Making beauty their business

Nic Peng, known as "Brother Nic", has a huge fan base in many Chinese cosmetology websites. [Photo / Provided to China Daily]

Nic Peng knew that his hosts, a foreign cosmetic company, were in a spot of bother, as they did not have the right Chinese name for the skincare product they were launching. The company had initially thought of naming the product after the Chinese characters 油 (pronounced you), or "oil".

But Peng convinced his hosts that it was better to rename the product as the character would be misinterpreted for a product that moistens the skin too much. Rather than have a bad impact on sales, Peng suggested that it would be better to call the product "jinghua", or "cream" in Chinese.

Known as "Brother Nic" in many Chinese cosmetology websites, Peng is a respected skincare expert on the Chinese mainland. His main job is to attend various launches and business meetings as a beauty adviser.

Nine years back, Peng was just another of the many Beijing netizens, who surfed the Internet and published short stories in various bulletin boards on skincare, the hottest topic for many young girls and office workers.

But what really rocketed him to fame was his ranking of the top 100 best skin creams. The ranking eventually found its way into some of the big beauty websites, and soon Peng had a huge fan following.

"I had to use 10 creams within one or two months. It was a tough job, but I liked it. Being also the beauty editor of a fashion magazine helped me in the ranking process," Peng says.

Enthused by the good response, Peng expanded his portfolio to writing blogs, answering questions, and giving cosmetics samples to his online friends.

But it took nearly a year for Peng to catch the attention of the biggies. In 2007, he received an invitation to attend an event conducted by Eau Thermale Avene, a French derma-cosmetic brand.

"It was then that I realized that I could make money by being an expert on the cosmetic industry," Peng says.

Leaving his job in 2008, Peng became a freelancer for many fashion magazines and wrote extensively on skincare products. At the same time, he also received several invitations to fashion parties and events, all of which enhanced his reputation.

In 2008, Peng's friends urged him to start his own cosmetic label. It was then that he realized that his popularity could bring in more money.

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With an initial capital of 1 million yuan ($153,900), Peng entered the cosmetics business as a full-time player. His first step was to visit major cosmetics manufacturing locations like Tianjin and Guangdong province.

"During the trip, I realized that most of the cosmetic products were not so attractive to look at. They often came in ugly containers and packages," says Peng recalling a visit to a factory in Tianjin.

"I used to fail in mathematics, physics and chemistry, but now I have to learn these boring subjects," he adds, with a bittersweet smile.

On July 1, 2009 Peng launched his own range of cosmetics under the brand Afrella. The products are available through the company's official website and on China's biggest online retailer taobao.com.

Though Peng does not reveal the sales numbers, he says it is "quite satisfying so far". He is also working on setting up two boutique stores in Beijing and Shanghai.