In a world where new, aesthetically pleasing beauty launches are ubiquitous, Negin Mirsalehi has created a cult-favourite brand which offers so much more than beautifully sleek and stylish packaging.
The Dutch businesswoman and founder of Gisou comes from six generations of beekeepers. Raised in a fairytale-like environment filled with sprawling gardens, endless blooms and countless beehives, it certainly makes sense that all of Gisou’s sumptuous and nourishing products offer an all-natural honey infusion born out of generational expertise.
With a love of beekeeping instilled in her by her father, Negin understood the power of nature from a young age. Ever-industrious, just like the bees her family housed, Mirsalehi founded Gisou in 2013 with a mission to share her secret to healthy, moisturised and conditioned hair.
Mirsalehi’s mother, a beekeeper and hairdresser in training, began experimenting with honey-infused haircare as early as 1990. Five years later, she succeeded in creating the ultimate honey hair oil, which was subsequently used by the entire Mirsalehi family for decades.
A heritage formula housed in contemporary packaging, while bottles of Gisou hair and body oils certainly look the part for your next bathroom shelfie, each product is packed full of nourishing ingredients which have sent the brand’s products skyrocketing in popularity.
Since launching the beloved Honey Infused Hair Oil in 2013, Gisou has created numerous other honey-based products to help you glow from the inside out. We spoke to the Queen of Honey to understand the inspiration behind Gisou, and to get the lowdown on all her favourite things.
What inspired you to start Gisou?
Gisou was born from my passion for beekeeping, which has been instilled in me by my father. I come from a family rooted in 200 years of beekeeping. I grew up in my family’s bee garden, learning from my dad, who is a passionate beekeeper, and watching my mum, who is a hairdresser and my first beauty icon — creating incredible hair products with our family honey that she used on me and my sister.
I was inspired to continue my family’s story and build on their legacy and 8 years later, here we are! Gisou allows me to merge my passion for beekeeping, fashion, beauty and community to build something unique that I’m excited to share with others every day.
What is your current skincare routine looking like?
I believe in quality over quantity and like to keep my routine simple. I always start my routine with a gentle cleanser (I love the Paula’s Choice Softening Cream Cleanser). Next, I use the Babor Refine Cellular Rebalancing Liquid to calm and prep my skin for the richer, more nutrient-rich products. I seal in all the moisture with our Gisou Honey Infused Face Oil. It’s my daily essential for brighter, healthier-looking skin. It’s super rich in antioxidants and leaves me glowing.
Our Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oil is my not-so-secret weapon for keeping my lips moisturised and plumped. Now that the weather has cooled down in Amsterdam, I am paying even more attention to my entire body, making sure I carry my honey glow beyond my face. The Gisou Honey Infused Body Oil is such a lifesaver during these dry months. This luxurious body oil is infused with honey, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids and helps me maintain soft, smooth, glowing skin.
Before leaving the house, what three things are you grabbing?
Gisou minis are always in my bag — I always carry my Honey Infused Lip Oil and a Honey Infused Beauty Balm - in fact, they are in every bag to keep me glowing on the go! I also never leave my house without hand sanitiser, a cute hair clip or tie and mints, of course.
How do you keep your hair looking so healthy?
One lesson my mum taught me from a young age was to be gentle with my hair to keep it healthy. Post-wash care is an essential step, I like to apply our Honey Infused Hair Repair Serum on towel-dried hair. Our purest, most potent dose of Mirsalehi Honey seals in moisture, intensively hydrates, repairs and protects hair while also delivering bounce and high shine.
When I have a little bit of extra time on the weekends, I treat my hair to a deep treatment that I leave on overnight, a mixture of our Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask and a few drops of our Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil (the product that started it all), the clinically proven formulation instantly hydrates, boosts shine, and controls frizz.
On the days when I don’t wash my hair, I make sure to brush my hair gently and always finish by applying just a few drops of Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil to add shine and control humidity making sure my hair stays glowy and hydrated all day long.
Lastly, to lock in the glow, I spritz on my latest obsession, our Honey Infused Hair Perfume, a signature Gisou fragrance - an aroma that leaves behind an irresistible trail of the floral notes from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden.
What are your go-to styling essentials when it comes to putting an outfit together?
You can always find timeless, classic pieces — like perfectly fitting jeans, great quality tees (I love Skims), beautiful, oversized blazers, tall dark leather boots and cosy, quality knits in my closet.
What are your travel must-haves?
Comfort is my motto when travelling — and I pack accordingly! My must-haves include my slippers from home, a big scarf to keep me warm, headphones to keep me entertained, hand cream to keep my hands moisturised, Honey Infused Beauty Balm to relieve dry patches and double as a highlighter, healthy snacks like almonds and fruit to keep me satisfied, and a brush to keep my hair in check wherever I go.
What one item can you not live without?
As you can tell by now, I can’t live without our Honey Infused Hair Oil! It’s the one product I’ve used on a daily basis in one form or another since my mum created it, and we made my ultimate version with Gisou! I apply it daily to maintain the health of my hair - post-washing to lock in moisture, pre-styling to ensure smooth and styled strands, post-styling to tame frizz and enhance shine, and sometimes I leave it in overnight to nourish my hair while I sleep.
What's your favourite Gisou product and why?
It's tough choosing just one, they are all my favourites! But if I had to go with just one that I am constantly going for, it would have to be our Honey Infused Lip Oil. It’s the ultimate glow enhancer, it hydrates, smooths and plumps lips so it’s perfect for our cold, windy Dutch winter.
Shop all honey-infused products at uk.gisou.com
