Benamôr was founded in 1925 in Lisbon by a pharmacist who created miraculous ointments at Campo Grande nº189. His handmade beauty recipes were based on natural ingredients and packaged in adorable art deco tubes. It was an instant hit! Adopted by all Lisbon Belles throughout the 20th century, including Queen Amélie herself who maintained her devotion to the brand her entire life, Benamôr remains today one of Portugal’s most beloved beauty brands.
With almost a century, Benamôr is a 100% Portuguese beauty brand. Its birth dates back to 1925, when the first cream was produced by a pharmacist and since then it never stopped, generation after generation. The pharmacist’s beauty recipes were based on natural ingredients and packaged in embellished Art Déco tubes. In the 20’s, Benamôr cream became an instant success among young woman lisbonners, including the Queen Amélie.
Used ever since by mothers, to keep their youthfulness, by their daughters to reduce first signs of ageing, by their grand-daughters to smooth skin and prevent blemishes, it is hard to find loyalty and fidelity in the country such as that to Benamôr creams. Benamôr remains today one of the country’s most beloved beauty brands, and the Portuguese proudly compare it and claim it to be the Portuguese Nivea. Along time, its clientele has been ranged from more traditional families to royalty or high personalities.
Partnering in time with brands such as Ach Brito (soaps), Couto (tooth paste), Benamôr creams have prevailed throughout time and now, after an Art Deco brand redesign, gets fresh air to last longer and re-introduce itself to the world. Now the brand is reinventing itself and defined a new strategy, including the introduction of new products (since it has a huge products’ recipe archive), new packaging, new vendors and worldwide expansion. However, Benamôr’s new strategy is not looking to establish itself as a vintage brand. Instead, Benamôr is looking to expand its identity: a Portuguese beauty brand, that people want due its high quality and not due its nice and trendy packaging.
Its product range now includes facial creams, hand creams and soaps within five recipe lines, namely Alantoíne, Creme de Rosto, Gordíssimo, Rose Amélie and Jacarandá.
Alantoíne includes a cream gel and a soap, giving to skin a smoother, rebalanced feel, with a lemon scent; Creme de Rosto, is Benamôr’s must, a miracle facial cream that has been kept the same since 1925. It combines the purifying properties of roses with a unique blend of anti-blemish, giving skin an instant glow; Gordíssimo, includes a Hand Cream, Body Cream and Soap, with shea butter, vegetable paraffin and beeswax at their core, Gordíssimo instantly nourishes the skin; Rose Amélie, a tribute to Queen Amélie of Portugal, combines Argan oil with roses scent, will leave hand’s soft and with a delicately perfumed touch. Jacarandá, is a tribute to Lisbon’s purple trees which invade the city in full splendour normally in May and June… Like the cherry blossoms in Japan, in Lisbon, the Summer starts with the Jacarandá’s blossoming. Thus, Benamôr pays an homage to the city and created this indulging hand cream and soap, enriched with aloe vera and shea butter.
In Lisbon you can buy Benamôr in few places such as Vida Portuguesa or in El Corte Inglés. And you’ll probably want to stock up for yourself and your friends back home.
Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 20A, 1100-070 Lisboa, Portugal
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