C 💕 Crys Cosmetics: how it all started

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 the ‘C Crys Cosmetics’ brand of Handmade Lipglosses was launched on Facebook and Instagram. The lipglosses from ‘C Crys Cosmetics’ are made from high quality Surinamese and foreign ingredients, enriched with nourishing natural oils such as our famous Surinamese coconut oil.

Currently, there are three (3) different flavors/colors of lipgloss: Enchanted Pearls (Pearly Gold), Champagne Elegance (Brownish/Champagne Color) and Passion Pink (obviously, the color is in the name!). In this blog I will cover the story behind the establishment of ‘C Crys Cosmetics’ and future plans for this upcoming small business. Before I continue I would like to thank everyone who has been supporting me so far; My parents and my Love for encouraging and believing in me, my aunt who shared a lot of knowledge with me, Everyone who shared my post or purchased this product and also all the encouraging words and feedback I have been receiving.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Enchanted Pearls

Champagne Elegance

Passion Pink

The Journey

From a very young age I always enjoyed being creative. For me it was a very good way of expressing myself. I liked to do that through music, writing and nowadays I have also developed a lot of interest in room decorating.

About 2 years ago I considered starting my own small business which was going to be a whole other type of business than what I have now. Because of my quite busy life, joggling between work, school and other social activities, I thought that it was not the right time, knowing that establishing and running a business would require a lot of my time. Over time I would come up with a lot of ideas, but I would never actually write them down and come up with an actual business plan.

Last year (July 2020) I had a conversation with my aunt who has been an entrepreneur for a very long time, about all the business ideas I had but never executed. For me it was mostly fear of the unknown and supposed lack of time which held me back from pursuing my dreams. So we talked about a lot of businesses and then came to the lipgloss business. I really liked that idea, because I really LOVE lipgloss. I’d always prefer that over lipstick, because I just like how it has this glossy natural touch to it. Even on days when I just wasn’t feeling it, I could just put on some lipgloss and feel a little better. So I really considered actually learning the in’s and out’s about this business. Even with nothing in place yet, I started drafting my brand name/logo ‘C Crys (Cosmetics)’ which is a combination of the initial of my first name ‘Carol’ and ‘Crys’ is derived from my second name ‘Crystal’.

Logo C 💕 Crys Cosmetics

So, I started to do some research and in January 2021 I did a one-on-one lipgloss making workshop at Jedally’s Hair and Beauty Institute. I learned a lot in a very short period of time and this made me very enthoustiastic about going through with my ideas. I gave a few samples from the batch of lipglosses I made during the workshop to some family members and friends to get their feedback on this product. They were very excited about the lipgloss and I also received some very useful feedback! After that I started investing, buying all the ingredients and necessary supplies.

The process and the result of the Lipgloss Making Workshop

In March 2021, the one-on-one course I did in January, got some promo on the facebook page of the Institute where I had the one-on-one work session. I started to get messages from people who were interested in my lipgloss! I was so happy! Within two weeks’ time, I managed to get everything in place for the “big” launch on April the 14^th. The feedback and support I got was tremendous!!

C 💕 Crys Cosmetics Lipgloss Collection

Inspiration

The reason I really went through with this business idea is because I realized that a lot of things we see as limits or obstacles are actually only in our minds. I also think it is really important to make time for the things you really love and aspire to do while you have the chance. If you have the proper mindset and put in the work you can really achieve anything you want! I never even thought I would actually have my own small business someday, but I’m so glad I put in the work! To know that I can make an impact by creating a product that people like and that is also beneficial for their skincare, gives me an indescribable feeling!

(Near) future plans

In the near future I will certainly introduce more colors. The possibility of matte lipglosses is also being considered. I also don’t exclude expanding this business with other types of skin care products. For now one of the main goals is to continuously improve this product in every possible way.

I hope this story inspires at least one person to just follow their dreams; whatever it might be! And as we say in Dutch: “Niet geschoten is altijd mis!”

Love, 

Carol

For Inquiries please contact at:

Email address: c.crys.cosmetics@gmail.com.

Mobile Number: +5977422716

Also connect with C 💕 Crys Cosmetics on Instagram: c.crys.cosmetics & Facebook: C CRYS COSMETICS.

Pressure

Have you ever had that feeling?

Like you need to accomplish something, but you’re too afraid to let everyone down.

Because you know that they have high expectations of you.

Maybe you were always one of the brightest or maybe they just invested a lot in you.

So you failing would be the least they would expect.

That feeling is called pressure.

