Cirencester-based start-up firm, ANI Skincare has won a Gold award in the Beauty Bible Skincare Awards.

The Beauty Bible Awards is the definitive guide to the best of beauty. In its 27th year, it is the result of trials with real women, trialling real products over a period of months, in real life.

The Gold award was awarded in the 'Face Oil' category for the ANI Skincare Rose & Geranium Face Oil.

The Beauty Bible Award organisers said: "Congratulations to a tiny start-up, handmade- in-the-Cotswolds plant-based brand for getting the very highest (by a micro-point) score in this hotly contested category. We loved founder Joanna Walker's philosophy: 'It's not about erasing laughter lines - who wants to wipe away all the good times? It's about getting your skin to optimum condition so that you feel confident in yourself, keeping both skin and self-esteem healthy.

Joanna Walker, ANI Skincare founder, commented: "It's thrilling! It shows that a small company in the Cotswolds can compete against win against global brands. This is a great endorsement for what we do."

ANI Skincare was founded after Joanna started making skincare products as Christmas gifts in 2012. When people asked to replenish their gifts, she stepped up production and took a stall in Cirencester's charter market. Several seasonal pop-up shops followed accompanied by successful online trade shipping across Europe, the US and Australasia. 12 months ago, ANI Skincare opened a shop in Stable Yard off Black Jack Street in Cirencester.