“In high school, I volunteered to usher the seniors’ graduation. I had to wear black, but I had no idea how to do it! The idea of not dressing in color has always felt so unnatural to me!” Sheikha Fatima Al-Sabah laughs.
Her ensemble confirms this. She’s decked out in colorful sophistication, sporting a rich blue business-casual dress paired with a powder pink coat draped for sport across her shoulders. Even her conference room bursts in color, with vibrant yellow shelving units contrasting clean white walls, adding lots of energy in her surroundings. This is clearly the outcome of the colorful mind that was the prerequisite to creating Prismologie, the colorful, mood-enhancing range of body care products we never knew we needed.
Fatima, however, always knew that the local market craved a little color in their lives. Growing up in a family that embraced color therapy may have subconsciously led the bright-eyed young entrepreneur towards the path of healing others. With Prismologie, she also found herself teaming up with an unlikely, and enjoyable partner: her very own mother, Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah.
“For me, my interest in color started because my mom wouldn’t allow us to wear black when we were growing up,” Fatima smiles, in spite of herself. “Since I was young, she’d always instilled the values of color therapy within [my siblings and I], making us dress colorfully to reflect on and enhance our moods.”
This interest brought the mother-daughter duo closer, organizing wellness workshops during Fatima’s post- University days, where they’d bring in international teachers to teach personal development classes, and different types of reiki. This didn’t produce a reaction from the market as they’d hoped, due to the public’s personal preferences.
Sheikha Fatima Al Sabah. Courtesy Prismologie
“We live in a semi-conservative country, so with these events came a lot of questions and concerns that people had in relation to whether or not these practices were compatible with our culture.” Color, on the other hand, was never an issue. “Nobody has every felt a conflict of interest with the subject of color. It isn’t offensive, and you can’t deny that surrounding colors affect your mood!”
And thus, in 2015, the Sheikhas Intisar and Fatima launched Prismologie – an innovative way of incorporating color into our everyday lives, while gaining maximum benefits from a few moments of aromatherapy.
“The idea of Prismologie strays away from a certain personality, saying that you need one specific product all the time. We’re complex human beings, and our moods change all the time – nobody has just one personality.”
Embracing that, Prismologie offers a range of different UK-made body care products curated by colors that would reflect on your mood. With a menu of 12 products categorized in six different colors, each color offers two different products packed with energy enhancing goodness to uplift, enlighten and embrace your soul.
As Fatima puts it, “you apply something to 90% of your skin, it’s bound to have a great effect on your mood!”
The Prismologie products are luxurious and vibrant, from their packaging to their contents. Each product is packaged in an environmentally friendly compartment or bottle finished in its respective opaque color, containing ingredients that emulate the assigned color of energy. The yellow range, for instance, is infused with citrine and bergamot, giving the body a rush of intense, joyful energy whenever used. Red comes in a scrub and a warming body oil, which contains invigorating, blood warming ingredients like capsicum and real ruby extracts.
“That’s the other thing that’s special about our line,” Fatima says matter-of-factly, “each product range is infused with gemstones that are relevant to their color. Green is jade, pink has rose quartz, Indigo has sapphire and white has diamonds, too.”
Prismologie’s use of gemstones is reflective on Fatima’s knowledge of the energy-healing world. When asked if she incorporated real gemstones as part of her range’s composition because of their high-energy components, she gave a “bingo!” smile in response.
“I took a course in crystal therapy – I love, crystal therapy” she said warmly. “A big part of crystal therapy also included color therapy, so I was able to know the benefits that each color could have on your mood, and because gemstones are known to be filled with energy, I had to pair the two into one product.”
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Tried and tested, it works! Fatima whipped out a few items from her collection and we played around, while she walked me through each unique product. Meeting the pink range, which she called “a hug in a bottle,” the comforting, soothing after effect that was promised really shone through in the hand and cuticle cream. The green range’s hand exfoliant was as restorative as promised, and I can’t begin to tell you about the yellow. That energizing, joy-packed yellow that has been reported to change lives. Though that’s my personal favorite line, Fatima dismisses having to choose a favorite “color” with wisdom. “It’s impossible – it really depends on my mood! But if you’re asking what my favorite color is in general, it’s red.”
“I have this friend who lives in Greece, who had a really rough year.” Fatima begins as I divert my attention back to her after indulging in her “five second rule” – a trick she’s been known to incorporate in her daily life using the pink range’s moisturizing hand and cuticle cream, breathing in the scent, and taking its comforting properties as a way to find a bit of Zen in a stressful moment.
“She was visiting Kuwait, and I gifted her a set of our yellows, which included a body wash. As the days passed and her obstacles increased, she’d fallen into tough times. One day, she decided to try the yellow body wash, and started to sing while she used it. She realized that she hadn’t sung in the shower in a long time, and so she started stocking up because of how it made her feel! This is why I do this.”
With a testimonial like that, as well as other rave reviews from customers where they retail in the UK, an impressive list of retailers households in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and a 2016 Beauty Award under their belt, it’s no question that Prismologie is a product worth pampering yourself with. Luxury? Yes – but for everybody, absolutely. “I want us all to embrace color more. We eat in color, see color, wear colors – colors are even one of the first things we learn in life. Incorporate it in your everyday life, and you’ll see what a difference it makes.”
Next stop, a Prismologie retailer for some aromatherapy! Perhaps one of the high-end nail salons where the product is stocked?
Up Close and Personal Questionnaire
What do you most value in your friends?
Our laughter! We always laugh, and that makes all the difference.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Waking up every morning with a huge smile on my face.
What is your greatest fear?
To lose my family.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience, my life lesson is to learn to be patient and it has been a life struggle, I am always in a hurry.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Deception, I cannot tolerate lies in any way shape or form.
Which living person do you most admire?
His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Alsabah the Amir of Kuwait: he is such a warm and wonderful person and he is of the most intelligent and diplomatic, wise and magnificent leader. Wisdom in politics is extremely difficult to maintain and he does it effortlessly!
What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying cameras and beautiful lenses. I love photography and I always aim to buy the best lenses and those can be quite pricey. But thankfully recently I have stopped looking at new lenses, so my money is safe, for now.
Prismologie Products. Courtesy Prismologie
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“I believe in you! You can do this!” I say it all the time to everyone, especially to taxis when I am running late and I need to get somewhere quickly.
What is it that you most dislike?
Complaining, it drains everyone, the listener, the complainer and the others around.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Drawing, I cannot draw anything to save my own life! Stick figures are the only things I can draw and very basic at that.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Safari guide in Africa! I love that continent, it just feels like a magical place surrounded by all that majestic wildlife.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Realizing that the key to my own happiness is in my hands and no one else’s. It’s not a conventional achievement but it is my greatest one.
What is your most treasured possession?
My memories. I treasure sentiments more than possessions.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My crazy, curly hair.
Where would you most like to live?
Botswana surrounded by beautiful wild elephants.
What are your favorite words to live by?
Smile, life is wonderful!
For more information on the Prismologie’s impressive line of products, follow them on Instagram @prismologieme. Visit their website for more information at www.prismologie.com.
