- Beauty products pioneer Estee Lauder, who over decades built a multimillion-dollar cosmetics empire with thousands of employees, has died at 97. Her son, Leonard Lauder, chairman of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., told The New York Times newspaper his mother died of cardiopulmonary arrest.
Lauder, who retired in 1995, died Saturday at her home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, The Times said in its online edition.
The company bearing her name was estimated to be worth more than two billion dollars when it went public in 1995, The Times reported.
In its website, the company says it has annual sales of five billion dollars and about 20,000 employees worldwide.
Its products, which include women's makeup, fragrance and skin care products, and men's care products, are sold in more than 130 countries across five continents, the company says.
The company, which Lauder started in New York in 1946 with her husband, Joseph Lauder, expanded over the years with the addition of several cosmetic brands, including Donna Karan Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger Toiletries and Aramis. Her husband died in 1982.
"In a perfect world, we'd all be judged on the sweetness of our souls, but in our less than perfect world, the woman who looks pretty has a distinct advantage and, usually, the last word," Lauder wrote in her autobiography, "Estee: A Success Story," according to an excerpt in her company's website.
"You may have great inner resources, but they dont show up as confidence when you don't feel pretty," she wrote. "People are more apt to believe you and like you when you know you look fine. And when the world approves, self-respect is just a little easier."
Born Josephine Esther Mentzer, Estee Lauder was raised in Corona, in New York's Queens borough, by her Hungarian mother, Rose, and Czech father, Max, according to the company.
Lauder was mentored by her uncle, John Schotz, a chemist who created beauty products which she would sell to beauty salons and hotels.
The products made their way to New York's Saks Fifth Avenue in 1948 and later to other major department stores, the company says.
"Although skin care was her first enterprise, Mrs. Lauder also became a world-renowned fragrance nose," the company says, and Estee Lauder now sells more than 70 perfumes.
She believed that to make a sale, it was important to touch the customer.
Lauder spent much time behind counters helping customers and teaching beauty advisers.
"I didnt get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it," she often reminded her sales force, according to the company.
Lauder "pioneered" the idea of giving away free samples of products with the sale of Estee Lauder merchandise, the company says.
"One of her favorite quotes was 'Tell-A-Phone, Tell-A-Graph, Tell-A-Woman,' based on her conviction that once a woman tried the product, she would like it and then share it with her friends," her company's biography says.
In 1962, she began selecting one supermodel who would be the company's face in advertisements.
The beauties have included Karen Graham, Willow Bay, Paulina Porizkova, English actress Elizabeth Hurley (news) and Carolyn Murphy.
Her sons have been involved in her company for decades.
Leonard Lauder, chairman since 1995, joined in 1958. He was company president from 1972-1995 and chief executive officer from 1982-1999.
Ronald Lauder, who is now chairman of Clinique Laboratories Inc., also worked in his mother's company.
Some of her grandchildren also play an active role in the company.
Lauder had received numerous awards over the years for her business accomplishments and was involved in charitable causes and civic and cultural activities.
She was involved in the restoration of the Versailles palace outside Paris and her foundation helped build children's playgrounds in New York's famed Central Park, the company says.
After retiring in 1995, she continued visiting department store counters, until her health began deteriorating, her biography says.
Lauder, who retired in 1995, died Saturday at her home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, The Times said in its online edition.
The company bearing her name was estimated to be worth more than two billion dollars when it went public in 1995, The Times reported.
In its website, the company says it has annual sales of five billion dollars and about 20,000 employees worldwide.
Its products, which include women's makeup, fragrance and skin care products, and men's care products, are sold in more than 130 countries across five continents, the company says.
The company, which Lauder started in New York in 1946 with her husband, Joseph Lauder, expanded over the years with the addition of several cosmetic brands, including Donna Karan Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger Toiletries and Aramis. Her husband died in 1982.
"In a perfect world, we'd all be judged on the sweetness of our souls, but in our less than perfect world, the woman who looks pretty has a distinct advantage and, usually, the last word," Lauder wrote in her autobiography, "Estee: A Success Story," according to an excerpt in her company's website.
"You may have great inner resources, but they dont show up as confidence when you don't feel pretty," she wrote. "People are more apt to believe you and like you when you know you look fine. And when the world approves, self-respect is just a little easier."
Born Josephine Esther Mentzer, Estee Lauder was raised in Corona, in New York's Queens borough, by her Hungarian mother, Rose, and Czech father, Max, according to the company.
Lauder was mentored by her uncle, John Schotz, a chemist who created beauty products which she would sell to beauty salons and hotels.
The products made their way to New York's Saks Fifth Avenue in 1948 and later to other major department stores, the company says.
"Although skin care was her first enterprise, Mrs. Lauder also became a world-renowned fragrance nose," the company says, and Estee Lauder now sells more than 70 perfumes.
She believed that to make a sale, it was important to touch the customer.
Lauder spent much time behind counters helping customers and teaching beauty advisers.
"I didnt get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it," she often reminded her sales force, according to the company.
Lauder "pioneered" the idea of giving away free samples of products with the sale of Estee Lauder merchandise, the company says.
"One of her favorite quotes was 'Tell-A-Phone, Tell-A-Graph, Tell-A-Woman,' based on her conviction that once a woman tried the product, she would like it and then share it with her friends," her company's biography says.
In 1962, she began selecting one supermodel who would be the company's face in advertisements.
The beauties have included Karen Graham, Willow Bay, Paulina Porizkova, English actress Elizabeth Hurley (news) and Carolyn Murphy.
Her sons have been involved in her company for decades.
Leonard Lauder, chairman since 1995, joined in 1958. He was company president from 1972-1995 and chief executive officer from 1982-1999.
Ronald Lauder, who is now chairman of Clinique Laboratories Inc., also worked in his mother's company.
Some of her grandchildren also play an active role in the company.
Lauder had received numerous awards over the years for her business accomplishments and was involved in charitable causes and civic and cultural activities.
She was involved in the restoration of the Versailles palace outside Paris and her foundation helped build children's playgrounds in New York's famed Central Park, the company says.
After retiring in 1995, she continued visiting department store counters, until her health began deteriorating, her biography says.
