Kim is the CEO and Founder of Bloomeffects, the first brand to unearth the skin-restoring power of Dutch tulips. Born and raised in Australia, the New York beauty executive turned momtreprenuer & farmer’s wife had always dreamed of having her own skincare line. This dream became a reality when Bloomeffects was officially launched in late 2019 with a beautiful, effective bouquet of skincare and cosmetics products.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to start Bloomeffects Skincare?
When I moved to the Netherlands for love, I found a truly unique and natural ingredient that provided the effective results I was looking for. My now-husband Hein, a fourth-generation tulip farmer, suggested his beautiful yet simple tulips as the hero ingredient to enrich my skincare formulas.
Can you please talk about tulips as a skincare ingredient and why they are so beneficial for your skin?
Tulips promote cellular growth as they are one of the only flowers that continue to grow after being cut. They are rich in amino acids, boost collagen through plant compounds found in the flower and act as a natural humectant. After all, a tulip can hold up its entire body weight in water. All of these botanical powers translate to softer, smoother and glowingly hydrated skin.
What does your typical day look like?
I mostly spend my day meeting with my team to work out ideas, brainstorm, address any urgent issues, or discuss day-to-day business. Often, I also meet with our partners to discuss upcoming collaborations. However, every day is different and my to-do list is never done, but that’s what makes it interesting for me.
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don't sweat the small stuff. If you do, you can fall into the trap of feeling overwhelmed and anxious. It really helps me stay single minded and focused on what’s important.
What was the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Practice makes perfect. Striving for perfection is generally unachievable and also not an effective or efficient way of working. Understanding what your wildly important goals are and sticking to them is what is important. It takes grit and perseverance to be an entrepreneur and not everyone has the stomach for it.
What does success mean to you?
Daily moments and joy in the pursuit of happiness for my family and me. That means things as simple as arranging a bunch of tulips all the way up to running a successful business.
In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
Perspective. As a daughter of Vietnamese refugees I know the daily adversity that I face is fleeting. That I will get through the day and relative to going through life threatening situations like war my day to day is privileged.
Do you have any morning routines or evening rituals to help you stay balanced?
As our team is situated all over the world, I can have meetings very early in the morning or late at night, but I always make sure to do my morning and nighttime skincare routine. This allows me to start the day fresh or wind down when days are hectic or stressful.
Did you always know you wanted to start your own business? If not, what did you dream of doing growing up?
YES! My mum, who inspires most of my big life decisions, was a serial entrepreneur. I always knew I would one day have my own business and it would most likely be in beauty.
What tips or advice do you have for other women who would like to start their own businesses?
Just start! You’ll never be 100% prepared for what's to come, but you will learn on the way, make mistakes and learn from them. It's all part of the journey.
Do you have a regimented skincare routine? If so, what are some of your favourite products or steps in your routine?
Due to my dry, itchy eczema, I am pretty strict with my skincare routine.
In the day - I use our Cleansing Cream in the morning to balance my microbiome, then our Tulip Dew Drops for a burst of hydration and multivitamins. I will spot treat my flaky or itchy patches with our Royal Tulip Nectar and then finish off with our newest launch coming May 1 - Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum.
At night - I will double cleanse first with our Cleansing Jelly and then with our Cleansing Cream to remove the SPF and makeup. On dry skin, I will use our Black Tulip Overnight Retinoid Serum (2-3 times a week), our Black Tulip Eye Treatment and then finish with our Royal Tulip Nectar as a sleep mask.
Our Royal Tulip Nectar is my all-time favourite product. I have been struggling with atopic eczema since childhood, and when I became pregnant with our daughter Eva, I had to stop using my cortisone treatments. The Nectar is the ultimate skin treatment: rich honey-like ointment, that instantly transforms into an ultra-nourishing serum upon skin contact and provides warmth whilst delivering total skin comfort and nourishment.
Follow Kim van Haaster:
Personal Instagram: @kimmivanhaaster
Bloomeffects Instagram: @bloomeffects
Bloomeffects Website: bloomeffects.com
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