Lindy Klim's new intimate wellness brand, FIG Femme

Lindy Rama-Ellis (formerly Lindy Klim) has caused a number of open and interesting conversations across Australia since the launch of her new brand FIG Femme. FIG is a new range of intimate wellness that caters for your most delicate body parts. Here we speak with mother of four Lindy, about FIG Femme and Lindy’s beautiful Balinese home, which Elissa Coleman, Director of Empire Homewares interior styled.

Welcome Lindy to the Empire Journal. Firstly, how are you all doing in Bali? Bali is Western Australian’s number one holiday destination and with Covid, we are all thinking of the Balinese and their loss of tourism income. Can you please give us a little insight into Bali life right now as a local? (Did you have a shutdown? Did the kids stop school?)

To be honest, our lives haven’t changed much in Bali with COVID and having to wear the face mask 24/7 is the big difference. Oh and, home-schooling. How can I forget! The kids have just gone back to school, but we were all at home for five months. It was really challenging at the start, but we eventually found our own rhythm and made it work.

There’s still a great vibe in our area — Canggu — with people going to beach clubs, restaurants, cafes and shops who are all staying afloat by offering big discounts. However, if you were to go into the mountains, major resort areas, or the local parts you can see absolute devastation. Tourism is the island’s number one industry, so the unemployment stat is huge. You see homelessness and extremely poor people who are really struggling. It’s not all COVID panic here, there are plenty of other killers to fear such as Dengue, Typhoid and Malaria.

Why did you decide to move and build your own home? Tell us about the project?

After 8 years of living in Bali the novelty of an outdoor shower and bathroom had worn off on me (I was sick of getting a surprise snake attack while visiting the toilet in the middle of the night!). It was time for a new home.

This is a modern enclosed home, and everything can be closed up or opened up for the air flow. And we have air con which is super-important to escape the Bali heat. I wanted to have options and be flexible with the design. I also feel like I am transitioning into a new phase of my life – I want more individual space. That’s why I made my bedroom ridiculously big so I could escape all my children.

The project was fun. The beauty of living in Bali is that we have many incredible (and cost-effective) suppliers and interiors inspiration everywhere. We actually managed to move in just as COVID hit. Before the builders had to leave and go back to their villages so we were really lucky.

HOW DID YOU MEET ELISSA?

We met here in Bali through friends which was about 8 years ago and we used to all hang out and ended up becoming great friends. We worked really closely on my previous home, which I just loved. I really like Elissa’s aesthetic and she knows her stuff. Most importantly, she knows where to get absolutely everything and the true costings. Keeping a project’s budget on track is one of the hardest parts! She’s just a consummate professional and really listens to you and your family’s needs when it comes to interiors.

We love the use of natural light, the textures and splashes of colour as you move through the home. What is your favourite room in the house and why?

My favourite room is my bedroom. It’s enormous! The children constantly complain about being ripped off (square meterage-wise!) but that was completely intentional. I needed to make a sanctuary for Adam and me. We need a grown-up area. Quite often with teenagers, the house gets overrun with them and their friends.

Natural light was a must-have for me. It makes you feel and look good. I do loads of photoshoots and natural light is a necessity. And through the years, as I’ve had more experience with interiors, I’ve realised how important textures are. It brings the space to life. For example, we don’t have curtains in our bedroom we have these incredible rattan sliding shutters. Different textures and different combos make a room more dynamic. I think it can otherwise feel flat. Bali is brilliant for that as there are so many woods and different materials to play with.

Let’s move onto FIG Femme, which has now arrived at Empire Homewares. You have opened the door to many interesting conversations, even in our Empire office. Can you give us more insight into how and where the idea/ concept for FIG Femme came from?

Yes! It has been something I have been sitting on for many years, nearly 15 to be exact. When I had my first daughter Stella, I became really aware of how much we put that part of our body through. After giving birth, I was offered a frozen condom to pop in my underpants. I remember sitting there thinking, "I have just put my body through the most amazing (but also ridiculously painful) experience and this is how I look after it?!" "There has to be something better out there!" From here, I sat on the idea for many years, having numerous conversations with friends and family about the taboo subject. From these conversations came the realisation that we do SO much to this part of the body, tight clothes, waxing, IPL, even sex but the only products out there to specifically care for this area were rather clinical and always hidden at the back of women's cupboards and shrouded in secrecy. I wanted to create a brand that women could feel confident purchasing and were proud to have on their bathroom shelves. From here, FIG was born.

The Vulva Sheet Mask is clearly the hero product of the range, can you explain to us how we should use it?

It sure is, and it's also my absolute favourite. I suggest using our RESTORE Vulva Mask when you need a bit of downtime. I personally block out 20 minutes once or twice a month, lock the bedroom door and light a candle. While masking, I love to listen to our FIG mediation playlist, which can be found online at FIG-Femme.com. I find it's the ultimate in relaxation.

I read recently its brilliant for post-birth which is such a sensitive time for our female bodies. I think it’s long overdue that we acknowledge that there is a lot of healing to be done post birth. Is the sheet mask a good gift for a friend that’s recently given birth?

Yes, absolutely! It’s a brilliant gift for someone who’s recently given birth however, the mask should never be applied to broken skin. My tip is to keep it in the fridge so that it feels super-cooling (which is great for post-birth swelling), and the beautiful serum feels luxurious and nurturing. Particularly comforting after what the skin down there goes through during birth. I created this product because I believe that we should all reconnect with our vulvas — and not just post-birth — the mask provides the perfect opportunity to do that. It’s also a really soothing post-wax or laser treatment product. Lay down on your bed, layer on the mask, pop on a podcast or meditation and take fifteen minutes for yourself. That is the ultimate self-care in my opinion.

What’s next for FIG Femme?

I’m super-excited, two new products drop on November 1; the REFRESH Daily Wash and REVIVE Hydrating Mist. So, including our RESTORE vulva sheet mask, there will be a total of three steps to the FIG Femme intimate wellness routine. The wash is designed to be used daily, and the mist can be used whenever you feel you need a refresh (I keep mine in my handbag). The mask is more about a treat and taking a special moment for yourself. I personally like to take that time for myself every fortnight or so. Next, we will be focusing on a post-birth mask and we’re also looking into a healing oil for caesarean-section scaring.

We welcome FIG Femme to Empire Homewares.
FIG Femme Restore Mask RRP $25 found at all our Empire Homewares stores.