Startup Guide Issue 17 | Page 20

Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h i s t he dy na mi c woma n be hi nd ‘ De pi l e x’ whi c h i s a we l l r e nowne d na me a nd s uc c e s s s t or y i n t he be a ut y i ndus t r y . Thr oug hout t he y e a r s t ha t s he ha s be e n i n t he i ndus t r y , s he ha s wor k e d wi t h t he phi l os oph y of ma k i ng a di f f e r e nc e . S he s t a r t e d out i n 1980 wi t h a s ma l l s e t up i n Ka r a c hi a t a t i me whe n t he r e we r e onl y t wo or t hr e e ot he r s a l ons i n t he c i t y . De pi l e x s t a r t e d t he t r e nd of doi ng ma k e - up f or TV a nc hor s , mode l s a nd ne ws pe r s ons a t t ha t t i me . Mor e t ha n 35 y e a r s l a t e r , t oda y Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h ha s i nt r oduc e d t he f i r s t ha l a l ma k e - up l i ne of Pa k i s t a n, s t a r t e d a t r a i ni ng c e nt e r f or wome n, s t a r t e d a s a l on f or me n a nd e s t a bl i s he d t he S mi l e Ag a i n F ounda t i on f or a c i d a nd bur n v i c t i ms . Af t e r r unni ng De pi l e x f or n ume r ous y e a r s , i n 2015, Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h t ook t he de c i s i on t o a ppl y he r l e a r ni ng , k nowl e dg e a nd e xpe r i e nc e on he r own c os me t i c s br a nd c a l l e d Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h Ma k e - up , whi c h ha s a ha l a l c e r t i f i c a t i on a nd a f t e r a l ot of r e s e a r c h Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h s our c e d ha l a l i ng r e di e nt s f r om T ur k e y f or ma n uf a c t ur i ng t he pr oduc t s . Ma s a r r a t Mi s ba h s t a r t e d De pi l e x a f t e r s t udy i ng a t t he S ha w Col l e g e of Be a ut y a nd The r a p y i n t he UK. At t he t i me whe n s he s t a r t e d t he s a l on, s he di d s o ba c k e d b y a t e a m of ps y c hi a t r i s t s , g y na e c ol og i s t s , di e t i c i a ns a nd de r ma t ol og i s t s . At t he t i me , s he wa s a pi one e r wi t h he r hol i s t i c a ppr oa c h t o be a ut y a nd we l l ne s s a nd t hi s wa s l ong be f or e t hi s a ppr oa c h be c a me f a s hi ona bl e i n Pa k i s t a n. Dur i ng he r y e a r s i n t he i ndus t r y , s he be c a me mor e a nd mor e a wa r e of t he pr e s e nc e of non- pe r mi s s i bl e a nd t oxi c i ng r e di e nt s t ha t a r e us e d i n mos t c os me t i c s . Thi s wa s whe n s he de c i de d t o l a unc h he r ha l a l ma k e - up l i ne a f t e r t a k i ng t wo a nd a ha l f l ong y e a r s of doi ng r e s e a r c h a nd obt a i ni ng a ha l a l c e r t i f i c a t i on f r om S ha r i ’ a h c ompl i a nt i nt e r na t i ona l or g a ni s a t i ons . Dur i ng a l l t he y e a r s s i nc e s he s t a r t e d De pi l e x, s he ha s s t a r t e d ma n y pr oj e c t s . Ac c or di ng t o he r , t he one c l os e s t t o he r he a r t i s t he S mi l e Ag a i n F ounda t i on, whi c h s he s t a r t e d a f t e r a he a v i l y di s f i g ur e d woma n c a me i nt o he r s a l on i n 2003. Tha t da y c ha ng e d he r l i f e - s he wa s s e i z e d b y t he c e r t a i nt y t ha t s he ha d t o do s ome t hi ng a bout t ha t woma n a nd t he ma n y ot he r s who s uf f e r a s i mi l a r f a t e . S he f i x e d a da t e a nd ma de a pr e s s a nnounc e me nt , i n v i t i ng v i c t i ms of a c i d a t t a c k t o t he s a l on. S he wa s ov e r whe l me d t o s e e t ha t 42 wome n f r om a l l ov e r Pa k i s t a n c a me . Wi t hi n t wo y e a r s of t ha t da y , s he r e g i s t e r e d t he S mi l e Ag a i n F ounda t i on a s a n NGO f or a c i d a t t a c k v i c t i ms . The f ounda t i on of f e r s c ouns e l l i ng a nd t he r a p y t o t he v i c t i ms , whi l e g i v i ng t he m a n oppor t uni t y t o me e t a nd s ha r e t he i r s t or i e s , a t t e nd pot t e r y a nd dr a wi ng c l a s s e s a nd ha v e a g ood t i me s o t ha t t he y c a n c ome out of t he ps y c hol og i c a l da ma g e t he y e xpe r i e nc e a s a r e s ul t of be i ng a c i d v i c t i ms . MASARRAT MI SBAH DYNAMI C W OMAN BEHI ND ‘ DEPI LEX’ A RENOW NED NAME AND SUCCESS STORY I N THE BEAUTY I NDUSTRY