BRAVING NEW WORLDS

Augustman speaks with the founders of Lavish Cosmetics, who dared to take a chance in a field outside their own

- STUART DANKER

IN A WORLD where it’s important to put your best face forward, skincare products have become one of the most sought-after commodities for both men and women. But starting a business in the beauty industry isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, especially if you come from unrelated backgrounds like Justin Ng (publishing) and Nasrul Affendy Jaafar (graphic design). Augustman asks these spirited entrepreneurs about their journey and the challenges that come with the founding of Lavish Cosmetics.

First of all, how did you both end up in the beauty business?

Nasrul has always had a thing for natural skincare products. He had oily skin and a dull complexion, but the cleansers that reduced sebum only dehydrated his skin more. His woes drove him into researching skincare.

Good skincare goes beyond cleansing; it needs hydration, nutrition, inter alia. That’s how he found papaya enzymes. He sought out a certified laboratory to experiment with various formulations that he could apply on himself. Occasionally, he would give them away to help his friends who were facing their own skincare challenges.

For two decades, I have abided by clindamycin and retinol. I’ve always kept to pharmaceutical-grade products because all the cosmetic-grade ones didn’t work as advertised. One day, Nasrul gave me several samples, which made my skin look brilliant. I was proselytised by papaya enzymes!

Then there was an opportunity to propagate the formula. We were at a point in life – coming out of COVID hibernation – where we were ready to do something different. And that’s what we did.

What have you learned in your entrepreneurial journey thus far?