MUM MADE UP AS HALAL COSMETICS PROVE A HIT

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Mum made up as halal cosmetics prove a hit

By Ian Griffin, Business Editor

A businesswoman has attracted worldwide interest after launching a range of make-up which complies with Islamic teaching.

Nadia Gani claims she is the first manufacturer of halal-certified cosmetics in the UK.

And she said sales have exceeded expectations since she set up her business three weeks ago.

Mrs Gani, who lives in Evington, Leicester, said she had received telephone calls from around the world from people interested in selling the products.

"As far as my research has shown, there's no other manufacturer of halal make-up in the UK," said the 27-year-old mother-of-two and founder of Miracle Halal Mineralz.

"I've sold more than I thought I would. It's been mad. Some of it has come from me attending events, from networking, from people finding the website on Google and simply from word of mouth.

"As a child, I always saw myself having my own brand of make-up. This was my dream."

Mrs Gani creates the cosmetics in an industrial unit in Earl Shilton, with help from her taxi driver husband, Ashiaf, 35, and sells them through the company website.

Her products are certified by the global halal organisation All Things Halal, which is based in Leicester.

"People are contacting me and asking if they can run a franchise selling my products in another country," she said. "I'd love to have people from other countries selling the make-up."

Mrs Gani, who has worked as a beautician, said she had received inquiries from Australia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. She said there was a big demand for quality halal cosmetics.

"The British-made label is a big thing," she said.

Mrs Gani said she was also talking to independent shops in the UK about stocking her products.

She said she had already made dozens of sales.

She makes a wide range of make-up, including lipsticks, lip-liner, eye-liner, eye shadow and blusher. She said she and her husband could make up to 24 pieces a day.

The business is expected to make a turnover of about £20,000 in its first year, although it could be a lot more.

Halal cosmetics do not contain pork extracts or alcohol, both common in standard make-up. Millions of Muslims worldwide live by the code of halal.