There have been beauties throughout the ages who’ve started wars and immobilised men dead in their tracks with the power of their spellbinding looks. Moving forward into the 21st century, a woman’s beauty as well as the beauty industry is being far better employed to improve the lives of others. Celebrities, cover girls, and global brands are realising the value in using beauty to do more.
Locally, personal care brand Dawn is aligning itself with this very idea with their Dawn Day Spa initiative. Backing this project is SA beauty and entertainer Mbalenhle Mlotshwa.
As the Face of the Dawn Day Spa, we get skin deep with Mbali on Dawn, the Dawn Day Spa and beauty with a purpose.
Mbali – an actress, entertainer, wife, mother and ambassador of natural beauty. She’s also the star of the latest show “Rockville” as well as popular business, website and blog ‘simply enhle’. Joining Dawn this year to launch the Dawn Day Spa 2013, she is unyielding in her belief of using fame, beauty and fortune to benefit others:
“I was always destined to be in the limelight. The acting bug caught up with me in my early primary school years. I especially remember how much of an impact Mbongeni Ngema ‘s “Sarafina” had on me. Even then, speaking out for what was right hit home with me. I wanted to be part of a system that could make a difference.
Now as an actress and entertainer, I feel so lucky my work is also my great passion and love! It has helped build me into the woman I am today, and given me the platform to do the things I do best. I am proud of my achievements and where I’ve come from, and I guess I look at myself as being most fortunate for what I have in my life, as opposed to ‘having fortune’!”
Having built her name into a household brand herself, Mbali considers how her position in the entertainment industry as a women, can do so much more for women:
“Its essential to stand up for what you believe in. It’s even more important for women to stand together in growing and nurturing our beautiful country. We need to collectively teach our future generations what beauty stands for and what good can come out of the right kind of beauty focus.
The Dawn Day Spa campaign takes place during winter as well as throughout Women’s Month in August. It’s for women to be pampered and spoiled with Dawn products and treatments in the beautifully kitted out Dawn Day Spa. “Set up in malls around the country, its an incredible way to spoil women – for free! I know how much I love a foot or shoulder massage. It makes me feel so good about myself so I can fully support the idea that the Dawn Day Spa has about giving back to their consumers.”
On a more serious note, Mbali explains the important work she and the Dawn Day Spa team will be actively involved in during the month of August. “We will be visiting three charities in Gauteng that cater to abused or downtrodden women. We aim to remind these women of their inner strength and beauty, and hope to encourage them to generate strength for themselves, from themselves. Abuse against women is a very serious and sensitive topic. We aim to confront this in a special and spoiling way during these visits.
Beauty is skin deep. You can have all the outer beauty you can dream of, but it means nothing without strength, positivity, and the ability to hold your head up high. What these charities teach us is that demoralised and exploited women need to regain their strength and beauty from the inside out in order to stand up for themselves and improve on their current situations. When you are in a position to help make a difference, there should be no question about getting actively involved! I jump at amazing opportunities to give back to and enable women, so you can understand why I couldn’t pass up the chance to be this year’s Face of the Dawn Day Spa.”
The Dawn Day Spa also plans to treat a school of matric girls in KZN. “We are currently running a very exciting competition whereby one of five schools will win a Dawn Day Spa experience the day before their matric dance. Its really another clever way that Dawn is giving back to our bright young stars of tomorrow.”
Mbali endorses what brands like Dawn can do for the morale and spirit of a country. “Dawn believes every women deserves to feel her most beautiful every day, and being a part of the Dawn Day Spa campaign is a wonderful way to communicate this. It’s a privilege and honour to be part of spoiling and building up our SA Dawn ladies.”
Asked who exactly the Dawn lady is, Mbali replies: “Every woman is a Dawn woman! The girl finding herself, you know, her woman-hood. She’s the working woman who has such little time to pamper herself, the student, the glamour-monger, the every day woman who needs a trusted and quality product to look and feel beautiful.”
