ESTEE LAUDER

In the section “The Story Behind the Brand,” we present the journey of an ordinary person to worldwide recognition.

Estée Lauder was born in 1906 in New York. She discovered her passion as a child and began developing cosmetic products with the help of her uncle, a dermatologist. Shortly before turning thirty, Estée received support from the owner of a beauty salon and seized the opportunity to offer her products to the salon’s clients. Lauder was the first to introduce the idea of the complimentary sample in a world where older, established competitors such as Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden had already transformed women’s lives — every woman deserves care and wants the best.

Estée’s strong business instinct drove her to boost sales by moving into luxury department stores. The breakthrough was not easy, but she was a determined woman and succeeded, expanding as far as London and Paris. She continued creating new products and launched the iconic fragrance Youth-Dew; in 1968, the newly introduced Clinique became the first dermatologist-tested cosmetics line.

Estée Lauder was named by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the one hundred most successful businesswomen in the United States. Over the years, nearly all family members have been involved in the business, keeping the company family-run to this day and the brand well known around the world.