United States
Our Founder
Our Founder
Mrs. Estée Lauder, our founder, was a visionary entrepreneur who challenged the status quo and proved that anything was possible. Estée started her business with just a handful of products, but with her signature mix of perseverance and creativity, she built a successful business and changed the face of the beauty industry forever.
I never dreamed about success.
I worked for it.
— Mrs. Estée Lauder
The Early Years
Born Josephine Esther Mentzer in 1908, Estée Lauder was raised in Queens, New York, by her mother Rose, who was born in Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary, and her father Max, who was born in Pressburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia). The name Estée was a variation of her childhood nickname, Esty.
Estée first became interested in beauty as a young girl, when her uncle, a chemist, came to live with her family. He created velvety skin creams at home — first in the kitchen, then in a stable behind the family house, which they turned into a laboratory. From her uncle, Estée learned how to formulate skin creams and expertly apply them to the skin.
In the late 1920s, Estée met Joseph Lauter. After they married in 1930 and moved to Manhattan, the couple adopted the surname Lauder, correcting a misspelling that dated back to the time when Joseph’s father emigrated from Austria to the United States.
Estée began selling skin care and makeup in beauty salons, demonstrating her products on women while they were sitting under hair dryers. In 1946, she and Joseph officially launched the company, and a year later they landed their first major order — $800 worth of products from Saks Fifth Avenue.
Never underestimate any woman’s
desire for beauty.
— Mrs. Estée Lauder
A Born Entrepreneur
Estée had an innate instinct for knowing what women wanted. The consummate saleswoman and marketer, she believed that to make a sale, you had to explain the products to the customer and show her the results on her own skin. This was the start of the company’s tradition of exceptional services.
Estée harnessed the power of word-of-mouth publicity, living by the motto “Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Woman.” She offered customers a free sample when they bought an Estée Lauder product, helping to establish the idea of 'Gift with Purchase' as a standard beauty industry practice, and could often be found at a beauty counter personally handing out samples.
Estée attended the opening of nearly every new store and stayed for a week to instruct her beauty advisors on sales techniques and merchandise display. Always stylish and well dressed, she crossed the country to meet with store buyers and beauty editors, and acted as a one-woman research department, always eager to speak with consumers. She even selected the pale turquoise colour of the brand’s jars, believing it conveyed a sense of luxury while coordinating with all bathroom decors.
Pushing the Boundaries of Beauty
Until the 1950s, most American women saved fragrance for special occasions and waited to receive perfume as a birthday or anniversary gift. But Estée wanted to find a way for women to buy their own perfume, so in 1953 she created the brand’s famous Youth-Dew bath oil, an innovative product that doubled as a skin perfume. With its intoxicating blend of rose, jasmine, vetiver and patchouli, Youth-Dew took the beauty industry by storm, changing the way fragrance was sold and transforming the fledgling start-up company into a multimillion-dollar business.
Always seeking to challenge the status quo, Estée soon realised the possibilities that lay beyond her namesake brand. She oversaw the creation of five new brands — Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series and Origins — and always insisted that the companies’ products be made from high-quality ingredients.
No one ever became a success without taking chances…. One must be able to recognise the moment and seize it without delay.
— Mrs. Estée Lauder
An American Icon
Estée was a definitive American entrepreneur who was in constant conversation with the culture of her time — and helped define it in turn. In the mid-20th century, New York City was a global hub of art and innovation, and she drew inspiration from its sophisticated, vibrant culture.
As a pioneering businesswoman, Estée was honoured with many awards during her career. Receiving the French Legion of Honour was one of the high points of her life. She also supported numerous civic and cultural programmes and other charitable causes, including the restoration of the Palace of Versailles and the building of several playgrounds in New York City’s Central Park.
The only thing more important to Estée than the company was her family, and she was thrilled when her children and grandchildren joined the business. Estée retired in 1995 and passed away in 2004.
An Enduring Legacy
Today, ELC is home to a vibrant global portfolio of brands, with more than 60,000 employees worldwide. Even after more than 75 years in business, ELC carries forward the timeless values that Estée embodied — respect for the individual, integrity, generosity of spirit, fearless persistence and the highest aesthetic standards.
We strive to honour our groundbreaking founder by advancing possibilities for women everywhere, within our family and in the communities we touch. Estée Lauder’s creativity, resilience and challenger spirit inspire us every day.