We tried everything from the Moroccan-inspired beauty brand. Here's what we learned
Partnership feature
Have we lost the indulgence of skincare in our obsession with ingredients and actives? Products that sound like the periodic table and come in factory-style packaging have their place, but where’s the joy? That’s something that Hind Sebti, founder of new skincare brand whind wanted to recreate with her collection of eight luxury high-performance skincare products. From moisturisers, to mists and masks, whind brings a feeling of real indulgence, inviting us to dip our fingers into a sumptuous pot of cream that smells of fresh blossoms, feels like silk and momentarily transports us somewhere exotic. There’s a saying in the beauty world that the most effective product is the one you actually use. This is skincare you can't wait to dive into.
The collection delights the senses as much as it delivers on the powerful ingredients we’ve come to expect from our beauty: a philosophy that whind calls Warm Science™. Whind is all about surprise and wonder from the moment you open the earth-toned boxes to reveal the jewel-like goodies inside. It reminds me of the wow factor of walking from the dusty Moroccan street into the cool of a mosaic-tiled medina with a refreshing breeze, dancing fountains and the seductive smell of spices and flowers. The name whind is a play on founder Hind's first name and the floaty-breezy quality of life in her native Morocco.
Although we’re talking Moroccan-inspired, don’t expect heavy oils or overbearing oudy scents. Hind, who spent much of her beauty industry career in Paris and London, wanted to use the most decadent textures and most potent yet gentle actives, to delight all skin types. When it comes to the naturally-derived fragrances, it’s all about subtlety; there's just enough to tease the senses but not so much that it irritates the skin – think delicate orange blossom and rosewater.
The entire lineup is fun to play with when it comes to texture too. The light Dissolving Jelly Cleanser, for example, starts to feel like a balm when applied to dry skin and transforms into a milk when massaged in with water, the Medina Dew Melting Rose Water Cream melts into the skin like a brush of silk and the Kasbah Moonlight Overnight Recovery Mask transforms from a cream to a fast-absorbing oil that is completely pillow proof.
Hind tells me that most of the products have at least 90 per cent recyclable packaging, as well as being carbon neutral, vegan and PETA cruelty-free certified.
I tried the entire collection and this is what I learned.
For all-day weightless hydration
Medina Dew Melting Rosewater Cream, £55
Hydrating gel moisturisers can often be sticky but not this one with its luxurious petal-soft texture. It feels like a splash of rosewater but rather than being a fleeting hydrating hit, its special encapsulation system locks moisture in all day leaving your skin plump and refreshed. It combines hydrating hyaluronic acid, rosewater and glycerin with soothing vitamin B5 and antioxidant vitamin E.
For the best beauty sleep
Kasbah Moonlight Overnight Recovery Mask, £65
If you suffer from nighttime water loss and wake up with a face as parched as the Atlas mountains, then this night mask is for you. With its cream-to-oil texture, it both nourishes, thanks to a high concentration of argan oil, and repairs the day’s damage with antioxidant iris flower extract. You’ll be transfixed by the delicate lilac colour of the cream, the deep blue pot and the relaxing scent. It absorbs so well that there’s no pillow transfer.
For an oil that suits all skin types
Marrakesh Light Illuminating Magic Oil, £69
Forget what you think you know about Moroccan oils being rather heavy, this one won’t clog your skin and it's suitable even for oily skins as brand founder Hind can vouch for. She describes it as “an oil for non-oil lovers” and it combines nine different oils from date to argan, apricot and prickly pear seed oil, all of which have different nourishing and conditioning properties. Think of this oil as a superfood for the skin. The inclusion of jojoba oil makes it fast-absorbing, while amber gives it a subtly hypnotic scent. It works a treat on hair and cuticles too.
For fresh, double-cleansed skin
Oasis Fresh Dissolving Jelly Cleanser £32
On dry skin, this orange-scented jelly really does dissolve stubborn makeup but is gentle enough to really mush into your eye makeup and remove every scrap. It’s non-foaming but turns delightfully milky when mixed with water and washes off like a dream. It has a slight balm texture that makes it a great second cleanse too when you really want to work into the pores. Niacinamide and vitamin C brighten and protect.
For a sun-kissed glow for all skin tones
Ourika Sun Instant Glow Tinting Water £32
One of the bugbears of self-tan is that it can be drying but these tinted face drops, which can be applied directly to clean skin or mixed with your moisturiser, are beautifully hydrating. The strong caramel tint gives you colour straight away while the gradual tan develops underneath, giving lighter skins a subtle sunkissed tan and darker skins a glow. Unusually this isn’t a DHA (the most common self-tan ingredient) formula but uses a sugar-derived botanical compound called erythrulose, which has a mild caramel smell too.
For a vitamin C mist that's superfine
Oasis Veil Reviving Glow Mist, £32
If you like an ultrafine mist that works just as well as a skin prep as an over makeup glow booster then this antioxidant veil hits the spot. In Morocco, orange flower water is used to tone and hydrate. Whind has turbocharged this traditional staple to make it extra hydrating, glow-getting and repairing with encapsulated vitamin C (sodium ascorbate, a highly stable form of the glow-getting vitamin) hyaluronic acid glycerin and soothing aloe – a pick-me-up for skin and senses.
For a gentle yet effective detox for congested skin
Atlas Pure Purifying Whipped Mask £40
If you’ve ever had a rhassoul body treatment, you’ll know that clay is a key part of the Moroccan beauty experience. When it comes to a clay face mask the key (as a French pharmacist told me) is not to let it dry out, despite what you might have seen on Instagram, as it only draws out the moisture from the skin. This detoxing face mask is designed never to dry or dehydrate but gets right into the pores with salicylic acid to leave a bouncy matte glow. Apply to the whole face or specific congested areas.
For a brightening mask that's fast-acting
Sahara Silk Brightening Vanishing Cream Exfoliator, £55
If you only have five minutes, this quick exfoliating mask has a triple-action effect to getting your skin glowing fast. Firstly, pomegranate enzymes loosen the bonds between dead skin cells, which can contribute to dullness. Next, rhassoul clay gets to work inside the pores. Then, as you wash the mask off, rice bran particles gently help buff everything away to reveal hydrated clearer skin. Your skin won't feel tight thanks to argan and almond oils. You can even leave it on for 10 minutes to allow the enzymes and other actives time to work their magic. It's called a vanishing cream and while you apply a generous layer, it soon gets down to work deep in your pores.
Written in partnership with whind. Find out more at whind.com
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