Estée Lauder

About Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder is a New York beauty brand founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder and her husband, Joseph Lauder, with fragrance central to its identity since the 1950s.

History

Its roots go back to the 1930s, when Estée developed a small set of skin care products and sold them in Manhattan beauty salons. Once the company was formally launched, she led creativity, product development and sales while Joseph managed finance and operations; in 1947 she secured a first department store order from Saks Fifth Avenue. Harrods in London followed in 1960, opening the way to international growth.

Philosophy & Signature Style

In the early 1950s, perfume was often something women received as a gift rather than bought for themselves. Estée's answer, in 1953, was Youth-Dew, presented as a bath oil that could also be worn as a fragrance, helping make scent an everyday purchase. She also encouraged women to keep a wardrobe of scents, and under her direction the house added contrasting fragrances such as Azurée, White Linen and Private Collection.

Iconic Fragrances

Youth-Dew remains a dense spicy amber of rose, jasmine, spices and patchouli, while Pleasures, developed under Evelyn Lauder in 1995, is a sheer floral meant to evoke flowers after spring rain. Private Collection Legacy is a separate, contemporary version in which perfume editor Frédéric Malle reimagined the original's green accord.