In 1930 Lauder married Joseph Lauder, and the couple went into business together. After incorporating her company in 1946, Lauder ventured into department stores. Her first accomplishment was getting into Saks Fifth Avenue, and the products eventually became a staple at department stores. Lauder opened the counter at each store herself and trained the saleswomen to be professional and stylish.

In 1953, Estee Lauder introduced her first fragrance, Youth Dew, which was a scented bath oil used in bath water instead of the traditional French fashion (behind the ear). This grew Estee Lauder sales volume from $400/week to $5,000/week in 1955. In 1960, Estee Lauder became international, starting with Harrods in London. Lauder kept the secrets of her ingredients within the family. In the factories, a final and secret ingredient was always added to the products by a Lauder.

Lauder had creative marketing tactics, such as slogans for her products i.e. “Start the New Year with a new face.”  She also created the gift with purchase. In 1962, the Estee Lauder woman debuted. The same model was used in every advertisement – Karen Graham, Elizabeth Hurley, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been Estee Lauder women. Products were packaged in a distinctive color she called ‘Lauder blue’. New brands were started being added to Estee Lauder in 1964: Aramis (1964), Clinique (1968), Prescriptives (1979), and Origins (1990). In the 1990’s, the companies M.A.C., Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and Bumble, and Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan fragrances were acquired.

In 2004, Estee Lauder passed away at 97 years of age, and was later posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

“Not by dreaming or hoping for it, but by working for it.” – Estee Lauder

Our love of cosmetics naturally extends to an interest in the pioneers in the industry. Helena Rubinstein is arguably one of the most important women in the modern cosmetic industry to date. With little formal education, she established one of the first mass-produced cosmetics companies. Her innovations included tinted face powder, foundation, hormonal skin creams, a mechanical mascara applicator, and cosmetics for men.

Less commonly known, Rubinstein started out at medical school but discovered she disliked to be around sickness. Rubinstein was born in 1870 in Poland. She moved back and forth between Europe and the States before marrying a Russian nobleman who became an American citizen. In 1900, Rubinstein opened her first beauty salon and sold a cream based on her mother’s formulas in Australia. As her success grew she opened a cosmetic factory outside factory and then began to open salons in the United States in 1915. By improving the quality of her products, she was able to use department stores for distribution. She even insisted that she personally train the sales associates. By 1965, the year of her death, her company employed 32,000 people and sales were $42 million.

One hundred years later, Helena Rubinstein’s cosmetics are still a success. Demi Moore is the current face of the company and products are sold worldwide. For current product information, go to www.helenarubinstein.com.