Sitting on the beach in the summer time, Shelly Hamill marvelled at how soft her feet became during the warmer months from walking along the beach.

She had moved to the Island after marrying her Bermudian husband, but found that many of the cosmetic products she had used in her job as an air hostess, were useless in the humid climate of Bermuda.

And she found it hard to find products that both suited her skin and the humidity and was at her wits end.

But from sitting on the beach came an idea, and from this grain of sand, so to speak, came the inspiration for a set of beauty products that Ms Hamill, 32, would design and manufacture.

"It was a fluke idea, but while doing it I found out a lot about placing, marketing and what people are looking for in a beauty product," said Ms Hamill. "I wanted something that people could use every day, that was affordable (under $20) and that came in plastic bottles.

"Many high-end products come in glass bottles, which are not practical for taking to the beach or the gym or throwing into your handbag. And I wanted people to get that feeling you get from being at the beach from my products."

Now she has her own company Knight and Lyon Ltd., and has two ranges so far, Bermuda Spa, which has a scrub - which contains real Bermuda sand - a wash and a lotion in three fragrances and Bermuda Tan, which has a SP 15 lotion for face and body.

"They are made in the United States, which means that they are FDA approved and have no animal testing on them.

"We could not have got them made on the Island with the quantity and range that we wanted, which is available for all skin types. It also means that we could add vitamins A and E and things like chamomile. I am very proud of the range."

Although some of the products had been available previously locally, Ms Hamill is re-launching the product and will be selling it exclusively through Carol Holding Studios.

"Carol is an expert at knowing both the Bermuda customer and the tourist market and we feel we will be very well placed with her," said Ms Hamill.

The products will be aimed at both the local and tourist market and will also be available at www.knightandlyon.com for additional orders.

"Not only are they good to use in the Bermuda climate, but they make great gifts for people visiting the Island," said Ms Hamill.