Aerin Lauder’s Best Career Advice Came From Her Grandmother

Putting on a spritz of our favorite fragrance before heading out the door has become so ingrained in our morning routines that most of us don’t think twice about it. Not Aerin Lauder. On the day of our interview, the beauty and lifestyle expert has been spritzing continuously since the early morning. And not like it’s her job, but because it is her job.

That job is brand founder of Aerin, the lifestyle luxury brand that specializes in curated collections of beauty, fashion, and home decor. This summer the company celebrates 10 years with the launch of its newest fragrance, Rose de Grasse Joyful Bloom, a fresh rose scent with notes of Italian bergamot, blackcurrant, geranium, pink pepper, and more.

“My desk is covered in fragrance,” Lauder says. “I’ve already put Joyful Bloom on 12 times since this morning, but I do it all day long. I love it. To me, it lifts my spirits. It wakes me up.”

Courtesy of brand

Aerin Rose de Grasse Joyful Bloom

$205 at Aerin

$205 at Estée Lauder

Listening to Lauder talk about her newest fragrance is incredibly soothing, and it’s no wonder: Her grandmother was the late Estée Lauder, the founder of the cosmetics and skin-care industry giant that to this day is worth nearly $100 billion. Aerin spent 25 years working at the mothership before branching out on her own. Now, 10 years later, she’s built a devoted following and four brick and mortar stores. So she knows what she’s talking about—and how to sell it.

“I have about six or eight fragrances that I go to all the time,” Lauder says. “Estée had this amazing concept of ‘wardrobe fragrances,’ and that was something that I have applied to the beauty part of the business. She had this quote that you wouldn’t wear the same dress to play tennis in as you would to have dinner, so why wear the same fragrance? The idea of wearing fragrance for a certain mood, time of the day, or even time of the year really allows you to dream. That’s the power of fragrance.”

For Glamour’s latest edition of Doing the Work, Lauder opens up about the good kind of fear, the rule she’s adamant about at work, and the getaways that inspire her creativity.

Glamour: How do you remember feeling when you first launched Aerin in 2012? 

Aerin Lauder: I was really nervous, but that’s what was great about it. It was these mixed emotions that gave me the confidence to do this. I’ve always had this dream of starting my own company. I was at Estée Lauder for 25 years, which was quite a long time. I held many different positions, and I felt there was an opportunity for a beauty lifestyle brand. When I got the green light, we launched with five fragrances, and then a few months later, we launched with some home candles and home objects. There’s nothing I love more than when a customer would say she loved her fragrance. Seeing people embracing it was very rewarding.

It’s interesting to hear you say “when I finally got the green light” because people probably expect that you could just start your own business, given your experience and family connections. 

You can do it, but then it might not always be a business. You can launch something and create products, but I had been working with the best people in the industry for many, many years. I took what I had learned, and I felt there was an opportunity. I picked a very small team—a lot of those people are still with me today. It taught me a lot. It taught me product development, branding, marketing, et cetera.

Your company name is Aerin. Why not Aerin Lauder, especially given the power and recognition of your last name?

That’s a great question, and I did consider that. My mother’s father’s name was Aaron, and he passed away very young of lung cancer. My mother named me Aerin and kept the A, but made up this crazy spelling. When I was launching the brand, we actually focus-grouped the names. People really loved just the name Aerin. It fit perfectly on the front of my products; it was five letters, and it was unusual. Our focus groups really showed that people love the word, Aerin.

What was your first job where you actually made money?

At the end of high school, beginning of college, I worked at the Museum of Modern Art in the archives. I loved that because I’m very visual and love the arts. My first real job was at Clinique in the design department. That was my first job within the company, and I was completely hooked. I loved beauty. I loved the company. I loved the different brands. When I graduated from university, I was at Estée Lauder, Clinique, and Prescriptives during the summers. And then I went to Estée Lauder full-time when I graduated.

I haven’t heard the name Prescriptives in so long. I loved that brand. [Note:Prescriptives was founded in 1979, went online-only in 2011, and closed permanently in 2020.]

What’s interesting is that’s where my uncle wanted me to go one summer because he said that’s where I would really learn so much because it was such a small brand. At Estée Lauder, I did product development just for makeup because it was such a big brand. But at Prescriptives, I had the ability to work on all these different products because it was so small. He was right; I was exposed to so much. Prescriptives was ahead of its time. If you think about, it was probably one of the first makeup artist brands out there. It’s shame that we had to kind of…certain things are available online, but you live and you learn.

When you were growing up, what did you imagine your career would be like? 

