Making it Happen
With a burning passion for beauty and fashion, Cindy Angelina is on a mission to conquer the online cosmetics world. But her ambitions don’t just stop there. Amadea Maya writes 128 indonesia tatler . september 2016
Photography: Hair and make-up: Wardrobe: Artwork:
Hakim Satriyo sisy make-up St Laurent (private collection) Arkiv vilmansa @ ruci art space
Growing up, Cindy loved experimenting with her looks and make-up via beauty tutorials and by trying out the latest products. She used to play with her mum’s make-up since she was in kindergarten. And so it was that over the years, Cindy gained so much knowledge in the beauty industry that she became an expert in it. This led to her making the difficult decision to create her own cosmetics startup in 2016 after she graduated from Pepperdine University. Her partner in the business is her childhood BFF Kezia Toemion.
“Today, the technology is so much different than a few years ago,” says Cindy. “With current trends and the level of access to information, everything has become so much easier, which has opened up a whole new world of business opportunities.
“So it was only right that I rekindled my passion in beauty and fashion to build something significant,” she adds. “I noticed that Indonesia’s beauty industry is such a large market that there is ample room for new players. So, together with Kezia, we created a new cosmetics brand called ESQA, which is the first local brand to offer vegan cosmetics. Currently, our product line consists of seven shades of lip make-up and we are planning to introduce more.”
In an era in which everything is online, Cindy decided early on to restrict the sales of her company’s products to its web store—but it may not stay as an e-commerce business forever, she tells us. “After the online launch last July, the brand had positive feedback that went way beyond our expectations, so we are planning to expand and we are considering opening more distribution channels. We will keep you updated for sure!” she says.
When asked about her vision, Cindy says: “I want to empower women with confidence through natural beauty. Our brand is all about enhancing every woman’s natural look. We believe that make-up is a tool to let your inner self shine brightly, not just to change your look.”
A hardworking and dedicated young lady, Cindy admits that she faced challenges and hurdles in developing her business. “It was a series of trials and errors,” she says. “The biggest challenge was probably during the prelaunch stage. It took us one year of work until today and we worked more than 14 hours a day some days, but it all was worth it.”
As well as keeping busy with ESQA, Cindy, who is also an art aficionado, has started to amass a personal collection of contemporary art pieces. Her dream is to have her own gallery when her beauty business has settled down.
She surely gets her wits and her guts from her father, Herman Herry, whom she sees as her biggest mentor—her parents’ support was essential in taking the dive into building her own business. “The way I see it, life is all about striving and growing,” she tells us. “I never want to just ‘make it’. I want to continue learning and to keep making it.
“After all, life is too short to waste your time doing things that don’t light your fire,” says Cindy. “If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then it’s time to move on to something that makes you happy. Being in the business world isn’t a guarantee of success and the best entrepreneurs are, and always will be, problem-solvers. So the key is to stay focused and never give up.”
Earlier this year, Cindy also started a nonprofit organisation together with her friends:
the Waterhouse Project, which has a mission to provide access to clean water in remote areas in Indonesia. A philanthropist at heart, Cindy partnered up with UNDP Indonesia to build a solar water pump in Napu Village, East Nusa Tenggara, which is still under construction.
“We are currently raising funds for our projects and we are hoping that we can do the same in other villages—if anyone wants to help out, they should check our social media account, @waterhouse_project,” she says. “My dad’s family originally came from East Indonesia and they have a lot of businesses there, particularly in the property and hospitality sectors. I’ve been travelling to East Nusa Tenggara more often now because of a Waterhouse Project that is happening in Sumba,” she adds.
A pasta and wine lover, Cindy loves to indulge her tastes in good food and good company. Being with her family and her loved ones is her way of recharging her batteries. And once in a while, Cindy also gets time to pursue her hobby, which is hiking: going to places where she gets to enjoy the simple beauty of nature. “I love to be out there and just rough it!” she laughs as we wrap up the interview.