Home : Brands : Cargo : Cargo | Behind the Brand

With a feel for fashion and a passion for make-up, Hana Zalzal set out to start a cosmetics company. Her goal was simple: professional make-up that encouraged women to create, experiment, and play. The relationship between a woman and her make-up is very intimate, says Hana. It empowers her self-expression. This is a product that is part of her life, that will affect her look and her mood. Make-up, after all, is in many ways a woman's cargo. And in 1996 CARGO Cosmetics was born.

Professional, multi-use products, sheer and blendable colors, and sleek packaging set CARGO apart from the masses. And, as CARGO evolved, Hana enlisted the expertise and feedback of top Hollywood make-up artists. Hana also engaged celebrities such as Courteney Cox, Camryn Manheim, and Debra Messing to create lipsticks with a portion of proceeds going to children's hospitals.

Hana resides in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and their three children. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1964 and came to Canada at the age of two. Hana holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto as well as an MBA. She has previously worked as an engineer, marketer, and financial analyst.