A couple of weeks ago, a mystery box appeared on my doorstep. Inside was a beautifully iced cake, in the form of a pair of leaves, and a miniature sugar-molded top-hat sat in its midst.

No sender id or address, but apt for today’s times, the cake came with a hashtag #IndulgeInWellness Quite a juxtaposition if you ask me, cos this ‘healthful’ looking pair of leaves was infact a rich, indulgent chocolate cake in disguise! Perhaps the cake was loaded with wellness? We didn’t think much of it, and finished it off by the forkful. 

Later we learnt that a total of 895 such cakes were sent out around the UAE to media and social influencers, and were created by none other than the very talented cake experts at Sugaholic.

Fast-forward to last week, and I get sent a beautiful invitation card, printed on premium white cardboard, bordered in gold. It looked more like a wedding invite, but was infact addressed to me from Dr. Neem himself! We were being invited to the unveiling of a brand new line of beauty and wellness at the Westin, Mina Seyahi.

The invite came with two bottles of Dr. Neem products; an Exotic Rose Body Wash and a Neem & Aloe Vera Face Wash. The packaging seems very everyday compared to the cake, the invite and the venue of the event.

I haven’t tried the face-wash yet, but the shower gel smells absolutely divine! The scent of rose is beautifully feminine without being overbearing, and lingers on hours after showering.

Like me, a whole hall-full of curious Dubai dwellers attended the event. The MC for the night was none other than one of my favorite RJ’s, Malavika Varadan from City 101.6, and it was great catching up with her.

Going back to the brand launch itself, here is what we learnt:

• Dr. Darlie is a UAE based company, and has created this brand new line of beauty and home care products under the name of Dr. Neem
• The Dr. Neem range has 37 SKUed products, and have already started filling up the shelves of our local supermarkets
• What does it have to do with wellness? Well, the entire range is based on the simple beauty rituals of the past, and takes a stance of going back to nature. Key ingredients in the range include:
  • Neem
  • Camel Milk
  • Aloe Vera
  • Yogurt
  • Rose
  • Berries
  • Almonds
  • Olives
  • Honey
  • Lemon
  • Oudh
• Best of all, the range is very accessible to all! Despite the natural beauty stance, the pricing is set at everyday low budget rates.

Do look out for Dr. Neem in a supermarket near you. The range is loaded with skin-loving natural ingredients, minus the hefty price tag. That’s a wholesome kind of wellness we all deserve!