“Try not to eat the products,” an excited Ayesha Omar exclaimed as she introduced her range of organic beauty products to an equally involved audience. Manufactured in collaboration with Hemani International, the line called Ayesha O Beauty was unveiled at an innovative event in Karachi, in which a 7-course sit-down dinner was served with key ingredients selected in synergy with the beauty products. As you can imagine, there was focus on coconuts, rose water, cinnamon, apples, apricots and oranges and all kinds of organic produce.

Nature-inspired themes for events are by no means unique, but this one was. The tastefully and carefully created decor (in compliance with Covid-19 SOPs) was spectacular and in sync with the theme. It perfectly depicted in Ayesha’s all-natural beauty range, the tagline of which is, “Welcome to nature.”

The event started quite late, two hours to be precise, but it was all worth the wait. And while waiting, one got a chance to have a quick chat with Ayesha, who was (at that time) dressed casually in black sweatpants and tee, having a late lunch.

“It is actually a personal journey,” Ayesha said, speaking to Instep on what motivated her to venture into organic, chemical-free beauty products. “My family is into holistic and natural healing and remedies. However, it all started years ago when my mother got an autoimmune disease and skin condition that worsened over time. My brother, using only natural remedies and products, healed her skin condition. It took two years but it was completely cured.”

Ayesha went onto share how she did a lot of research before launching Ayesha O Beauty.

“For now, I have come out with 11 skincare products, in collaboration with Hemani International, a trusted name in natural and herbal products, with around 21 years of experience in this field. All I can say is that the skincare line is 100 per cent natural, paraben-free and vegan,” she said, adding that after three months she plans to launch her haircare line as well as health supplements in the future.

“Stay close to nature,” she furthered. “It has so much power and sadly, we don’t believe in it. You have to firmly believe that whatever you put into your body will become you and my products are made with products that you can eat as well.”

It was a well-attended evening, even though many of Ayesha’s friends were missing as they were attending events in Lahore and Islamabad. Amongst those present, one spotted Maheen Khan, actors Azfar Rehman, Ahsan Khan, Adnan Malik, Maria Wasti, Laila Wasti, Momal Sheikh, Tooba Siddiqui, Ainy Jaffri and Angeline Malik, amongst others.

“I think this is fabulous and I feel everyone should do something and startups is the name of the game these days,” veteran designer Maheen Khan, who looks great for her age, spoke to Instep. “I use organic, natural products so I am totally for it,” she said, adding that she would definitely use the products and give her feedback.

Finally it was time for the big reveal and Ayesha Omar took the stage looking stunning, wearing an all-white Zaheer Abbas summer dress. She introduced the brand by talking about how it all began and that it was her mother’s skin disease and its subsequent healing through naturopathy that opened her eyes towards the wonders of a nature-based lifestyle. This was followed by a video presentation about her products. The Bulbulay actress gave a shout-out to Fakhr-e-Alam for pushing her to venture into this business. During the event, she stated, “After so many months of hard work and research, we are launching 11 products; out of which seven we will be introducing today.”

The beauty products were revealed one by one and it was definitely the highlight of the event because Ayesha had planned a 7-course sit-down high-tea in connection with the products she introduced. The delicious menu, prepared by The Deli Karachi, included starters, savoury items, desserts and drinks. As she introduced the products one by one, guests indulged in delectables that contained the same natural ingredients – nigella seeds (kalonji), cucumbers, oranges, Hunzai apricots, rose extract, etc - used in the skincare line.

“Everything except prawns on the menu can be found in our products,” she laughed. “We don’t have a beauty product that has prawns as an ingredient!”