Digitally native beauty brand, Farsali, bridges the gap between skin care and makeup with a range of multi-tasking, innovative and visually appealing products that are rapidly making their mark on Instagram.

Few husbands pay attention to, or are intrigued by, their wives’ beauty regimen. Fewer still create a beauty brand as a tribute to their wife. Sal Ali is an exception.

Sal founded Farsali (the name is a confluence of Farah and Sal Ali) in 2014 as a tribute to his wife, Farah Dhukai, the self-described beauty junkie and social media phenomenon who now has 5.8 million followers on Instagram.

“I noticed a lot of packages arriving from Sephora and wondered why my wife needed so many beauty products,” said Sal. “So I began asking my wife questions about the products, as only someone who is not fluent in beauty can. I soon realized that skin care is a very important part of beauty, and wanted to create a brand that bridges both.” And Farsali was born.

Farsali, which carries the tag line Beauty with Benefits, is a hybrid, makeup-enhancing skin care line made for all skin types. The brand has quickly made a name for itself with its innovative formulas that create flawless skin for makeup application. The products are also free of parabens, sulphates and phthalates.

Two products in particular have become viral success stories. One is Rose Gold Elixir, a beauty oil infused with 24-karat gold flakes and rosehip seed oil that nourishes skin while brightening it. A couple of drops can also be applied to foundation to keep skin hydrated and glowing. The second is Unicorn Essence, a dual-purpose serum, enriched with super fruit extracts that work to help protect skin and prepare it for makeup application. Both products are highly photogenic: beauty lovers have taken to displaying their pink unicorn tears—or dribbled product—on their Instagram pages. Indeed, Sal attributes Farsali’s popularity to making beauty fun.

The brand’s newest product, Jelly Beam, launched in October, is a highlighter that is true to Farsali’s hybrid DNA: the highlighter applies like jelly, and sets like powder, hydrating the skin and creating a wet-satin finish.

Farsali is self-funded. The brand is already a bestseller at Sephora where its Unicorn Essence, which can be used as a primer and was launched in December 2016, holds its own alongside items by Smashbox and Benefit.

The brand is also expanding globally. Farsali launched in 14 countries in Sephora Europe in 2017. It launched in Sephora South East Asia and Australia, and will be rolling dotcom into bricks-and-mortar in 2018. The brand is also planning to launch in Sephora Middle East, and has distribution in New Zealand as well as on UK e-tailer Cult Beauty.

Like the brand story, Farsali’s impressive social media reach is linked to Sal’s wife. “My wife was on YouTube for the longest time, but I noticed that engagement was great on Instagram. So my wife and I started an Instagram follower contest: who could grow their page fastest? Our rule was that we wouldn’t show each other’s products on our own page. Obviously my wife won because she is beautiful, but I’d say to her, “I know you used the Rose Gold Elixir today, but you didn’t show it!”

Farsali currently has 1.3 million followers on Instagram. “The products attract a lot of attention because they have visual appeal, and this has helped us gain viral exposure.”

With just a handful of hero products Sal said the company is focused on strategic launches. “We are not a fully-fledged color or skin care brand. There is no line between makeup and skin care. Now people are looking for skin care that works with makeup, and makeup with skin care benefits. Farsali is a pioneer in a new category and it’s all exciting to me.”

Sal’s ultimate goal? “To solidify Farsali as a makeup skin care brand that is here to stay and known for innovation.”