LIVING SANTA with Salima Issaoui
#LIVINGSANTA is a series of interviews where we reach out to friends of the brand to connect and get to know them a bit better.
From daily rituals and everyday objects to precious things, and relaxing moments: we’re curious to know, and eager to share our findings with you.
In the first chapter of #LivingSanta we’re introducing Salima Issaoui. With Moroccan roots but based in Barcelona, she is the founder of Uzza Skincare,
a skincare brand that pays tribute to Moroccan botany.
Where are you answering from?
From my favourite tea place in Barcelona! It’s called Interior de Té. The owners are true tea curators and they have the best of the best when it comes to Chinese and Japanese tea.
What is your favourite place at home?
I guess my favourite part is our little orchard. I love seeing how our veggies and fruits grow – the transformation from seed to plant is a magnificent process. It amazes me to see the daily little changes. If you pay close attention you’re able to see so many little differences!
And your favourite object at home?
A beautiful sculpture my partner Albert gifted me for Christmas. It’s a piece by his cousin Andrés Clariana, who’s a deaf artist with very low vision. It’s not only a beautiful piece of art but also a constant reminder of boundlessness.
What’s on your bedside table?
There’s no bedside table. It’s been on our to-buy list for months but somehow we got used to our hyper simple bedroom (there’s only one bed!) and we kind of like it. It brings so much peace and clarity.
Favourite morning ritual?
I start my days stretching and doing a 10-minute meditation. Afterwards, I make myself a blend of lemon juice, aloe vera juice and warm water and I drink it while journaling my favourite moments of the day before. This helps me start the day with a positive mindset!
Favourite evening ritual?
My skincare routine, definitely!
Something you always do before going to bed?
A cup of herbal infusion and some candied ginger with honey and cinnamon.
The pleasure of waking up, or the pleasure of going to sleep?
The pleasure of waking up, always! Shushing my mind takes time and effort so falling asleep can be an adventure sometimes! Waking up, on the contrary, feels like a blessing!
In the summer: blanket or no blanket?
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep without a blanket. A blanket is more than a piece of fabric, it’s the spacecraft that shields me during the journeys I take on in my dreams.
Pyjamas or no pyjamas?
Nightgowns! The art of dressing up should be honoured at night too.
Your favourite bed outside of your home?
I can’t think of a more delightful rest than a nap in the arms of a dear person in Central Park, feeling the grass beneath and the sky above.
A bedside book?
Little birds by Anaïs Nin.
A song to go to sleep to?
A song to wake up to?
We are family by Sister Sledge. Oh, those late seventies vibes! Oh, those soul, funk and disco beats!
What’s a dream you remember?
I have extremely vivid psychedelic dreams and I remember most of them. And trust me, you don’t wanna hear about them!
