On World Earth Day in April 2019, we introduced our 2019 Sustainability Promise, in which we promised to work on becoming a more sustainable company. With various goals and points of improvement mentioned, the promise served as a guiding light throughout the year in our ongoing journey towards a cleaner and greener Gisou. On World Earth Day this year, we’re taking a look back at 2019 and a look forward to the rest of 2020. Gisou Sustainability Promise Recap & Update 1. Focus on continuously improving our bee-centered approach in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden At Gisou, the welfare of the Mirsalehi Honey Bees has always come first - with a bee-centered approach to beekeeping and a strict product development policy to only ever take surpluses of honey, if and when appropriate. However, we sought to continue to improve upon our bee friendly and sustainable approach to beekeeping in 2019 and moving forward in 2020 as well. For instance, since April last year, we planted new fruit trees in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden to expand the biodiversity and health of our bees. In 2020, the welfare of the Mirsalehi Honey Bees will continue to remain our top priority as the product development cycle will continue to adjust plans as necessary to avoid taking stores of honey the bees need for themselves.  2. Raise awareness for the importance of honey bees In addition to taking care of our Mirsalehi Honey Bees, our mission is to raise awareness for the importance of honey bees to our ecosystem. In July, we dedicated our pop-up at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées to education about the bees - teaching customers the importance of minding the existence of bees no matter where they live - urban, suburban, or rural. Gisou Flower Seeds We gave all customers in-store and online bags of mixed flower seeds so they could plant more bee-friendly flowers in their garden or on their terrace or rooftop. In turn, customers had a chance to help us counteract the negative effects of climate change & habitat destruction endangering bees throughout the world by providing their local bees with a source of pollen and nectar. In 2020, starting on World Earth Day, we will include a bag of mixed flower seeds with all online orders until the end of beekeeping season (August 31, 2020) to drive our customers to plant wildflower seeds to increase biodiversity in their local area and thereby help support the livelihood of honey bees.   Gisou Bees Project As urban beekeeping produces healthier bees than beekeeping efforts in rural areas, last year also marked the start of the Gisou Bees Project, a new Gisou initiative in support of local urban beekeepers and urban beekeeping efforts. So far, the initiative has been brought to Paris (where Gael Catron continues to look after our bees) and NYC (where President of the NYC Beekeepers Association, Andrew Cote remains to be the beekeeper in charge), and we’re planning on extending the initiative to other cities in the next few years.  3. Increase production transparency Aside from improving the welfare of honey bees, improving the sustainability of product packaging continues to be another high priority, with several adjustments already carried out at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. For instance, in the name of sustainability and production transparency, we switched out all paper packaging, whether that be for shipment or the products themselves, for FSC-certified paper guaranteed to come from sustainable sources only. Upon customers’ request, the Honey Infused Hair Wash & Conditioner, which was previously packaged in plastic doypacks, has since been fitted with more sustainable, FSC-certified outer packaging. 4. Improve the sustainability of our packaging Furthermore, in January of this year, we replaced the Honey Infused Conditioner tube with one made out of sugarcane. Our next product launch will boast packaging made of cellulose fiber instead of plastic. In the upcoming year, we will continue to make sustainability a top priority when it comes to designing and sourcing of product packaging - it’s not a question of whether packaging will be sustainable, but how we optimize design and functionality in light of sustainable packaging materials.  5. Green our product formulations In terms of product formulations, we launched the new Propolis Infused Polishing Primer in July of last year, which consists only of ingredients that satisfy our new, stricter ingredient protocol. Moving into 2020, we’ve been improving the formulations of some existing products, without compromising on the function they are known for. This year and following, we plan to build on and adhere to our stricter ingredient protocol to create products Gisou customers can feel good about, without sacrificing their efficacy. One of the first changes we’ve carried out is that we’ve replaced Gisou’s signature Honey Infused fragrance, found in all of our Honey Infused products, for a nearly identical 100% natural variant. In the upcoming year, we are working on finding a 100% natural replacement for the Propolis Infused fragrance as well.  6. Engage our audience to make sustainable improvements with us To try to engage and include our audience on our sustainability journey, we gave our customers from NYC the opportunity to ‘reduce, reuse & refill’ their empty Gisou product bottles at our NYC pop-up store, Gisou’s Take Out & Refill last September. Nearly half of all customers that visited took the opportunity to refill the Gisou product they already owned. Additionally, we made sure that all design elements to make the pop-up come to life were made of sustainable materials, from biodegradable cups and straws to 100% recycled paper shopping bags. Our previously mentioned seed initiative is just another way we try to promote sustainable efforts on the part of our audience as well.  What's next? Although we take pride in the sustainability developments we have made in 2019 and so far in 2020, we’re not planning to stop anytime soon. We know we’re not perfect and we’re the first to admit that we have a way to go, but we promise we’re continuing to make it a priority for the future to come and to update you along the way. 

Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi celebrated the opening of The Gisou Gift Shop, its holiday pop-up store in Amsterdam December 12th, 2019 through an evening toast with personal contacts and other influential guests, followed by a public meet & greet with Negin Mirsalehi and The Gisou Family.  Situated in the middle of Amsterdam, past long, cobblestoned streets and winding canals, at the picturesque point where the bridges of the Leidsegracht and Keizersgracht meet, The Gisou Gift Shop was the ultimate holiday meeting point for young and old. The holiday pop-up store was open to the public on December 12-15, 2019 offering the complete Gisou haircare range as well as exclusive, limited edition holiday gifts for purchase.    Gisou is home for the holiday season Gisou hosts pop-up stores in cities around the world to meet its customers that reside there. The concept of each Gisou pop-up is always inspired by the local culture of the city in which it takes place and executed as a Gisou ‘takeover’, staying close to authenticity.  With The Gisou Gift Shop in Amsterdam, Gisou was home for the holidays with a special background story to tell:  Every holiday season, The Gisou Family - Negin, Maurits & Mosey - is on the hunt for the ultimate holiday gift, and this season is no different. Just like every other year, they go on a search through the streets of Amsterdam to check off their holiday shopping lists. This year, they’ll stumble upon the bright light of The Gisou Gift Shop and find just the right gifts for the whole family.  Check out the video here.  Holiday gifts  In addition to the complete range of Gisou haircare products, the Gisou team created a selection of limited edition gifts, exclusively for The Gisou Gift Shop. The star of the pop-up and ultimate holiday gift: The Gisou Turbo Dryer - a limited edition, ionic & fast-drying Gisou Hairdryer, exclusively available at The Gisou Gift Shop.

On September 7th, 2019, Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi opened the doors of its pop-up store in NYC with a VIP event and public meet & greet. The exclusive get together with Negin was attended by respected names in the beauty and fashion scene. The VIP event was followed by a public meet & greet with Negin Mirsalehi, where fans came to meet Negin and visit the pop-up. Gisou takes NYC Gisou hosts pop-ups in cities around the world to meet up with contacts and loyal customers that reside there. The concept of Gisou pop-ups are always inspired by the local culture of the specific destination and executed as a Gisou ‘takeover,’ staying close to authenticity.  Gisou’s Takeout & Refill embraced the typical New York City takeout and fast food culture. A Papaya Dog - a typical New York hot dog chain - in the West Village was turned into a completely Gisou branded pop-up store in New York City fast food-style. Inspired by the typical fast food ‘deal menu,’ pre-selected combination deals were also available for purchase, which gave customers a discount on specific Gisou product combinations.  Customers could also choose to order refills, combinations, or individual products via phone or email for ‘takeout’.   Sustainability & refill In 2019 Gisou launched its Sustainability Promise via Instagram stories, wherein we promised to work on improving the sustainability of the brand in various ways. At Gisou’s Take Out & Refill, we gave customers the chance to reduce and reuse by purchasing refills on their (half) empty Gisou product bottle(s) at a special price.  Through this initiative, Gisou aimed to further communicate its stance on sustainability, to show that it’s serious about its promise, and to influence its customers to be mindful about their own impact as well. Every design element of this pop-up was created with sustainability in mind. 

