Bola Fadina is the CEO of Blush Nigeria, an upscale beauty boutique and salon in Victoria Island, Lagos. Fadina completed her primary education in Nigeria and then headed for the United Kingdom (UK) for secondary and university education, where she graduated with honours degree in Business Administration, after which she worked in investment banking for several years. She came from a very closely knit family.
Her Blush Brand has a lovely beauty boutique with some of the latest and trendiest beauty brands including Moroccan Oil, Essie and Mizani. The company has an international standard salon; Blush Cosmetics, a complete range of products including primers, foundations and bronzers, while adding facial and massage services based on essential and natural products.
Speaking on why she left investment banking for business, Fadina said she has a passion for products. “I am always up for trying the latest beauty products\trends on the market. My main inspiration to enter the beauty industry is my mother; I remember growing up, her dresser was full of products such as Clarins, Elizabeth Arden and Must de Cartier. My sisters and I spent hours playing with her products and loving every moment of it,” she said.
Speaking on how she started, Fadina said her business, which was founded in 2009, came into being in response to the void she noticed in the “simple, flattering and wearable makeup that is readily available. I found that there was no store in Lagos that retailed any new, cutting edge or the latest products. Yes there are many beauty stores in Lagos but I couldn’t find one that was exciting or current enough for me. I wanted to have a beauty boutique similar to the cosmetics section in Saks, Henri Bendel or Bergdorf Goodman which Lagos did not have. I also want to be a trendsetter when it comes to the beauty industry in Nigeria.”
She said although her business is currently booming, like all businesses, it started small, saying “it took me about two years to really get to this point. You probably have read in the news that Moroccan Oil is the rave right now. It is actually here in Lagos because we have the franchise to sell it here.”
Of course, starting any form of business is daunting no matter where in the world, she said in response to the question if she found doing business in Nigeria daunting, she said, however that, “there are so many situations/issues that come up unexpectedly in Nigeria but if you can do business in this country, you can do business anywhere.”
But the challenges that come with doing business in the country, she said, could be addressed if work and business ethics were improved.
“Also the level of customer service is an area many companies need to work on. You have to remember that in any business, your greatest assets are your people resource,” she offered.
Fadina is more of a realist than a romantic and would unwind by cooking and baking. Those two, she said, “definitely help de-stress. I love keeping fit though it’s a bit harder to exercise consistently in Lagos.” Her sense of style is elegant and feminine, would her favourite era are the 40’s and 50’s.
Fadina is more of a realist than a romantic and would unwind by cooking and baking. Those two, she said, “definitely help de-stress. I love keeping fit though it’s a bit harder to exercise consistently in Lagos.” Her sense of style is elegant and feminine, would her favourite era are the 40’s and 50’s.
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