Estee Lauder perfumes have a rich history as she has a great responsibility for moving perfume into women’s hands in America.

Estee Lauder began her cosmetics company with her husband, Joseph Lauder, having first acquired the knowledge of skin care from her uncle, who was a chemist. They were successful in getting their products placed at Saks in 1948, which was the stepstool out of what up to then had been sales done door to door.  In 1960, they became international with their first space in Harrods. She opened new lines  - Aramis for men and Clinique, which was the first skin care line developed by a dermatologist as well as being allergy free and fragrance free.

Estee Lauder gained footholds in some of the niche cosmetics business by purchasing Stila, MAC, Trish McEvoy and Smashbox.

Estee ventured into perfume with the introduction of Youth Dew in 1952. But it wasn’t exactly a perfume, it was bath oil.  It gave women permission to wear those stronger oriental fragrances regularly instead of just for special occasions.  Once they put it in their bathwater every night, it was a short step to spritzing in the morning. The Lauder Perfume Empire began.

There have been countless best-selling perfumes from Estee Lauder, and some of the most notable were Alliage (elegant, beautiful green); Clinique Aromatics Elixir (rose, patchouli, balsam); Private Collection (the great concept of a personal perfume from the vault, incredibly mature).  Estee Lauder have purchased perfume companies (Jo Malone) or collaborated with other designers to create perfumes (Donna Karan, Tom Ford).

Estee Lauder has collaborated with some legendary perfumers to create their fragrances – Calice Becker, Sophia Grojsman, Annie Buzantian and many more.

Estee died in 2004, but the company continues to be family-run.  Try an Estee Lauder Youth Dew sample and experience the start of this legendary company’s fragrance business.