Jessica Turner They married at the British Museum gift shop, a match made in heaven (or some divine place … ).
A stand of makeup and a history exhibition might be an unlikely pairing, but Eye Of Horus and Sunken Cities have a lot in common. Running until November, Sunken Cities unearths the artefacts of two ancient Egyptian cities, recently excavated from under the sea.
Australian makeup brand Eye Of Horus unearthed wisdom from the same era in formulating their cult range of cosmetics.
“Our key ingredient, moringa oil, was coined `Oil of the Pharaohs’ for its beautifying and regenerative powers,” says Holly Spierings, CEO and co-founder of the brand.
Harnessing her background in naturopathy and love of ancient herbal lore, she sought to conceive a makeup line suitable for her highly irritable eyes.
“From years of research into the history of cosmetic ingredients and their effectiveness we discovered that the Ancient Egyptians had it right. Their wax-rich bases and nourishing oils are great for sensitive eyes,” says Holly.
Best friends, now business partners, Holly and Amy Lennane (pictured above) discovered their mutual fascination with the era during their time developing a bespoke skincare line. Bonding over botanicals, they developed The Goddess Mascara – still a hero in the range.
Since breaking into Australasian market, they’ve developed a loyal following of beauty bloggers and customers.
With a knack for thinking outside the box, it was Sharon Holloway, the brand’s UK distributor, who played matchmaker between Eye of Horus and Sunken Cities.
“In 2015 we secured this prestigious account with the British Museum. We’re showcased in the gift store as part of the exhibition. We’re now present in a central London location available to UK fans.”
Holly and Amy travelled from their Byron Bay digs to London last month, where they told museum visitors the story about the brand with its connection with ancient Egypt.
The perfect partnership has cleverly placed Eye Of Horus in the line of vision of their ultimate audience.
“Many customers were diehard ancient Egyptian fans so naturally they were drawn to our concept and packaging. Since then we’ve had huge success with sales and exposure.”