When you’re under too much pressure you are so focused on how not to fail instead of how you can be successful.

You are constantly thinking about how it would be if you failed. How would the world react?

Would you be the disappointment?

When you’re under so much pressure you can easily fail.

The thing you did not want at all will come right on your path.

The reason? You didn’t handle the pressure very well.

There are a lot of people out there, especially young ones, who are under a lot of pressure.

Afraid to let their family, friends and sometimes even themselves down.

The one thing these people need to know is that failure is not a bad thing.

No one can judge you if you know that you did the best you could do.

Everyone has their good moments and their not so good moments.

And after all nobody is perfect. So why do you have to be?

So put away those unhealthy fears and try to be the best version of yourself.

That version that will succeed, make mistakes and even fail sometimes.

But hey! It is okay! After all you are human!

Love,

Carol

Written in 2011

280 words of Affirmations

From now on…

I will let go of my fears

The fear to fail, the fear to be alone, the fear of sorrow, the fear of judgement.

I will stay motivated

Although this road can be hard sometimes, I mean VERY HARD, I will push through regardless. The future holds miracles my love, but to catch those miracles you got to have patience, faith and persistance.

My mind is like a sponge

My mind absorbs all the things that are said to me and all the things I say to myself. Whether they are good or bad. Being surrounded by negativity will create in me a mind full of doubt, anger, self-hate and insanity. So just like the sponge, my mind will reciprocate all these toxic traits after absorbing them. A sponge containing soap, will reciprocate soap after squeezing it. So let my soap be: love, hope, forgiveness and peace. This means I have to feed myself with words that pour into me positivity. So I can give all this positive energy to myself and others.

I am my biggest supporter

Support from my loved ones is great and I am very grateful for it. But if I do not support myself like I want to be supported by others, I will never have a feeling of confidence that is everlasting.

I can learn something from everyone I meet and they can learn from me

I have to be willing to learn from others as I cross paths with them. Having honest conversations with people can result in an exchange of knowledge and experience. This is how I can improve myself and also contribute to the growth of others.

Love,

Carol

 

De brug naar het verschil

Soms lijkt het alsof ik mezelf niet ken.

Het ene moment zie ik het zo zitten, het andere moment lijkt alles zo negatief.

Ik weet niet wie ik ben, ik weet niet wat ik voel, Ik weet niet of dit wel normaal is.

“In het leven zullen dingen niet altijd gaan zoals wij dat willen” is een veelvoorkomende uitspraak.

Ik verwacht gewoon te veel, omdat ik in staat ben veel te geven.

Als mens heb je toch de meeste invloed op jezelf? Dus als je iets goeds verwacht, moet je zelf ook goed doen.

Je moet gaan snappen dat jij echt het verschil kan uitmaken.

Een probleem zal altijd een probleem blijven als je er geen oplossing voor bedenkt.

Mensen hebben het vaak erover hoe anderen ze kwaad aan doen.

Desondanks, is het vaak zo dat diezelfde mensen ervoor kiezen anderen te pijnigen.

Wat je niet geeft, kan je niet opeisen.

We moeten beseffen dat elk individu een belangrijke brug is naar het verschil.

Liefs,

Carol

Geschreven in 2016

 

 

Beautiful Girl

 

A beautiful girl is a girl who is pretty on the outside and beautiful on the inside.

She has a heart that is more worth than gold.

She can also deal with difficult situations when she gets old.

You can feel the love when you hold her hand.

She takes you to a place that is greater than a beautiful island.

What I am trying to say is that true beauty is not what you see on the outside, but what comes from the inside.

That kind of love, patience, care and understanding that shows brighter than a light.

She always supports you and tells you that you can.

So that beautiful girl is who I am.

 

Love,

Carol

This poem was written in 2007.

Self-love

The word self-love is frequently used by young adults nowadays. Numerous memes or quotes are posted on social media regarding self-love. It is obvious that many of us are aware that self-love is a necessity for each individual. It is very empowering to notice that self-love is promoted, especially in a time where we are easily exposed to so many things that can impact our thoughts and well-being. But what is the deeper meaning of self-love?

Before you can practice self-love you have to know what it stands for. The dictionary states self-love as: “the regard for one’s well-being and happiness“. This literally means the concern someone has to be in a state were he or she is happy and healthy. So self-love is something you do for yourself by yourself. Nevertheless, sometimes when we don’t care about our well-being, so when we don’t practice self-love, it is caused by allowing things to happen to us which do not sit well with our souls. If someone would dare you to walk on pieces of glass you would probably think that the person is out of their mind. You would probably turn the dare down, because you are concerned about your well-being; in fear of harming yourself physically. So why do you let failures, the way others treat you and other unfortunate circumstances define the love you have for yourself?

