7 famous cosmetic empires founded by women

The success story of Elena Rubinstein is a clear example of what miracles a strong and ambitious nature can do. This woman is called the ancestor of modern cosmetology, and it is not in vain: she really stood at the origins of the development of what is now called the beauty industry.

Chaya Rubinstein (she would become Elena later of her own accord) was born in Polish Krakow at the end of the XNUMXth century and became the eldest of eight daughters in the family of a Jewish merchant. She learned the basics of management from her younger sisters, and inherited a strong character and practicality from her father. The “cosmetic” direction for Chaya’s future business was set by her mother Augusta – she always instructed her daughters: regular care is the main thing that a woman needs to preserve her beauty. Therefore, when the adult Haya came to her uncle in Australia, the local residents first of all admired the color and purity of her skin. Haya realized: and my mother was right, preparing cosmetic creams according to her own proprietary recipe!

It was mom’s signature cream recipe that became the first product that Haya produced and sold in Sydney and Melbourne.

Already becoming Helena, Rubinstein founded the world’s first beauty salon in London, then the same ones in Paris and New York. To explain at least a little what a miracle Elena’s ascent to the Olympus of business was, one detail is enough: in those years, women did not even have the right to take out a bank loan on their own!

After the opening of personalized beauty salons in the United States, Elena collaborated with Hollywood film companies, where she taught actresses to paint. Over the course of her long life, the woman who gave her name to the first cosmetic empire saw both better and worse times, but she never gave up. She owns the brilliant phrase “There are no ugly women, there are lazy ones.” Helena Rubinstein, the great businesswoman, died in 1965 at the age of 94. And her famous brand is still alive and has become a legend.

For which we are grateful to Elena

She was the first to classify skin into three types – dry, oily and normal. And she began to produce creams in accordance with these types. Rubinstein invented waterproof mascara, the world’s first deep cleanser and fortified creams.

“Like lips, only better” – this is how many women in the world try to describe the lipstick of their dreams. Fortunately for them, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, in 1957, a girl was born, who is now known as Bobby Brown.

As a child, the future make-up artist loved to watch her mother put on makeup: white shadows, black pencil eyeliner … When Bobby herself entered the “make-up” age, the range of the cosmetics industry horrified her: there was an unnaturally bright, provocative make-up in fashion – blue, purple and green shadows, lipstick the colors of “mad fuchsia” and orange peel.

As a schoolgirl, Bobby Brown began experimenting with different cosmetics, mixing them, trying to achieve the desired shades. Later, having received a diploma of a theatrical make-up artist, the girl began her ascent to the fashionable Olympus. Her first success was a photo of the famous Patrick Demarchelier on the cover of Vogue: then-catwalk star Naomi Campbell with makeup from Bobby Brown.

In collaboration with a talented chemist, Bobby finally created the lipstick she dreamed of: soft, with a natural palette, without an obtrusive scent. On the very first day of the new lipstick on sale, about a hundred tubes were sold – this convinced Bobby that she was not the only one who loved natural makeup. Now a talented woman makeup artist is still working a lot and is actively involved in charity work and publishes books about the secrets of make-up, which are sold out like hot cakes.

For which we are grateful to Bobby

When a woman is wearing Bobby Brown makeup, she looks healthy, fresh and blooming, not gaudy painted.

An enterprising native of Canada from a family of English immigrants brought to her banner the revolutionary slogan of those times “A true lady must definitely use decorative cosmetics!” At the beginning of the twentieth century, lips, cheeks and eyes were painted only by women of semi-light.

Florence Nightingale Graham, who created the Elizabeth Arden brand, was an inquisitive woman. As a girl, she moved from Ontario to New York, where she got a job as an accountant at a pharmaceutical company. Balancing, she spent hours in the chemical laboratory, studying the properties of the then creams. The experience of cooperation and joint launching of a business with beautician Elizabeth Hubbard was only successful for Florence: in the end she bought the salon, enterprisingly leaving the name of Elizabeth on the signboard (why unnecessary expenses) and adding the word Arden to it – the name of a neighboring farm.

The door of the beauty salon Florence ordered to be painted in an inviting red color: such a client will not pass by

The businesswoman immediately set the tone for her business: everything that goes under the Elizabeth Arden brand is luxury products. She appreciated luxury and respectability. This is noticeable even in the type of packaging of products – each jar is like a work of art. The ambitious Englishwoman made her cosmetics a symbol of luxury by signing a contract with the Chrysler car manufacturers – each new car had a case containing the Elizabeth Arden series of products.

