LIHA OKUNNIWA
Co-founder of LIHA BEAUTY
Such a pleasure catching up with the amazing Liha Okunniwa, co-founder of eco-luxe vegan beauty brand Liha Beauty and so thrilled to share her answers to the OH MY! blog questions.
What are your bag essentials?
Rosewater, Goddess Rollerballs, Eyebrow gel, lipgloss, notepad and pen.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
I usually love city breaks because I live in the country. Paris is a favourite for me because I can spend hours getting inspired browsing bookshops, pharmacies, fabric shops, perfumeries and eating as much as I can. I love how passionate the French are about artisanal products and how long their lunch breaks are!
I also love to Surf and want to try Senegal as its a lesser known spot, and I'm hoping it'll be a hidden gem.
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Warm weather, naked yoga, reading a great book, a long walk in the woods/ rollerskating and a lovely takeaway. I've got dangerously used to my own company during lockdown and I'm dangerously close to recluse levels.
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I'm re-reading The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler and The Penguin book of Historic Speeches.I usually have one fiction and one non fiction on the go at the same time. At the moment I'm fascinated by the idea of social change, crumbling ideals and how long these things take to come around from idea to completion.
Bad TV is my guilty pleasure and I love something light so I'm watching Call My Agent on Netflix as I can't get to Paris!
What is your dream 3 course meal?
At the moment anything I don't have to cook and can eat in an actual restaurant!
What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
A bar of soap instead of shower gel and glass instead of plastic.
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
What should be our next flavour?
A version of Juicy Fruit :)
Alina Gromova-Jones
OH MY GIRL! in London
I am so pleased to have caught up with the lovely Alina Gromova-Jones: founder of the insanely delicious and super cool plant-based and plastic-free eatery KOJO in Hampstead. If you have not tried KOJO before, you absolutely must now!!
What are your bag essentials?
It depends on the size of my handbag, its recently been very small so I carry around house keys, biodegradable wet wipes, hand sanitiser, Glossier lip balm (no lipstick as it comes off on my mask), my U mask, OH MY GUM! In cinnamon and energy balls from KOJO.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Hong Kong! I love that you can go to the beach in the morning, go for a hike in the afternoon, and hit the city for the evening! It just keeps calling me back!
OH MY GUM! in cinnamon - one of Alina’s bag essentials
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
I typically work on a Saturday but I love my job so much it never feels like work. On a Sunday, my husband and I enjoy walking into London, and we sometimes walk up to 20,000 steps! We are definitely enjoying walking in London when there aren’t as many people around at the moment, we keep our phones in our pockets and share ideas and stories from our week with each other about Plus Sunday is pizza/pasta night!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
Watching: We really enjoy those moments when we can chill on the sofa and watch something on TV since we don’t get many moments like that. I love documentaries like Seaspiracy because I feel that I wouldn’t have been educated about this topic otherwise with my very full schedule. But we’ve loved watching Family Business on Netflix, it is French so we watched with subtitles, but it’s worth it! It’s so funny!
Reading: I recently finished reading The Male Brain, it has enlightened me about how to better communicate with the males in my team, it is true that men and women’s brains work differently and how we should respect these differences. Reading it showed me how to effectively get my point across and be heard when on the odd occasion, I am the only female in a meeting.
Alina is the founder of the amazing plant-based eatery KOJO in Hampstead, London
What is your dream 3 course meal?
To start, I love having fresh zesty salads, I adore ripe juicy tomatoes. Then I’d say a bean patty plant-based burger, with lots of avocado, spicy harissa and crispy potato fries with plant-based mayo. For dessert, I would have vegan tiramisu. Mmm I’m feeling hungry, do you feel hungry?
What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Nowadays its so easy to swap your everyday essentials, from metal straws, cotton bags and plastic-free chewing gum to non-toxic cleaning products and even biodegradable hairbrushes and phone cases!
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
I love chai lattes and golden milks, so cinnamon!
What should be our next flavour?
We use a lot of yuzu (from the citrus family) in our cooking at KOJO and I love its fresh flavour, so I would say yuzu! Or even lemongrass!
Layla Al-Naif
OH MY GIRL! in Dubai
So happy to have Layla Al-Naif, holistic nutritionist , yoga instructor and creator of Glowing Within nutrition plans on the blog. Thank you so much Layla for your answers.
What are your bag essentials?
Being a mother now I hardly ever carry a bag, but what I throw in the stroller or my diaper bag is a hand sanitiser (non toxic of course), lip balm, my credit card and snacks for my daughter.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
My go to holiday destination has to be Los Angeles.
