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"Opening the first ever MÁDARA store is the fulfilment of a long held dream. This is a place where we can finally meet our clients in person and get a better insight into what people actually want," explains SIA MADARA Cosmetics Chairman of the Board, Lotte Tisenkopfa. "We're delighted that MÁDARA is continuing to grow in this difficult climate. MÁDARA is one of the companies whose export results and future prospects strengthen the Latvian economy. We hope that our growth will also inspire other entrepreneurs to look to the future with optimism!"

The store's opening ceremony was attended by a number of guests including Latvia's 'first lady', Lilita Zatlere and other well known public figures including musicians, celebrities and media representatives in a show of support for products produced in Latvia and the natural lifestyle.

"Being here today is an emotional experience for me. I've always supported natural and economically clean things. In this industrial era, people are far removed from that which is natural and real. And yet here, we see a return to these basic values which it is clear that people do appreciate. True values don't disappear. They're our future," said Lilita Zatlere commenting upon MÁDARA'S achievements.

The layout of the MÁDARA store has been created using environmentally friendly paints and economic light bulbs. The store's furniture, wallpaper and décor have all been produced in Latvia. MÁDARA is particularly proud of its ceiling lamps which were produced by the new Latvian lighting designer, "mammalampa". In an attempt to persuade the public to care for nature more actively, the MADARA store also contains a collection point where old MÁDARA cosmetics packaging units are collected from customers for recycling. For every item of packaging they bring along, customers will have the chance to acquire the same product for a significant discount.

The Shape of Beauty Awards: the very best good-for-you products on the market, chosen by Shape readers and beauty experts. Products were judged on overall performance and the science behind the ingredients, as well as each product's smell, feel, look and effect. Overall, 22 brands participated with 170 products in 20 categories.

Every year, countless new beauty products hit the market. Some are destined to become classics; others will fade quickly into oblivion. It can be tough to sort through what's worthwhile and what's not even worth trying. So again this year, for the 3rd time, Shape joined forces with their readers to pick the best of the bunch.

To select their winners, 130 readers voted via mailed surveys. Then, Shape's own editors, chief editor of Latvia's largest women's magazine SANTA selected their favorites and, finally, our beauty advisory Agnese Zeltina (a celebrity - nationwide known actress) weighed in.

Products were assessed in three groups: selective cosmetics, mass-market cosmetics , organic cosmetics.

The University of Wales Institute Cardiff held the DME award ceremony on October 13th, 2008.

"This award is an international recognition of the Latvian manufacturers' ability to create and sell strong and competitive goods world-wide, which are remarkable in both the fields of technological solutions and design. Receiving the award has motivated us to keep striving to come up with new design, marketing, and technological ideas, while continuing to provide consumers with cosmetics products that have a deeper design and style value," says Lotte Tisenkopfa, director of MÁDARA Cosmetics Ltd.

Ms. Marija Popovic, representative of the Unit Innovation Policy Development at the European Commission, stated: "We fully support the aim of the award in raising awareness and rewarding the value of design management for the European economy. It links design and creativity with business and innovation strategies. Implementing design management at a strategic level can be a key driver for business success and guarantee a stronger competitive position for Europe in the future."

About DME

The Design Management Europe Award, or DME, is the first of its kind, drawing attention to the role of management in design and the successful introduction of innovation. The goal of the award is to popularise the best examples of this kind of success to a larger public.

In all, 203 companies and organisations from 22 countries registered to compete for the DME award, marking this as a European-wide event. This was the second award ceremony, and the applicants competed in 7 categories: best management of design in a large company, a medium-sized company, a small company, a micro company, a public or non-profit organisation; best management of a first-time design project, and best implementation of a design strategy for sustainability.

Amidst the candidates chosen by the jury were world-famous brands such as Virgin Atlantic, TNT post, KTM power Sports, Roca, Eva Danmark, Senz Umbrellas, EDF, Madara Cosmetics, Gemeente Amsterdam, RATP, and SoBor.

ECOCERT is present in more than 80 countries, performing the regular inspection and certification of eco-products. In order to earn a certificate, the product must contain at least 95% natural ingredients. The remaining 5% of ingredients are strictly regulated, monitoring the presence of minerals, organic acids, and other materials. A minimum of 95% of the plant-based ingredients (for example, plant extracts and vegetable oils) must be biologically certified. ECOCERT prohibits the use of synthetic perfumes, synthetic preservatives (for example, parabens), mineral oil, propylene glycol, and other synthetic raw materials. A certified product is clearly marked on the packaging with an ECOCERT symbol, allowing the consumer to distinguish a truly natural product from the rest.

"European Union and Latvian legislation do not currently define the concept of natural cosmetics. Because of the lack of a definition, deception of the consumer is possible, and exists. The ECOCERT standard helps defend the interests of the consumer, as well as aid the clarification of the concept of natural cosmetics. MÁDARA is the first brand of Latvian-produced and ECOCERT certified cosmetics products," says Valérie Lemaire, Head manager of ECOCERT's Eco-products and cosmetics department.