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DIMAPUR — Toinali Chophi, who founded Beauty Barn brand that has created a niche across India, has now added another feather to her cap by launching ‘Ilimi’, a lip tint brand.
The local brand ‘Ilimi’ was launched at Casablanco in Midland, Dimapur, on Wednesday in the presence of Chophi’s families and well-wishers.
The brand comes with two lip product lines namely Juicy Tint and Chiffon Tint, a skincare infused lip colour
Speaking at the launch event, Chophi said, “We are very conscious about the ingredients we use. We committed to using only high quality ingredients because we understand the importance of the daily use of lip colours, which eventually contributes to overall wellness.”
Both these lines, she maintained are formulated with high-quality ingredients and have skincare benefits. They are infused with four types of Hyaluronic Acid, which provide hydration and moisture, Collagen for its anti-aging properties and Vitamin E for its wide-ranging benefits to skin health.
Chophi, who is the founder and CEO of Beauty Barn, a K-beauty product platform which has made a wave across the country, said that ever since the inception of the brand, a question had continuously echoeing in her mind was ‘why hadn’t we, Nagas, created our own brand in the personal care category, capable of competing in the global market space?’
“It seemed we focused mainly on bringing in franchises. I always had this desire within me to create a brand of my own, to shatter this glass ceiling and the mindset of limitations that seemed to hold us back,” she recounted while acknowledging that even after working with so many globally renowned brands, the persistent question about the absence of Naga-owned brands kept resonating in her and it was this inner dialogue that ultimately led to the birth of ‘Ilimi.’
‘Ilimi’ is a Sumi word for ‘young girl’, which is used for complimenting women of all ages.
For Chophi, ‘Ilimi’ signifies youthfulness and timelessness. It doesn’t define a specific age or gender. It’s about aging gracefully and maintaining a youthful spirit, irrespective of age.
On her journey with ‘Ilimi’, she said “the process of creating Ilimi has spanned over a year, filled with numerous iterations, a series of product testing, and multiple failures. I have learned that there will never be a time when everything feels 100% ready. I felt now is the right time to launch the brand and I believe in learning on the go and continuously improving”.She also said that another reason why she wanted to create her own brand was because she get asked a lot about working opportunities but the potential with K-beauty brands is somewhat limited. So, she wanted to create a truly inclusive brand that welcomes everyone.“With the launch of Ilimi, we aspire to provide opportunities not only for influencers and creators, but also for homemakers and college students. I deeply believe in the power of community and collaboration, and we aim to empower our consumers not just through our products, but by giving them with opportunities for financial freedom through our soon-to-be-launched affiliate programs” she said.The entrepreneur also announced that they have plans to expand their product range by including hair care and skincare lines, which she hope to launch by the end of this year or early 2025.