Bees may be small, but their impact is immeasurable. Responsible for pollinating around a third of the food we eat and supporting ecosystems across the planet, they quietly sustain life as we know it. Yet their populations continue to face growing threats from climate change, habitat loss and pesticides, making awareness days like World Bee Day feel more important than ever.
For beauty brand Gisou, however, bees are not a campaign or ingredient trend. They are the beginning of the story.
Rooted in six generations of beekeeping heritage, the global beauty brand was born from the Mirsalehi family’s bee gardens in the Netherlands, where founder Negin Mirsalehi and her sister Negar spent weekends learning the craft alongside their father. Their mother, a hairdresser, used honey from the family hives in her homemade haircare recipes, inspiring what would later become Gisou’s now-iconic Honey Infused Hair Oil.
Today, that legacy continues through Negar Mirsalehi, officially appointed as Gisou’s first-ever Beekeeper-in-Chief in 2022.
Meet Negar Mirsalehi, Gisou’s Beekeeper-in-Chief
Working from the family’s private bee gardens, Negar oversees the care of the hives and hand-harvesting of sustainably sourced Mirsalehi Honey, the ingredient at the heart of every Gisou formula.
Even as the brand has expanded globally, Gisou continues to source its honey from these family-run gardens, harvesting only surplus honey and allowing bee welfare to guide every decision.
Alongside tending to the colonies, Negar also leads Gisou’s bee education initiatives and Bees Project, helping cultivate bee gardens, support sustainable beekeeping and create experiences that reconnect people with the natural world.
Visitors to the Mirsalehi Bee Garden can learn how to identify a queen bee, explore honey stores inside the hives and experience the family’s beekeeping traditions first-hand.
For Negar, however, beekeeping extends far beyond honey.
“One thing bees taught me from a young age is that even the smallest creatures can have the biggest impact,” Negar tells Beautilist exclusively. “Watching how they work together, protect the colony at all cost and live so closely connected to nature gave me a deep appreciation for balance, community, and slowing down enough to respect the rhythm of nature.”
Why Bees Matter More Than Ever
World Bee Day, celebrated annually on May 20, shines a light on the essential role bees and pollinators play in food security, biodiversity and environmental health. Yet beyond their ecological importance lies something quieter: the relationship between bees, flowers and the rhythms of nature.
“I think most people know by now that bees are important pollinators, but what I wish more people truly understood is how deeply connected they are to nature itself,” says Negar. “Bees and flowers exist in harmony, one cannot live without the other. That beautiful balance between bees, plants, and ecosystems is what keeps nature alive.”
What A “Beautiful Life” Looks Like Through The Lens Of Beekeeping
At Beautilist, we often ask what it means to live beautifully. For Negar, the answer feels surprisingly simple.
“A beautiful life is one that’s lived in harmony with nature. Bees remind me to slow down, live with intention, care for your community and appreciate the beauty in simple, natural moments. There’s something incredibly grounding about being connected to a world that works so perfectly together.”
In a world built around speed, perhaps bees offer a different blueprint entirely. One rooted in community, balance and remembering that even the smallest actions can shape something much bigger.
THE DETAILS
Gisou
Born from the Mirsalehi family bee gardens, Gisou is built on six generations of beekeeping heritage.
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