In order to love yourself you have to know your identity; meaning who you are as a person, what you stand for, your capabilities, your values, your fears etc. Self-awareness allows you to distinguish right from wrong, set healthy boundaries, improve yourself and so on. This will help you to realize that you are in control of what you can and cannot tolerate in your life.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that how you present yourself as a person often reflects how you think of yourself and how you love yourself. Being insecure about who I am had made me feel like I had no control over what was happening in my life. And that is a dangerous place to be in. Until I came to the realization that if I do not care about my own well-being, I could never be the best version of myself. How can one function properly in general if one is not self aware?

I know it is easier said than done, but it just takes one step and that is to be aware that you have the power and that you have the responsibility to change your life for the better. It is also important to give yourself time to heal and to forgive yourself for not loving yourself the way you were supposed to.

Although self-love is your own responsibility, I hope you will find people, things and places that will inspire you along your journey into loving yourself properly. When you come to that point, if it is today, next week or even after a year; I hope you will give yourself the love you owed yourself all along.

Love,

Carol

The hidden beauty of Rejection

If you’re a go-getter you have probably heard and read about all the steps you have to take in order to achieve your goals. But let us be honest, sometimes it feels like all your effort and dedication don’t seem to pay off, especially when it comes to long-term goals such as a career. We can work hard towards our goals, but we can’t avoid rejection.

Rejection is something we face multiple times throughout our lives, but it can affect us badly everytime it strikes. I don’t think I’m only speaking for myself if I say that rejection can make one feel insecure about one’s capability. Questions like: “Why am I not capable enough?”, “What did I do wrong?”, “Will I ever be enough?” are quick to pop in our minds. Don’t get me wrong.. I think that self-reflection is very important in order to grow as a person. But most of the time rejection is connected to circumstances which are beyond our control.

I think that rejection is one of the thoughest hurdles that is completely beyond our control, but affects us so immensely. That’s why I want to share the following analogy that Tamera Mowry-Housley (Sister, Siter co-star) quoted about rejection she has faced throughout her career:

“If you take a really nice chair and put it in another home, it may not fit. But that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful or a great chair. It just doesn’t fit in that home.”

This chair analogy literally has changed my perspective on rejection and it has helped me cope with it much better. I am a firm believer that things are meant to happen when the time is right. On the other hand I also believe that rejection can sometimes be our blessing in disguise. Sometimes the thing that seems to be your destiny is actually holding you back from your greatness! So the next time you get rejected, please keep this analogy in mind and remind yourself that you are worthy and capable. Your greatness will truly flourish in an environment you fit in!

Love,

Carol

Purpose

Can you imagine? Waking up everyday without something to look forward to, something you know will give you a feeling of fulfillment at the end of the day. Waking up without a purpose?

Without being conscious of it we set up small goals everyday. Setting up a great method to study for the upcoming exams or writing a killer thesis, planning a family trip so we can catch up with each other after a busy period or planning a charity event. These examples are all small goals we set up for ourselves everyday so our lives can be organized and pleasant.

About 2 years ago my brother and I had a very interesting conversation about life. During that beautiful conversation he dropped a very unexpected question. He asked me what my purpose was in life. I was a little overwhelmed by his question, because I did not have the answer to it right away. I realized that at that particular moment I did not really know what my purpose in life was. He comforted me by saying that it was not a bad thing that I did not know my purpose, but it surely was something I needed to think about. I didn’t have the answer to his question the next week, nor the next month.

After a while I came to the conclusion that I always knew what my purpose in life was, I had just lost sight of it. As a young girl I always knew I wanted to offer a helping hand where needed and encourage and inspire people, especially young ones and the people I love dearly.

I believe that everyone has a purpose in life. Some discover it when they are teenagers, others when they are adults. Our purpose does not only help us to become a better person, but is most of the time also connected to other people.Some people want to be a outstanding artist, an inspiring motivational speaker, a phenomenal doctor, a great teacher or a devoted husband/wife and parent. Although these purposes differ so much, they all have one thing in common: all of them can change other people their lives for the better and have the ability to make this world a better place to live in.

I believe your purpose in life is the thing that gives you the extra drive and the feeling of fulfillment. It depends on ourselves to discover the small goals which are necessary into reaching our ultimate purpose in life!

