CHIC CHIQ is an all-natural cosmetics and lifestyle company, inspired by the 5,000 year-old Ayurveda system of medicine. Ayurveda’s popularity is on the rise in the west, as interest in traditional and alternative products grow. CHIC CHIQ is perfectly positioned to introduce Western clients to safe, natural and effective cosmetics in a modern and luxurious way. With the goal of promoting the slow beauty movement, and encouraging each of us to take some time in the day to enjoy our own relaxing beauty ritual, who couldn’t be interested?
Patrycja Pietracha-Rotithor is the founder of CHIC CHIQ
History of CHIC CHIQ
CHIC CHIQ was founded by Patrycja Pietracha and her husband Amol Rotithor. Both are avid world travelers with accomplished CVs. Patrycja was first introduced to Ayurveda while working in Hong Kong. The normal hair and cosmetic products she was used to simply could not cope with the high humidity of Hong Kong, and she sought out alternatives. It is here that a colleague suggested Ayurveda, and she was hooked. Not only were the products effective, but they were also natural and had a rich cultural history.
On a motorcycle roadtrip through Vietnam, she met her husband Amol, and the idea to create CHIC CHIQ began to take root. Patrycja, originally from Poland, is and was an accomplished beauty blogger with a deep interest in cosmetics. Amol, originally from India, already had a background in Ayurveda through his family and upbringing. The only problem to overcome was packaging, presentation and delivery. Ayurveda products in India tend to be sold in bulk at large open-air markets, in nondescript packaging, and often with harsh or unpleasant aromas. This can severely limit their appeal to Western customers, and this is the problem that CHIC CHIQ has set out to solve. Read more about Patrycja and Amol’s journey to create CHIC CHIQ.
Rose Powder Face Mask from CHIC CHIQ
Traditional and Modern at the Same Time?
It may seem like a contradiction to call something both traditional and modern, but this is the tightrope that CHIC CHIQ cosmetics has chosen to walk, and it looks like they’ve nailed it. They accomplish this by using all-natural and traditional ingredients from all over the world, processing and cruelty-free testing them in EU laboratories, and packaging them in beautiful, sustainable bamboo packaging.
Firstly, the ingredients. CHIC CHIQ spares no expense in identifying and sourcing the best ingredients in the world. We are all familiar with turmeric, for example. Turmeric is a very popular ingredient in Ayurveda but it’s bright, friendly yellow color belies the fact that it is well-known to stain the skin and clothing. To solve the problem of staining, CHIC CHIQ uses the rare white turmeric (amba haldi) in their products, which is harvested only once per year in Himalayan valleys after the monsoon. Their rose petals are hand-picked from Bulgarian fields and their algae from the world’s oceans is carefully selected to be nourishing and effective.
These ingredients are then mixed and tested in their EU labs, before being packaged in responsibly-sourced re-usable bamboo containers. CHIC CHIQ’s first products are traditional powder face masks, which have many benefits over more common premixed ones you are familiar with. What the consumer is left with, is a beautifully packaged and pleasantly aromatic powder ready to be used in your daily or weekly skincare rituals. Water (or if possible rose water) is added to the powder to activate it, and it is applied to the face for 15 to 20 minutes before being pulled off. These Ayurveda-inspired face masks really do combine the best of both the traditional and modern worlds, giving you a link to the past and bringing the 5,000 year-old Ayurveda tradition into the mainstream.
What’s the future of CHIC CHIQ cosmetics?
What’s Next for CHIC CHIQ?
CHIC CHIQ is hard at work to build brand awareness and visibility, to help bring both their products and the Ayurveda philosophy into the mainstream. Facemasks are only the beginning. Patrycja and Amol want to share their journey with you, and introduce the rest of the world to the magic of Ayurveda and reap the benefits of 5,000 years of medicine and tradition. Whether you call it “slow beauty”, “now age”, or simply our modern, 21st century culture, CHIC CHIQ fits in perfectly. Take the time to slow down, relax, and enjoy a rejuvenating skincare ritual at home.
