Souvenirs from Morocco

I’m still going through photos from my recent trip (not to mention battling the jet lag pretty hard), but we all know that no trip is complete without some retail therapy.

Here are some of the things that I picked up on my travels across Morocco.

Scarves

I picked up two scarves. The green one is woven from baby camel hair (it’s still alive, don’t worry) and the other is woven from goat wool. In Morocco, there you can buy both “live wool” where the wool has come from animals that are still alive, and “dead wool” from butchered animals. Both of these are live wool, which is of higher quality, so I am told.

Argan Oil

I bought two bottles of argan oil, one for me and one for my sister. I bought this at a women’s cooperative, where they provide high-quality, safe work for women creating argan oil for cooking and for cosmetics. The ones I bought are also gardenia scented (so nice!).

Spices

Perhaps the thing that Morocco is known for the best is its sprawling spice markets. I bought several packages of Ras el Hanout, which is the catch-all spice blend for North African cooking. It can be used for couscous, rice, fish, meat, eggs…pretty much anything. It has 36 spices blended together and smells divine. I can’t wait to cook with it.

Soap

At the same spice shop. I also bought some Black Soap, which is one of the more bizarre things I grabbed. It’s a dark paste, made from olive by-products of oil pressing. To use, it is messaged into the skin. It smells like olives and looks like mucus…so ick. But then after five minutes, it is rinsed off, and the skin scrubbed with a loofa. All of your dead skin just falls off and the skin underneath is soft and moisturized. I’ve been using it the past couple of days and it’s just fantastic.

Lotion

Certain regions of Morocco are famous for their expansive rose gardens. There are a number of products that are available that are made from these roses. I picked up a delightful rose hand cream that smells so fragrant, but not cloyingly so. It’s light, and I love it.

Lipstick

I don’t want to call this my Holy Grail lipstick…but it is. This lipstick is green in the tube, goes on clear, and then changes to the perfect color for you. It’s henna-based, and it just wonderful. Having trouble picking your lipstick for the day? It’s this one. I’ve worn this every day since I got it, and have already been researching how to order more.

Eyeliner

This is something I was skeptical about. It’s kohl powder to use as eyeliner, with a little wooden wand to apply it with. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but it looks amazing on and is about as natural as you can get. I’ll be experimenting with it some more, but I’m impressed so far.

Ceramics

At another cooperative, we had the opportunity to buy some ceramics. I picked up a little salt-and-pepper holder for my sister. You can also cook little things like eggs in it too. Then I bought Christmas tree ornaments for all of my coworkers. They’re in the shape of the hand of Fatima, but are in different patterns. It’s a cool and unique gift that I could give to everyone without breaking the bank.

I bought a few more things, but those were some of the highlights. Overall, it was a great trip, and I’m looking forward to sharing photos and stories when I have a chance to start sifting through all the photos.

What are your favorite travel souvenirs?