The e-retail concept store offers travellers a curated selection of products to make travels more luxe.

by Nejla Matam-Finn

It is no secret that we love meeting other entrepreneurs and hearing their stories. Not only can we totally relate to their ups and downs, but we are also as excited as they are to watch them build their dream product.

This is why we decided to share about them with you, instead of just keeping them to ourselves!

In this first instalment of our “discovery” series, we are pleased to introduce Fay Rees, the founder of Ulo, an e-retail concept platfrom for travellers that promises to make your next travel more luxurious than before.

And while we wait for the borders to open, we thought it’ll be great to show you a great place to work on making your staycation more special. Better yet, you can even send a gift to friends who simply need to get spoiled.

1) What was the inspiration behind Ulo ?

Ulo meaning 'home' was inspired by my love of travel and specifically by the many short trips I had been taking in Asia. I realised that no matter how organised I felt I was when it came to packing for a trip, that there would always be small items that I forgot or would want to buy upon arrival, especially beauty products. With the 'on-demand' culture that we live in, I believed that there should be a way to quickly access high-end sustainable personal care products, to save you spending your precious break stuck in traffic or trawling the local malls. This has led to a curated selection of beauty and gifting items all available with fast convenient delivery and with the attractive packaging that we expect from a luxury purchase. The artwork for the eco-wrapping paper is also hand-drawn by my mother, a fine artist, to give it a unique twist.

2) What are the must have in your beauty kit while travelling/ staycationing?

A cleansing facial oil (I am currently using Frankskincare's magic wipe 100% organic cleansing oil)

An exfoliant (I use Elysian5skincare's facial coffee scrub daily)

A facial serum (I love The Ordinary's 100% plant-derived squalane as a great all-rounder)

A moisturiser (LUXE Botanics have a discovery kit which enable you to try their different formulations in trial-size. I like the Camu)

A lip-balm (I like the Eve Lom kiss mix in 'demure' for a little hint of colour as well as moisturisation)

3) What are the must have in your suitcase for a short trip/ staycation

I always carry some kind of scarf from a silk scarf to a cashmere wrap for on the plane (this also doubled-up as a mask for me on my last trip to Bangkok as the news of the pandemic started to rise and when masks were out of stock in the airport drug stores).

An eye mask and ear plugs for good sleep. I never sleep without both of these, even at home. Sleep is so important and you can often find odd lights that won’t go out at night in your hotel room (e.g. from tech/air con). I use Nightire’s bamboo masks which keep you nicely temperature-regulated and Sleeeps ear plugs which are the best fitting ones I have tried.

I also always have an iteration of a denim skirt and a black or navy T-shirt.

4) What are your best tips when shopping for second hand/ vintage pieces?

Lean into finding something that you really love and which will work well with what you already have. I've scouted luxury resale, vintage stores and flea markets over the years to find a number of my favourite pieces and these have genuinely been my better and longest-lasting pieces as buying this way can enable you to buy better made product, that might be out of reach at full price. The ones I have loved most have been the most classic - such as an Isabel Marant blouse which is quite timeless. My most recent purchase (not a plug, I promise) is a bag from Fifth Collection. Its a navy and black cross-body and literally goes with everything.

“With the ‘on-demand’ culture that we live in, I believed that there should be a way to quickly access high-end sustainable personal care products, to save you spending your precious break stuck in traffic or trawling the local malls.”

5) If you had to pick one item to take with you on any trip, what would it be?

Such a tough question!

I think it is between a cashmere scarf, a pair of sunglasses (depending on the location) and a book. I'm an avid reader and don't like to be without some decent reading material!

Don’t miss our take on how packing for a staycation (or a future small trip) HERE!