Nuqa, bridging timeless heritage and a boldly redesigned identity
In the heart of the Middle East and North Africa, where the sun warms the dunes and the wind carries ancient whispers, communities have long relied on the nourishing power of oils to care for their skin. Sourced from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Colombia, these oils are more than cosmetics — they are a living tradition.
Originally sold in artisan markets, the brand aspired to reach the shelves of Parisian perfumeries and parapharmacies. But it lacked a distinct identity — a soul that spoke to its roots.
To restore that connection, we asked ourselves: what do the skins of those who have used these oils for centuries look like? This question led us to explore the traditional tattoos of the region’s tribes — symbols of identity, protection, and belonging. From this research, we created four motifs, each drawn from authentic tribal tattoos of one of the countries of origin.
The packaging was designed to reflect the purity of the oils, with refined finishes, rich materials, and a vivid yet restrained color palette. Language, too, was reimagined — replacing generic labels like “Produced in Morocco” with phrases such as “The treasure of Morocco.” The range was named Milenarian Oils, a tribute to the timelessness of these ancient remedies.
Through this transformation, the brand evolved from craft-market simplicity into a bold, contemporary identity rooted in ancestral wisdom.
For these ancestral oil-based remedies, we drew inspiration from the skin of the people who first used them thousands of years ago.
