Beauty As Remembrance: On Ritual, Home and the Motherline
Some rituals feel like a memory. Some I learned from my mother, others feel more historical, from before my time. For me, beauty is a portal to remembering who I am and where I come from. When I look into the mirror, I see my father’s nose and my mother’s cheekbones. I wonder how much I resemble the maternal grandmother I never knew. When I tend to my skin, I connect with the women who came before me, whose rituals I continue to practice today.
My journey to creating Fleuraison was an ancestral pilgrimage. When formulating my first products, I knew I wanted to draw inspiration from my Taiwanese roots. A tiny island off the east coast of China, Taiwan has a rich history shaped by Indigenous culture, Chinese migration, Dutch occupation and Japanese colonisation. A melting pot of tradition and innovation, at the heart of Taiwan’s modern identity is a deep respect for land, lineage and sovereignty.
When I look back at the women in my family, I see the weight of sacrifice and obligation. I also see undeniable beauty, strength and pride. I think about the role of women in bridging cultural divides and in teaching children the moral values that inform our collective beliefs. More than anything, I wanted to celebrate their resilience, grace and devotion.
My daily face oil, Ethereal, is an homage to three beloved flowers tied to my maternal line: jasmine, osmanthus and magnolia. Each flower tells a fragrant and layered story of womanhood, ancestry, spirituality and cultural identity.
“If you take a point in history and retell the story of it, time is not linear, time is circular. And so, suddenly, in retelling that story or re-examining or re-weaving, suddenly that story becomes alive now too… Instead of pushing away from things like women as weavers, women as potters, women as the ones by the hearth, women as mothers and tenders of babies and children, I tried to lean into what it would mean to imagine a culture where none of these things were seen as less than.”
— SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT
Jasmine is highly revered in Traditional Chinese Medicine, known for its beautifying and hormone-balancing qualities. Osmanthus is intertwined with lunar myths and mid-autumn festivities, while magnolia blossoms are seen at Buddhist temples and traditionally adorned by women as a natural perfume. All three are staples in Taiwanese cuisine, frequently infused in teas, desserts and herbal tonics.
On the skin, jasmine reduces blemishes, magnolia softens and nourishes, while osmanthus defends against environmental stressors. Named for the heavenly glow it imparts on the skin and psyche, Ethereal rejuvenates the complexion while evoking compassion and reverence with its aroma.
Functionally, I wanted to create an all-in-one face oil that addresses the often paradoxical needs of skin in one’s 30s and 40s. These are transitional years when dryness and oiliness, breakouts and fine lines can coexist. Ethereal is infused with biocompatible actives like Bakuchiol, Bisabolol and Coenzyme Q10 to simultaneously restore, brighten and protect without compromising the skin’s delicate equilibrium.
This past season has been one of urgency and dissonance for me. Oddly, it’s the moments that shake us to our core that reveal who we really are. I’ve been thinking about home and heritage, and what it means to belong, not just to a place, but to a tradition, a story and a legacy.
In times like these, my beauty rituals remind me that I belong to myself, first and foremost, and maybe this is what we’re ultimately searching for: a sense of internal safety, an awareness of where we come from, and a home within our bodies. I hope your own moments of beauty take you on a journey through time, connecting the dots of generations past to your present-day self.
With devotion,
Annie
