If you are looking for a crazy-effective,  SIMPLE antiaging skincare regimen, look no further than MUN.  I’ve long been a fan of MUN’s No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum.  This silky serum absorbs instantly and perfectly primes the skin for makeup, but it also actually improves your complexion; it is amazing for evening out skin tone and reducing the appearance of (and preventing) fine lines.  I actually use this serum in place of an eye cream and it has done wonders for my under-eye circles.  You can seriously see a difference in your skin in about a week!  Cost: $95 for 20 ml.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Argan Oil, Rose Oil, all ECOCERT Organic.

MUN also just launched their No. 11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner and it is equally impressive.  I found that it actually enhances the effects of the Aknari Brightening Youth Serum.  To make this special toner, roses are hand-harvested in The Valley of the Roses, the famed flower region in Bulgaria.  Their unique hydrating and soothing powers are steam-distilled into the essential oil that enriches the rosewater base.  Other active, organic ingredients include prickly pear stem extract and hyaluronic acid, which create a balancing, soothing, hydrating elixir for the skin.  It is great for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin who are normally wary of toners.  Cost: $68 for 100 ml.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: De-ionized Water, Rose Hydrosol* (Rose Water), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Maltodextrin, Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Prickly Pear) Stem Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit (Goji Berry) Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract*, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Vegetable Glycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol.
(*CERTIFIED ORGANIC) 100% Natural. 92.5% organically derived. Vegan

To receive 20% off your MUN order, enter the code HOLIDAY2014 at checkout now through December 31.

MUN is the brainchild of Munemi Imai, an in-demand makeup artist who works with clients like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar on a daily basis.  She is a beautiful person, inside and out, and she is the best advertisement for her skincare line.  She looks like she is about twenty-four!  To learn more about her and about Mun, read on for a quick Q&A.

BB: Have you always been interested in Clean living and Green Beauty, or was there a specific catalyst that caused you to make the switch?

MI: My mother was really into organic and locally sourced food and against all those chemical detergents and cleaning materials when I was growing up. But my time to realize and appreciate it came much later in my life.  I was in my mid-30’s.  One winter, I experienced a brief period of illness and couldn’t really figure out what was wrong.  This got me scared and I changed my diet to eating really clean for a couple of months.  I didn’t just feel better physically, but mentally.  I read some books about how many harmful ingredients we consume from food and personal care products and I got heavy into buying and consuming organic produce as much as possible.

BB: Where did the idea to create the No. 1 Aknari serum come from?  Did you always want to start your own product line?

MI: I started brewing an idea of creating my own thing while I was consulting for a Japanese makeup line, and I started talking to people and researched how the process work.  After experiencing the illness I just mentioned, it changed a lot and defined the direction.  I started taking workshops for Ayurveda and took a course in aromatherapy. I started buying raw materials and mixed for my own skin care needs.  I saw the changes to my skin but I was still seeing dark circles under-eyes happening and fine lines forming, which I didn’t have in my early 30’s.  I looked around and there were plenty of Clean and really nice products out there but nothing was powerful enough.  I wanted to focus on creating a product with the purest raw, 100% natural and organic contents that deliver results. That was the goal to create No.1 Aknari.

BB: As a top fashion and celebrity makeup artist, what are your top five favorite products?

MI: MUN No.11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner. MUN No.1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum. Illuminare Concealing Mineral Foundation. tarte Amazonian clay finishing powder. Anastasia Bevery Hills Brow Powder Duo.  

BB: Please tell us – can we expect any other new products in the near future?

MI: We just launched No.11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner this month that we are very excited about. I would love for people to experience this along with No.1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum. I come from Japan, which is a big toner culture. Many of us invest in a good toner over a cream. It’s important for us to prep the skin with a toner to hydrate and tone before your anti-aging treatment or moisturizer to seal the moisture into the skin.  There are a couple of products in the works.  At least one of them should be out next year.

BB: Where do you find inspiration for product development?

MI: My inspiration comes from a lot of different sources, such as the mixture of traditional Moroccan herbal remedies and French influence of holistic remedies including aromatherapy I’ve found in Marrakech.  I have also been fascinated by Prickly Pear; we used its seed oil for our No.1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum and stem extract for No.11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner.  When I was in Mexico City, I had a green juice that’s made with Prickly Pear cactus pads, and that was the strongest detox juice I’ve ever had – Native Americans used Prickly Pear cactus for medicinal purposes.  I love how this is a very environmentally friendly crop to grow.  It needs very little water.  I like to think about what is environmentally friendly and sustainable as far as ingredients we use for our products. These are just a few of the things that inspire me and get me thinking.

Thank you, Munemi!

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