Violets Are Blue, founded in 2013 by Cynthia Besteman, is the newest addition to Credo. Get to know a little more about the brand and Cynthia below where she tells us about her inspiration for starting her own brand, her daily beauty routines, her own credo and more.
Where are you from?
I was born in Seattle, Washington but have lived in NYC for over 25 years (although I'll always be a Northwest girl!).
What made you want to start a beauty line?
My Breast Cancer diagnosis, which came out of the blue, and made me realize it doesn't matter what you put in your body, if what you put on it is toxic! I made my own products during my treatment and then met women who didn't have the ability to make their own, or the energy to sit in drug stores and read the back of labels. That is when I realized I wanted to make a clean beauty brand that gave back to women with cancer.
What’s the best part of your job?
EVERYTHING!! I particularly love speaking to women who are just learning about green products and are looking for guidance. I also am brought to tears overtime I receive an email from a women going through cancer who received one of our BeLoved donation packages. I also love getting to know other brand owners and their personal philosophies.
Who/what do you draw inspiration from?
My mom is a big inspiration. She has been someone who has been so incredibly supportive of whatever endeavors I am thinking of doing, decide to do or am too afraid to do! She pushes me to take risks and not get discouraged when things get hard. I also draw inspiration from my incredible group of girlfriends. We are all so different and yet extremely supportive of each other and want to see each other succeed in all aspects of our lives.
What’s your daily skincare routine?
Mine is very basic, which is the Violets Are Blue theme. I dry brush every day before showering, and I wash my face with our White Tea Cleanser in the morning. Then before applying our Carrot Seed Serum, I spritz my face with Kari Gran lavender toner. It goes so well with our products as I use organic essential lavender oil as our only scent. I'll follow with our Body Lotion which is great as it absorbs quickly and allows me to get dressed immediately. I'll wash my face again at night, put on the serum and then our Foot Salve before bed.
What makeup do you wear?
I was introduced to Antonym Cosmetics by Credo and use their baked foundation which I love. I'm not a big fan of the way liquid foundation makes my skin feel so I was ecstatic to find this! I also use their baked blush, which works really well with the foundation. I love Lily Lolo's Filthy Rich Eye Palette, and I usually keep it really simple with a basic lip gloss from Han Cosmetic.
What is one thing you do on a less than awesome day to stay an upbeat and positive leader?
Most of our "issues" of late have been from growing pains. When things get hard I say to myself and those around me, "this is what we want, this is what we want, this is what we worked for!" I also surround myself with people who have amazing senses of humor! I can laugh at any situation once I have a good cry!
Do you have any non-beauty rituals that make you feel good?
I run with my best friend 3 times a week in Riverside Park. We meet first thing in the morning and not only does it feel wonderful to run, but we also use this time to help each other out with things that are going on in our lives and business. I am able to start my day totally clear headed and know that even if I get nothing else accomplished that day, at least I've exercised! My husband and I are also avid pickleball players. We play a couple times a week and it's blast! (you'll have to google it to check it out!)
Last but not least, what’s your everyday Credo?
It's simple. "Risk joy" which means, do whatever you can to create joy albeit jumping into the deep end, taking a trip, or starting a business!
