinado - Sans titre, Looking for a certain ratio (2014)

Hermès - Les facéties de Pégase

George Byrne - Hotel Pool (2015)

Karina Bisch - Arlequine (2015)

HAECKELS – Organically Crafted Seaweed Skincare

Introducing Haeckels – organically crafted wild fragrances and seaweed skincare harvested from Margate’s coastline.

Haeckels was founded in 2012 by filmmaker and coastal enthusiast Dom Bridges. Disillusioned by the production ethos of many larger skincare companies, Dom set out with the aim to create simple, handcrafted products that truly embodied his surroundings – Margate’s heritage and natural coastline. Over the years, Haeckels has grown from a passion into a business; taking on members of staff whilst staying true to what the brand was founded upon: to play an active part in the local community, conserve marine life and craft simple yet potent natural products.

By using plants and herbs, which are indigenous to England we make products which help to heal, care and scent the body.

Haeckels has now set up their Margate lab, tucked away in the back of their first ever store. The lab is busy and fully working product development and production lab, where the brand’s perfumes are mixed, bottled and sealed by hand.

Haeckels’ natural products are all handcrafted, locally distilled and formulated using locally growing botanicals that offer the very best anti-oxidant properties. Hand harvested seaweed forms the base ingredient of all products in their skincare range, which is based on the tradition of Thalassotherapy; a treatment that uses ocean water, seaweed, ocean mud and marine minerals to enable the body to replenish, re-mineralise and revitalise.

Two of our favourite products are the Seaweed / Carrot Seed Facial Serum and the Eco Marine Extract Facial Cream. The former is a concentrated hydrating facial serum rich in botanical oils. Boosted with carrot seed, this natural source of vitamins B and C is an excellent lightweight, non-greasy and rapidly absorbing serum to nourish, tone and moisturise your skin. The Eco Marine Extract Facial Cream is a daily moisturiser containing potent doses of a powerful wrinkle active, which strongly stimulates the production of structural skin proteins. Rich in omega 3, this anti-inflammatory and protective antioxidant not only hydrates your skin but improves the appearance of fine lines and skin elasticity. Haeckels not only have a beautiful philosophy, but the brand around Dom Bridges makes simple high quality products that are crafted with full passion.

SAKHI – Organic Skincare Made from Nigella Oil

SAKHI is a new skincare brand from Copenhagen that formulates natural skin and hair remedies based on organic Nigella oil. Copenhagen based, and of Afghan-Persian origins, founder Farah Sakhi created a brand that fuses a contemporary Scandinavian approach to pure skincare with timeless Eastern traditions of healing and well-being derived from the bioactive Nigella Superseed. Beautifully conceptualised, Sakhi’s clean design and packaging only reinforce the brand’s philosophy. 

So what is it that makes Nigella oil a naturally efficacious skin remedy? First and foremost, Nigella oil is the pure, concentrated extract of the Nigella Sativa Superseed found in parts of North Africa, Southwest Asia and Southern Europe. The oil carries more than 100 chemical compounds and essential acids as well as proteins, minerals and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and C. It is this unique combination of potent micronutrients that gives it its extraordinary anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. 

Tried and tested, we are huge fans of Sakhi’s Face Oil – a unique blend of 11 carefully selected organic plant oils, ideal for all ages and skin types. Besides Sakhi’s signature pure, cold-pressed Nigella oil, this remedy is supercharged with nourishing fatty acids omega 3 and 6, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. As your daily dose of nourishing protection, it is both preventive and healing. Despite its richness, you’ll find it an easily absorbed, ‘dry’ blend formulated to provide moisture without that greasy feeling.