Modern Beauty Queen
Aerin Lauder (yes, that Lauder) redefines beauty essentials with a line forthoroughly modern women
Aerin Lauder, founder and creative director of AERIN.Photo courtesy of Aerin Lauder
AERIN essentials.Photo courtesy of Aerin Lauder
AERIN 2012 holiday collection.Photo courtesy of Aerin Lauder
AERIN essential makeup bag.Photo courtesy of Aerin Lauder
“This collection has always been a dream of mine,” remarked beauty maven Aerin Lauder during a recent personal appearance at Neiman Marcus NorthPark. The granddaughter of the late Estée Lauder was celebrating the launch of the new beauty and lifestyle line that bears her name:AERIN.
In addition to her pedigree, Lauder has a depth of experience in the beauty industry. She has held a variety of roles at the Estée Lauder company since 1992, including creative director, and she still works as the company’s style and image director.
Now Lauder is the founder and creative director of her own company, one in which she hopes to reimagine women’s everyday beauty essentials.
“AERIN is a collection of all-purpose, everyday items that are feminine, modern and useful,” Lauder says.
“For AERIN, I wanted to imagine makeup-bag essentials and collection items in a new way,” Lauder says. “AERIN is a collection of all-purpose, everyday items that are feminine, modern and useful.”
For whom is her new collection designed? “Really it’s for women of all ages — especially women on the go who are attempting to balance style and their busy lives,” Lauder says. “The line is designed for women with sensibility when it comes to fashion, style and luxury – edited.”
Her new collection is based on a few staples inspired by Lauder’s own beauty secrets (dubbed “essentials”) but also comprises limited-edition colors and palettes that once sold out will not be replenished. This process keeps the beauty products seasonal, fresh and approachable.
Where do the colors come from? “A lot is based on trend production,” Lauder says. “Whenever we see a trend on the fashion runways, we bring these colors to beauty.”
The 2012 holiday palette offers eye shadow hues of green, purple and chocolate with a hint of sparkle. In line with the subdued aesthetic of the AERIN collection, the colors provide a chic, soft and pretty sheen rather than overtly glamorous color.
The multicolor compacts can be used for lips and cheeks; the bronzing powder, one of Lauder’s personal favorites, will always stay in the line; and the rose lip conditionerhas been one of the bestsellers thus far. It smells wonderful, and customers keep buying it over and over, Lauder says.
“I think what’s most wonderful about Texas women is they truly embrace beauty and cosmetics,” Lauder says.
Lauder claims thetravel-ready makeup bag holds just the right amount of products for on-the-run women. All of her items are travel-ready, including the new holiday lipsticks.
“Holidays are my favorite time of year,” Lauder says. “This collection is especially festive — a wearable evening palette and mini lip products — perfect for an evening out.” The lipsticks are full-size but come in smaller packaging that’s evening-bag ready.
Lauder’s line also includes candles and a selection of hairbrushes and combs — treasured items for the vanity table reimagined in a fresh and modern way.
The AERIN packaging shines with elegant hammered gold casing and the perfect light pink accents (dust covers and boxes). Lauder has a fondness for gold, from the jewelry she wears to the furniture in her apartment to her most treasured item — a gold Cartier watch, the first gift her husband ever gave her.
Lauder has come to know Texas women, because her family has some Texas roots; her husband’s father is from Corpus Christi. “I think what’s most wonderful about Texas women is they truly embrace beauty and cosmetics,” Lauder says. “They want to look as beautiful as they can possibly look, their best.”
And what does she think her grandmother might think about her new beauty collection? “She would love this,” Lauder says. “She loved color and very feminine modern luxuries and, of course, gold.”
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Shop the AERIN collection online or at Neiman Marcus.
Ice skaters showed off their moves in the "Central Park" rink.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The Kilgore Rangerettes channeled the Radio City Rockettes.Photo by Ashley Gongora
Dessert included a cake that looked like a blue Tiffany box.Photo by Michael Merry