Clementine Bastos shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Clementine, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
As a woman, I always assumed other women were more confident—and that confidence naturally grows with age. After working with hundreds of women, a surprising thing I have learnt is that it isn’t that simple. Confidence ebbs and flows at every stage. What we all want is to feel beautiful and seen, at any age.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Clementine, founder of Goldylost Hair in Sydney. We design natural-looking human hair wigs and toppers for women who want to feel like themselves again. Goldylost began when I lost much of my own hair and couldn’t find pieces that felt comfortable, discreet, and truly natural—so I started making them.
What makes us different is our ethos and detail: hand-tied pieces with breathable caps, lighter densities, and believable root shades. We have a salon in Sydney, Australia and a salon in Florida, USA, where we do consultations (and by video worldwide), using real customers in our imagery and leading with honesty, education, and care.
Beyond products, we’re building community: events that bring women together, practical education, and ongoing support long after purchase. Right now we’re expanding our pop-ups, launching education classes, and developing a care range tailored to wigs and toppers.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from working with hundreds of women, it’s this: confidence changes lives. That’s the heart of Goldylost.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I had to be perfect to be loved.
Motherhood, hair loss, and building Goldylost have taught me the opposite: love isn’t earned with flawless grades, flawless hair, or flawless behaviour. It’s found in presence, honesty and kindness — especially when things are messy.
I’ve learnt that people don’t connect with perfection; they connect with what’s real. In my work, that means progress over perfection, apologising when we miss the mark, and creating pieces that help women feel like themselves — not “perfect,” just themselves. You are worthy as you are.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Hair loss. I lost around 70% of my hair, and with it went parts of my identity I didn’t know were tied to it — femininity, ease, the simple act of walking into a room without bracing. The hardest part wasn’t the mirror; it was the quiet shame, the cancelled plans, the feeling of being “less than”.
Healing didn’t come from pretending it hadn’t happened. It came from facing it, learning the craft, and creating pieces that let me feel like myself again. Goldylost began as my solution, then became a service. Making wigs and toppers was the practical side of healing; the deeper work was acceptance — letting my worth sit in who I am, not what’s on my head.
I healed by building community: listening to hundreds of women, telling the truth online, and creating private, gentle spaces to be seen without judgement.
It’s never “just hair”. But it also isn’t the whole story. Today my confidence comes from alignment — serving with empathy, creating beautiful, believable hair, and meeting women where they are, including myself.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Only partly. Online you see me leading, teaching and cheering women on — that’s me at work. In real life I’m an introvert who loves slow days: tending the garden, cooking organic food, reading, and being with my family. I protect quiet pockets of time and I’d rather a good conversation with close friends than a fancy party.
That quieter side shapes Goldylost: private, unhurried consultations; honest guidance; designs that feel calm and natural. The public face is the highlight reel — the heart of me is slower, softer, and very much at home.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Most business owners in the wig and hair industry treat their work as a product-based or fashion-based business.
I don’t. I treat it like a healing service.
Because I am the client. I have lived it. I know:
How disorienting it feels to lose a part of your identity.
How deeply private hair loss can be, especially when the world tells women to “get over it.”
The emotional shame spiral of investing in a product that turns out to be ugly, uncomfortable, or fake-looking.
How intimately personal it is to ask for help with hair loss.
I didn’t build this brand to sell wigs.
I built it to restore a woman’s sense of self.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Goldylost.com
- Instagram: @goldylosthair
- Facebook: Goldylost Hair
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