The Launch
Naples mom of four Victoria Watts debuted Victorialand Beauty when, after two years of experimentation, she discovered the right mix of natural ingredients in her kitchen to tackle her own skin issues. She wanted to create products that would reveal radiant skin and eliminate the need for makeup. Her Skin-Loving Moisturizer launched three years ago, and was followed by an eye and lip treatment, sleep mask and a facial oil. Her secret weapon? Rosehip seed oil. “That was the ingredient that made the impact,” she says. “I’m 46 years old and I don’t wear makeup.”
Giving Back
Philanthropy is at the heart of her brand. Her youngest son, Cyrus, was born with a visual impairment that left him legally blind. Since few companies use braille on their labels, Watts created The CyR.U.S. System Of Raised Universal Symbols, so that products would be easily accessible to those with visual impairments (like using a crescent moon to identify a sleep mask). She embosses the QR codes, so customers with vision issues can easily scan them to hear the list of ingredients, instructions and other product information. Watts also launched VLB Gives Back, through which she donates 2% of every sale to the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, where her son has been treated, and she works with SWFL Children’s Charities to help local kids with vision issues.
What’s Next
Watts has big plans for the brand in 2022. In addition to launching three new products—a face wash, an exfoliator and a serum, she’s also planning to revamp the packaging with new symbols to help identify products and working to create the CyR.U.S. Institute, which will allow other brands to license the raised symbols for their products. “I want to essentially create a universal symbol message for all beauty brands,” Watts says. “And this should go beyond beauty, too.”
Southwest Florida Food & Wine Festival’s Big Vision
Victoria Watts is one of the SWFL Children’s Charities’ supporters who is hosting a dinner for this year’s Southwest Florida Wine & Food Festival. Themed “Out of the Darkness and Into the Light,” the fundraiser includes a virtual auction and a series of intimate dinners taking place at locals’ homes throughout the region on April 24. This year, proceeds from the event will all go toward funding the SWFL Children’s Charities Eye Institute of Golisano Children’s Hospital, which is slated to open this fall as the first medical center of its kind in our region.
Photography Courtesy Victorialand Beauty