On July 4th, 2019, Gisou and Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées celebrated the launch of the Gisou Propolis Infused Polishing Primer, exclusively in-store at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. In celebration of the launch, Gisou came to Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées July 4-6 to highlight the urban beekeeping culture through a co-branded pop-up experience. The aim of the collaboration was to raise awareness for the honey bees and to support local honey bee populations in France. Gisou BHV Beehives As part of the collaboration, Gisou brought a piece of the Mirsalehi Bee Garden to Paris by installing beehives on top of the urban rooftop garden of BHV (part of the Groupe Galeries Lafayette). In doing so, Gisou not only launched the Gisou Propolis Infused Polishing Primer with this event, but also the honorary ‘Gisou at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées Beehives’.  To further extend the thread of urban beekeeping, Gisou translated the urban rooftop garden to a co-branded Gisou pop-up shop inside of Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. Inside the pop-up shop, all Gisou products, including the new Propolis Infused Polishing Primer, were available for sale. Bee-friendly wildflower seeds were given as a gift with any Gisou purchase to give customers a chance to help save the honey bees.   Beepeekers on Location Raising awareness for the honey bees lied at the forefront of the Gisou at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées collaboration. To educate visitors, bee experts were on location to tell the story of the honey bees. As a sixth generation beekeeper herself, Gisou founder Negin Mirsalehi was present to lend her insights on the importance of honey bees, Gisou’s key ingredients, and beekeeping during a Q&A session with Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées Creative & Merchandising Director, Clara Cornet. Negin extracted a batch of ‘Gisou Honey’ by hand during the launch, and jars of this ‘Gisou Honey’ were gifted to select loyal Gisou customers. Launching the Propolis Infused Polishing Primer Gisou at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées was, in essence, a celebration of the exclusive in-store launch of Gisou’s latest product, the Propolis Infused Polishing Primer at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. The key ingredient of the Propolis Infused Polishing Primer is propolis, the meaning of which served as a connecting thread for this collaboration.  Although propolis in a literal sense is a natural, bee-derived product, the word propolis comes from the Greek words “pro” (before) and “polis” (city). Taking this meaning into account, propolis served as a unifying element that linked the launch of the Propolis Infused Polishing Primer to the events’ simultaneous ode to urban beekeeping ‘for the city.’ Where to buy Gisou in Paris? Gisou is available at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées - 60 Av. des Champs-Élysées in Paris and via www.gisou.com. 

Gisou Scratch Card At Gisou, we are passionate about honey bees and everything they do for us, which is why we always celebrate World Bee Day. This year we celebrated World Bee Day and the start of bee season with a Gisou Honey Jackpot prize pool. By including a Gisou Scratch Card with every order placed between May 20-29, each customer held the chance to win one of thirty exclusive Gisou prizes in the Honey Jackpot prize pool. Prize Pool To win one of the unique Gisou prizes in the Honey Jackpot prize pool, all prize boxes on the Gisou Scratch Card had to be scratched to find repeating symbols. The prizes in the Honey Jackpot prize pool: 1x Personal invite to meet Negin in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden 3x Limited edition, exclusive Honey Infused Hair Oil - Family Pack Edition3x Complete range of all Gisou products 10x Limited edition, exclusive Gisou Hairdryer  13x Jar of 100% pure Mirsalehi Honey   The Jackpot In total, 2000 Gisou Scratch Cards were given away. Only one of the 30 winning Gisou Scratch Cards could be redeemed for the special opportunity to meet Negin in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden in summer 2019. 

