Beauty, Beauty Slideshow:

Hey, Gorgeous

Contributed By: Amy Feezor

You know that friend — the one that’s hard to surprise come birthday or holiday gift-giving time because she seems to know about and/or have just about everything? This is the gift for her.

Rich and completely luxurious, Marula – The Leakey Collection ($78) is a new natural anti-aging skincare oil that uses Marula, revered by African women for centuries for its restorative benefits. Marula is cold pressed from wild-harvested and individually selected Marula nuts to produce an oil with exceptional moisturizing and healing properties, as well as higher levels of antioxidants and omega 9 than argan or grape seed oil.

Great for sunburned and radiated skin, Marula oil has hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties that easily soothe. It can also be helpful when applied to traumatized skin following certain medical procedures (such as skin peels). Dr. Ashton Kaidi, a founder of the collection along with Katy and Philip Leakey, has even witnessed the healing benefits on the skin of some of his cancer patients.

We were happy to find Marula to be light and non-greasy — it absorbs right into your skin, and doesn’t give you a “too-shiny” look. It also happens to work well under other moisturizers, and leaves your skin feeling soft, more supple, and simply taken care of. Our favorite feature is the smell: fresh, real, and gorgeous.

Our other favorite feature? The Leakey Collection is a Fair Trade company that provides a source of income for the rural women in East Africa who are responsible for the picking and harvesting of the Marula nuts and trees. The women then use the money to help feed, educate, and provide medical care for their families. And we think that’s beautiful. (And so will your have-everything friend — this is a smart find!)

Photo: marula.com