After earning an Economics degree at the University of Guyana, Shivana Persaud found herself planning for several local businesses that were eager to put her knowledge to work. But in July 2018, when she was an expectant mother, she decided to launch her own business, which saw the birth of Lure by Shiv, which produces and sells skin and hair products made from local ingredients.
It was one of more than 50 women-owned businesses showcased at the ‘We Lift’ Women’s Empowerment Exhibition that was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre last weekend.
Though she grew up in the city, Persaud is a country girl at heart. Her parents are from Leguan and she spent many childhood vacations on the island, where she saw how much the people believe in their homegrown vegetables and natural remedies. It is not surprising then that Lure by Shiv promotes all natural, no protein, mostly plant-based products that are all tested on humans before being put on sale.
“I pretty much wanted to utilize all of the resources we have in Guyana because I found that they were underutilized because many persons didn’t know their purposes,” Persaud said. “There are people who were worried about using products with chemicals because their skin is sensitive… This propelled me into wanting to do this and it became like a passion.”
The entrepreneur opened up about going through a difficult time, having separated from her partner while pregnant. It was at this point that she understood how important self-love is and how much she needed it. So she poured herself into taking care of her physical and mental well-being, which was how her coffee body scrub, sold under the name Coco Magic, came to be. The body scrub is a blend of coconut oil, coffee, cane sugar and vanilla spice.
Persaud has always been business-oriented. Prior to starting Lure, she had co-founded a restaurant chain. While working there and developing her own product at the same time, she shared them with employees, friends, and family. Within a matter of nine months, Lure had reeled in hundreds of clients who had either tested or tried the product. The feedback was great as many people said they loved the silky smooth way their skin felt.
Coco Magic is among Lure by Shiv’s best sellers. One of her best reviews came from a mother who has stretch marks and has been using the coffee scrub. While it did not make her stretch marks vanish, the scrub did diminish their appearance. “She’s much more confident in her skin,” Persaud related.
“It was like creating your own ‘me time’ and was exactly what my vision was. My vision was to give persons the opportunity to create their own little spa at home using local products, affordable products, natural products, standard products.”
Lure by Shiv is operated online. Once orders are placed, a delivery and pickup arrangement is worked out. Some of her clients also reside in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, the United States and Canada. Products are also being sold at retail shops owned by women.
While a large percentage of her clients are women, there are men who usually go for the body and lip scrubs. A cleansing bar for the face and beard was specially created for men and more recently, a beard butter. Persaud said the beard butter moisturizes and instantly shows a healthy beard and added that men will not have to worry about their facial hair looking oily as the product does not leave behind a greasy residue.
“This one client said he was always looking for something and didn’t know what to buy. Men are very skeptical about buying anything for their skin, or for themselves as a matter-of-fact. They would spend $10,000 on somebody else or on alcohol but not get something for
themselves that promotes self-care. He has a very thick beard. He said his beard feels so much softer. He really liked that the product instantly conditioned his beard, giving it that shiny, refreshed look without being greasy,” Persaud shared.
Asked what effect COVID-19 had on her business, Persaud said it actually bloomed. Because people were restricted to their homes, they craved self-love and self-care, which led to many buying the products. Picking up on the need for revitalizing and rejuvenating, Lure by Shiv created self-care packages at affordable prices which were sold as quickly as they were put together.
The latest product to be added to the Lure by Shiv line is a nail cuticle oil. Persaud explained that she started noticing around November last year, that her nails seemed brittle and flaky and at first thought something was wrong with her health. She eventually realized that it had to be the frequent washing and sanitizing of her hands owing to COVID-19. All of the alcohol being used on her hands and nails was damaging the nail bed. When she voiced her problem, she soon realized that it was not just her, as other women came forward with the same issue. The cuticle oil was launched just last month.
Supporting local
Lure is also focused on protecting the environment and offers a refill service for all of its products and to better encourage this, refills are provided at discount prices.
The entrepreneur is also a big supporter of local products and would always try to patronize her peers even if their products cost more than a similar foreign brand. She explained that the only time she would go looking beyond Guyana is when the product is not available or does not meet the necessary standards.
While her containers are imported, the labelling is done locally. “We don’t have a packaging plant here… I know they are bringing in and making efforts for packaging. However, we need a full blown packaging plant. They’re a lot of people who are advocating for small businesses… A packaging plant that provides customization would be best because then we won’t have products on the market that all look alike… That is what I try to do with Lure. I try to have different packaging for my products which is what really makes it stand out…,” Persaud said.
Persaud is also the CEO and co-founder of Sauceboss, a business she shares with her parents. The business provides pepper sauce and achar to a number of restaurants around Guyana. According to her, the making of the sauces began as a hobby for her father more than 25 years ago. They recently decided to make a business out of it. Their client base is so huge as it relates to supplying restaurants that there is no hurry to have the sauces sold in supermarkets.
Prior to Lure by Shiv, Persaud also worked as an economist with the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development on a local project for two and a half years.
Meanwhile, Lure by Shiv is currently testing a new product expected to be out in six months’ time.
The skincare and hair care business can be contacted on Facebook and Instagram @Lure by Shiv. For orders, Persaud can be reached at 625-4065.
