Bellazuri, which means ‘beautiful beautiful’, was set up by father and son René and Giuliano Stiegelmann.
They were determined to make a difference in the beauty industry by not only creating a range of high-quality sustainable make-up and skincare specifically for African skin tones, but also investing millions in upskilling an African workforce to produce it.
By making Bellazuri accessible as well as aspirational, René and Giuliano have launched a premium readily-available alternative to the fake products which have flooded the market in Africa.
Consumers looking to cut costs are increasingly being duped with inferior and potentially hazardous copies of well-known global brands.
With an average age of around 19, Africa’s youthful customer base is one of the driving forces behind the surge in demand for makeup products, but African women face two main options when buying beauty products: expensive or counterfeit.
Patricia, Giuliano and René recognised the problem – and developed a solution.
The Stiegelmann family business, IKA Group, has been providing laboratory equipment to the beauty and other sectors since 1910 and is now widely recognised as a market leader operating across the world and employing thousands of people.
That wealth of experience in the beauty industry led them to identify a gap in the African market for quality eco-conscious makeup products for all African skin tones at affordable prices.
Ugandan-born Patricia Tino, a former model and member of IKA’s business management team, worked alongside Rene and Giuliano as they began the huge task of building a factory in Kampala, Uganda using IKA’s gold standard German technology.
Once the manufacturing base was established, they brought in experts from around the world to train a local workforce as they set out on a mission to become the first African-based company large-scale producing makeup locally on a global platform.
The result is Bellazuri, a premium range which is entirely mineral oil-free, paraben-free and made without animal testing, using HDPE 100% recycled plastic, one of the most sustainable plastics available.
Giuliano Stiegelmann, Co-CEO of Bellazuri, said: “Our mission is to empower and uplift African communities by providing high-quality, affordable makeup designed specifically for African skin. We are committed to combating the influx of counterfeit beauty products by offering fairly-priced alternatives, ensuring that everyone has access to safe, authentic cosmetics.”
René Stiegelmann, CEO of IKA Group and Co-CEO Bellazuri, added: “Bellazuri is more than just a beauty brand, it is a promise to protect, support and give back to the African people. Our mission is not to save the world, we are realistic, but if we can stop the harmful effects of counterfeit makeup, create local jobs and provide education then all our hard work will be worthwhile.”
Bellazuri has already become one of the fastest-growing African makeup brands produced in Africa. The company is now focusing on Ethiopia, Tanzania, DR Congo and South Africa.
René Stiegelmann added: “We want Bellazuri makeup to be accessible to all African women regardless of where they live. We are working with PK Agency, a multi award winning agency, to launch the products in South Africa then USA, Europe including the UK, and the rest of the world.”
Bellazuri is currently in talks with Distributors and Stockists in Africa, South Africa, United Kingdom and USA.
For further enquiries and distribution, please contact Paul Knowles (PK Agency)