Brains, beauty and business acumen: MOJEH meets the co-founders of Powder.ae
"Find what works for you. This is what we hope to achieve with Powder.ae, in that in making it inclusive there is something for everyone. You just have to find it,” says Norwegian-Somali Amina Grimen on her business mantra.
And it’s an ethos that has obviously proved successful. The 35-year-old is co-founder of Powder, an online retail destination for beauty and skincare, offering unbiased advice.
“We provide insights on all things beauty through an informative blog and editor’s notes on each product, so you can make the right choice for your skincare and hair care needs.”
Amina started Powder with Ayat Toufeeq, 32, nearly two years ago. “We started it because we found it di cult to shop for our favourite beauty brands online and realised there was a gap in the market when it comes to the accessibility of high-quality skincare and beauty products,” she says.
British-Iraqi Ayat worked in security and management consulting, while Amina had been working in communications before the business was borne out of their shared desire to fulfil a personal need. The pair are equally as in-sync when it comes to their style ethos. Although there are obvious nuances, the ideology is the same.
“I dress to reflect the kind of energy I feel like channelling. I can be in a feminine tea dress one day, a formal jumpsuit the next, and in a pair of ripped jeans and a faded band T-shirt the day after – there is no consistency in my look,” admits Ayat.
Amina’s style is equally unpredictable, “Perhaps a cross between street and casual,” she muses. “It’s constantly evolving and pretty eclectic.” Ayat favours high-waisted silhouettes that are “flattering, elegant and comfortable,” while Amina confesses to wearing a lot of denim and pieces that you can mix and match.
Obviously when it comes to beauty, both girls are experts and are adept at adding a red lip, or a bold brow as the nishing touch to a look. They also both recognise how much impact what you wear can have upon how you feel, and how you want to project yourself, too.
“It’s in how much of an e ort you are making, rather than your specific style. Zero effort, unless I genuinely have zero time, probably means that I’m not going to be feeling positive, creative or energised, so even when I’m working at home, I always make an effort to get dressed,” says Ayat.
“You have to dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” Amina adds. “Working on Powder, I like to wake up in the morning and dress up for work as it gives me a boost of con dence.”
Amina’s new season wish list includes a Cloud bag from Daniel Lee’s collection for Bottega Veneta, and she cites New York label Deveaux as one of her favourites – it recently launched womenswear under the creative direction of former street-style photographer Tommy Ton – “His clothes are designed to be worn for years.”
Ayat has recently refined the way she shops, avoiding fast fashion and opting for out ts that she’ll wear more than once. “I’d like an Orseund Iris blouse, everything at Loewe and an Equipment crepe wrap dress. I also like Velvet by Graham and Spencer, for comfortable, well-made, but not boring, clothes in quality fabrics.”
