We Are One! The Global Serums

Hello Glowing beauties!!

I am so excited about today’s post because I’m talking about a product ( I sincerely think, and I don’t say it lightly) every woman should own, not only because of the many skin benefits, but also for the profound universal message of truth and love it holds.  My friends, I give you Lina Hanson, celebrity makeup artist extraordinaire, author of the book Eco-Beautiful: The Ultimate guide to natural beauty and wellness and illustrious creator of the Global serums.

Global Serums Face and Body: good food for my skin!

As you get to know me and read my blog, you’ll notice that, for me,  the most important aspect of blogging is connecting with people.  Beyond the initial appeal of the product, I am most often drawn to the person and/or the message behind the brand. That’s exactly what happened with Lina Hanson.  I mean, really, who doesn’t love her? She and I have something in common (I know, we ALL want to have something in common with her, right?!) : we both consider ourselves “Citizens of the world”! (read my profile description on Twitter and on Instagram).   Lina had me at  “Global”!  Those of you who’ve tried her Global Serums  know how exceptional they truly are.

What has really captivated me and caused me to want to try the serum and thus, support this brand, is the message behind it.  I mean the name itself, “Global” is pretty self-explanatory.  It resonates with words like: “worldwide”, “international”, meaning that beauty is not defined by one aspect or criteria, but that ALL of us are beautiful and worthy. We live in a world where we see our differences as something negative (blonds vs brunettes, skinny vs fat, curly vs straight, etc) and that kind of mentality brings nothing but division, so why not find something that unites us, something common and GLOBAL ?!

GLOBAL…because the ingredients of both serums are sourced from countries from around the world: Peru, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and others;

GLOBAL…because Lina Hanson wanted to provide a 100% natural skincare line to ALL ethnicities, ages and skin types;

GLOBAL…because regardless of your height, weight, gender, ethnicity, blood type, marital status (you get my drift, right?!), you are BEAUTIFUL!

I consider Lina’s message as one of  unity and of love for the human race.  That message is so near and dear to my heart because it is exactly what I believe in and stand for!

 

Interview with Lina Hanson  

Photo credits: http://www.linahanson.com

We can all agree that Lina is stunning.  But let me tell you, (and as cliché as that sounds), her true beauty comes from her heart. On top of being a talented and visionary celebrity makeup artist, Lina is a kind, very humble and generous soul, not to mention that she has a tremendous sense of abnegation. I had some questions for Lina, and here’s what she had to say.

 

Question: Lina, can you articulate in your words what the message behind the Global Serums is? 

 

Lina Hanson:  I’m going to give you the long version of this 🙂 My husband (co-founder) and I both consider ourselves in some ways citizens of the world. I grew up in a small town in Sweden and lived in both London and New York in my late teen’s. I’m half pakistani, half swedish.  My husband is kurdish but grew up in Canada, we have both moved a lot in our lives and have lived in places all over. We have friends from all over the world and from different backgrounds.  So the GLOBAL aspect is something that has has been ingrained in us both our entire lives. 

 

With this brand, I felt it was important to share this message of Global Beauty. The belief that we are all beautiful and unique in our own way.  We are so different from each other and that is what makes us beautiful.  For a long time media has defined beauty by telling us what beauty should look like. It has been the idea that there is only one definition. thin, fair, tall, etc. The message in creating this brand was to celebrate ALL beauty from all around the world. 

 

Question:   How and when did you start creating your own natural products?  

 

LH:  I’ve made my own little homemade recipes since I was a little girl. Skincare and makeup was always something that always fascinated me. I used to read my grandmother’s books on natural beauty remedies for hours on end and try out different homemade skin recipes on myself. 

The start of the actual global serums came in some way very intuitively for me. I had been doing a lot research on different natural ingredients and learned all the amazing benefits to them and felt compelled to come up with blends that would highlight these incredible ingredients and make them attainable for everyone.

 

 Question:  What drew you to makeup artistry?

 

LH:  I was living in NY at the time and met a celebrity makeup artist who also had her own makeup company. I have always been very interested in makeup and beauty but it wasn’t until I met Jeanine (Editor’s note: Lobell, creator of Stila cosmetics) that I realized that I could actually do it for a living. 

I started assisting her on makeup jobs and she started teaching me how to do makeup. Eventually, I started working on my own and moved to LA to continue the makeup artistry. 

 

Question:   What is your skincare routine? 

 

LH:  My skincare routine is also pretty simple. (I’m a simple girl!) I start out by using a cleansing oil or balm to remove makeup. Then I spritz my face with a hydrosol and apply one pump of the Global Face Serum morning and night. 1-2 times a week I will exfoliate my skin using a face scrub (that I make myself) and about once a week I will do a mask.  Most importantly, I look at my skin and see what it needs. Sometimes when my skin looks tired or dehydrated it could just be something simple like drinking more water or getting more rest. 

Question:  Do you wear makeup? What are your top 3 makeup products?

 

LH:  I wear makeup but I like to keep it simple. I’ve always believed in less is more.  I use Jane Iredale Active Light concealer, Mascara, (I like to try different ones, but right now I’m loving Kjaer Weis. ) Creme blush- I love Vapour Beauty Multi Use Stick. 

Question:   Where have you traveled so far? Name some of your favorite countries, please.

