Founder Story
Madeline MelchioriI've never neatly fit into one box...
My story begins somewhere between five and ten years old: standing quietly in the bathroom, watching my mama get ready in the morning. I was mesmerized by it all: the care, the intention, the transformation.
By ten, that curiosity had turned into play. For my tenth birthday party, I invited friends over to make DIY olive oil hair masks, sugar lip scrubs, and applesauce “face masks,” not knowing then that I was already falling in love with beauty and wellness.
As I grew older, that passion deepened. The beauty boom of YouTube from 2014 to 2018 had me completely hooked. From dance competitions to prom nights, I became the go-to friend for glam, spending hours perfecting makeup looks and experimenting with new products. I tested everything, tried everything, collected everything. Beauty wasn’t just an interest, it was a language I spoke fluently.
In 2017, during my junior year of high school, college tours began and my mom suggested something that would change everything: chemical engineering, with the goal of becoming a cosmetic chemist. It was the perfect bridge between creativity and science. Beauty and wellness stayed with me, evolving alongside a growing appreciation for investing in my health and my body.
But I’ve never fit neatly into one box...
I’m someone who can be dressed to the nines one day, and the next be tucked away in a cabin in the woods, no cell service and no hot water.
Travel – experiencing the world, different cultures, and deep human connections beyond material things – has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Documenting it through photography has been a way to relive those moments, those feelings, over and over. Each journey revealed a new version of myself, inspiring me to keep dreaming, and step outside the monotony that routine life can so easily create.
Somewhere along the way, the idea of creating my own beauty brand began to take root.
After several years working on the formulation bench as a cosmetic chemist, learning from incredible mentors and crafting products behind the scenes for well-recognized brands, I felt a quiet but persistent pull to build something of my own.
Navigating the world of “clean” and “sustainable” beauty is complex, even as a chemist, especially when so many terms lack clear definitions. That’s why transparency became non-negotiable, as both a value and a practice. Every Rêve + Roots fragrance discloses its naturally-derived ratio and list allergens the U.S. doesn't legally require us to. Every ingredient in each formula is broken down to explain why we use it, where it is sourced from and if it has any important accreditations. Products that allowed my creativity to shine but that serves to inform the consumer, not overwhelm them or hide things from them.
I knew I wanted the brand to be inspired by my travels. There is nothing more romantic to me than waking up in a beautiful, unfamiliar place – full of gratitude and possibility.
Rêve + Roots was born from that feeling.
A balance between dreaming and groundedness. Between ritual and reality. Between purpose and possibility. Between science and soul.
My hope is that every time you reach for a Rêve + Roots collection, it feels like waking up somewhere beautiful, no matter where you are.
Madeline Melchiori • Founder