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
My perfect weekend entails us getting to switch off a little and spend time with my husband and daughter, my weekends are a lot calmer than they used to be which I love!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I’m watching Your Honor which is quite intense but incredible, I’m reading Midnight Sun which is part of the twilight series and I’m hooked.
What is your dream 3 course meal?
My dream 3 course meal is anything from Japanese cuisine, specifically sushi related - it’s the only food I genuinely get excited to go and eat.
What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
An easy swap has to be in the beauty department, it’s SO easy to find non toxic beauty in make up and skin care nowadays there’s no reason not to be using them!
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
My favourite flavour has to be Mint, although I alternate between the two!
Mint Vibes
What should be our next flavour?
I love a citrus flavour, I think OH MY GUM! would make it work.
Camille Vidal
Creator of Mindful Cocktails™ and Founder of La Maison Wellness
So pleased to feature the amazing Camille Vidal on the blog. Camille is the creator of incredible Mindful Cocktails™ and Founder of La Maison Wellness a platform dedicated to expand the conversation around Mindful Drinking and inspire people to live like Healthy Hedonists.
What are your bag essentials?
Not much these days as we don’t go anywhere really and rarely have a bag but normally:
Essential oils
Reusable water bottle
Lip balm & a lipstick
Treats for me puppy, treat for myself
My computer and my phone
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere sunny! Im originally from the south of France, I lived on an island in French Polynesia as a kid, I need sunshine in my life!
- What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Waking up making myself a cup of tea, listening to music and movement some gentle yoga, going for a walk with my dog, eating some delicious food and hopefully soon sharing a Mindful Cocktail or two with some friends
- What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
Im obsessed with Ru Paul Drag Race, this has been my lockdown saviour and made me both laugh and cry of joy.
Reading Im reading a great French book at the moment about a guy in his late twenties who’s diagnose with severe early Alzheimer and only has a couple of years to live so decide to leave and go travel. Its beautiful.
- What is your dream 3 course meal?
That’s a tough one I love food so much I don’t know!
I always said if I could I would do breakfast in Paris, Lunch in Tokyo, dinner in Italy and the breakfast after in India.
Not really answering your question but here you go!
- What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Straws! Plastic straws shouldn’t even be produce anymore drink with your mouth or get yourself a glass or portable metal straws
Reusable water bottle and tea / coffee cup my favourite is Hunu as you can retract it, its brilliant!
- OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
Mmmm both! Not at the same time though!
- What should be our next flavour?
Eucalyptus or grapefruit!
A delicious alcohol-free cocktail - recipe here xx
Ilona Lattion
OH MY GIRL! in Switzerland
Thank you so much to Ilona Lattion, @veganiina - iceskating queen and creator of DELICIOUS vegan recipes - for her lovely answers <3
What are your bag essentials?
Snacks, water bottle, lip balm, a phone charger, wallet, chewing gum, bandages (i‘m really clumsy)
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Finland🇫🇮 to visit my family!
What is your Perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Staying home, baking/cooking and watching Netflix
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I am watching Pretty Little Liars and reading for my exams!
What is your dream three course?
Edamame and miso soup, avocado sushi, vegan cinnamon roll
What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Reusable bags for shopping, also reusable veggie bags and reusable water bottle
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
What should be our next flavour?
I would say liquorice (but not sure you would have a big market for that) so probably a fruity flavor like strawberry!
Nourah Alamro
Inspiring Vegan Recipe Creator
I had the pleasure of catching up with Nourah Alamro, owner of @sageveganhealth, who helps to inspire so many of us with her delicious, easy and simple vegan recipes. Perfect timing if you are trying out Veganuary this year!!
What are your bag essentials?
My lipstick and hairpin
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Bali
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Having a yummy breakfast, maybe vegan pancakes, then going out to the shops or just a drive to enjoy the sun and nice music in the car and cuddle with the doggy
If you are trying Veganuary this, look no further than @sageveganhealth for inspiration
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I usually watch Turkish series - yes I am in love with love stores <3
What is your dream three course meal?
I am a dessert kinda person so would go for cookies, chocolate fondant and ice cream. All vegan of course!
What eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Reusable shopping bags - honestly it’s easier than what people think.
OH MY GUM! chewing gum in mint or cinnamon?
OH MY GUM! in cinnamon
What should be our next flavour?
Something with citrus
Gemma Louise Deeks
Fashion Editor, Stylist and Consultant
So pleased to have caught up with the wonderful London-based freelance Fashion Editor and stylist Gemma Louise Deeks. Thank you Gemma for sharing your lovely answers.
What are your bag essentials?
My B&O headphones, I always listen to music when going for walks, on the tube or running errands! Dr Lipp balm for soft lips, hand sanitiser (obvs) and some sort of vegan snack.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Bali , it is such a dream and has everything you could want.
