Natasha Nadrah and Wahida Firdaus say their French-formulated, Malaysian-made collagen matte liquid lipsticks under the Anya Arabella label make women’s lips look poutier naturally. Encouraged by the response so far, they are also expanding into fashion and other cosmetics products, reports ZIEMAN.
DATIN Sri Natasha Nadrah Azman Shah is making it her business to make women’s lips look poutier, plumper and more voluptuous.
How exactly?
With what she says is the world’s first collagen matte liquid lipstick — available via her Anya Arabella lipstick line.
Natasha says she was driven to create her own lipstick because she has sensitive lips and was often disappointed by what was available in the market. Consequently, she got her dermatologist and aesthetician friend, Marrianne Flore Benoit, of Paris to formulate what she says is the world’s first collagen matte liquid lipstick.
“Pouty lips are all the rage now. I thought it would be nice to have a lipstick that could plump any type of lips, and we decided to use collagen as one of the ingredients,” says the 31-year businesswoman.
Anya Arabella is being produced and marketed by her company, Multi Million Success Ventures, which operates out of Subang Jaya.
According to Natasha, she spent quite a bit on a professional R&D team for the production of the lipsticks, as well as for the logo and packaging. She also invested another RM50,000 to come up with five different shades for the lipsticks which are named after her two-year-old daughter.
“Though formulated in Paris, the lipsticks are being produced in Kelang. I just love them — not because my company produces them, but because my lips don’t get any reaction no matter how many times I apply them. The more I wear it, the more confident I feel, and that’s how I want my customers to feel,” says Natasha, a mother of four.
She and her cousin and business partner, Wahida Firdaus, decided to introduce Anya Arabella to women in this region first before taking aim at markets further afield. The lipsticks are currently available in Singapore and Indonesia too.
Officially launched early in the year at RM59 each, the lipsticks posted RM15,000’s worth of sales in the first month and has been enjoying double digit growth every month since. So far, they have sold more than 10,000 units.
Promising “Bee-stung lips” (that’s the tagline), the lipsticks don’t contain any harsh chemicals or harmful ingredients, says Natasha.
They are made from collagen, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, jojoba, beeswax, Vitamin E and olive oil, and come in classy black packaging.
Wahida opines that the lipstick is often “misunderstood”, with most women avoiding bolder colours and only wearing lipstick on special occasions.
“It should be the other way around, actually. Wearing bold lipstick is what gives you confidence, and it is always timeless. In fact, lipsticks look best when worn casually, says the professional make-up artist.
“I’ve always liked the matte texture because I think it has a gorgeous look. Don’t underestimate the power of lipstick because it can boost your confidence and brighten up your face,” adds the 36-year-old.
The cousins want to encourage women to experiment with different lipstick colours.
Presently, the Anya Arabella lipsticks come in five colours — Esmeralda, Berry, Blushing Belle, Coral and Mademoiselle.
“We have very positive feedback about our lipstick and we feel good about it,” says Wahida. “The most popular colour is Mademoiselle, which is frequently sold out and so is Blushing Belle. You can also mix the colours and get an interesting shade, which is why most customers are crazy about our lipsticks.”
Natasha says the positive response has encouraged them to look at expanding the brand to include other cosmetic as well as skincare products. She is looking at investing more than RM500,000 to this end.
The next set of lipsticks should be out before the year ends. Natasha plans to add more glamorous colours, like matte reds, corals, browns, and burgundy. Next will come offerings like mascara, liquid foundation, eyeliner and eye shadow.
“We are thrilled to introduce our cosmetic range, especially our liquid foundation and mascara. I assure you, it’s going to be different because we wanted something that benefits the skin and can be used for sensitive skin types as well,” says Natasha.
“Hopefully, with all these fresh and creative cosmetic products, Anya Arabella can make a mark in the beauty industry worldwide,” she adds.
“Our cosmetics work to repair the skin while making you look good on the outside,” promises Wahida.
“As a make-up artist, I find it’s quite difficult to get a good matte lipstick that doesn’t look dull. But with Anya Arabella lipstick, you can mix equal parts of the colours, and get an amazing colour. It’s almost guaranteed,” she says.
Cosmetics is the only thing Anya Arabella is focusing on. It also has its own fashion line offering casual and formal evening wear, including baju kurung, kebaya and ready-to-wear blouses, palazzo and shirts.
Natasha says they have a dedicated team of designers working on the label, which for now is only available online.
“I hope the Anya Arabella brand will stand the test of time. We are excited to introduce our new cosmetic range, and hopefully, Anya Arabella will have its own cult following,” she says.
Anya Arabella lipstick is sold through appointed stockists and agents.
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