Marie Paget, an energetic entrepreneur and creator of well-being

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable”.
The words of American author and lecturer Helen Keller (who became the first disabled person to graduate from college and whose determination was so admired in her country) could have been those spoken by Marie Paget.
A determined, audacious and visionary creator who never gives up.

What predestined Marie to become a humanist and avant-garde entrepreneur, a creator of beauty and skincare products?

On the surface, one would say nothing. But, after more in-depth understanding, one could say that everything predestined Marie for this!

The energy of her dual roots flows through her veins, combining the essential with the senses. Franco-Chadian, she is this and so much more.

This heritage has instilled values and a respectful vision of life, as well as given her the strength to pursue her dreams and forge ahead. Marie worked as a designer, decorator and then founder of “Ametis Cosmetics”, one of the first skincare lines dedicated to medium to dark skin tones.

Portrait of an entrepreneur, creator, visionary, and mother of 4 children, with an eye on the future and the desire to care for others.

Discover Marie's world

From Chad to France… deeply rooted in different cultures

The first years in Chad and her return to France

Marie Paget was born in Chad, in the heart of the beautiful and wild Tibesti massif. Her mother, a courageous, free, and strong-willed women, is part of the Gorane tribe from Ennedi. Her father is an agronomist, who was mandated to recreate agriculture in the BET region (Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti) in northern Chad. The family returned to France in 1962. Marie has very few memories of her early years in Chad, probably in resonance with the peaceful life there, as she likes to point out. After a few years in Montpellier, Marie continued her studies in Lyon.

Art as a heritage, the creativity and essence of a passion

Designer and colorist

Marie Paget was 17 years old when she began studying at the “Petit Collège”. There, she learned the trade of textile designer and colorist, for which she developed a real passion. “This 4-year program was absolutely fabulous and fulfilling. I simply loved the artistic atmosphere there”, says the creator, grateful to have been able to study in such a captivating environment.

She rapidly joined Robert Vernet’s renowned workshop on rue des feuillants. In a twist of fate, she began working on the street next to where her grandfather, a silk manufacturer from Lyon, had his silk workshops. After years of working in the textile design sector, Marie felt the need for something else.

 

The decorative world

Marie got married in 1979. A few years later, she took over the “Maison et Jardin” Gallery, where she sold decorative objects, fabrics, and paintings. Immersed in an artistic environment, she discovered a passion for offering guidance and providing advice.

 

The audacious adventure continues… with the opening of a luxury boutique

As luck would have it, Marie met the famous fashion designer, Inès de la Fressange, at a Parisian trade show. The designer’s work ethics completely won her over, as did its spirit and atmosphere.

Marie sold her gallery and embarked on a new professional adventure, opening this prestigious brand’s second luxury boutique in Lyon, on avenue Foch (the first one was located in Paris, on avenue Montaigne). Although she sold her boutique in 1998, the experience she gained and the many people she met stayed with her.

The beginnings of the creator, a vision of cosmetics widely unknown in France

Creation of one of the first cosmetic lines entirely dedicated to dark skin tones

In the early 2000s, there were very few cosmetic lines or suitable skincare solutions for dark skin tones on the French market. In light of this, Marie immediately dove into this innovative world of skin and beauty care.
The adventure began with the quest for a brand name, one that would embody the notion of dual roots and mixed race ethnicity. “L’Âme Métisse” came to mind (Métisse, meaning mixed race in French). In 2004, she registered the “Ametis” brand, and launched her first cosmetic line in France in 2006.

During this intense two-year period, Marie plunged into the beauty industry ecosystem, convinced that this niche truly meets consumer needs. For several years she perfected her skills, attended international trade shows in Paris and around the world, explored, met with people, read, studied, trained… She knew exactly what consumers’ expectations were. And as always, Marie entirely threw herself into her new project, with passion and determination. Audacity and more audacity!

 

Ametis Cosmetics continues to rapidly expand

Marie has worked around the clock as a mother, entrepreneur, creator and business leader at the same time.

The desire to improve women’s well-being

The call of Africa!

For a long time, Marie had felt the growing desire to support the women of Chad, the country of her roots, yet a place that she was fairly unfamiliar with. She wished to give back what she had received, above and beyond cosmetics, and remained open to new possibilities. Still unsure of how to go about it, life, as always, gave her the opportunity to cross paths with inspiring individuals…

An encounter, a clear vision, raw materials, an NGO… a new chapter has begun

In 2021, Marie met Mireille Moguena who spoke to her about an NGO project she wanted to develop in Chad. Marie already had her own project in mind: to create gardens in order to help ensure the autonomy of Chadian women. It was clear that the two projects could be united.
For many months, the two women extensively reflected on all aspects of their future NGO.
The “Terre et Vie” NGO will soon be launched, with the following ambitions: the development of gardens, the opening of a first aid dispensary and an educational structure to teach children and women how to read and write.

The “Terre et Vie” NGO will soon set up an office in N’Djamena.

Coming full circle…

A virtuous cycle, a subtle circle of life, and a universal dance orchestrated over the course of her long and rich entrepreneurial odyssey, everything seems to have worked to bring her to this precise place: caring for women. An adventure in lands that, far from being unknown, vibrate with their profound essence deep within Marie’s heart.

Yes, she is giving back what she has received and is honoring these women!

And let the adventure (re)begin!