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
At the moment, it is a lie in, matcha in bed, late breakfast of avocado on toast and then a good movie on the sofa! It is too cold to go outside!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
The Serpent - binged it in 2 days.
What is your dream three course meal?
Likely something Italian! A bruschetta, followed by vegan pizza and pasta (yep, both!) and a deliciously dairy-free cheesecake.
What eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
My collapsible reusable coffee cup for my matchas, which I love. I also use bamboo straws at home for my smoothies and a moon cup instead of other sanitary products. And a reusable shopping bag - always!
OH MY GUM! chewing gum in mint or cinnamon?
OH MY GUM! in mint.
Zita D'Hauteville
The Ultimate Parisian It Girl
@zitadhauteville in Tatler
OMG! So pleased to have the ultimate Parisian It girl - Zita D’Hauteville on the blog today. Zita is a high flyer at Google, a model, a first class UCL graduate and as if that wasn’t enough, she is the daughter of Count and Countess d’Hauteville (one of Paris’ oldest and most notable families). So yeah - OMG!
What are your bag essentials?
My mask, OH MY GUM!, my little cardholder, a tiny brush, hair clip, Dior lip gloss, my keys and hand sanitiser and of course my phone and charger.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
I would say Italy because they are so many incredible cities to visit in just one country and the pasta as well! So definitely Italy.
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
My perfect Sunday is going out with my friend or boyfriend to have some brunch in a food market (I love food markets!), ideally some gyozas and little raclette.
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I am currently watching The Queen’s Gambit - as I am sure most people are. I played a lot of chess as a child so it is so nice to discover the whole atmosphere that chess professionals live in and discovering all the different moves - fascinating. Love the story.
What is your dream three course meal?
My ideal three course meal would be quite strange as it is a mixture of different cuisines. So first as a starter I would love to have vegetarian gyozas then for my main course I would have pasta al limone which is my favourite ever recipe. I am not a sugary person so for dessert I would probably go for another starter like an insalata tricolore with tomatoes, avocado and burrata
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
I love OH MY GUM! in mint but I love the cinnamon even more.
What should be our next flavour?
May be something like berries or the next OH MY GUM! could also have effects on the body like to stay calm or help with sleep or give a boost.
Dania Sawedeg
OH MY GIRL! and Jewellery Queen
So pleased to have the jewellery and style queen, Dania Sawadeg, on the OH MY! Blog. Dania is the co-founder of the super cool jewellery brand, Kamushki Jewellery, and has been featured on Harper Bazaar’s best dressed list. Need I say more??
What are your bag essentials?
Dr. Bronner Lavender hygiene spray. My lipstick - I never leave the house without it - it is MAC - Russian Red.
Airpods. My perfume from Vilhem - Do Not Disturb - I love this brand and they have small sized bottles which fit in bags. Make-up remover wipes.
Dania and her sister Mariam are the creative minds behind @kamushkijewellery
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Has to be in Italy so anywhere Como is at the top.
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Cooking with friends on a Saturday night and I love walking so a Sunday afternoon stroll is a must
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I just started a new show called The Undoing. It’s AMAZING! and I just ordered a book called ‘Secrets of Divine Love’ so waiting for that…
Dania and Mariam on Harper Bazaar Arabia’s Best Dressed List
What is your dream three course meal?
I love sushi so any Omakase…
What easy eco-friendly swap do you recommend?
An eco-friendly water container that you can take everywhere
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
I love both but I am definitely a cinnamon girl
What should be our next flavour?
I love Mastic - reminds me of what my grandmother used to give me in Libya.
India Sehmi
OH MY GIRL! in London
I am so happy to have the amazing and super stylish India Sehmi on the OH MY! Blog. As well as being an Account Director at rewardStyle, India creates the most incredible content for her fashion and lifestyle blog and three dreamy instragram accounts: @theindiaedit @themirroredit and @theinteriorsedit
What are your handbag essentials?
My phone, a spray hand sanitser, a mask (or two), airpods, chewing gum, lip balm or lipstick, an umbrella (you never know when you'll need it!), my purse and often a camera (film or digital)!
What is your favourite holiday destination?
It's cliché, but I adore Tulum. It has the best mix of sprawling white sand beaches with turquoise seas and incredible food. I'm a massive foodie!
