As a hijabi, I often neglected my hair. After all, no one sees it, so why bother taking care of it?
I’m sure many other hijabis can relate, but former actress and presenter Nura Jasni, 43, sees things differently. “Just as women indulge in skincare for their face, they must do the same for their hair.”
Given Singapore’s notorious humidity, our hair must be properly cared for to stay healthy. But for hijabis like Nura and I, visiting a regular salon would often compromise our modesty.
Recognising this pain point, Nura took action and founded Pearlista in 2015, a hijab-friendly hair salon in Singapore that exclusively serves female customers.
Taking matters into her own hands
Over the years, Nura has worn many hats. She has taught in a primary school, acted and hosted on Mediacorp Suria, and currently runs a home-based tuition business.
On top of that, she has also been a real estate agent since 2012—so when and how did she become a business owner of a salon?
Despite having no prior knowledge of cosmetology, it was a Facebook post by one of her friends that ultimately pushed her to pursue her business idea.
“[It’s] so difficult to find a salon only for ladies! I haven’t done anything to my hair ever since I donned the tudung,” her friend lamented in the post.
Nura immediately related to her frustration—she, too, hadn’t had a hair makeover in ages for the same reason.
But instead of waiting for a solution, Nura took matters into her own hands—she made it her mission to learn “everything she could” about the industry, surrounding herself with experts, including stylists, trichologists, and industry professionals.
She also leveraged her social media platforms, including Instagram, to ask questions and recruit hairstylists for her salon.
All in all, it took her “months of research and planning” to bring Pearlista to life. The salon was entirely self-funded using personal savings from both her and her husband, Esman Supaat—a “conscious decision” made by the couple as they were not keen on taking loans or relying on investors’ funds.
Creating a halal product range
Pearlista’s launch was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, thanks in part to Nura’s celebrity status.
“We broke the egg through social media and created the hype—[Pearlista’s] slots were fully booked for the entire first month,” she shared.
According to the former actress, she knew that her team was “doing things right” when competitors started to enter the industry as well.
Despite the increased competition, Nura took a strategic and calculated approach to expanding the brand—rather than opening multiple outlets across the city-state, she focused on strengthening Pearlista’s “unique brand identity.”
This led her to develop her own line of halal hair care products, exclusively for the salon.
These products include a range of over 20 anti-dandruff and hair fall shampoos, conditioners, and hair serums—all of which are priced between S$18 and S$68.
“Because the bulk of our customers are Muslims, they’re very particular about the ingredients in the shampoos and conditioners,” she explained. “To ensure they are halal, we went to the Malaysian market and checked out their factories. We did a lot of quality control over there.”
Helping women feel “seen, valued, and confident”
Since its inception, Pearlista has now expanded to three outlets across Singapore: Orchard, Clementi and Woodlands.
The brand has also gone on to participate in trade events such as Celebfest and Mak Besar over the years, allowing Nura to engage with customers, gather valuable feedback, and educate them on proper scalp and hair care.
As demand “continues to grow for the brand,” Pearlista plans to expand its range of products and services.
Additionally, the brand will focus on increasing community outreach through initiatives that promote hair and scalp health.
In the long term, I hope to see Pearlista grow into a recognised name in the region, helping even more women feel seen, valued, and confident.
My vision is to create a lasting legacy where women can always trust us for their beauty and self-care needs.
Nura Jasni, founder of Pearlista
Featured Image Credit: Pearlista/ Matthew Chia via Google Maps
