Career Conversations: Mathilde Lacombe, Ex-Beauty Editor, Entrepreneur and Founder of Aime

July 6, 2020

Millennials get a lot of stick, but if one thing’s for certain: millennial women are a force to be reckoned with. Mathilde Lacombe is such a woman. Having started off her career working on the beauty desk of ELLE France, Mathilde co-founded the then ‘Joliebox,’ which became the hugely-successful global subscription box service Birchbox. In 2018, after struggling with hormonal acne and rosacea, Mathilde created her very own brand of skincare supplements: Aime. Fast forward two years and Aime has become a cult beauty, wellness and lifestyle brand, with skincare that’s heralded by beauty editors and supplements that are stocked in the iconic beauty hall of Liberty London. Combine all that with raising three children, we think you’ll agree: Mathilde is a powerhouse. Here’s what she’s learnt along the way…

When I was younger, I always wanted to be a beauty editor… and that’s what I ended up doing. I started at ELLE magazine in Paris. But it didn’t last long because I launched my first company when I was 23.

I love reading about entrepreneurship. Women like Sara Blakely, founder of Spanks, Mathilde Thomas founder of Caudalie, Bobbi Brown and her eponymous makeup line. In the beauty industry, you realise that’s its mostly women that are moving the lines and reinventing beauty everyday. I find it really interesting and aspirational.

I think it’s important to remember that nobody knows everything. Just when you start to feel like you know what you are doing, something will come along and challenge that idea. So trust your gut.

There are many times I’ve felt like I was failing— and I still do from time to time. It’s hard to balance being a mother and an entrepreneur. They both demand a lot of time, energy and love. Sometimes I feel like I am never good enough. So I try to be kinder to myself because I put a lot of pressure on myself! But my proudest moment was leaving my first company (Birchbox) to start all over again. On a personal note, the family I created—my husband and kids are my pride and joy.

When it comes to beauty, my approach is always: less is more. It’s basic, but so true. Beauty makes me feel like myself. Taking care of myself is really important for my mental sanity. I realized it even more during lockdown.

I switch up fragrance all the time. I love anything by Aerin Lauder, Tom Ford or Le Labo. But when it comes to makeup making me feel confident, my foundation is my must have. I love the feeling of a good complexion. I feel like I don’t need anything else.

Aime started with skincare supplements. Suffering from strong rosacea for years, I met with Valérie Espinasse. Thanks to her, I realised that my skin was simply a reflection of what was happening inside my body and that my skin problems would not be solved only with creams. I had to look after the inside first.

I now take supplements daily. French Glow is my personal favourite from our line. I take also Matcha Glow.

My French Glow probiotics supplements are the ones that saved me from rosacea. I also use Elta MD Clear SPF daily, and IS Clinical Serum.

Shop Aime:

Aime supplements are designed to bolster your skincare routine, from the inside-out. The brand’s French Glow, Urban Glow and Pure Glow Capsules – each contain plant-based nutrients and probiotics, designed to tackle problematic skin, including rosacea and dermatitis.

French Glow (Mathilde’s favourite) is packed with hyaluronic acid, alpha lipoic acid and probiotics to hydrate and soothe. Pure Glow contains a blend of magnesium, zinc and probiotics to help calm inflammation and blemishes. Whilst Urban Glow was created especially for city-dwellers and women going through the menopause. It contains evening primrose, lycopene and probiotics, helping to protect the skin from environmental aggressors and stress.

Shop aime supplements, £30