Today we’d like to introduce you to L’Angela Honeysuckle Moon Lee.
L’Angela Honeysuckle Moon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Essentially, I am a Roots and Culture Woman who aims to live my best version ever as an earth scientist, natural health maven, life artist and one-of-a-kind wellness practice. This is done through my works as a Louisiana Handcraft Artisan, Apothecary, Organic Spa Developer, Plant-Based Wellness Educator, Presenter, Writer, Visual Artist and Nature Photographer. Nearly everything happens within a quaint, by exclusive appointment only, located in the heart of Historic West End, Atlanta, Georgia. There, my vegan tea soaps, shea body butter, toners, tonics, scrubs, sage, palo santo and candles are shelved for the herbally curious and those who are seeking a natural, guilt-free approach to skin and body care.
In my most connected moments, I live out my dreams as a global butterfly whisperer and meditative naturist. Most days, however, I am in a position as the energy being and brain power for what the public embraces as Honeysuckle Moon, Roots, Trees and Flowers: Herban Wellness Lounge, Liberated Honey Natural Body Shop, Sankofa Elementals and Vibrant Moons Natural Wellness Festival for the Indigenous Woman… At best, I am a woman among many otherwise women who bring forth the cultural expressions and tools, unapologetically, in the sacred spirit of our collective strength, health and joy.
Since 2005, the lion’s share of my wellness efforts for local and global communities have been as Chief Product Developer of Honeysuckle Moon Natural Skin Care. This labor of love began over 13 years ago within my family home in the small, bayou town where I was born and first came into contact with wild herbs, after determining my own personal need for expedited self-care and creative stress reduction. So, in essence, I started my product line and began to take a series of wellness courses.
My work as an artist and apothecary continuously blooms, offering countless opportunities to self-improve and help others learn naturally effective approaches to the spa, skin care, condition redirection and radical wholistic well-being through the wellness products, treatments and festival participation. This is how I’ve chosen to honor the Most High, the Universe, Mother Nature and my purpose daily by expressing the highest gratitude for life through the acknowledgment of my African and Indigenous Ancestors’ Love, earth genius, cosmological intelligence, healing abilities and spiritual connectivity.
My vision of creating a plant-based wellness arts movement manifests moon after moon and in many forms to serve as another way to expand Black Women’s Wellness, due to our base of the totem pole position as it relates to health care in this country. My highly regarded efforts in herbalism, aromatherapy and apothecary have traveled across the U.S. to Canada, Jamaica, London, Zimbabwe and South Africa. My inspiration is found in my backyard, in the oceanic island movements and atop of the tallest mountains in West Africa. My paradise is organic and wherever I am. It is my intention that my art reflects my heart.
Various spa rituals that are aromatherapy and traditional spa-focused, plus plant-based skin therapies for acne and eczema care can be experienced at our Atlanta location as purchases of our self-administered home care regimen products and/or as a scheduling for the amazing in-house organic plant-based facial and customized body treatments. To date, I am the creator of over 30 base formulations and 500+ customizable aromatherapeutic options. In addition to visiting the location, product purchases can also be secured through our online store and apothecary gallery.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As much as I would like to say that the journey has been butter-smooth while building business for the past 13 years, it has, oftentimes, been the scenic road that has a few bumps, turns and inclines which have gotten me to my recent heights of success. The greatest challenge has been simply changing the minds of the people so that they begin to think more organic, more naturally when it comes to their health and wellness lifestyles.
As a business owner, product development, overhead management, team building and expanded marketing operations within an independent, grassroots budget for the majority of the time I’ve been in business have offered slow, but steady financial yieldings and an unparalleled workforce foundation as I balance the jobs of 4-5 people each week (while still having the ability to tap into the spiritual Honeysuckle Moon wellness biorhythm for myself and my esteemed clients, on the energetic promise that Honeysuckle Moon will become, soon, a household name in health and wellness. I know that my faith, perseverance and being the ultimate operational Queen of Accountability shall offer a certain beauty of growth that begins within. This is a faith-based work.
Additionally, when I consider life challenges, I have to shed a bit of light upon my own wellness journey, as I am still in a healing zone from undergoing last year’s surgery, which affected a couple of my organ systems and placed me on 8 weeks of bed rest. I had 3 surgeons and it was my 3rd major surgery in a 10-year period. This is why Black Women’s Wellness is my mission. Because our walk is the most challenging. And you know what? I never gave up on the mission nor did I close my doors to business. I simply keep going and improvise, as needed. I am thankful to all of the friends and family who pitched in where they could.
I even established an awareness outlet, the 2-day summer festival for women known as Vibrant Moons Natural Wellness Festival for the Indigenous Woman. This was was an amazing gathering of Sistahood with the focus of self-care, reproductive justice, entrepreneurship and agriculture. It is vital that we build, nourish and protect our cellular wellbeing by increasing our wellness education. We will do this by becoming more consumption-conscious and be willing to reduce stress in as many areas of our lives, as possible.
Honeysuckle Moon – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
While I have grown into an integrative wellness arts brand, it means so much that I am most well-known for my work as an herbalist and handcrafted skin wellness product developer. Honeysuckle Moon Natural Skin Care is a plant and mineral-based skin and hair wellness company, established since 2005 in the state of Louisiana and powered in the state of Georgia. I meet thousands of people annually who fall in love with my approach to an apothecary at festivals, conferences and trade shows.
Organic facial therapies, natural hair care, condition-specific treatments for acne and dermatitis, plus traditional spa body care recipes are small-batch formulated to meet both the meticulously therapeutic requirements for re-directive skin care and, too, the customization prowess of the most beautiful aromatherapy infusions within our beloved MoonBelly Butters, Island Body Sorbet Scrubs, River Wata Skin Coolers and MoonShine Mood Healing Candles! Just picture it, Popular infusions are Jamaican Sunrise, Guava Jelly, Blue Mountain Lavender, Blazin’ Papaya, Kiwi Coconut Lime and Gardenia of Eden.
The Roots, Trees & Flowers: Herban Wellness Lounge by Honeysuckle Moon is the on-site skin apothecary, wellness practice and melanin-powered art spa that celebrates skin’s ability to be maintained, prepared, rejuvenated and redirected through the integration of my signature her botanical recipes. On the visual arts side, my nature photography collection, Sankofa Elementals: Black Butterflies and Green Leaves, is on exhibit at the Adams Park Public Library in Atlanta through June 2018. Check our website www.iamhoneysucklemoon.com for upcoming wellness workshops and exclusive nature outings. I can be reached directly via email honeysucklemoon@gmail.com for all formal bookings, consultations & inquiries.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My commitment to art, proper management of the multi-faceted energetic aspects that connect and form my wellness brand and having an heir who gets it define my success. Secondly, is customer feedback. Ultimately, getting to parent and cultivate an amazing 18-year-old multi-faceted artist while building my wellness brand and practice is what speaks directly to my soul’s purpose. Everyday is an opportunity to wake up, give thanks, looking in the mirror like, “I Got This”.
Pricing:
- Products range on average from $12-$18
- Organic Plant-Based Facials, Reflexology, Kemetic Ear Candling and Exfoliation Services range from $40-$100
Contact Info:
- Address: 1276 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30310
- Website: www.honeysucklemoon.artfire,com
- Phone: 770-771-1136
- Email: honeysucklemoon@gmail.com
- Instagram: honeysucklemoon
- Facebook: honeysucklemoon
- Twitter: honeysucklemoon
- Other: https://linktr.ee/honeysucklemoon
Image Credit:
Wayne Gaskin
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