CosmeticOBS: Imiza is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Let’s go back to the beginning, what inspired you to create your own cosmetics brand?

Anne Benoit-Biancarelli: It all started with an early passion. From the age of 16, I would go try out creams at the pharmacy down my street. That fascination with textures and formulas never left me. It led me to enroll at ISIPCA in Versailles, then to join Guerlain’s research and development department, where I spent five years working on makeup, colors, and skincare. That’s when I realized this profession was truly the right fit for me: it allowed me to combine my artistic side with my scientific side.
When the Chartres lab closed, rather than follow the team as they relocated elsewhere, I went to New York. It was a break that opened my mind and, above all, helped me overcome my fears. When I returned, I had the maturity and the drive to take the plunge. And if I were to start something, it would be in Corsica, my homeland. Corsica is an island of scents, wild landscapes, and exceptional raw materials. It made perfect sense to create something there.
The brand name …