I always loved beauty and fashion, and I’ve always loved home. I knew I wanted to be in the company. I could not wait to graduate and start working there. I was there for 25 years when I found that there was an opportunity in the marketplace for a beauty lifestyle brand. I still play a role at Estée Lauder, and obviously Aerin Beauty is part of Estée Lauder and sits on the Estée Lauder counter. So it’s something I’ve always loved.

What is the best quality in a boss? 

Probably honesty. If someone makes a mistake or if something’s wrong or if you think something’s not going in the right direction, use your words carefully and always be respectful, but be honest. The culture I’ve established at my company is that everyone treats each other with respect. I always think it’s important for people to talk through things. 

How do you shut your mind off when it comes to work? How do you set boundaries?

I try because it’s really important. It’s hard, though. I have two grown sons, and when you’re at a dinner with family or you’re spending time together at home, it’s really important to switch gears and balance that family time. My grandmother and mother always taught me the importance of balance, and that’s really very important. If you love what you do, you can find the balance.

What part of your job do you love so much that you can get carried away working on and forget what time it is?

I love our stores. Our first store was in South Hampton nine years ago, and I love the idea of mixing our product with things that we find. That is something I never tire of. I love merchandising, I love standing in a store and watching people come in and try things on. I love what they’re seeing and buying. It’s very fulfilling and exciting.

Is there a city that gives you the most inspiration in terms of design or aesthetic? 

Italy. I’m going to Rome and haven’t been in years. I love Capri. Many of our fragrances and a lot of the brands we carry in our store are from Capri. These wonderful little special brands. Italy is inspiring in so many ways—the color, the heritage, the storytelling, the fragrances that you smell around you, the food, the people, the company. Just everything. It’s complete magic.

Is there a piece of professional advice that has stuck with you over the years?

The idea that Estée taught us—all of us—that whatever you do, do it well and do it with passion. That’s really important.

Your grandmother passed away 20 years ago. Now that you’re 10 years into your own brand, is there something you wish you could go back and ask her? 

I probably would love to show her my brand and just hear her comments and see what she thought was missing from the lineup. That to me would be really special. I knew Estée as a grandmother and watched her from afar at sales meetings, but I never had the opportunity to be in a meeting with her, because when I graduated, she was obviously older. So I would love the opportunity to be in a brainstorming meeting with her, to talk about fragrance and concept. That would be incredible.

She was incredible, not just as a business person but as a woman coming up at the time she did. 

It was unheard of, and that’s why I launched that book in the honor of Estée Lauder’s 75th anniversary this past fall. It sold out in one week. It shows that her story is so interesting to everyone. She was the first person to create the concept of a gift with purchase. She talked about a sports fragrance before it even existed. She was brilliant. 

Do you often think, What would Estée do in this situation?

She loved life. She loved to travel, and she really was very much inspired by her travels. That’s something that I have applied to the brand.

What is your go-to thank-you gift? 

Probably flowers. I love Zeze in New York City. I’m always following florists on Instagram. If I’m going to a new city, I love to go visit the different florists. I think flowers always are really nice.

If you’ve had a particularly bad day, what helps you escape? And how do you celebrate a good day at work?

If it’s a bad day, I talk to a friend on the phone. I still love to talk on the phone. And if it’s a really good day, I enjoy a nice bubble bath. I love our shower gel.

Is there any advice you wish you could give your younger self?

Stay true to who you are. It’s okay to be a little bit scared, but follow your intuition and your dreams.

Is there a piece of advice that drives you crazy? 

Sometimes I hear people say they’d be so happy not to work, but I think working is the most important thing for your mind. You also need to have outside interests, which is so important for your sanity. I love to be inspired. I love to go antiquing. I love to visit new places. I love to travel. There’s something really nice about being with good friends and being inspired by your friends. And a great meal with them.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

In the Hamptons, I love Duryeas in Montauk. To me that is complete magic. In New York, I love J.G. Melon. I love a great hamburger and french fries. The cottage-fried potatoes at J.G. Melon are delicious. And everything at The Polo Bar is delicious.

You love to travel and are particularly inspired by Italy, so what’s your favorite resort in the Mediterranean?

Il San Pietro in Positano is amazing, and I think the Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri is still the best location. It’s old school Capri. It’s really exquisite.

Your sons just graduated. What would you tell this new incoming class starting their first jobs?

My son just graduated from Wharton, and Ken Burns spoke and was excellent. He talked about the importance of reading and said the best thing that humans invented was the book. Also, it’s so important to really love what you do and not look at your watch like it’s time to go home. I also think to complete something is very fulfilling.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the upcoming bookThe Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series(October 11, 2022). You can follow her on Instagram@jessicaradloff14.