Skincare luxury
May Hamid is the founder of Argan Liquid Gold, a luxury beauty brand that uses 100% organic and natural Argan Oil and 24 carat gold to produce an exceptional skincare range, which provides anti-aging benefits.
Below British Moroccan entrepreneur is an expert facialist with more than 20 years of experience in the beauty industry. She talks us through her journey and inspiration for the brand.
What did you study at university?
I studied Law at University and really enjoyed every moment of it. I love the challenge of getting to the bottom of issues and helping people get justice. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete the course as juggling motherhood and a full time degree was just too much for me at the time.
What was your first job?
My first job was when I was 17 years old. I was employed as a Sales Agent working in Real Estate. It was fun and very rewarding and helped me decide to buy my own home at a very young age.
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How did the idea of Argan Liquid Gold come about?
After a having my elder children and taking a few years out from work, my interests moved towards beauty and skincare. I always loved having great skin and so began studying this field. I completed many courses which enhanced my skills as a makeup artist and a facialist. Whilst offering my services to women in the UK, I noticed the various skin issues people were suffering from. I saw how they invested in various skincare brands to help them with their issues and how the majority failed to achieve the desired results. This is where the idea of Argan Liquid Gold was born. I wanted to create a range of products, packed with highest performance active ingredients and real skin healing properties, to give women around the world, the answers they have all been looking for. Our range is a complete set of products that cover your complete skincare routine.
What are the key elements of your role?
I would say that I have been the driving force in ensuring each product delivers results. I have worked tirelessly with scientists and formulators to achieve the ultimate range with amazing results. I now work on brand development and have been focusing on new products to expand the range.
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Talk us through your daily routine.
On a typical day, I wake up early, complete my morning skincare routine and remind my children to apply Argan Oil on their skin and then work on getting most of my daily chores out of the way before my children leave for school. As they begin their school day, I take off my mother hat and put on my work hat and begin working through my emails at the office and meeting and clients who want facials I spend most of my day working on Argan Liquid Gold. My working day flies by so fast, I think it’s because I enjoy working on my brand so much.
Evenings are spent with my family still have some meeting with clients in evening but I do struggle to switch off from work! I constantly have my eye on my laptop and emails and always feel the need to keep driving the brand forward. Its then early to bed after completing my skincare routine, ready for another day!
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Follow your dream and make sure you have bags of courage, determination and energy. It’s not an easy path to go down. It is full of challenges, closed doors and hurdles. Do not take your focus away from your end goal and be confident in your products. Most importantly enjoy what you do.
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Which brands can we find in your work wardrobe?
I really love Ralph Lauren! You won’t only find it in my wardrobe but my children also have been kitted out in its junior range! I’m able to dress for any occasion in RL.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
To never give up! It has been what has kept me going and given me the belief in myself.
And what is the worst?
When I first set out on creating the brand, I was told by various people that I was never going to make it, that I knew nothing about the industry and to stop wasting my time. This convinced me to try even harder!
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What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
My biggest challenge has been sourcing pure Argan Oil. I never knew it would be so difficult. It took us a few years to find a supplier of the purest Argan Oil. The global market is full of 3rd grade, mixed or fake Argan oil which was never going to be accepted in our brand. We still have to make multiple trips abroad, out to the farms in Morocco to ensure our oil is not contaminated or diluted in any way. This was something I never planned for and took me by surprise. Looking back, it has been well worth it.
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