[ad_1]
For Abena Boamah, the CEO and founding father of Hanahana Beauty, she’d all the time related magnificence with taking good care of your self. “Magnificence for me was extra about being clear and looking out presentable,” she tells me over Zoom. “Showering, utilizing lotion, ensuring you are not ashy.” Even in her 20s, when Abena grew extra intentional about her look, her routine nonetheless remained fairly minimal. “I by no means did an excessive amount of. I simply give attention to my pure magnificence shining by way of and utilizing merchandise to reinforce that,” she says. It is the identical ethos that is behind her skin-care line: “Hanahana is all concerning the small issues we are able to do for ourselves,” she says. “It isn’t saying that you just should not use make-up or something like that. Do what you need, however it’s best to begin by taking good care of your pores and skin and by taking good care of your physique.”
Abena splits her time between Chicago and Ghana, the place she sources the substances for her moisturizing shea butter physique lotions. When requested if she observed a distinction between the connection American ladies had with magnificence versus the connection Ghanaian ladies had with magnificence, Abena says that due to the web, there is a ton of overlap with regards to magnificence developments and requirements within the two nations, however on the finish of day, she does really feel like there is a higher give attention to pure magnificence in Ghana. “However I believe, total, persons are being extra intentional about what they placed on their pores and skin,” she provides. “I believe anytime Black folks, particularly Black ladies, are taking good care of themselves in an intentional method, it is a type of resistance.”
Ghana’s location on the coast, its relaxed lifestyle, and its vibrant social scene have turned a number of of its cities—extra particularly, Accra—into an enormous journey vacation spot. Beneath, Abena walks us by way of a few of her favourite magnificence and wellness spots, from a yoga studio to a full-service natural hair salon, the very best locations to seize a chunk, and the place it’s best to keep when you arrive.
Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah
When Abena makes the trek to Ghana, she opts to lease absolutely furnished locations, since she’s normally there for an extended time period. When you’re in the identical boat, otherwise you’d simply desire a house over a resort, she recommends staying in Chado, a neighborhood within the capital metropolis. “It is a bit extra residential, but it surely’s very clear,” says Abena, “and has a number of the yummiest native meals spots, like White Home. They’ve the very best kebabs,” she provides. Get a spot close to the seaside in the event you can. “The breeze is so good if in case you have entry to a rooftop,” says Abena.
Photograph: Courtesy of Kempinski Resort
When you’d relatively keep in a resort, take into account Kempinski Hotel—the five-star resort is a part of Accra’s burgeoning Gold District. The luxurious lodging’s 269 rooms are lined with fashionable variations of conventional Kente material, and the resort can also be house to a Resense Spa, a yoga studio, and a totally geared up health club. However the true star of the present is the Instagram-worthy rooftop infinity pool that is bordered by wood cabanas and lounge beds.
Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah
Certainly one of Abena’s favourite locations to remain in Ghana is Zaina Lodge, a Safari lodge situated inside Mole Nationwide Park, the nation’s largest pure sport reserve. It is a 45-minute flight and a brief drive away from Accra, but it surely’s properly well worth the journey. “It is truthfully so lovely,” says Abena. “I stayed right here a pair years again with my buddy Siraad [Dirshe], and it was such a luxurious expertise.” There are 25 rooms on the property, every with a personal balcony, an indoor bathe, and an out of doors bathe. Sustainability can also be emphasised on the lodge—native shea butter is used to make the soaps and lotions, it runs on LED lights, and there is a solar-powered water system.
Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah
This place is so nice, Abena nearly did not need to spill the small print: “The Scorpio in me wished to maintain it a secret,” she says, “however in the event you get to Axim [the town where the resort is located], save up your cash and go right here—the views are value it.” The lodge sits on the beachy shores of a personal island surrounded by 24 acres of jungle and forest—nearly each room has an ocean view, and there is a non-public seaside for company.
That is certainly one of Abena’s go-to spots. “Each time I am in Accra, I get a therapeutic massage from Sicily, the founding father of Contact of Essence,” she says. Along with massages, the wellness middle additionally affords facials, body scrubs, manicures, and pedicures. After your service, you’ll be able to order a drink or a snack off their CBD treats menu, like a CBD-infused lemonade.
Abena’s additionally an enormous fan of Bliss Yoga. She recommends taking a category with the founder, Nana, an expat who determined to ditch a high-stress profession in New York Metropolis for a happier and calmer existence in Accra. The studio affords courses in all kinds of yoga, from vinyasa to hatter, in addition to meditation and life-coaching classes.
Photograph: Courtesy of The Lotte
The Lotte, a extremely curated store situated in Accra, is understood for its stock of luxurious items starting from colourful clothes traces by African designers to eclectic and distinctive house decor. Additionally they have a large assortment of merchandise from Ghanaian magnificence manufacturers—there is a wealthy body butter from Nokware, ultra-moisturizing face oils from R&R Luxurious, and pigmented lip glosses from S.O. Aesthetic.
Photograph: Courtesy of The Store
Eyetsa Lorraine Ocloo was raised in Germany, however she returned to Ghana to open a retailer that might be extra than simply that—it could be a gathering place, a group middle. She succeeded—it is troublesome to position The Shop Accra into one single class. There are natural magnificence merchandise, like hand creams constructed from native shea butter, an eclectic assortment of luggage and clothes from designers within the space, a tiki bar, and a hairstyling salon within the again.
Photograph: Courtesy of Twist & Locs Salon
Whereas there’s principally a hair salon on each nook in Accra, there are ones that stand out amongst the remainder. Twists & Locs Salon was the primary full-service pure hair salon in Ghana, providing every little thing from braids and twists to hair cuts and deep-conditioning remedy. And if these choices weren’t sufficient for you, there’s additionally spa providers on the salon’s two areas. After you get your hair carried out, you will get your eyebrows threaded or go for a fast pedicure.
Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah
Come for the seaside, keep for the seafood. Abena’s stayed at Busua Beach Resort previously, and a part of the enchantment, is Auntie Florence. She’s not her precise aunt, in fact, however Florence owns a restaurant that sits seaside. “Her restaurant has these lovely inexperienced partitions,” says Abena, “and he or she makes the very best grilled lobster.”
Photograph: Courtesy of The Republic Bar and Grill
The Republic has a bit little bit of one thing for everybody. The daring purple partitions of the bar are lined with postcards and photographs. When you’re inside, you’ll be able to order a drink constructed from native alcohol, or you may head again out and lounge on the out of doors wood deck and benefit from the dwell music. The meals choices are nice too, and the menu options vegetarian dishes. “They’ve the very best curry goat and cassava fries—so scrumptious,” says Abena.
Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah
At this restaurant and sports bar, one other certainly one of Abena’s favorites, you may discover conventional Ghanaian meals like fufu, jollof rice with a facet of meat or fish, omotuo soup, and fried plantain. The restaurant has a straightforward and relaxed out of doors ambiance with a dwell band on the weekends. It is a chill hangout spot if you wish to meet up with a buddy or watch a sport of soccer.
[ad_2]
Source link
