MY LIFE IN BEAUTY
Aerin Lauder talks about what inspires her
I feel most beautiful when I’m around my children, relaxed, and surrounded by family
My grandmother, Estée Lauder,
started her company in 1946 at the age of 38, around the same age I was when I started AERIN. I was so adamant about the importance of lifestyle (people thought I was crazy), but it’s become an integral part of everything and most fashion brands have a homes section now. My grandmother gave me the green light to follow my dreams and taught me the importance of loving what you do and authenticity. My brand is very true to who I am. I won’t make a product if I don’t love it. Estée was also my beauty inspiration. She used to say, ‘You have one face, take care of it.’ At a young age, I used Clinique’s 3-Step System, then I graduated to Estée Lauder skincare. I’ve had Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized
Multi-recovery Complex (5), £82, in my cosmetic bag since my teenage years. Estée taught me about balance, too.
She went to work every day, had a beautiful home, was an amazing mother and friend and knew the importance of making time for yourself. She also had a wonderful appetite! I recently found an article in which she said she thought a slab of butter every day was good for the skin – such a different generation! My signature look is quite classic and feminine. I’ve never gone through a rebellious phase, like dyeing my hair purple or wearing black nail polish. Recently, a good friend was showing me pictures of us at 13. We looked exactly the same, wearing high-collared shirts or dresses. It shows that my style has always been consistent. Likewise my make-up. It’s always very natural. I’ve been wearing Estée Lauder Re-nutriv Ultra Radiance Liquid Makeup SPF 20 (6), £80, since college. I wear it every day, even at home, as it makes me feel finished and polished.
I love bronzer, eyeliner and Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (4), £26, too. My look doesn’t change day to night. I’ll perhaps just add more liner and an additional coat of mascara. I don’t wear much colour; I think there is nothing more beautiful than a woman
wearing a red lip, but it just doesn’t go with my colouring. The first Estée Lauder fragrance
I wore was Beautiful. Estée always loved Bulgarian rose – and this has a lot of rose in it. It smelt like her, and I wanted to be everything she was.
On my vanity table I have three to four fragrances and often a sample of a scent we’re working on. I usually rotate my scent with the seasons, so in summer I’ll wear AERIN Rose de
Grasse Parfum (1), £150, as well as my Limone Di Sicilia and Wild Geranium scents. This autumn, I’ll be wearing my new AERIN Ambrette de Noir Parfum
(2), £150, which has rose (I’ve always loved rose, too), incense, white flowers and a musky twist. Having a wardrobe of fragrances works. As Estée said,
‘Would you wear the same dress to dinner as you would to play tennis?’
I just turned 50. Growing older is great. It’s important to embrace grey hair, wrinkles and who you are. My boys are 19 and 21, and there is nothing more magical than having children who are now your best friends. I keep my phone by my bed because if they can’t sleep, they’ll text me and we’ll talk. It’s lovely. It’s been an interesting birthday year
with lockdown. It’s helped me gain some perspective. My life was so hectic before. I was out for dinners at least three times a week, travelling for work constantly… and I looked tired. I wasn’t eating well, either. I’d get on a plane and have something like nuts before I rushed to an event, then skip dinner and eat something from the hotel minibar later. It wasn’t a healthy lifestyle. Now, I’m getting up later, and trying to go outside every day to take a walk. Nature is so important for your frame of mind. I feel my complexion looks better now, too. I cut my own hair during lockdown.
My hairdresser friend sent me a pair of scissors, and I did it. I realise now you’re not supposed to pull the hair down and cut it – just let it rest and then cut, but it makes you realise that you really can do anything if you put your mind to it. There’s always a vase of flowers on my bedside table as well as my
AERIN Rose Lip Conditioner (3), £24, which I put on every night. The last thing I do before bed is text a friend. I have a couple who often have trouble sleeping, and they’ll text me during the night. It infuriates my husband; he tells me to turn off my phone!
I’ll have a book next to me, too. I’m currently living in my grandmother’s house, and I am re-reading her autobiography. I love reading about her philosophy of business. Estée’s idea that ‘if you do something, do it well, and do it with passion’ is one I think about every day. She taught me that everything can be beautiful if you take the time. I’m releasing an entertainment book this autumn that is centred around that idea. Take the time to make that cup of tea in your most beautiful mug – don’t save it for special occasions. Every day is a gift, and we should embrace each one.