MELFORD VINCENT- MARAH’S BEAUTY SECRETS: HOW TO LOOK GOOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT

“A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.”

– Andrew Matthews

It’s  Valentine’s day and most people are in desperate need for love and attention. Millions of dollars would be spent today on aesthetics , to fulfill the desire to look and feel good, not to please themselves but for others.

Over the years, it has become culturally correct that love must be given. Young women and men , grow up believing that they need someone else to complete them. Most people depend solely on fashion and beauty tricks to make them feel loved and beautiful.

Our task is to create a new tribe of people, those that believe in loving themselves completely. People who have recognized that looking good must start from within.We spoke with CEO’s across the  beauty, health- wellness industries to find out their beauty secrets.

Lets’ see how Melford Vincent- Marah views beauty from the inside out! Melford is the CEO of Sierra Leone’s fastest growing cosmetic company- I-GRO.

I-GRO Cosmetics is an organic cosmetic formulation business. They are known for formulating amazing products, their ingredients are directly sourced from nature.  Their formulas  bring solution to hair and skin care needs, which are prevalent among people of color. This results in boosting confidence by teaching what it means to be authentic, one woman at a time.
I-GRO Cosmetics was officially launched in 2016, but had started about 2 years before, when its CEO struggled with badly damaged hair and lack of appropriate products that particularly worked for her hair type. She committed herself to finding solutions. She got this through natural products sourced directly from nature, with a mix of herbal blends. Ultimately, she came up with a perfect formula!  It did not only solve her hair care problems, but became the product that  solves the hair needs of thousands of Sierra Leoneans.

Beauty they say is in the eye of the beholder. Do you agree with this famous saying? How do you define beauty?

When I actually think of it now, I definitely don’t think beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder , I believe beauty comes from within, how one sees themselves. You leaving your beauty to be determined by another, automatically sets you up for disappointment. It is left with an individual to truly define his or her beauty and others have no option but to absorb and accept it.

Describe your beauty regimen? Name one beauty product that you cannot do without.

My beauty regimen in one word will be natural. I have found that my skin and hair loves natural ingredients. My skin care routine simply involves  washing with I-GRO Cosmetics Rosemary Honey Exfoliating Black soap, with warm water and rinsing off with cool water, and applying Our whipped lemongrass and coconut milk body butter. I do a facial detox when needed using clay mask and apple cider vinegar.  One beauty product I can’t do without is coconut oil.

Research shows a lot of connection between stress and aging? How do you stay beautiful from the inside – out?

I believe that humans are  tripartite beings : we are spirit beings, who live in a body and have a soul. So when you truly understand this, you know your spirit plays the most vital role when it comes to your well being. I believe in spiritual nurture,  we should all follow these guides:

• Stay away from negative energy.
• Love more.
• Envy less.
• Give more, doing all the good you can
• Let go of all the evil (People, deeds and thoughts).

I’m an ardent believer of Christ, and I know for a fact that you experience peace like none other when you walk with Him.

Aging is a fact of life but looking your age isn’t; hope you get what I mean.

Do you think that , there is a connection between love, beauty and peace ?  How do you harmonise these three things in your daily lifestyle?

Love, beauty and peace; are three of the most important words to my line of business and life style. I make it a point of duty to practice love to the best of my ability.

I’ve learnt that you attract what you give, that’s just how God created the universe. He spiritually placed laws that govern all humanity. Like I mentioned earlier, I believe beauty comes from within. You can only believe that you are beautiful when you love yourself enough.

Ultimately that brings you peace, because you believe you are enough and complete in yourself, not needing any validation from another.

Attraction for most people is based on physical looks; do you think that, there is, a relationship between beauty and love? Share your thoughts on the matter.

I don’t believe that  looks are a standard for physical attraction, I do believe in proper presentation, and putting forth your best self. You should not allow others to judge you by their standards of beauty. An individual might see plus size women as been ugly , it’s their opinion. Another will see them as beautiful. At the end of the day, it’s all about how you see yourself.

It revolves around one word: Authenticity, this what people are attracted to.  I think this is just the way humans are wired.  You will be surprised by the way you attract people into your life when you’re authentic.

Generation Z attaches a lot of power to superficial beauty and achieving ‘the perfect look’. What words of advice would you give to these future leaders with regards to fashion, wellness and beauty?

Well, I believe that perfection is unattainable.  It’s totally okay to put on makeup, and attachments. We must not be obsessed with the image those items create, because It’s not the real you. If you  fall into the trap of allowing that to happen. You’ll lose yourself and soon find yourself depending on such, to feed your confidence. What I will  advise is the following:

1.  Stay in your truth, your authentic self.
2. Don’t allow society to pressure you to do what you don’t believe in.
3. Nurture yourself both spiritually and physically.
4. Learn to live your best life, while you’re here on earth.