I’m thrilled to be able to am so happy to be able to share a beautiful articulation of blissful, radiant beauty from Victoria Fantauzzi, co-founder of La Bella Figura, a natural beauty brand, focused on skin care, make up, and fragrance made from carefully selected ingredients based in Chicago, IL. I’ve been using La Bella Figura’s skin care line (and faithfully trying every newly released product) since the brand launched in 2011, after reading about La Bella Figura’s best-selling Découverte Under Eye Repair Serum in New Beauty Magazine.
I had the pleasure of meeting Victoria and co-founder Karen King at A Night For Green Beauty 2013 in New York City, NY and they are passionate about their products in a way that just shines through! The event coincided with New York City’s famous ‘Fashion Week’ and showcased many established natural beauty brands. A Night For Green Beauty 2014 was held in Los Angeles, CA and was also a renowned success.
La Bella Figura products are part of my morning and evening routine, and that routine is even more blissful now that I know more about the inspiration that fuels the founders of this natural beauty brand. I hope you find Victoria’s philosophy on inner bliss and out radiance as inspiring as I do.
1) What inspired you to follow your calling with natural beauty via La Bella Figura?
I guess we were always huge beauty lovers and it took a real leap of faith to decide to make it into a career and our livelihoods. I mean, who starts a luxury all natural beauty company when the country is in economic crisis? We felt strongly that customers were going to want to go back to their roots to seek exceptional products complete with a real story about how they’re made and who made them. It is just a small piece of building our company, but we knew we had a message to share with those ready to ask for more than they were getting from conventional beauty brands. It’s definitely been an adventurous ride, but so rewarding.
2) How do you re-connect to that original calling on a daily basis?
There are days when we want to pull our hair out or run away to a remote island to smash coconuts together because this business is challenging and there are always going to be snafus, naysayers, haters and cynics. What you have to remember on those crazy days is you don’t build a business on negativity. The very seed of a business is built from positive dreams and vision. Tough times call for yoga, a funny movie, disconnecting for a bit and coming back to your vision. You have to step away to be a little more clear.
3) Where do you look for new inspiration?
Always in nature and always while traveling. We learn new things about beauty rituals by hitting the road and talking to people. I love asking women what they use for skincare, haircare or body products whenever I go. I like to hear about what their Moms, sisters and aunts use too. We always find the most interesting stories and innovative ingredients this way.
4) How can beauty positively impact a woman’s inner bliss and outer radiance?
First, beauty isn’t always a reflection in the mirror or cut out in any one way. You can feel your most beautiful when you are in transition. I feel most beautiful at night when my skin is all clean and my sheets are crisp, there is a good book to read and a cup of mint tea on my table. It’s really an emotion and if you have a positive emotional reaction when you use a really great product that is good for you, is sustainable and works effectively that is going to impact how you feel everytime you see that product in your bathroom cabinet or a store shelf. That feeling is carried and multiplied because it makes you feel happy and positive.
Beauty isn’t always a reflection in the mirror or cut out in any one way. You can feel your most beautiful when you are in transition.” Victoria Fantauzzi
5) What does the phrase “inner bliss” and “outer radiance” mean to you?
Inner bliss is the exact state I just described. Being so excited to sit with your best friend over a glass of wine or run a marathon or just be quiet and alone enjoying simple things. That’s a blissful state. Outer radiance is one being passionate, doing what they love, sharing and being healthy in their mind. All of those things can be seen and more often than anything it radiates deep beauty.
Victoria is the co-founder of the natural beauty and makeup line, La Bella Figura, based in Chicago, IL.
