BWB Tour: Beauty Around the World

One of the greatest parts about living in a place like NYC is witnessing the abundant diversity that surrounds us every day. Walking to my neighborhood coffee shop, waiting for the subway train, or strolling through the park, I might hear at least three to four different languages. These moments make me realize how much we each have to offer when we celebrate our differences—and beauty standards are no exception. From Asia to Europe to Africa, every woman has her own secrets and tricks to share! We’ve done the research and curated a handful of brands for you to discover beauty around the world.

Brazil: Soft & Smooth

First stop: Brazil. When we look at mega bombshells like Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima, it’s no secret that South American women know how to flaunt it! With tropical temperatures and sandy beaches, Brazilian babes have to keep their bronzed skin smooth and glowing. Founded in 1870, Granado is Brazil’s oldest pharmacy, offering a wide range of products made from the native plants and flowers of Teresópolis. Peruse Granado’s body creams and butters to keep your skin well-moisturized (and to retain that tan if you’re coming back from holiday!).

France: Sensual Scents

The chic Parisienne starts off her morning with a café au lait, a deliciously flaky croissant, and a spritz of her signature fragrance. Spending many slow mornings and afternoons in cigarette-friendly cafés, her worst fear is smelling anything less than divine! And what’s more French than Coco Chanel? Beyond pastel tweed sets and lavish quilted handbags, Chanel’s real art lies in its perfumery. Marilyn Monroe said it best; Chanel No. 5 is all you need from dusk ‘til dawn.

Hungary: Heavenly Hydration

Our next stop on the tour: Central Europe. Hungarian women always seem to look healthy and radiant. The secret? Hungarian thermal baths. These healing waters have an incredible purifying effect on your skin, which Budapest-based beauty brand Omorovicza discovered and transposed into their brand. Combining the magical benefits of thermal water with your daily moisturizers, cleansers and serums, you can also achieve that Central European radiance via next-level hydration.

Japan: Glow Goals

When 80-year old grandmas don’t look a day over 50, we try to pay extra close attention to what’s booming in the Asian beauty market in hopes of discovering the highly-coveted anti-aging secret that keeps Asian women looking young and luminous for so long! According to SK-II, the secret is in the ingredient PITERA. After closely observing and studying Japanese sake brewers, SK-II scientists discovered that the delicate fermentation process produced a myriad of nutrients that mirror our skin’s natural moisturizing factors. In other words, this is the secret ingredient to help your skin become everything you want it to be.

Korea: Learning Your A-BB-CCs

K-beauty seems to be dominating even the western markets these days, with playful sheet masks, jelly cleansers and sun-protecting skincare. It’s no wonder Korean women have such healthy, baby-like skin! But even on our best days, sometimes we still want a little bit of extra coverage to feel extra good. The Korean solution to this is the must-have BB or CC cream. While both are a delicious cocktail of makeup and skincare in one, BB creams offer a little more coverage. Erborian has truly mastered this formula, incorporating traditional Asian herbs like bamboo, ginseng and centella asiatica for their beautifying properties. Application is weightless, velvety and flawless – it ticks all of our boxes!

Morocco: Long Hair, Don’t Care

We’re taking it to Northern Africa now, where long, luscious locks are sported by women left and right! Forget about hair extensions; let’s talk about the Moroccan woman’s secret ingredient for naturally healthy hair: argan oil. Internally, this ingredient has wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its benefits are visible, too. These properties, in addition to high concentrations of essential fatty acids and vitamin E, allow argan oil to treat dehydration, breakage and frizziness. Zakia’s Morocco offers a wide range of argan oil-based products for not only hair, but face and body as well. The best part? Your purchase supports women in business and the argan forest, too!

UK: No Sun, No Problem

When you live where the sun doesn’t shine, you resort to other ways to mimic the notion that you get at least some vitamin D. But this is Beauty and Well-Being, so sun beds are out of the question. Instead, we look to self-tanners to give our skin some gorgeous color. If you’re a self-tan aficionado, you’ve probably had your fair share of streaky marks and oompa loompa scares. James Read Tan tackles this problem by combining the art of self-tan with your day-to-day skincare regimens. Whatever you’re looking for, be it a gradual glow or instant color, tanning has never been easier! Reap the beauty benefits of the tropics without the damage.

USA: Nailed It

Whether you’re on the streets of New York or the beaches of California, it’s hard not to appreciate the American woman’s perfectly manicured nails—or toes! Gel, acrylic, dip powder – there are so many fun ways we can decorate our hands and feet these days, and it’s such a perfect way to decompress and do something nice for yourself! Unfortunately, these mani-pedis can cause serious damage to our nails (and our health) in the long run, especially if it’s something we’re doing regularly. Why not opt for something safer and kinder? sundays is 10-free, nontoxic, vegan nail care brand that delivers long-lasting, pigmented polishes. Getting your nails done is a wellness ritual; an act of self-love and self-care – sundays allows you to achieve gorgeously glossy nails without harming your health!