KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Love beauty products but don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket? That is also what Dahlia Nadirah Juhari strongly believes with her affordable makeup brand SO.LEK which she set up with her younger brother Luqman Hakim Juhari.
The inspiration for the wallet-friendly beauty products came from a trip to New York early last year. The siblings saw that affordable makeup that are also of high quality being sold in pharmacies.
It was also around that time when celebrity-model Kylie Jenner released her “Lip Kit” with a range of lip creams that was selling like hotcakes. The overwhelming response affirmed their belief that lip creams are also the way to go for their own brand.
SO.LEK was launched in October last year on Instagram. The name SO.LEK has two different meanings; Solek means make-up in Malay and the abbreviation can also mean, “So? Relax!”
“At that time in KL, there were only two or three local make-up brands,” said Dahlia. Working with halal-certified manufacturers, SO.LEK came up with the Bunga Gang collection comprising of six shades: Anggerik, Dahlia, Seroja, Mawar, Raya and Chempaka.
They later released Celak, an eyeliner that pays tribute to their late grandmother. In fact, SO.LEK’s logo is inspired by the old-school celak that features the kerawang-styled bottle.
“It took us eight months to come out with the collection because there were a few challenges along the way,” said Dahlia. “By the time we launched, there were probably around 20 over local brands on the market,” added Luqman.
What sets SO.LEK apart from them is that their products are wuduk-friendly or easily removed for the ritual purification process before praying. “When we started to do this we had this thing in mind. We told our manufacturer whatever you do I want it to be easy to apply and easy to remove. Because it’s easy for us whenever we want to take wuduk before we pray, you just wipe it off with wet wipes or just tissue,” said Dahlia.
Olive oil is one of the main ingredients of SO.LEK’s lip creams which gives it a moisturising effect. “The olive oil also helps to moisturise your lips as well, that’s why we call it soft matte, it’s not like super dry matte,” said Dahlia.
Social media plays an important role for SO.LEK. Their products have a cult following on Instagram where their customers use hashtags #GincuGang and #CelakGang. Sales can go up to 1,000 lip creams per month, just through Instagram and word of mouth.
SO.LEK also participates in exhibitions, events and bazaars to spread the word about the brand. The best-sellers are Dahlia, Anggerik, followed by Chempaka. The lip creams are priced at RM39 each and Celak sells for RM29. Aside from Instagram, SO.LEK also recently launched their website on March 31 and you can also shop for their products on Prettysuci (http://www.prettysuci.com), a one-stop halal beauty web portal.
Fans can look forward to SO.LEK’s Raya collection as it promises to be a big splash for the brand — a new collection of lipsticks, more colours for the existing Bunga Gang collection and the introduction of mascara.
The new range will be called Lagenda Gang as it is named after the princesses found in Malaysian legendary folklore; Mahsuri, Teja, Ledang and Saadong. “When we first decided to do this I was telling my brother and my mum that whatever I want to do, I want it to be full of Malaysian DNA,” explained Dahlia. Expect dreamy pastel pinks and natural nudes for your Raya ensemble. For the launch, they will be teaming up with FashionValet.
For the Bunga Gang collection, two new shades -- Merak and Kenanga -- will be also released at the same time. You also have Lentik, a mascara by SO.LEK that features an easy to use wand that comes in black for fuller volume eyelashes. To keep the ball rolling for their affordable items, these new items will still be in line with Bunga Gang’s pricing.
When it comes to managing SO.LEK, each sibling has their own role to play. Dahlia does marketing and public relations while Luqman does operations and numbers. “We work together closely so we talk to each other all the time. We fight all the time too.
“I think we complement each other because my weakness is his strength.” Dahlia also adds that whenever they do bazaars, Luqman is a hit with the makciks who will always approach him to ask whether a particular colour suits them.
A mother of two daughters, SO.LEK is a full-time job for Dahlia while Luqman is finishing his final semester studying engineering. “I think we are having fun working together as well because it’s something completely new and we started from scratch,” said Dahlia who was previously working in the banking industry.
From going back and forth to the lab, looking at colours, choosing colours, selecting textures, bringing the stocks back and checking one by one to delivery – their hands are full with SO.LEK. “Everything is trial and error,” said Luqman.
SO.LEK is not the only local lip cream brand out there and they face a lot of competition. “I even have four, five friends doing the same thing but the way we look at it... it is healthy competition because each brand, I think they have their strength. Like for us I think we champion the fact that it’s really moisturising and it’s easy to apply and remove,” said Dahlia.
Currently, Dahlia and Luqman are looking for more agents and stockists to carry SO.LEK’s range of make-up.
As a startup, Dahlia and Luqman proposed the business idea to their parents, who were their initial investors. Within three months of operation, the siblings managed to repay the family loan with interest.
Dahlia’s own personal favourite lip cream colours are Dahlia and Anggerik. It’s interesting to note that her daughters are named Anggerik and Seroja!
SO.LEK
Website: www.solekcosmetics.com