In honor of Earth Day, we present our 2019 Sustainability Promise: Gisou is committed to becoming more sustainable all-around, and we would like to bring you along every step in the greener direction we take.  At Gisou, sustainable beekeeping and the welfare of the Mirsalehi Bees have always come first, but from this year, we are committed to becoming more sustainable all-around. Gisou's sustainability commitments 1. Focus on continuously improving our bee-centered approach in the Mirsalehi bee garden We always prioritize bee welfare and let the bees guide our beekeeping practices to derive Mirsalehi Honey and Mirsalehi Propolis, our key ingredients, in a bee friendly and sustainable manner.  Gisou is born out of six generations of passion for honey bees. Negin, her father, and the generations before them have always taken a bee-centered approach in their Mirsalehi Bee Garden. Starting Gisou wasn’t meant to change that for the Mirsalehi honey bees. Altogether, we are committed to a sustainable and bee friendly production method that puts the Mirsalehi honey bees first, not only for the sake of the Mirsalehi honey bees but the greater ecosystem as well. Our bee-centered approach: We continue to let the bees guide our sustainable beekeeping practices and derive Mirsalehi Honey and Mirsalehi Propolis, our key ingredients, in a bee friendly and sustainable manner. Aside from taking care of them by giving them a flower-rich environment to thrive, we let the bees be and only take the leftover Mirsalehi Honey, if and when appropriate.  The Mirsalehi honey bees are at the core of who we are and what we do at Gisou, and we strive to give to them as much as they give to us. 2. Raise awareness for the importance of honey bees We want to educate you about the importance of honey bees and support honey bee conservation efforts. What you can expect:  More events dedicated to Honey Bee education, just like our Gisou at Angelina event in Paris last September, which featured our own Honey Museum. 3. Increase production transparency We want to give it to you straight and keep you updated on all sustainable improvements and choices we make. Behind the scenes at Gisou: We listened to your feedback and are working on a sustainable packaging alternative for our Honey Infused Hair Wash and Conditioner - we won’t reproduce until we have one. 4. Green our product formulations Without compromising on function and quality, we strive to make our formulations greener. At Gisou, we are just as passionate about our Mirsalehi honey bees as we are about our products. Just like Negin’s mother set out to do 30 years ago, we wish to develop effective haircare with as many natural ingredients as possible.  To complement the natural key ingredients from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, we choose supporting ingredients in Gisou formulas based on our belief that the effect and quality of our products are just as important. What we mean: We’re working on reformulating and further developing as we speak. Spoiler alert: look out for a new product launch with carefully selected ingredients. 5. Improve the sustainability of our packaging To allow our passion for the Mirsalehi honey bees and the greater ecosystem to carry further than the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and looking for ways to improve our packaging by working with more recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. A little taste of what that means:  Potato starch isn’t just for food - We will introduce shipment box filling material made of 100% natural, biodegradable potato starch for a special campaign in honor of World Bee Day on May 20th. We invite you to follow us along @gisou to follow our progress throughout the year to a greener Gisou.

Gisou at Angelina represents the collaboration of two masters in their crafts as they were brought together through the binding nature of honey. On September 26th 2018, Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi and Angelina celebrated their collaboration with an exclusive press & influencer event at the premier Angelina Boutique on 226 Rue de Rivoli. Gisou at Angelina Paris As they joined forces for this exclusive event, the haircare line, Gisou, and pâtissier, Angelina, aimed to bring more awareness to the importance of bees and the increasing scarcity of honey by presenting an unforgettable taste experience. Exclusive Gisou At Angelina Honey Pastry Honey is the binding agent that linked Gisou and Angelina for this exclusive collaboration: honey from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden is the key ingredient in Gisou haircare products, just as it serves as the key ingredient in the exclusive Gisou at Angelina pastry. The Taste of Mirsalehi Honey The special Mirsalehi honey incorporated in Angelina’s exclusive pastries was hand-extracted from the hive by Negin and her father. Mirsalehi honey boasts hints of spiciness from surrounding Hogweed plants to bring an overall rich and unique taste experience. The taste of Gisou’s Mirsalehi honey is unlike any other and inspired Angelina’s patissiers to create the special Gisou at Angelina pastry, emphasizing its unique flavor. Christophe Appert, Angelina's pastry Chef, created a refined éclair pastry decorated with a chocolate plate décor, shaped like hive alveolus. He had the aim to create a pastry revealing the purity of honey through a gourmet experience: transpose its shiny and bright texture and enhance the perfect balance between its sweet taste and its powerful floral notes.  A smooth choux pastry was filled with a Mirsalehi honey infused cream and caramelized almonds to provide hints of sweetness and richness. A delicate honey jelly served to release a fresh flavor. A light honey ganache and the modern alveolus chocolate plate décor finalized this indulgent and elegant éclair pastry. An ode to the bees! Gisou at Angelina Pop-up Boutique The Gisou at Angelina Pop-Up Boutique ran during Paris Fashion Week, from 26-28 September 2018 at Angelina at 226 Rue de Rivoli. In the boutique, Gisou and Angelina products were both available for purchase. Special attention was given to the livelihood of honey bees and the tenuous process of harvesting pure honey. Guests gained more insight into the decline in the honey bee population, the increasing scarcity of honey, and the importance and necessity of flowers and bees to our ecosystem. Subscribe to our Newsletter to be the first to know about our exclusive Gisou Pop-ups.