DUBAI — The hair care-turned-beauty brand Gisou will open its first stand-alone experience in the region on Friday and Saturday with the Honey Butter Bar, an immersive activation at Dubai Design District in partnership with Sephora. The two-day event marks the global launch of Gisou’s Honey Glaze Collagen Therapy Lip Mask and signals the brand’s deepening commitment to the lip category.
“Dubai felt like a very natural choice for the brand,” founder Negin Mirsalehi told WWD. “It’s a city where beauty, culture, and entrepreneurship come together in such a powerful way, and the Middle East has always had an incredible love for hair care and beauty rituals.”
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The sensorial space at d3 takes its cues from the new lip mask’s rich, buttery texture, inviting visitors to explore Gisou’s honey-powered universe through product discovery. Guests will receive complimentary samples from the brand’s Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy hair care range, along with an exclusive Honey Butter treat created in collaboration with Home Bakery, the Emirati dessert favorite founded by Hind Al Mulla.
The lip mask builds on the success of Gisou’s cult-favorite Honey Infused Lip Oil, expanding the brand’s lip offerings with a treatment format. The brand is powered by Mirsalehi Honey, sourced from the founder’s family bee garden, where they’ve practiced beekeeping for six generations. The collagen-infused formula promises to strengthen the lip barrier for up to eight hours and deliver 10 hours of hydration.
“Every new category we enter has to feel like a natural extension of the world we’ve built,” Mirsalehi said. “Whether it’s hair, lips or skin, the starting point is always the same: How can our proprietary Mirsalehi Honey enhance a product’s performance?”
The Honey Butter Bar is part of Gisou’s broader investment in experiential marketing, created to deepen engagement with the brand’s loyal community through high-touch, in-person moments. Mirsalehi has over 7 million followers on social media.
As the influencer-to-founder pipeline grows increasingly crowded, Gisou has managed to maintain its differentiation through a heritage story that predates social media. Mirsalehi remains focused on that foundation.
“The space may be more crowded now, but we stay focused on what truly belongs in the Gisou world,” she said. “Every product has to be intentional, powered by our proprietary Mirsalehi Honey, and created with care. Staying close to our community, honoring our roots and being consistent in how we show up is what keeps Gisou grounded and authentic as it grows.”