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Having a slow morning waking up without an alarm and then meditating and doing a quick Pilates flow. I'll then have a big brunch before shooting some content then getting up and out. I like to be back in good time to snuggle up on the sofa where I can do blog work in-front of the TV, then cooking some good food and watching Strictly or a TV series with my boyfriend. I've become such a homebody since Covid hit!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
I've just listened to the audiobook of Dolly Alderton's Ghosts, which I really enjoyed. I love listening to things as it means I can multitask which is essential working full-time and running my Blog / Instagrams on the side! I need all the time I can get..! I absolutely love podcasts and am always listening to them when I don't have a book on the go. TV wise I love this time of year for all the wonderful reality TV including Strictly, Bake Off, Made In Chelsea and KUWTK. Sometimes mindless trash is essential and I've also made my way through Emily In Paris and Selling Sunset recently. My boyfriend and I are watching Succession which is a great watch. Next on my list is Love Life.
@themirroredit
What is your dream 3 course meal?
Omg this is too hard for me to answer! I'd have to say some sort of salmon sushi to start, lots of varieties of pasta for main and tiramisu for dessert!
What easy eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Cotton pads for reusable ones - I am obsessed with the ones from Cowshed.
https://www.cowshed.com/products/cowshed-reusable-cotton-pads/30724917
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
What should be our next flavour?
Green Tea or Fennel could be cool!
Giulia Toffolo
OH MY GIRL! in Milan
I caught up with the wonderful Milan-based megababe and fellow cinnamon lover - Giulia Toffolo @thejulietdiary - to ask her the OH MY! Questions. Enjoy! xx
What are your bag essentials?
OH MY GUM! , lip balm and hand gel
What is your favourite holiday destination?
I am Italian and I really love my country. I would also love to visit Iceland, Hawaii and Japan
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Spending the day surrounded by nature
@thejulietdiary #travelessentials
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
Mythos, a book of Greek Mythology
What is your dream three course meal?
As an Italian, it would have to be pasta with tomato sauce, cotoletta (breaded meat) and apple pie with lots of cinnamon!
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
What should be our next flavour?
Ginger, yum!
Lucy Lascelles
The incredibly chic Lucy Lascelles
I am SO happy to have the wonderful and elegant Lucy Lascelles on the OH MY! Blog. She has the most exquisite taste and the best fashion and beauty tips. Here are her amazing answers - enjoy!
What are your bag essentials?
Small Maison and Pearson brush for back combing and hair fluffing - always monogrammed, a sentimental nod to how we grew up using the brushes. In school everyone had them engraved with their names.
Kevin Aucoin liner in Minimal; I always draw my upper lip into more of a heart shape! Blend with any moisturiser or matt lip balm.
OH MY GUM! in cinnamon. And perfume - right now it is Perfect Amber from Sense of Scent in Mayfair.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Scottish highlands at my grandparents or Capri!
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
Waking up to the sound of the rain or bright autumn light, having a matcha latte and going with my husband for a walk in Richmond Park or around our local pond and then watching a movie at home in front of the fire with our cat Leo and yummy snacks!
That or a girly day with my mum shopping and then lunch at Harry’s (without hubby - I don’t need ‘Don’t you already have a lot of…’ in repeat while shopping!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
Watching Emily in Paris on Netflix - I love anything light and not too serious as I get anxiety easily and don’t want heavy or dark TV shows to trigger it.
Reading Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo - so beautifully written it is worth every bit of seriousness.
What is your dream three course meal?
Jalapeno yellowtail sashimi, salt and pepper squid
Crispy duck and pancakes, Singapore noodles
Kova strawberry cream cake
What eco-friendly swap do you highly recommend?
Walking instead of driving! I walk everywhere even long distances. I put my head phones in and listen to an audio book - it is great exercise too! London is so beautiful for walking, so much to see - so many amazing parks, it is nice to make the most of it.
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
OH MY GUM! in cinnamon !
What should be our next flavour?
The next flavour should be lychee or elderflower! Both with mint - yum!!
Maram Zbaeda
The ultimate OH MY GIRL!
I am so honoured to have the amazing and absolutely gorgeous (and fellow Libyan) Maram Zbaeda on the first OH MY! Blog post. I quickly caught up with the fashion and beauty influencer extraordinaire to find out a bit more about her.
What are your bag essentials?
For sure OH MY GUM! with my lip gloss and SPF cream!
What are you watching and/or reading at the moment?
The Kardashians - my ultimate guilty pleasure!
What is your dream three course meal?
A full blown Libyan three course meal from imbatin (traditional meat potato cakes ), Dolma, Libyan salads and Rishta (yummy Libyan styled pasta)
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Mykonos has a special place in my heart
What is your perfect Saturday/Sunday?
A perfect Sunday would definitely be with my family and good food.
OH MY GUM! in mint or cinnamon?
OH MY GUM! in Mint is my FAVE.
What should be our next flavour?
Possibly something fruity like strawberry or maybe a candy bubble gum flavour