Nature’s Beauty Creations introduces three fragrances for local, European markets

By David Ebert

Nature’s Beauty Creations Ltd., the manufacturers of the popular and wholly Sri Lankan herbal beauty product line ‘Nature’s Secret’, launched their first foray into the perfume market with the new ‘S Cologne’ range of women’s perfume at the company’s research and manufacturing facility in Millewa, Horana.

The Chief Guests at the event were Minister of Technology and Research Pavithra Wanniarachchi and beauty industry icon Nayana Karunaratne.

Available in three fragrances, Morning Glory, Day Delight and Night Fever, the range has reportedly been developed for use at specific times of the day, following research carried out that determined the perfume preferences of the Sri Lankan woman and the ideal fragrance notes that suit the country’s climate.

The company explained that the morning variant is set to present an invigorating, light and refreshing summer aroma for the beginning of the day, and the day time scent leaves an invigorating, floral fragrance ideally suited for the hot afternoons, while the night time variant promises a dark and spicy bouquet.  

Nature’s Beauty Creations Chairman Samantha Kumarasinghe speaking at the event spoke passionately about the company’s expansion plans and the personal reason behind the development of the new S Cologne range.

“We need to break away from the post-colonialism inferiority complex that makes us value foreign products more than our own. I wanted to do something groundbreaking that would prove to everyone in the country and the world that Sri Lanka is able to locally develop and produce a high quality product fit for the international markets which will compete on par with the best.”

Kumarasinghe, while praising the assistance provided by the Ministry of Technology and Research for its assistance in promoting home grown scientific research, called on the Government to enforce stricter testing regulations and higher product registration for foreign products entering the market in light of recent detections of high levels of mercury found in a brand of cosmetic skin whitening cream which could have fatal effects on users.

“I am making an appeal to the Minister to even the playing field for local and foreign products by increasing the registration fees for products wanting to be marketed in the country. These products need to be properly tested and approved before being released into the market.”

“I recently had a plan to export to and market my cosmetics products in China and discovered that it costs almost Rs. 40 million to register a single product, whereas in Sri Lanka, the cost is barely negligible for any company to import unknown and untested cosmetics into the country. This is something I sincerely hope the Government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa will look into and rectify.”

With plans to market the fragrance in Europe as well, the company’s international Brand Manager for the European market Laura Nicli, hailing from the Grasse region of France, which is the main perfume essence producing region in the country, spoke with confidence on the potential of the product in the European market.

Nicli stated that her decision to join Nature’s Beauty Creations in developing the new range was due to the wealth of natural herbs and essences readily available in the country, her own experience having grown up in the Grasse region and the quality, scientific professionalism and research oriented approach of the company.

“Having grown up in an area that traditionally has been involved in the perfume trade for centuries, perfume is something that I am passionate and possess a wealth of expertise in. Having visited Sri Lanka earlier and seen the abundance of exotic flora, the quality maintained by Nature’s Beauty Creations in their own research facility which leads to the high quality of their existing products, I am confident that the S Cologne range has a place on the shelves in Europe because of its fresh, vibrant and tropical notes that would certainly remind one of a place as beautiful as this.”

In addition, it was revealed that the logo for the new brand was the result of a competition held amongst the students of the Graphic and Communications Design unit of the University of Moratuwa, where the winning entry won the designer a scholarship to attend a design program in Mumbai, India.

Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera