17-year-old debuts cosmetic line at Paloma

Siti Nur Saf’fa’s botanical brand Beaute Rossera – certified FDA, GMP and Halal – is now selling online and in offline stores

Well composed and dressed smartly, Siti Nur Saf’fa Anatii (pictured L) strikes her clients as a young, dynamic businesswoman, though few can correctly guess how young, as she begins to pitch that how her skincare and beauty line – Beaute Rossera – are ready for the mass market.

When she was 12, Saf’fa shares how she had severe eczema, and sought out all manner of solutions and medications – each carrying their own pros and cons. Some would keep the condition from flaring, but dried out the skin.

“After a few years I began to experiment even more, searching online about natural remedies and asking pharmacists what other things could help with my condition,” said the 17-year-old. “What ended up working was a combination of milk and salt and a few other ingredients. It was really basic.. and didn’t even have any scent. That’s essentially how I ended up the product I have now – the Milk Exfoliator.”

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Beaute Rossera’s Rice Berry Shampoo and Conditioner.

While it’s a good pitch, it’s the quality of her ten products – the ingredients of which are imported from Thailand – that has drawn the attention of local retailers, with beauty store Paloma amongst the first to take on her line, which can categorized as scrubs, exfoliators, shampoo and lip balm, priced between $5.90 and $19.90.

“Beaute Rossera is about having the best collection of botanical and natural ingredients for the hair, face and body that are effective, but still gentle,”  says Saf’fa. And with FDA, GMP and Halal certifications, the line has gotten the stamp of approval by the Ministry of Health from Brunei and Thailand, making a case that it’s ready for the mass market, both in locally and overseas.

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Beaute Rossera’s products can be found on cubejunction.com – an online Brunei marketplace with local and international shipping.

Saf’fa credits her parents, both business people, as being supportive but also frank about her decision to go full-time into business right after finishing O-Levels last year.

“I hear, quite a lot, that people continue their studies on to higher education, maybe even go overseas, but then come back to a job that is completely different than what they studied in uni,” said the 17-year-old. “That didn’t really appeal or make sense to me.”

Saf’fa had already began to share her concoctions and remedies with her social circle, but it was learning the technicalities of running a business – accounting, legal, and finding the right suppliers and distributors – that were understandably the most difficult.

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“Before I graduated from my O-Levels I was already seeking out a suitable factory in Thailand; tweaking the product formulas to come up with something that was not just effective (on skin) but would also be commercially viable,” she added.

In dealing with skepticism over her age and inexperience, Saf’fa says that doing groundwork, being prepared and learning from those with more experience has closed the gap enough for her to get her business of the ground.

“It’s trying to get the best deal for myself and my company that’s been the hardest part of running a business, harder than I expected,” she says with a smile. “For now, I’m focused on avenues to get my products out there. I’ve set up as a vendor online. And I’m looking at catering to hotels and potentially export.”

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Saf’fa and her counter showcasing her products during cubejunction.com’s open day in Anggerek Desa.

To check out or buy Beaute Rossera’s products online visit www.cubejunction.com.You can also learn more about their products by visiting their website www.beauterossera.com or following them on Instagram at @beauterossera_bn. Paloma is located at Unit 113A, First Floor of the Mabohai Shopping Complex.