COSMETICS firm B Perfect has reported a 56 per cent growth in sales just weeks after securing a major contract with Gordons Chemists.
The Belfast company, founded by Brendan McDowell in 2014 with just £500 funding, has seen turnover soar from £146,000 in 2015 to £244,000 last year.
It has also recently trebled the size of its business premises and now employs 10 full-time, part-time and casual staff, with plans to take on a further two employees to meet demand.
Selling online and through 152 stockists in Britain and Northern Ireland – as well as through 126 stockists in the Republic – B Perfect will now have its tan, eyebrow and mascara products rolled out across 35 Gordons stores.
Designed as a safe and natural alternative to non-invasive treatments, the cosmetics range comprises an eyebrow stencil kit, mascara, self-tan, skin primer and a mineral make-up foundation. There are two further products scheduled for launch this year.
"I'm delighted to be celebrating our new contract with Gordons Chemists – a local, family-run business at the heart of most communities in Northern Ireland," Mr McDowell said.
"From day one, I had a vision for B Perfect to be the leading, home-grown cosmetics brand in Ireland, and to be one step closer to that is fantastic.
"We started this journey with one product – our Eyebrow Kit – and today we have a further four products and are about to launch a further two. Our most recent product, the dark watermelon tan, sold out in just four weeks of hitting the shelves.
"I have worked closely with our product designers to develop the absolute cutting-edge in cosmetics which will deliver results that are both long-lasting and easy-to-use."
Helen Smyton from Gordons Chemists said: "Congratulations to Brendan the B Perfect team for being such an inspirational, entrepreneurial local company which is taking the cosmetics world by storm.
"We have enjoyed strong sales on the product in 10 of our stores which will lead us to rolling it out to 35 in total."
:: B Perfect Cosmetics features on the Irish Dragons Den on RTE this Saturday.
