Meet The Self-Made Entrepreneur Who Has Built An Award-Winning Beauty Brand

Aimee Connolly, Ireland’s makeup maven, TV darling, and founder of the award-winning cruelty-free cosmetics line, Sculpted by Aimee. With her infectious energy, drive, and talent, she’s a force to be reckoned with in the beauty world. Here, she shares her life in beauty…

What’s your first beauty memory?

My earliest beauty memory is rooting through my Mum’s makeup bag at age 2 in search of her red lipstick – I’ve been makeup-obsessed ever since. My Mum has also been my main source of inspiration and I think growing up watching her and my aunts doing their makeup introduced me to the world of beauty. From the age of 16 I knew it was my main passion and I started working on the weekends on makeup counters for Urban Decay and MAC and learning all there is to know about makeup.

My Mum has also been my main source of inspiration and I think growing up watching her and my aunts doing their makeup introduced me to the world of beauty.

What beauty advice would you give your twenty-year-old self?

I’ve learnt a lot since my early twenties, and beauty is no exception. I’d tell twenty-year-old Aimee to ditch the makeup wipes and embrace a good skincare routine featuring a double cleanser, a hydrating serum and ceramide-based moisturiser such as HydraGlo and Cloud Cream from Sculpted by Aimee, a retinol to control breakouts and an SPF. Plus, I would tell her to avoid the heavy eyeliner and dark smokey eyes and opt for a softer, bronze eye look that compliments her blue eyes and eye shape.

Do you have any wellbeing rituals? If so, what are they?

Exercise has always been so intertwined in self-care for me and it has become my wellbeing ritual. I love running and I’m taking part in the Dublin Marathon in October. I’m so excited! I also love weight training and I really believe that when I feel strong physically, I can manage the stress of work or life in general much more effectively.

Apart from exercise, my evening skincare routine is a wellness ritual of sorts for me. I take time out to use a hydrating sheet mask, some Cyro tools followed by serums and moisturisers to unwind. It’s such a treat.

I’ve recently introduced a prescription-strength retinoid into my skincare routine. I’ve seen fabulous results however it can leave my skin feeling dry and flaky. When I need some extra hydration to counteract the dryness I use Skin Rocks The Support Oi, it eases any reaction and intensely soothes the skin – a firm favourite in my skincare cabinet.

Tell us about your makeup bag heroes

I literally wear a full face of Sculpted by Aimee every day. For the base, I wear Second Skin Dewy, which is our mineral-based SPF 50 foundation. It was the first foundation I released and, in my opinion, it’s the perfect buildable base with an added sun protection boost. If I want more coverage, I love pairing it with Satin Silk Concealer, our long-wear, full-coverage concealer that features a beautiful skin-like, satin finish. I always set my base products with my Velvet Veil invisible setting powder to make sure it lasts all day.

In my opinion, mascara should be a staple in everyone’s makeup bag. It has such an immediate eye-awakening effect, I’m obsessed. I opt for our My Mascara in the shade Ultra Black most days or Rich Brown if I want a more natural finish.

If you know me, you know I adore cream blush and no makeup look is complete for me without it. I use our Sculpted by Aimee Cream Luxe Blush in the shade Pink Supreme for a pop of colour. I love to apply it to the apples of my cheeks and blend it out with my fingers. Some people find cream blush intimidating but I promise it’s super easy to use. If you put on too much, blend over it with your foundation brush to reduce the intensity.

Lastly, I always apply some sort of lip product. Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards our Line & Shine Duo, a multipurpose product that contains both a creamy lip liner and a gloss all in one. My go-to shade is Buff, the perfect nude.

Have you got a signature scent?

My signature scent must be Jo Malone’s Wood Sage & Sea Salt or Peony & Blush Suede. I tend to wear Wood Sage & Sea Salt day- to- day but I wore Peony & Blush Suede cologne on my wedding day, so it will always be super special to me.

Tell us your 3 top makeup tips…

1. Selective Setting. I often see people use large amounts of setting powder as part of their makeup looks and it’s often not required. I like to follow the selective setting technique. This involves observing how your skin clings to makeup throughout the day and only setting the areas that need it. For me, this is usually always the nose, forehead, and chin area.

2. Find Your Perfect Match. Wearing the wrong foundation or concealer shade can make your makeup look off but fear not – it’s super easy to find your perfect shade. Pop into your nearest makeup store and select three shades you feel look closest to your skin tone. Swatch these on your jaw area and compare (in good light!). When you blend them in, watch out for the foundation that seamlessly blends and disappears into your skin. Now you’ve found your perfect match!

3. Banish Smudged Mascara. There’s nothing worse than the dreaded panda eyes. I get asked how to prevent it all the time! My tried-and-true method is to apply your mascara as usual and then use your index finger to lightly rub away any excess mascara onto your fingertip. This removes mascara that could have potentially been transferred onto your upper eyelids.

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