On a brisk and bright spring day in the beating heart of Notting Hill, neighbouring artisan cafes and vintage shops, Raye the Store opened its first beauty pop-up.

The travelling concept store, set up shop in its west London location in 2021. Since then, the store has hosted five successful events, offering visitors a curated series of new and exciting wellness, food and drinks brands, in support of small, sustainability-minded businesses. The latest opening, The Beauty Edition, marks Raye’s first venture into the world of holistic beauty.

 
Here we round up just a few of the finest beauty brands to check out in the shop…

The Face Planner

 
Founded by Emma Dobbie, The Face Planner launched last December with the motive to provide step-by-step solutions for skincare regimes in the run-up to special events. Sounds great right? We’ve all experienced stress-induced breakouts ahead of an important occasion and Emma’s brand delivers a resounding resolution.

Adopting a plan-based format, offering 30-90 day guided routines, the brand presents a unique way to think about pre‐event skincare prep (but also makes a great everyday solution to super soft skin). The Face Planner uses a hoard of natural ingredients, namely cold-pressed olive oil hand-picked every year from the brand’s home in the Tuscan hills in its formulations; hence its adorable olive-inspired logo.

I got to try them out for myself and can vouch for the product's non-drying, oil-free and radiance-enhancing qualities. A combination of the everyday cleanser, enlightening eye cream and protecting moisturiser left my skin feeling refreshed and supple; stopping a break out in its tracks.

Pacaiba

 
Since the TikTok trend declaring rosemary oil as a hair growth miracle ointment went viral, #rosemaryoil has amassed over 850 million views and counting. But for sisters Bela And Amara Owoh, rosemary oil was on their radar well before social media made it famous.

The founders of Pacabia, a hair care brand that launched only last month, Bela And Amara tight edit of products are inspired by nature’s slow rhythms. “Connecting the curly, coily, kinky and wavy,” the brand addresses the needs of those with non-straight hair – although the product can also be used to nourish other hair types and worked brilliantly on frazzled ends of my long straight locks.

Using clean, natural formulas, including aloe vera, castor, coconut, ginger, green tea and high doses of hero ingredient rosemary oil, Pacabia’s restorative hair mask and scalp oil combine botanicals for growth, scalp repair and de-frizzing, the natural way. The brand's inviting packaging, reasonable pricing, eco-conscious credentials and frizz-fighting capabilities make it a worthwhile venture to invest in.

Persian Apothecary

 
Inspired by the Iranian tradition of ceremonial tea drinking, Sheyda Monshizadeh-Azar founded her boutique loose-leaf tea brand with home in mind. Persian Apothecary has been on our radar since last year and a sampling of Sheyda’s brews at the Raye pop-up didn't disappoint. “Persian Apothecary is a reflection of my life. The teas I have created are a means for me to preserve and share my heritage and the memories I have of Iran, the place of my birth,” says Sheyda.

I sample a blend of fragrant rosewater, jasmine and green tea, which captures the essence of springtime inspired by Sheyda’s grandmother; a take on Persian breakfast tea spiced with rich, aromatic, notes of saffron halva; and a surprising smoked blend that reimagines driving through the bustling streets of Tehran. This is really brilliant tea made even better with a story.

The Raye the Store pop-up will be open until the 20th of April so make sure you stop by to see for yourself!

 

Raye the Store, 2 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 1NN
rayethestore.com
@rayethestore

By Augustine Hammond