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What began as a senior class project for Brandy Monique has transformed into a successful line of health and beauty products meticulously handcrafted in small batches. FIG+YARROW‘s artisanal products range from skincare to dental hygiene, and have become increasingly popular in Colorado and beyond. 5280 sat down with Monique, owner and apothecary artisan, to talk about her love for plants and plans for the future:
5280: Where did you get your inspiration for FIG+YARROW? How did it get started?
Brandy Monique: When I was a kid, I’d pick berries and grind them up as a form of play. I just had this relationship where I loved turning plants into things. I would only use natural and nontoxic skincare products. I went to school to study psychology but was taking selective courses that presented a spiritual approach to plants. My senior project involved the creation of a skincare line, and I came up with FIG+YARROW. Any anxiety I had about finding a job as a therapist after school went away; I knew this was what I wanted to do with myself after college.
Where do you find the materials and plants used in your products?
FIG+YARROW used to rely on local suppliers for ingredients, but then the line blew up and things became less available. We use many different ingredients and have thousands of products sold, so we needed companies that could supply in larger quantities. All of our suppliers are organic, but there is a place in Oregon called Tumalo where we get many of our ingredients. They sell the best lavender I’ve ever experienced.
How has your company been sustainable in a society that favors organic, locally made, and earth-conscious products?
We still do small-batch, handcrafted products. Everything is natural and the ingredients are the highest quality and organic. Even though it’s in small batches, we keep the same consistency batch by batch; people who loved our products the first time they used them expect to love them just as much the second time around.
What is your favorite scent used in a product?
I enjoy the Pink Love Salts. It’s a gender-neutral product with a great earthy scent. Our charcoal dental floss is also a nice and unique blend. The world can’t have too many dental options.
Do you have any plans to expand?
It actually just happened: We maxed out at our old facility and we’re starting production in an old firehouse in LoHi this spring. The new space is so big that I had to think about what I want to fill it with. I’m imagining a spa, boutique, and workspace. It will be like a little urban general store, a little community drop-in place where you can find things that you can’t find anywhere else in [Denver]. This vision is the kind of place that I wish existed already, so I decided to make it.
