I’m so excited to bring you babes MŪN. This line is a minimalists dream come true. The entire skincare line consists of just three products. JUST THREE PRODUCTS!  They also have two additional products for the body. And one new release happening next month. Look out for Protect + Revive Moisturizer – a next level cream moisturizer! But first here is a little about MŪN.

MŪN is a skincare line with pure and all-natural ingredients derived from native plants that are carefully selected by woman-owned, responsibly managed and local co-operatives. MŪN also strongly believes in sustaining our bodies and our planet and they ensure high standards when it comes to fair trade and sustainability. While MŪN’s founder, international makeup artist, Munemi was recovering from a brief illness she discovered the powerful benefits of clean diet and natural ingredients and MŪN was born.

MŪN’s complete skincare line features:

1. AKWI Purifying Cleanser
2. ANAROSE Hydrating Rose Toner
3. AKNARI Brightening Youth Serum

Use my code THENEWKNEW to save an additional 15%. HOLLA!

Get it here!

MŪN’s line is based around a common theme of Prickly Pear Seed Oil. After my recent trip to Morocco – I saw argan oil everywhere – and soon came to find out a lot of it is adulterated, cut or just a plain lie. I’m sure it’s the same with many other oils and goods too.  What sets MŪN apart is co-founder, Anas Saidi, is actually a Moroccan native and has connections to the best of the best. MŪN partners with a union of women’s co-operatives in Morocco made up of primarily Berber women ages 18-50. They produce not only the argan oil but prickly pear seed and olive oils used in MŪN products too. This cooperative uses sustainable practices and profits support education for the local Berber community.

MŪN (pronounced “moon”) is co-founder Munemi’s nickname but it’s also representative of the inspiring deserts of Morocco where Munemi says the moon takes up so much of the night sky that it looks as if it is about to fall on your head. 

When I first received the MŪN line, my goal was to use it for a month to see how it worked with my skin. Well sister, let me put it to you straight. I was sign, sealed, delivered in 2 weeks and after a month, I couldn’t tear myself away. Especially from AKNARI..

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Skincare

AKNARI Brightening Youth Serum

AKNARI is a face oil/serum that you use as a treatment serum and/or moisturizer. If you are used to using creams and shy away from oils, stay with me! What makes the AKNARI Brightening Youth Serum so special? In a nutshell: prickly pear. Prickly Pear Seed Oil is rich in Linoleic Acid and antioxidant Vitamin E and combined with argan oil, works wonders. You can read more about this effective ingredient here but in short, this serum not only brightens my complexion but totally plumps my skin and reduces fine lines around my mouth and eyes. And I am not saying this lightly! It is crazy good!

The texture of AKNARI is thicker than some of the other serums I’ve tried but not thick by any means. It is super plumping and moisturizing and my skin feels immediately more soft and supple after application. At first I was only using it at night because it was a little more rich than what I was used to but as I grew accustom to the texture, my skin started craving it and it quickly became my day and night go-to. It still is! If I have AKNARI in the house, I’M USING IT!

AKNARI’s full ingredient list is: organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil, organic Argan Oil, and Rose Essential Oil. That’s it! It’s a light yellow color and has a mild, clean, fresh, rose scent. Two to three pumps at most is all you need to cover your face and neck. Use this for a few weeks and you will be like WOAH! Here’s the breakdown:

• Prickly Pear Seed Oil to brighten, smooth and as an antioxidant
• Argan Oil for moisturizing and as an antioxidant
• Rose Flower Essential Oil for skin refining plus it’s antibacterial and also an antioxidant

And I know it’s not just me because I went to my functional medicine practitioner a couple weeks after I started using Aknari and the first thing my doc said was, “Wow! You are looking good. Your skin looks healthier!” I know she was impressed with her protocol but I’m like – it’s the prickly pear lady!!!

What I don’t like: At .68 oz, I wish it was a little bigger. 

ANAROSE Hydrating Rose Toner

ANAROSE is beautiful. In general, a toner has two main jobs. First, it needs to moisturize/hydrate. And second, it needs to bring pH back to between a 4 and a 5/6 (an average of 4.8) after washing with water which is usually around a pH of 7. If the skin’s acid mantle loses it’s acidity, the skin becomes susceptible to damage and infection as well as irritation and sensitivity.  Toners also help to clean and prep skin for what is to come next. Some toners fall short on performance but ANAROSE is reporting for duty on all fronts. You can see a full list of ingredients here which includes:

• Prickly Pear Stem Extract to calm and hydrate and retain moisture
• Bulgarian Rosewater to sooth plus it’s also antibacterial
• Hyaluronic Acid to firm and hydrate
• Willow Bark Extract which contains a natural salicylic acid to exfoliate dead skin cells
• Aloe Leaf Juice to sooth and hydrate
• Goji Berry Fruit Extract – super antioxidants to help with anti-aging and anti-pollution

This toner smells amazing like sticking your face into a bouquet of fresh roses.