For which we are grateful to Elizabeth (i.e. Florence)

For the fact that she freed cosmetics from the stigma of “tricks of a woman of easy virtue” and devoted her life to teaching women how to paint correctly. She was also the first to launch four-phase series of face and body care: cleansing, toning, moisturizing and nourishing.

This girl from a family of Hungarian immigrants who was born in an unpopular neighborhood of New York called Queens had not even zero chances of success, but negative ones.

No financial education, no start-up capital, no basic chemistry, no business skills. Moreover, from a large family living in the Italian quarter. But then the First World War began, and uncle chemist John Schots joined the family. He managed to captivate Este with his secrets of making creams, and she turned out to be an excellent student.

The future founder of a cosmetic company cooked her first face cream in a saucepan at the age of 6

And in high school, she was already selling her classmates the works of her uncle’s cosmetic art with might and main.

Este really turned around, becoming the wife of a businessman, Mrs. Lauder. She cooked creams, lipsticks and blush in her own kitchen, then went to New York hairdressers and offered the owners to try her products for free. Obsessed with the idea of ​​bringing beauty to the world, Este Lauder arranged free demonstrations of her cosmetics wherever she could, and soon won, entering the large department store “Sachs” with her goods. The irrepressible energy of this woman did its job: the gradually expanding empire of cosmetics made Este one of the richest women in the world, and her brand logo is known in all corners of the globe.

For which we are grateful to Este

For concepts such as “testers”, “samplers” who entered cosmetic marketing with her light hand, for the idea of ​​promotions with free makeup and for the win-win “gift-to-buy” method. And yes, of course, the Este Lauder brand is above all delicious creams.

Anita Roddick is the name of that amazing woman who created not just a cosmetic brand, but a whole philosophy. She was born in 1942 in England to a poor family of Italian immigrants. A trip to third world countries to study the living conditions and customs of the peoples of these countries led the woman to the idea of ​​creating a store of eco-friendly cosmetic products based on natural ingredients.

Anita Roddick promoted to the masses not just her cosmetics, but the theory of sustainable consciousness. She was not interested in profit at any cost, but in the observance of ethical standards in the production of goods. She was an active fighter for the prohibition of testing cosmetics on animals, and did a lot of charity work. That is worth at least her foundation “Children on the edge of the abyss”, designed to help children from Eastern Europe and Asia, orphaned as a result of wars and natural disasters.

For which we are grateful to Anita

For the fact that she managed to create a large profitable business without sacrificing principles. And also because lotions, shower gels, creams and other products of this brand smell just magical.

They say that sisters Jean and Jane Ford, having conceived to create a common business, tossed a coin – a fast food cafe or a cosmetics store? The store fell out, but the witty sisters, starting to sell, decorated it in the style of vintage candy shops.

Laughter is the best makeup, the sisters decided. What are the names of products alone! For example, Some kinda Gorgeous cream powder. The packaging for hooligan girls did not bother the customers: the funny sisters always remained themselves, bent their line and did not lose. Today this brand is popular all over the world.

For which we are grateful to Jean and Jane

For a bit of healthy irony about makeup and, of course, eyebrow products. The sisters believed that the eyebrows “make” the face, and were the first to provide eyebrow correction services. Now this brand is considered the world’s leading in the field of eyebrow products – powders, tint gels, and so on.

For those who are hindered by motherhood from making a career, it will be useful to find out: American Mary Kay Ash remained a single mother with three (!) Children in her arms when she was abandoned by her unlucky singer husband.

She took up what is now called network marketing, and even took a director’s position, but then she was replaced in this place by a man, which greatly offended Mary Kay.

Then 45-year-old Mary Kay got angry, bought the secret of the main ingredient of a rejuvenating face cream from her old friend’s daughter, created Mary Kay Cosmetics, then created a distribution network, then bought out the factory that prepared the first portion of the cream for sale, then made a million, then – a billion, and at this stage the man who replaced her in the director’s position probably shot himself with envy. Of course, it just sounds easy and simple, but in fact, the first steps in business were difficult.

“Pretend until you become whoever you want,” Mary Kay used to say.

By the way, the principle of almost all founders of cult cosmetic companies was about the same: image is everything! You need to look like you’ve already achieved success!

For which we are grateful to Mary Kay

For a loose mineral powder, which customers have dubbed “Photoshop in a jar.” For the amazing 3-in-1 hand skin care. And for an inspiring example of self-confidence and energy.