LH:  I’ve definitely traveled a lot of places but there are still so many countries I’d like to see. It ’s difficult to just pick one favorite country, but my husband and I really love Brazil. We kind of half joke around  that we could someday just sell everything and move to Brazil and live the simple life.  I also love Kurdistan and the kurdish people. They have had such a difficult past, yet they are so open, warm and friendly.

Question:  I know you give back, and recently gave 15% of your sales to Amazon Watch (an organization helping and supporting Indigenous people in the Amazon).  Can you name other charities you give to?  As you know, we live in a world that is so selfish, it’s every man for himself, society praises competition instead of unity and … Why is it important for you to give back?

LH:  I have also worked with the IRC (International Rescue Committee) and the Nepal Youth Foundation. Two charities I deeply admire and respect. I like to team up with charities I know are doing positive things and am always looking for other charities who are doing that. It was important for me to give back because first of all, let’s face it, it is truly needed.  We westerners are living in our own world sometimes and take simple necessities for granted. It’s truly amazing what  perspective you get on life when you get a chance to travel and see how other people live.   The important thing to realize is that we can ALL do our share. No matter how small. Every little bit counts. Hopefully by me giving, I can also inspire others to do the same.

Question:  If you had your wish, what is the one thing you would change in our world? (to make everyone’s lives better)

LH:   But if there is one thing I’d want for humanity it’s more COMPASSION. I don’t believe there is enough of that in the world. If we could learn more compassion for ourselves, others and for our earth, I think we’d be in a much better place. I do believe there has been a shift though and people are becoming more and more “awake.” It’s a constant progression and that’s promising.

Question: If you can talk about them…Future projects?

LH: I’m working on more skincare products and I’m planning a couple more global trips. We also recently produced a feature film called MIKAEL that we are very proud of. The film has a very nice message and we would love any support to help get it out there. www.mikaelfilm.com and www.facebook.com/mikaelthefilm

(Editor’s note: go see that movie when it’s out !) 

My take on the serums…

In case it’s not obvious enough, I absolutely love both serums!

 

•  Global Body Serum
  

  Global Body Serum: goodbye dry skin! This summer, I’m showing some legs! Come to me short shorts!!

I have the driest skin and my hospital treatments combined with all the medication I have to take daily do not help, so I need a lot of nourishment and hydration for my skin.  I religiously used the Global Serum for body, morning and night, after my shower…  after a few days, I started to see the skin on my legs getting softer.  I usually don’t like showing my legs in the summer because my skin is so rough, due to dryness…However, this summer, I’ll be showing legs!  Mini skirts? Bring ’em on! I have to be steady, though, and keep using that serum.  I don’t use it all over, only in the driest spots (my legs are way too long, I’d be out of Global serum in a week if I were to use it all over!).  The scent of the body serum is Oh-my stars, intoxicating!  It’s so uplifting! It makes me want to dress up and party!  It’s a mix of Grapefruit and Vanilla Oils: it really smells like the clean version of an orange Creamsicle.  I haven’t found a natural perfume that I like, but when I use this body serum, it’s a perfume and a serum. I feel fresh and confident when I wear it. I love it! Love love love it! Thank you, sweet Lina!

Ingredients:

Oryza sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil*, Argania spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil*, Bertholletia excelsia (Brazil) Nut Oil, Cucurbita maxima (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Camellia oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit) Oil, Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) oil, Citrus junos (Yuzu) Oil.

*Certified Organic

 

•  Global Face Serum
  

  Global Face serum: this is a genius product: great under makeup, I promise!

I also have dry skin in my face, but in the summertime, it’s normal to dry.  Generally speaking, I feel like this serum is giving my skin the nourishment it needs.  Global serum for face is very soothing and hydrating:  I start with the driest spots (around my nose and mouth and go outwards to the cheeks and forehead). I love that it absorbs fast and doesn’t leave greasy residue like some facial oils do. It gives me a  satin-like skin finish.  I was afraid to use cream blush after having used the serum (thinking I’d look like a disco ball!), but when I did, the application of the blush was easy as pie and looked so fresh and natural.  In the end, it makes my skincare and makeup routine simpler because it eliminates the need for a primer and a cream.  Not having to pile on several products is a plus for me! This serum is so potent that a little goes a long way.  I only use 2-3 drops after a toner.  I also thought that it would be too heavy for the summer…I was wrong! It’s perfect because it’s lightweight. So, for now, it’s a staple in my skincare and makeup routines.

Ingredients: Andansonia digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil*, Sclerocarya birrea (Marula) Kernel Oil**, Camellia oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil*, Cucurbita maxima (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Bertholletia excelsa (Brazil) Nut Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus reticulata (Mandarin) Oil*, Citrus aurantium amara, (Neroli) Oil, Cymbopogen martinii (Palmarosa) Oil*, Boswellia carteri (Frankincense) Oil*, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Oil*.

*Certified Organic

**Wild harvested

 

 

You can get both serums online at http://www.freshfaced.ca for 86$ CND (Face Serum), 64$ CND (Body Serum)  or directly on her website http://www.linahanson.com

 

Have you ever tried Lina Hanson’s serums? What are your thoughts? Share them with me and leave a comment.

 

Until next time, beauties!  Take some time to enjoy every moment!

Hugs,

Alex xo