This festive season, we’ve teamed up with friend and muse of DL, Estée Lalonde, to chat about her brand, MIRROR WATER, and her life as an entrepreneur.
For anyone who doesn’t know you, please could you introduce yourself and the brand?
Hello! I’m Estée, a Content Creator and Founder of wellbeing brand MIRROR WATER.
Originally from Canada, I’ve called London home for the past 15 years and currently live in North London with my cute little Greek rescue dog, Effie.
Over the years, I’ve built a loyal and supportive community in the online space that has grown alongside me. I’ve shared beauty and skincare recommendations, as well as my personal journey with anxiety and depression. Through this, I’ve opened up about how small rituals, like doing my makeup or enjoying a hot bath can bring moments of comfort on challenging days.
I’ve never claimed that a swipe of lipstick or a touch of body oil can solve everything, but these simple acts of self-care can help ground you and reconnect you to yourself, even if just for a moment. This is the premise behind MIRROR WATER - our products are tools for relaxation and giving yourself permission to rest.
What inspired you to set up your brand, MIRROR WATER?
Building on my personal struggles, bathing and self-care has always been a comfort for me, especially during the tough days of lockdown.
Frustrated by the lack of chic, thoughtfully made bathing products out there on the market - many overly scented or packed with unnecessary chemicals - I decided to create my own. In 2021, I launched MIRROR WATER, a wellbeing brand that reflects my love for intentional self-care.
MIRROR WATER is a wellbeing brand for comforted bodies and uplifted minds, on a mission to rewrite this narrative. MIRROR WATER is here to inspire you to prioritise yourself throughout the day. To reconnect your body and mind. To take a moment for yourself.
What have been some of your biggest learning experiences in running a business?
I truly wouldn’t know where to start. I have learned more in the past 3 years than my entire twenties! When you start your own business you are forced to do things that are out of your comfort zone. Learning about things like operations and logistics are so far from my skillset, but what I’ve learned is that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Luckily there is an incredible network of other female founders who have been so supportive of me during my journey. It has been amazing to learn from people who have done this before me!
I’ve also learned a lot about time management using tools like Notion, Slack and time-blocking to make sure I’m using my time efficiently and productively.
Who would you say are your biggest role models? Have these changed at all since starting your business?
I have so much respect for anyone that launches their own business. It takes a lot of guts, discipline and perseverance to run a company. I really look up to people like Victoria Prew and Grace Beverley. In my personal life, of course I’ll always look up to my Mom!
What are the core values of MIRROR WATER that underpin everything you do as a brand?
As a brand in the beauty and wellbeing space - we’re well aware of the way the industry has historically impacted society – from driving unrealistic beauty standards to profiting off of insecurities, excluding underrepresented groups, and contributing to the world’s growing mental health crisis.
Today, however, independent beauty brands seem to be redefining these standards – making room in the industry for diversity, encouraging customers to embrace their uniqueness, and creating products with mindfulness and mental health in mind… AKA, everything we at MIRROR WATER aim to support with our community-led, self-reflection-focused bodycare.
Coinciding with this shift, we believe in the power of transforming everyday beauty practices from banal routines to grounding rituals and special moments of time that we take for ourselves. Putting on your skincare, taking your time with bodycare, enjoying a hot bath, or even a 5 minute meditation before bed may work as an emotional force to combat things like stress, anxiety, or exhaustion.
Our products are crafted with naturally derived ingredients and are lovingly formulated and produced in the UK, reflecting our deep commitment to quality and care. In a beauty industry filled with harsh and harmful ingredients, we take a stand by steering clear of parabens, artificial fragrances, and potentially harmful preservatives. Transparency is important to us - we empower our customers to truly understand the ingredients they’re putting on their skin, ensuring a clean, safe, and trustworthy experience.
Having your own brand can be all consuming. How do you best switch off and unwind?
By practicing what I preach - or at least trying to! Being a brand founder is a 24/7 commitment. My mind is always racing, and I’ll admit, I’m often pretty stressed. But over time, I’ve learned what helps me unwind and find calm. It’s really the simple things: a hot bath, a peaceful forest walk with Effie, nourishing my body, or embracing slow weekends filled with journaling, yoga, and plenty of tea. These small routines make a big difference.
How have you grown personally since becoming an entrepreneur?
I’ve become so empowered since launching MIRROR WATER. I feel so much more confident in the fact that if I don’t know something, I can figure it out. I’ve also worked a lot on my relationship with failure. When you have a business, things go wrong every single day. What’s important is picking yourself up and figuring out a solution. I’ve definitely become more resilient!
What’s coming up next for you and for MIRROR WATER?
We’ve just launched two exciting products, our BUTTER BRICK, a solid face and body cleanser and our (highly anticipated!) Candle, Sun Through Trees - so right now we’re celebrating these with events and promo before the year wraps up! As for 2025, there’s so much on the horizon! It’s going to be a huge year for us - scary and exciting all at the same time. Behind the scenes, we’re balancing a range of exciting projects and working on new product development, which keeps us on our toes. Building MIRROR WATER has been an incredibly challenging yet amazing journey. I’m deeply passionate about the universe we’re creating, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves in the years to come.
On a personal level I’m thinking about moving to a different part of London for a fresh start. I had a difficult year and I’m ready to make some significant changes. In 2025, I’m focusing on prioritising myself before anything else - harder than it seems when I’m being pulled in so many directions!
Discover MIRROR WATER.
Shop Estée's Edit.
