Margaret created Monalinda skincare after 10 years of dabbling in her kitchen. “I trained in organic chemistry at Auckland University and, coupled with my medical knowledge, it provided the perfect background for creating skincare,” she says. “I’ve always mixed things in the kitchen – I love cooking, and the principle of making skincare is similar to creating beautiful food and takes just as much time to fine-tune!”
Things took a business turn when her dad was visiting from Taipei. “I was making 20% Vitamin C serum and he asked if I thought it worked. I said, ‘Yes, more than anything’,” she laughs. “He asked to try it so I filled a special edition Johnny Walker Gold bottle, which my husband had emptied by sterilising his gut, with serum and gave it to dad to take home with him. I gave him instructions to apply it on one hand so we could see how well it was working.”
A few months later Margaret got a call from her cousin who told her that lots of women were trying to get their hands on the gold bottle because her father’s hand looked amazing. “A photo of it is posted on our website like a trademark,” she smiles. “ That’s when I founded NZBF (New Zealand Beauty Fantasy), my skincare factory in Papakura, and Monalinda skincare.”
Monalinda is a luxurious skincare range based on active peptides and – as much as possible – New Zealand sourced ingredients. These include ovine placenta extract from New Zealand sheep (before you ask, no they’re not harmed in the process!). It also contains the vitamin C that Margaret’s father used in the experiment that birthed the range. There’s the Queen of Maori medicine kawakawa leaf extract along with Manuka honey – both revered in skincare circles for their healing properties plus kojic acid, avocado oil, rose water, rosehip oil, and lanolin. It’s a beautiful blend.
1. Professional 20% Vitamin C Serum 30ml
Monalinda Professional Serum with 20% stabilised vitamin C with active peptides in New Zealand ovine placenta, combined with 20 percent stabilised vitamin C and kojic acid.
2. Monalinda Gift Set of 4
Includes eye cream, serum, cream and lotion. Your complete skin range in a beautiful gift set.
3. Eye Cream 30ml
With active peptides in New Zealand ovine placenta, with stabilised vitamin C. Vitamin E in the form of New Zealand avocado oil with rosehip oil which treats the dry skin and fine lines gently around your eyes.
