Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016 - 2017

Exporters’ Insights

Sacha Cosmetics: Bold fromFoundation to Finish

By Jenique Belgrave

A pioneer in make-up for exotic skin, Caribbean Exporter of the Year, Sacha Cosmetics, remains ahead of the game through its premium line, vibrant passion for quality and a boldness to go where no beauty product has gone before. “We design make-up that perfectly matches the skin tone of all women of colour, whether light or dark or in between; we ensure that their natural beauty shines through,” explained Kama Maharaj, the Managing Director and Founder of the Freeport, Trinidad-based company. It was the recognition of the differences in product demand that led to Sacha bursting onto the cosmetics scene 36 years ago and rapidly becoming

one of the top make-up choices for ladies with exotic skin. Sacha, a globally recognised brand, is distributed in 27 countries, among them Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and South Africa, and is now also available through online retail giant Amazon. The exceptionalmakeup line has made its way onto runways and into beauty

America, Sacha continues to reign supreme in transforming the cosmetics world.

Fulfilling his dream of highlighting the natural allure of African, Indian, and women of mixed ethnicities, the story of the brains behind the beauty is amixture of luck, skill and sheer resolve

to succeed. Coming from “a beauty family”, Maharaj recounted the days he sat in his mother’s hairdressing salon in Trinidad, listening to clients’ constant complaints about how artificial

We design make-up that perfectly matches the skin tone of all women of colour, whether light or dark or in between; we ensure that their natural beauty shines through.

their faces looked with make-up. It was there his obsession to create a product specifically calibrated for their skin type and tones was born. Despite making a comfortable living as a high school Maths teacher with a degree in Economics, Maharaj took to heart his mother’s advice and

contests all over the world, beating competitors to become the official cosmetics supplier to the 1999Miss Universe Pageant, the 2000Miss USA Pageant, the 2011Miss Bahamas Pageant and the 2014Miss Panama Pageant. Currently seeking to expand into the Dominican Republic and Latin

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