International Women's Day // Eleanor Launch

Interview with Cecilie Vinde

Co-founder of the Danish skincare and makeup brand Lavinde

Cecilie Vinde is the co-founder of Lavinde Copenhagen, a beauty brand born out of a passion for exclusive products made with the purest ingredients. Together with her partner, Fillip Løwén Nielsen, she founded the brand in 2016 to fill a gap in the market for high-quality beauty care products.

Today, Cecilie plays a key role in Lavinde Copenhagen, where her focus is on branding and marketing, while she and Fillip share a deep passion for product development. With their strong partnership, they continuously shape and evolve the brand’s identity every single day.

Read her interview here on the page.

What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken, and what did you learn from it?

The biggest risk has definitely been starting my own business—especially together with my better half. It has undoubtedly shaped me into the person I am today. At this point, there’s almost nothing that can shake me, because I know there is always a solution. You just have to stay solution-oriented and not panic too much.

Trust me, I panicked a lot in the beginning, but I’ve learned so much from all the crazy situations we’ve been through.

What is one habit or mindset shift that has made a significant difference in your life?

I have always been very aware of the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone now and then, because that’s where I learn the most about myself.

Beyond that, I don’t think you can survive as an entrepreneur if you don’t have a strong mindset and constantly work on it.

Who has been your greatest inspiration, and how have they influenced your journey?

Since I was a teenager, I have always looked up to strong women—whether in the workplace or in everyday life.

It has always been a clear mission for me that one day, I would become one of them. Someone who is confident in herself and inspires others.

If I had to name one well-known woman I follow, it would be Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder of the beauty brand Rodial.

Looking back at your journey, is there a piece of advice you wish you had received earlier?

I wish I had invested in getting help to work on myself earlier.

I now go to Body SDS, and I should have started that years ago. I needed to clear out some baggage and create more space for myself. That way, I probably would have found my inner strength sooner, which would have made certain things much easier.

If you could change one thing for women globally, what would it be, and why?

It breaks my heart that women's rights are still almost non-existent in many countries. I wish those countries were at least halfway to where we are in the Nordic region on the journey toward gender equality.