How Aimee Connolly turned 10,000 savings into a multimillion-euro brand [Video]

After starting her business by saving €10,000 working as a makeup artist, Aimee Connolly’s Sculpted brand now has a turnover of €22m … but the determined entrepreneur has even greater ambitions, writes Ben Haugh

Aimee Connolly bursts into the lobby of Sculpted By Aimee headquarters in Dundrum, hunched over and holding a wet coat above her head.

The 31-year-old beauty entrepreneur curses the July downpour before composing herself and offering me a cup of tea.

“I’ve just come from Boots HQ,” she says. “They had a celebration for us as we achieved number one in their mass cosmetics [sales], which is huge. We basically outnumbered Maybelline, Rimmel and L’Oréal.

“I think we take it for granted because we’re in this hamster wheel of growth. But actually, it was such a significant moment. Like, I don’t believe they’ve ever had an Irish beauty brand [in that position].”

Growth is an understatement. Sculpted By Aimeewas founded by Connolly in 2016 after …