Wachinga
They say life is too short to have naked nails. And that nail polish is the icing on the beauty cake. Whichever way you look at it; women do love their nails.
Here’s the solid proof. This year alone, the global nail industry grew to an estimated US$9.9 Billion, despite the Covid-19 crisis.
Actually, one survey indicates that 33 per cent of women own at least 25 bottles of nail polish. This is on the lower side as there are women with 300 plus bottles decorating their dressing table yet they can’t stop buying more.
To feed the growing demand for more advanced technology, the industry keeps launching new products and concepts all to the joy of consumers. But seriously speaking, who wouldn’t?
Wachinga Anami 28-year-old Kenyan woman literally nailed this opportunity to create a home-grown nail care line called Thamar to satisfy the over 26.5 million women in Kenya. Not forgetting the metrosexual male audience who have no qualms with occasional manicure or pedicure. Thamar is the reverse of Martha, Wachinga’s first name.
The financial engineering graduate not only wanted to give her clients variety but was also keen on self-employment and feeding her innate love of beauty. But Thamar’s unique selling point is her non-toxic range of products.
With nail polish a commonly used term for non-toxic products is five-free; which refers to polishes that do not contain five specific ingredients considered harmful. These are formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin and camphor. More advanced products market themselves as seven or even ten-free.
Wachinga explains that her nail care line is seven-free and, “Doesn’t contain harmful chemicals that could cause damage to skin or nails.”
The holder of a Master’s degree in Strategic Management created Thamar in two phases: Research and development and implementation. This was four years ago but the nail polish was officially launched in 2018 to cater to both men and women.
She explains why. “Getting a manicure or pedicure is luxury for everyone, and that includes men.”
Her argument is backed up by global research which has shown that the nail care market is growing significantly. An estimated 90 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men worldwide use nail care products.
Thamar is inspired by Kenyan experience and comes in over 42 colour shades with unique local names such as Watamu Tamu, Nairoberry, Mombasa Raha or Mara green.
The shades are heavily pigmented lacquers, long-lasting and chip resistant, Wachinga told Woman Kenya Network. In addition, the brand comes with a protective top and base coat, she says.
The youthful businesswoman who quit employment adds that they stock both regular and gel nail polish. And price ranges between Sh200 and Sh950. A leading chemist is their main distributor but they also have stockists in different towns. Clients can also buy directly from the website.
If you thought the nail polish industry was losing colour, maybe you should think again.
