Brands Built By Women: Ples’Jour

Celebrating emerging female-founded brands you'll want to know.

Since November 2025, we've been spotlighting inspiring consumer brands built by incredible women from all walks of life - founders who are creating a positive impact through their businesses.

We started Mindful Brand to support women succeed in business. Not just through what we do, but also in how we shop.

Deciding which businesses to support is a personal choice.

If, like us, you prefer to champion female-owned brands, we hope you enjoy this series.

Today, we’re featuring Ples'Jour, founded by Lauren Short in 2025 in the UK.

About the Brand

Ples'Jour creates luxury intimate care products built on a simple belief: intimacy deserves the same sophistication and intention as every other aspect of self-care.

Founded after a personal audit of over 46 brands - 71% of which contained parabens, glycerin, and known irritants that most women would never accept in a face cream - Ples'Jour was created to set a new standard.

Their hero product, Opal, is a silicone lubricant developed over 18 months with a leading gynaecologist, independently clinically tested with 100% participant satisfaction, and housed in a sculptural glass bottle designed to sit on your nightstand - not hide in a drawer.

Clean, clinically proven, and genuinely beautiful - because pleasure is part of wellbeing, not separate from it.

Meet the Founder

Lauren is a first-time founder based in London, originally from Dundee, Scotland.

Half Indian, half Scottish, Lauren brings a distinct perspective to one of the most underserved categories in luxury wellness.

Before founding Ples'Jour, she built her career across sales and marketing in both startups and global corporations, developing deep expertise in consumer behaviour, brand development, and growth.

How She Started

Ples'Jour was born from a disconnect Lauren couldn't ignore - between how important intimacy is in our lives and how poorly the category represented that reality.

Sexual wellness products were either clinical, cheap, or hidden in the corner of a store - yet intimacy is one of the most human, emotional, and meaningful parts of our lives. It shapes our relationships, our confidence, and our connection to ourselves.

Lauren set out to build a brand that approached sexual wellness the way luxury skincare approached beauty - with elegance, education, and uncompromising quality.

What She Learned

Lauren has learned that you shouldn't let anyone rush you into launching before the product is right.

"I spent 18 months on a single formulation when people around me were telling me to 'just get something out there.'

I could have white-labelled a generic product, bought pre-made packaging and launched in weeks.

Instead, I developed something from scratch with gynaecologists, put it through multiple clinical tests, including EpiVaginal testing, microbiome certification and cytotoxicity testing, then I waited until I had data I'd stake my name on - and I'm so glad I did."

Where to shop

Ples'Jour is available to buy at www.plesjour.com and At Sloane hotel and Broadwick Soho.

Instagram: @plesjour

TikTok: @plesjour

Support brands built by women. Don’t just say it. Shop it. Stock it. Fund it.