Hello there, my lovely muffins! It feels amazing to get back into blogging again. I've missed you all very much! I'll be sure to catch up with all your lovely blogs over the next few days. Our holiday was amazing - it was great to take some time off together and celebrate our anniversary in such a special way. Morocco is a beautiful country full of rich and vibrant culture, and some truly unforgettable sights. Honestly, it's been difficult to get back into the daily grind after such a great holiday, but being able to blog again makes it all worth it! Today, I'd like to tell you a little bit more about our trip, and show you a few beauty items (since this is still a beauty blog!) I picked up in Morocco. Hope you enjoy!
This trip was actually my first time travelling outside of Europe, which made the experience all the more exciting. We spent a couple of days in the centre of Marrakesh, which turned out to be a major culture shock, to say the least. The city is buzzing, vibrant and alive - sometimes overwhelmingly so. There is a lot of hassling, especially if you're a woman, which can be unpleasant and off-putting. We visited a few of the major attractions such as the Bahia Palace and the Jardin Majorelle gardens, and spent most of our days getting lost around the busy streets (which, I suppose, could be considered part of the experience!).
Whilst I wasn't particularly taken with Marrakesh, I absolutely loved the more rural parts of Morocco. We took a day trip down to the Atlas Mountains, which turned out to be the best holiday experience we've ever had. We made a few stops in local villages, where we visited a small market and an argan oil cooperative, where local women work to produce the oil (which is actually a very labour-intensive process). We also enjoyed some traditional Moroccan lunch at a mountainside, from where we could see Toubkal - the highest peak in all of the North Africa. On top of that, we took a short camel ride around the countryside and got to enjoy some delicious mint tea under a tent. It was a lovely, peaceful trip, and it was great to see the more 'authentic' side of Morocco.
We brought back a bunch of souvenirs, some traditional Moroccan mint and jasmine tea, as well as a few beauty goodies. Morocco is the home of argan oil, so there's an abundance of argan-enriched products, including soaps, creams, conditioners etc. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of fake argan oil beyond sold, so the two safest places to buy authentic products are herbalist shops and... supermarkets! A small Carrefour near our hotel had a lovely argan oil section, where I picked up two argan and eucalyptus black soaps. Black soaps have a very unusual, thick consistency - they're made from the ash of locally harvested plants (such as palm tree leaves) and enriched with oils. They are great to use as exfoliators, leaving the skin feeling nourished and soft.
I also picked up a few argan-enriched soap bars, and a couple of bottles of pure argan oil. The plain soap bar in the middle is actually the most expensive thing I bought during our trip! I got it at the argan oil cooperative, which we visited on our way down to the mountains. The products sold there were absolutely lovely, but also very pricey. I managed to find some pure argan oil in the souks (a labyrinth of shops and markets in Marrakesh), so I picked up a bottle for myself and my Mum. Argan oil is great for pretty much everything, and I love using it on my hair after blow-drying. Full post on uses of argan oil will be coming up soon!
And that's about it! It feels amazing to be back in the blogging world - I have some new, exciting posts that I just can't wait to share with you all. Please bare with me as I catch up with all your lovely blogs over the next few days. x
No comments
Post a Comment