Love,

Carol

◦

A Christmas to remember

Most of us are very busy preparing for Christmas. As a child I always looked forward to Christmas. I was beyond excited for the presents I was about to the receive. One of the most memorable Christmases was my  vacation in the Netherlands. Although I didn’t experience snow, I was very impressed by the typical winter Christmas weather I experienced for the first time.

This year I decided that I wanted to do something special and meaningful for Christmas, besides spending it with my family. In my mind the most logical way to accomplish this, was to donate to charity or another institution who could also use the money for good purposes. I hadn’t made up my mind yet, until one of my best friends mentioned to me that she was going to volunteer at a Christmas celebration organized by a non-profit foundation. This was a great opportunity for me to make one of my Christmas wishes come through. At this event almost 250 young people from different children’s homes were entertained, given presents, delicious food and snacks. I have never in my life seen so many happy and grateful children. Seeing them so happy and enjoying themselves to the fullest really melted my heart and it was amazing to be a part of it.

Nowadays Christmas has become so commercialized that too often the true meaning of Christmas (celebrating the birth of Jesus) is forgotten. Volunteering at the event reminded me of what I like the most about Christmas; Love and Togetherness! Everybody who contributed to the success of this event did it from the bottom of their hearts and had much fun doing it! Spoiling our loved ones on Christmas has become such a tradition, nevertheless we should not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas; which is the celebration of the incredible love that God has for us. You can celebrate this through the smallest acts of kindness. You can visit a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a long time, bring a home-cooked meal or even a present for someone who we can’t afford it. It is also a great time to reflect on all the blessings you have received over the past year!

I hope you receive the best gifts I could ever imagine: Love in your heart and Togetherness.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Carol

Photo credits: Shaïr Simons

The depth of Friendships

It’s fun, isn’t it? Having friends to go out with and have a great time! But when was the last time you sat down or talked on the phone with a good friend about life, goals and your deepest feelings. Most people set out certain criteria for a good partner in a romantic relationship. But how many of us do the same for friendships? I think that having healthy friendships is just as important as having a healthy (romantic) relationship. Our friends have a considerable influence on us, often more than we think. Sometimes we remain friends with certain people, simply because it has been that way for a very long time. This, despite the fact that we don’t like how they treat us or how they make us feel.

Have you ever been friends with someone, but the person gives off a certain unexplainable vibe? This often happens in the form of constantly making unnecessary “stupid” jokes about you, making unpleasant comments about how you look or even about your lifestyle. And when they decide to give you a compliment, it’s often followed by an insult. You certainly don’t expect your friend to mean any harm, but in the back of your mind your confused as to whether his or hers intentions are good. It wasn’t until recently, when I found out that there was a reason we could sense certain vibes when we are around people. Studies have shown that we can actually smell emotions. And the interesting part is that these emotions are automatically activated by our brain when smelling them. Imagine what happens when you associate with someone only a daily basis, whose intentions towards you are not good. Without being conscious of it, you take up negative energy that doesn’t contribute to your well-being.

This should be more than a awareness of how picky we should be about who we choose to be amongst. Too often we continue unhealthy friendships, because we don’t want to have less friends or even be friendless. The thing is.. having a lot of friends (being surrounded by many people) doesn’t automatically mean your life will be more fun. Teenagers and young adults often are too focused on being liked by others. This results in choosing to associate with people, even when the friendship is superficial. What we should actually be focusing on is having healthy relationships with people and working on ourselves to establish this. Developing healthy relationships starts in our immediate surroundings. You can start by finding a friend in a parent, a sibling, a cousin, an aunt or uncle. 

As I was maturing, I began to realize the importance of having great relationships with people. People who make you feel comfortable, who support and who trigger you to reach your full potential, but also point out your mistakes without insulting you. I can’t imagine overcoming certain phases without people who supported and inspired me to be better! Happiness comes from within, but it’s helps a lot when you’re surrounded by people who remind you of your greatness and remind you that you deserve happiness. It’s really the little, yet so thoughtful, things friends do that make you realize how special your bond with them is. There is no formula for a  great friendship, but great things happen when people uplift each other and try to learn from one another. You shouldn’t expect perfection from people, but if a friendship makes you unhappy or uncomfortable it’s probably not meant to be! 

Love,
Carol

Braamspunt in Suriname displaying the endless friendship between the sea and shore.

Photo credit: Fadiel R. Baksoellah (https: //www.facebook.com/FadielBaksoellah/)