THE founders of a global makeup brush brand are returning to their Welsh roots as the faces of a new Barclays campaign video, which promotes Wales as a great place to do business.

Sisters Sophie and Hannah Pycroft, from Barry, founded their company Spectrum four years ago. After achieving international acclaim for their work, they are now spearheading the bank's campaign to promote more business in the country.

The pair freely admit that starting up the company was a tough task, but a key turning point came in the run up to Christmas 2014. After setting up a stall at The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham, Spectrum attracted attention from some well-known faces.

Sophie said: “A few reality TV stars, from Geordie Shore and The Only Way Is Essex, took an interest in our product, which helped us gain recognition in the British press.” The use of their brushes on the The X-Factor and by celebrities Holly Willoughby and Abbey Clancy further cemented the brand, and last month the sisters made an appearance on America’s Next Top Model, where they set the contestants a fashion related task.

Spectrum’s products are now on sale in the US, Canada, Australia and mainland Europe, as well as across the UK. The brand recently formed a partnership with American film studio Paramount Pictures, launching a ‘Mean Girls’ themed range of makeup brushes.

Such quick success has forced the business to scale up quickly, swapping Sophie’s garage – where they would previously package all products themselves – for their own office with a team of seven and a warehouse in Essex, which packages the orders.

Earlier this year, the pair were finalists at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards, which recognise the best innovators in the country. But despite their success, the pair agree that now is no time to ease up on their workloads.

"We still work around the clock," said Sophie.

"There are plenty of brands trying to emulate what we are doing. With such fierce competition, we’re working hard to develop new products and keep producing high quality brushes."

To watch the video, click here.