At bit about MŪN’s ANAROSE from founder Munemi Imai:

I come from Japan, a big toner culture. It’s unthinkable to skip a toner in our routine. A lot of people in Japan will invest in a good toner rather than creams.

We Japanese incorporate English in a funny way and often toner is named “lotion” in Japan. But it’s actually the toner. And “essence” is the richer version of toner.

The right toner balances skin’s pH after cleansing and hydrates the skin. It gives the skin the foundation for a deeper penetration of your serum or moisturizer.

It works best when applied with a cotton pad.  Apply ANAROSE evenly and the willow bark extract will give the skin a gentle exfoliation leaving skin feeling fresh and new. I start prepping models and clients’ skin with a toner on clean skin every time to give myself a good canvas to work on.

What I don’t like: The misting pump is a little too strong. I have to hold it very far away to get a light mist. So I tend to spray on a cotton pad and then wipe after cleansing. I love that this application method also helps to gently exfoliate. 

AKWI Purifying Cleanser

Okay AKWI is for all ya’ll out there who don’t really want to cleanse with oils BUT don’t want to use surfactants (foaming agents) either. Some foaming agents strip skin of essentials and disrupt skin’s homeostasis. Not AKWI. AKWI is a hybrid between an oil and a cream cleanser. It helps break up all that black crap in your pores plus it even takes off your makeup too. If you are using AKWI as a makeup remover, I would recommend cleansing in two rounds. Use once to take off makeup and then use it again to cleanse. This leaves my skin cleansed, soft, moisturized and plump. My skin just feels so full and happy. Here is AKWI’s full ingredient list and here are a couple of the standouts:

• Castor Seed Oil to sooth, hydrate and clear up skin
• Argan Oil as an antioxidant and moisturizer
• Camellia Seed Oil as an antioxidant and moisturizer
• Cucumber Seed Oil as an antioxidant, smoother and clearing agent
• Vitamin E as an antioxidant

To use AKWI: Pump 6-10 pumps in the palm of your hand. I use about 8. Rub it into dry skin and keep on rubbing – this helps to loosen dirt, grime, makeup and it also helps to stimulate blood flow – PS, face massage is one of the best ways to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles! Anyways, after this, rinse with warm water then dry with a face cloth. Or you can wet a face cloth and wipe it all off. Either way it feels amazing. I repeat if I had makeup on. Then tone and moisturize!

PS, AKWI smells very faintly of lemon meringue and is super refreshing.

What I don’t like: I like AKWI most days but some days I want something a little lighter. 

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Body Care

ARGAN Pure Argan Oil

I LOVE that MŪN offers their women’s cooperative ARGAN oil straight up. This is 6.76 oz in volume and comes in a black Miron glass bottle (like all the MŪN products do – love). Argan oil is a multi-purpose oil that can be used to soften and moisturize skin, cuticles, and hair. This one is hand-processed, cold-pressed, and organic. It assimilates so well into my skin sinking in like the best of ’em. I love using ARGAN as a body moisturizer – especially right after I get out of the shower.

Argan oil is also known to soothe irritation and sun damage, calm inflammation, and help minimize fine lines.

What I don’t like: Nothing. Love it all. 

AYOUR Body Toning Serum

AYOUR and ANAROSE are the only formulas that do not contain Argan Oil. Instead it calls on the skin benefits of Moroccan Olive Fruit Oil. It’s designed to target areas of concern like stretch marks (both old an new), body wrinkles and discoloration. I love how fast it sinks in and girl, it smells amazing. Formulated with Frankincense Essential Oil, Neroli Essential Oil and Lavender Essential Oil – this scent combo is killer. It also has:

• Cucumber Seed Oil to smooth, moisturize and as an antioxidant
• Rosehip Seed Oil to sooth, brighten and as an antioxidant
• Prickly Pear Seed Oil to brighten and as an antioxidant
• Vitamin E as an antioxidant

AYOUR comes in a 1.7 oz bottle.

What I don’t like: I wish it was a little bigger. 

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Accessories

**2023 Note: These two products are no longer available. **

Organic Headband

Huge fan of MŪN’s organic white headband. This is fantastic for keeping hair out of the way while washing, masking and treating skin. Love that it’s organic. It’s also elastic too so it fits most head shapes and sizes. Easy to wash. I use this headband ALL THE TIME.

Organic Washcloth

Also, LOVE MŪN’s organic washcloth. I love it for so many reasons. First, it’s smaller so it doesn’t hold on to a ton of water. And because of this, it dries fast. And because of that, it doesn’t get moldy or smell. (HUGE!) I also love that it’s thinner and it just seems to grab the gunk off your face like a pro. And lastly it’s….ORGANIC. I have two of these organic washcloths in rotation. Can’t get enough.

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If you try MŪN, make sure to use code THENEWKNEW to save an additional 15%!

Thanks to Monkey & Squirrel for these beautiful photos.

P.S. check out the best organic wine and 5 face masks that deliver instant results!