Sharee Wilkinson from Moka Fibre was the supreme winner at The Pick Pitch Night on Wednesday for her natural lash glue.
Sharee Wilkinson from Moka Fibre was the supreme winner at The Pick Pitch Night on Wednesday for her natural lash glue.
A world patent is now pending for an all-natural eyelash glue that saw a Northland woman walk away with the top emerging business talent title awarded in a Northland competition.
Sharee Wilkinson from Moka Fibre is the supreme winner of The Pick 2024, a competition run by NorthlandInc for start-up businesses.
She has created a safe and effective lash glue from natural, New Zealand ingredients for applying temporary false strip eyelashes or semi-permanent eyelash extensions.
Wilkinson said people love to wear false lashes but conventional eyelash glues are among the top 10 most toxic beauty products in the world, containing ingredients like formaldehyde, which are both bad for users and the environment.
Moka Lash Glue is made from pia harakeke - the gel inside the base of flax leaves - plus a keratin from New Zealand sheep wool. Wilkinson said it is not only safe - it fortifies the natural lashes.
Moka Fibre was chosen as the winner of The Pick for its innovation, positive health impact and good revenue potential, said Paul Linton, Northland Inc chief executive and one of the judges of The Pick Pitch Night on Wednesday.
“It’s interesting, it’s novel, it’s definitely innovative ... We thought that customers would love it.”
Pia harakeke the glue helping Moka Fibre stick to experts
Wilkinson grew up in Taheke, west of Kaikohe, but has lived in Wellington for many years working as a make-up artist and running beauty salons.
After experiencing the joy women get from wearing false eyelashes, she started Moka Fibre about six years ago, initially to make premium strip lashes.
The false eyelashes are made by hand from muka flax fibre and possum tails in a labour-intensive process.
Moka Fibre uses all-natural ingredients for its false eyelashes and lash glue.
But Wilkinson soon noticed there was a gap in the market for a non-toxic lash glue, with demand from both home users and beauty professionals for something natural and safe.
She knew there was an opportunity to use New Zealand ingredients, combining rongoā Māori and conventional science.
“Some of my earliest memories are from Taheke, where I was constantly outside in the bush and playing with pia harakeke, the gel inside the flax. I consulted harakeke expert Rangi Te Kanawa, who told me it would make a beautiful ingredient for a glue, and we went from there.”
But the mother of seven admitted the business was sitting on the back-burner at the start of the year, as she and her family moved from Wellington to Whangārei.
Fortunately, she was entered into a 10-week business support programme, The Pick, by her cousin Emily Kingi-Hepi, who was the 2022 co-winner for her Rongoā Wai Māori, an electrolyte drink which boosts health and reduces waste.
“I had the business parked to the side, but actually it [The Pick] was the best thing to happen to me.”
The programme introduced Wilkinson to local businesspeople and mentors, helping to show her a path for developing the business.
The win includes a grant of $2000, which will pay for manufacturing a batch of Moka Lash Glue for demonstrations, sending the product beauty product influencers and fulfilling pre-orders.
While Wilkinson recognises times are tough for businesses with the recession and cost of living crisis, she said there are opportunities for new businesses.
She hopes to make the most of the fact many women are now choosing to apply their own lashes rather than going to a salon.
The Pick can provide support for much-needed new businesses
The finalists in The Pick 2024 include Anna Smith with Radiance Lube, Ange Lewers with Plain, Shannon Humphrey with Fluffs, Nga-Atawhainga Creagh with Tohu Toa and supreme winner Sharee Wilkinson from Moka Fibre (second from right).
While Moka Fibre was the supreme winner of The Pick 2024, the programme has helped all 95 business ideas which registered this year, said Linton.
All those who registered were able to take part in an eight-week support programme, giving advice to identify the viability and commercial potential of the business idea.
From there, five finalists were chosen and given two more weeks of support, before they had to pitch their idea to a panel of judges on finals night, Linton said.
“For me, The Pick helps stimulate a pipeline of new businesses for Northland,” he said.
While times are challenging for all businesses, there is still a need for new businesses to emerge so they can be the future employers for the region, Linton said.
“That’s why this programme is even more important now - because getting the idea to commercialisation in a challenging business environment is even harder.”
The Pick is run by Northland Inc in partnership with Whāriki Te Tai Tokerau, McKay and the Ministry of Social Development, along with sponsors Northpower, Henderson Reeves and the Flying Kiwi Angels.
Linton said all five finalists were very high-quality and were close to winning.
Anna Smith with Radiance Lube, a natural New Zealand-made formula which focuses on women’s health and wider uses for lubricant.
Ange Lewers with Plain, a vegan, allergy-friendly boxed cake mix made for supermarkets, which allows the customer to decide their own flavour.
Shannon Humphrey with Fluffs, an innovative sleep slipper with potential for a large customer base.
Nga-Atawhainga Creagh with Tohu Toa, which provides a Māori lens on signatures, with a unique customisable stamp solution.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
